It’s been a rather hard and bumpy road but if recent events are to go by, things might be moving in the right direction in terms of the narrative around differentiating motor-powered two-wheeled vehicles from e-bikes, as is evident by this social media post from Lancashire Road Police.
Sharing the pictures, the team wrote: “This is not an e-bike. This is a motor vehicle and must comply with RTA legislation.
“This particular vehicle has a 750W rear motor and can be independently powered by a twist throttle up to 28mph.”
And after a period of stoking and, honestly, simply incorrect use of terminology in the public sphere, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a roads policing team recognise this and put it out there for others to see as well.
The impact of the post was not lost on cyclists, with many, including popular camera cyclist Mike van Erp, better known as CyclingMikey, thanking the officers.
“Thank you for calling it what it is! Cyclists aren't keen on people calling these ebikes as we face enough hatred as it is,” wrote Mikey, who uses an e-bike to ride on London roads and report mobile-phone using or close passing drivers to the Met.
Another cyclist replied: “Good to hear police calling these what they are. So many still calling them e bikes which they are not,”
Dr Robert Davis, Chair of the Road Danger Reduction Forum, also chimed in, saying: “Excellent, Lancashire Road Police! I and many others (judged by loads of likes) are pleased that some Police Services are stressing this point. Language is important: illegally ‘modded’ e-bikes are NOT bicycles, electrical or otherwise, not least because of their high(er) speed potential.”
One of the reasons why the post was welcomed all the more jubilantly by cyclists across social media could be the recent BBC Panorama episode hosted by Adrian Chiles, titled ‘E-Bikes: The Battle For Our Streets’, which took aim at the apparent culture war focused on e-bikes. However, the broadcaster didn’t seem to differentiate between mopeds, illegal motor-powered vehicles, illicitly modified e-bikes, and the actual e-bikes which are legal in the UK.
The episode was blasted by cyclists, who accused the BBC of “attacking” e-bikes in a “fishy, fearmongering” episode “littered with inaccuracy, misinformation, and bias” and painting “crime-ridden, apocalyptic vision”.
Despite the BBC claiming their reportage of the issue was “fair and impartial”, many cyclists and those in the industry expressed a contrasting view. Just days after the episode’s airing, the Bicycle Association (BA), the national body representing the cycling industry in the UK, lodged a formal complaint with the broadcaster.
A few days later, the owner of an e-bike shop in south London also branded the programme as “troubling” and “misleading”, with the potential to “unfairly influence public opinion and undermine the efforts of responsible retailers who prioritise safety, respectful riding, and adherence to the law”.
As pro cycling says goodbye to Eurosport and finds a £30.99/month home in TNT Sports, Derek Gee emerged victorious at the third stage of the Spanish stage tour in Galicia, setting a time of 23:17 in the time trial, 17 seconds quicker than second-placed Davide Piganzoli.
Here are some nice words to commemorate the death of Eurosport and the moving on towards TNT from the ever-so-eloquent Rob Hatch…
For those that are nerdy like me, here's the final moments of Eurosport after 36 years of broadcasting in the UK - the highlights of O Gran Camino late last night.
Nice words from Rob Hatch as always. pic.twitter.com/5Aawlmfj0T
— SPFL Mediawatch (@SPFLWatch) February 28, 2025
Duarte Marivoet (Team UAE) wins the 5th stage of #TdRwanda2025@RusiziDistrict --->@HuyeDistrictpic.twitter.com/cykKQOSqGt
— Sebutege Ange (@A_sebutege) February 28, 2025
A York resident has written a letter to The Press highlighting how the years of neglect towards active travel infrastructure investment have allowed the city to fall behind the likes of Oxford and Cambridge.
“York used to have a reputation as a 'cycling city, ’” writes Chris Green. “My mother has memories of bikes everywhere, and York was synonymous with the likes of Oxford and Cambridge in the amount of people using active travel to get around.
“However, where Oxford and Cambridge (or even much bigger places like Leeds and Manchester) have invested hugely in active travel infrastructure, (even connecting along A roads to outer villages), York seems stuck being neither here nor there.
“I have just picked my child up from primary school today by bicycle. She has just changed schools to one located around Hamilton Drive and my goodness what an awful, dangerous and ill-advised experience it was to cycle along this road, especially with a little child.
“How on earth are we ever going to encourage more active modes of travel unless we sort out places such as this road. It is a key connector to several schools, not to mention the pre schools and child minders who populate its vicinity.
“However, at present the road is treacherous for anyone even attempting to travel by any other mode.
“This could be a good start for the recent Active Travel England funding but I think I will take the car to pick up from now on as it's simply not the worth the risk.”
After calling it a day on his pro cycling career with Ineos Grenadiers and pivoting to a managerial role as the directeur sportif of the UCI WorldTour team Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale, Luke Rowe has now announced that he’s written a new book — not your typical autobiography, but his own take on the pro peloton and all its ins and outs.
Titled ‘Road Captain’ and featuring a foreword by Mark Cavendish, the book’s coming out in June but is available to pre-order now in hardback, audiobook and ebook. Here’s what Rowe had to say about it: “Sports fans – I’ve written a book! I’m excited to share that Road Captain will be coming out in June this year.
“When I retired from racing, I didn’t want to write an autobiography. I wanted to write a book that gives a real insight into what exactly a road captain in professional cycling does. So, this is my take on the intricacies of the pro peloton through my lens as a long-serving road captain for Team Sky and Ineos, and of course the highs and lows along the way.”
There are few races in which Tadej Pogačar has raced and hasn’t tasted victory. The first monument of the year, Milan-San Remo remains one of those, and the world champion has expressed how dearly he’d like to win the race, after failing in last year’s attempt.
So how can Pogačar kick off his monuments season with a win? According to Aussie pro and twice runner-up at the race, Caleb Ewan, he’d need to stay off the gas on Cipressa — the second last hill before the all-important Poggio, and follow wheels going into the race-deciding climb with “as many teammates as possible”.
“It will be difficult for Pogacar to win Milano-Sanremo. Especially with the current riders who are between climbers and sprinters, like Van der Poel,” he said on the Geraint Thomas Podcast. “Normally a rider like me wouldn't have to come over those climbs with the best, but if you're well positioned in the wheel, it can be a lot easier. What also plays a role: everyone knows that he's going to do something and there are no places in Milan-Sanremo where you can surprise someone.”
The 30-year-old who signed for Ineos Grenadiers in January, added: “The mistake he made in the past, in my opinion, was that he made it too hard on the Cipressa. That made the race between the Cipressa and Poggio very easy. More riders were dropped, while the lead-out to the Poggio is normally full throttle. I remember one year that I was riding 500 watts in the wheel before the Poggio even started.
"The approach became easier, which made the riders he had to drop fresher. His best bet in my opinion is to take it easy over the Cipressa and keep as many teammates as possible. And then do a full lead-out to the Poggio.”
Will Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates pay heed to Ewan’s tactics? And are they any good? We’ll find out on 22nd March… until then, gear up for the fifth monument of the season, as some would say, Strade Bianche, next weekend.