A crack down on inconsiderate and dangerous behaviour by shared e-bike users is imminent in the UK, it was announced this week.Stricter stipulations around e-bike parking and a focus on reducing drink pedalling are all part of a raft of rules the British government has unveiled, as it seeks to address the public's perceived growing annoyance at anti-social shenanigans by e-bike users. These irritate responsible cyclists and bike commuters every bit as much as motorists and pedestrians possibly more, since all two-wheeled travellers tend to get tarred with the same blunt brush.Whether youre riding a rental e-bike or your own push bike, you have to observe the highway code in the same way as any other road user would, said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander yesterday.The new measures could include geo-fenced parking areas, so people using shared e-bikes will only be able to dock (and stop paying for) them if the machine is parked properly in a specific place, rather than chucked on the floor in a cycle lane, for example.Antisocial and illegal behaviour, including cycling drunk and pedalling on pavements, is also being targeted. The government also wants to stop underage use of the machines (currently, you need to be at least 18 years old to rent an e-bike). Another idea is to introduce insurance requirements for the owners and operators of shared e-bike schemes, which would mean anyone hit by a a rider on a rented e-bike could potentially claim compensation.Alexander said a large part of the problem is a lack of regulation around ownership of bike share schemes, and the way they are run. "If you or I wanted to set up an e-bike rental scheme, we dont have to ask anyones permission," the Transport Secretary explained. We could just put a thousand bikes out on the road tomorrow, and so we have to end this sort of situation where its completely unregulated.The government admitted that effective enforcement of the new rules will be dependent on licence conditions imposed by different authorities, but say they're attempting to bring these into sync with one another.In London, Alexander is working with the mayor, Sadiq Khan, to invest Transport for London (TfL) with a greater degree of power so the enforcement of e-bike rules can be evenly and consistently implemented across the capital. The Wild West approach to dockless e-bikes cannot continue, said Kahn.The bosses of Forest and Lime bikes were both in broad agreement with the government's approach to the problem. To see London becoming a cycling city is something to celebrate," Agustin Guilisasti, founder and chief executive of Forest, told ITV News. But to achieve this, we need national standards, and a coherent, well-regulated, London-wide system better for riders and, importantly, better for pedestrians and the city.Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the while e-bikes have many positives, they can also be a real frustration when left lying on pavements or when used irresponsibly. I want to sort that by giving communities more control over where they are parked and making sure companies and riders play by the rules, he said.A licensing regime cant stop the small minority of people who want to commit a criminal act in terms of stealing a bike or using a bike without paying for it, Alexander told the Press Association. [But] this new licensing regime means that we can start to bring some order to the chaos that some people see in some parts of big cities where these e-bike schemes, rental schemes have popped up.There are a small minority of people who choose to behave recklessly but sadly, that is true of any type of way that people move around in a town or a city, and you cant legislate for the idiots, but we can take sensible steps to give local leaders more power over the way in which these types of schemes operate.

Cofidis have confirmed the appointment of former Movistar Team sporting director Jose Luis Arrieta as part of their preparations for the 2027 season. The 55-year-old Spaniard brings a decade of experience working with some of cycling's biggest names, including Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana,...

