Illegal e-bikes hiding in plain sight as more than four in five Brits admitting to not being able to spot one
More than four in five Brits have admitted to not being able to identify an illegal e-bike on the streets of the UK.
Listen to this article
A new survey found 845 of respondents out of 2,095 adults said they were not confident they could tell the difference between an illegally modified e-bike and a legal one.
Under UK law, the bikes must meet certain safety regulations such as their electric motors only working when the pedals are turned, and cutting out when a speed of 15.5mph is reached.
However, only 16% of those surveyed were aware of the latter.
Read more: Intel’s five billion-euro investment not an ‘outlier’, says Taoiseach
Read more: Heatwave triggers 19 wildfires across UK as fresh health warnings issued
The YouGv survey was commissioned last month to mark the launch of E-Bike Positive, a safety mark attached to e-bike suppliers which have had their policies and procedures independently verified.
It is hoped this will make it easier for consumers to purchase safe and legal products.
Some 33 brands are covered, representing more than 600 stores including Decathlon, Evans Cycles and Halfords, as well as hundreds of independent bike shops.
The scheme was created by the Bicycle Association (BA) and the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT).
BA executive director Steve Garidis said: "Reputable brands spend years and considerable sums developing e-bikes which meet longstanding international standards and all the regulations for their legal sale and use on the road.
"But all this is undermined by illegal and unsafe products often sold through online marketplaces to unsuspecting consumers."
ACT director Jonathan Harrison added: "Our members are proud to sell properly tested, road‑legal e‑bikes, but until now they have had no simple way to prove it to customers who are understandably seeking reassurance.
"E‑Bike Positive changes that. When retailers and the brands they stock carry the trust mark, customers can buy with confidence."
It comes months after over 2,500 abandoned or badly parked rental e-bikes were confiscated by Kensington and Chelsea Council in London.
The local authority confiscated 1,315 rental e-bikes in 2025, and the total for this year so far had already reached 1,200 by June.