Are electric bikes legal in London?
Answering your FAQs: are electric bikes legal in London?
Being England’s capital city, boasting a huge, diverse population, London often follows its own rules - particularly when it comes to etiquette and social convention. As such, particularly if you live, work or are visiting London very soon, you may be wondering: are electric bikes legal in London?
Are electric bikes legal in London?
Here in the UK, electric bikes that conform to the EN15194 standard - this standard relates to pedal assist, size of motor used (max. 250w) and level of assistance (max 15.5mph or 25kph) - are legal and you can ride an electric bike if you’re 14 or over.
Electric bikes - otherwise known in this context as ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ or EAPCs do not require an owner to hold any kind of special license or pay any specific tax(es).
As such, EAPCs that conform to EN15194 - the kind of electric bike we offer here at Mark2 Electric BIkes - are treated in the same way as a manual pedal bike would be and are therefore perfectly legal and accepted as used on cycle paths and any other places manual bikes are used.
This is exactly the same in London as it is everywhere else in the UK.
However, when using an electric bike in London, or any other big and/or densely populated city, it’s important to consider the following in order to keep yourself and others around you, safe:
Use cycle paths wherever possible: cycle paths are so important in keeping cyclists, pedestrians and drivers safe; providing a separate lane on busy roads for cyclists to use that provides you with space from vehicles and busy footpaths - always look out for these and use them wherever possible.
Always wear a helmet: something you should always remember, wherever you are, is to wear a helmet when riding your eBike, as well as other safety equipment. Helmets provide crucial protection should you experience any kind of incident whilst cycling.
Ditch your headphones: we all love listening to music but using headphones whilst cycling can not only be extremely distracting, but also muffling and block out the noises around you. Therefore, choosing not to listen to music during your journey will help you stay alert to what’s going on around you and any impending incidents that you could be approaching.
Plan your route: particularly during busy periods and popular areas, it's a good idea to plan your route beforehand so you can confidently cycle to your location, take quieter roads, and cycle on purpose-built infrastructure to make your journey as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
In short, electric bikes are legal in London, as they are across the whole of the UK, and are treated in just the same way as a manual pedal bike - no licence necessary - meaning owning an eBike is as easy and convenient as owning a manual bike.
To browse our range of electric bikes, please visit our online shop.
