Cycling

The Netherlands has long been cycling’s gold standard, but the rapid growth of e-bikes is creating a new problem: illegally modified machines travelling faster than the law allows. With fatbikes increasingly linked to crashes and antisocial riding, Dutch towns are starting to act. The bigger challenge, though, is that “e-bike” has become a catch-all label that blurs the line between bicycles and electric motorbikes.

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Breakdown cover is usually associated with cars. Less well known is that recovery services also exist for e-bikes, bicycles and mobility scooters – and that they work very differently. This guide explains what to expect, depending on how you travel.

For many disabled people, adapted cycles and electric trikes are not a lifestyle choice but a mobility aid. UK VAT rules recognise this – but only when the design, not the rider, is the reason.

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A plain-English guide to e-bikes in the UK. Learn the law, how throttles work, battery care and real-world costs, plus tips on buying safely and protecting your bike from theft.

E-bike batteries are costly to make and quick to wear out, but Brighton studio Gomi is finding new life for them as power banks – a step towards greener cycling.