We already shared news of the key Shimano EP810 motor upgrades on the Honda RN0, earlier this week: 100Nm, 750W, 43V, and just 2.3kg. But now, we have the official name of the latest EP8 generation EP810 being the big secret reveal. And there are quite a few more interesting details to explore, especially about new Auto Shift and Auto Assist features.Plus, we can dive deeper into what drove Shimanos development as the eMTB market dukes it out in superpower wars.Lets just start with Whats new?(Graphics/Shimano)Shimano outlines 5 key updates in EP810 vs. previous generation EP801:The new quieter DU-EP810 motor now puts out 100Nm of max torque and 750W of peak power.Its flipped motor configuration is more compact overall for improved ground clearance, with a magnesium motor housing cutting weight almost 15%, down to a claimed 2.3kg.True Auto is Shimanos new eBike ride concept, combining improved automatic shifting functionality (updated Auto Shift) with automatically adjusting pedal-assist support levels (all-new Auto Assist).With the extra power comes smoother power delivery and more control, including new features like hill start assist, Lift & Shift for changing gears after a dead stop, and a more customizable Shimano Connect app.New system integration adds a much more useful toptube display with USB-C connection, tidy wireless controller, plus upgraded batteries and chargers.What was Shimano thinking with these power numbers?Looking at the raw numbers, our first question was why. When Shimano was updating their ebike system from the ground up, why did they stop at this relatively modest power upgrade while other motor manufacturers have gone much higher? (For reference, real figures from most direct ebike competition average ~120Nm of torque, and peak power numbers ranging from 850-1500W.)A Shimano spokesman explained to me that they set the upper limit for EP810 at 100Nm & 750W because a balance of power, control, ride feel, efficiency, and durability were prioritized over headline power numbers. The brands long-standing philosophy is that an eMTB is supposed to still feel like a mountain bike when you ride it, not like a motorcycle. Shimano thinks it is critical to preserve the essence of cycling even when you are on a full-power ebike. When you ride, it should still feel like your effort is driving the bike. Not the system.(Photo/Shimano)Thats definitely a philosophy that I can get behind, personally. But at a time in the industry when so many new bike buying decisions seem to be made just by looking for the biggest motor output numbers on a spec sheet, it does make us wonder how bike manufacturers and customers will respond. We asked Shimano what bike brands we should expect to see adopt the new EP810 motor. They were pretty non-committal about giving away too much, other than saying they are seeing interest in the EP810 platform across the industry. For now, we know of Honda that we reported on earlier in the week, plus a new Orbea Rise that also gets the new Shimano motor.Shimano EP810: 750W, 100Nm ebike motorWhile those key numbers arent quite as high as some of the competition (cough: Avinox), EP8 is still the top of Shimanos ebike powertrain. Also, those figures are really a noticeable upgrade over EP801. And lets be honest, plenty to keep it firmly in the full-power eMTB segment.What they were really going for here were improvements in control, ride feel, and all-around usability.True Auto: Auto Shift v3, Free Shift, and Trail+ Auto Assist(Photo by Dan Milner/Honda)Automating the ride was a big driver for Shimano in EP810: when to shift, how much support to use, and how to adapt to changing terrain. True Auto is a move to tame that by monitoring cadence, rider input toque, motor output torque, bike speed & terrain gradient, then smoothly and almost invisibly changing power output and shifting to adapt.Here, a 3rd-gen Auto Shift uses upgraded sensors and an updated algorithm to better match its automated shifts to real-world trail conditions. Plus, the Shimano Connect app now lets you adjust your preferred cadence (in a limited range) to better suit your own riding style.Frankly, I dont really like to give up shifting control to the machine. So while I respect the capability of Auto Shift, I prefer to leave it off, even in this latest update. I did try it a bit on the new Honda RN0, and it works well once you adjust it to your own ride preference. But I still like to hit that Di2 shift paddle. Free Shift is great and still there all the time, though. And thats really the best auto-shifting feature of Shimanos ebike+Di2 integration in my book, anyway.What I did appreciate was the new Auto Assist mode called Trail+. Essentially a smarter Auto power mode, Shimano takes all that sensor data to vary assist level to match your real needs on the trail. I really appreciate a good Auto mode on an eMTB for regular riding. And this one works really well, dialing back power when you go downhill, while still letting you pick the power range you prefer.Its even smart enough to offer some traction control functionality by detecting wheel slip or front wheel lift, and reducing/smoothing power output to adapt.New peripherals, tooTheres a lot more new to the updated Shimano EP810 family. Part of thats a new D-Fly+ wireless protocol. Its faster, more secure, and annoyingly not backwards compatible a sign of a new broader Shimano connected ecosystem to come.One key new bit is upgraded displays. I liked the new color, non-touch 2.2 SC-EN700 display in the toptube of the Honda, which offered a lot of easy-to-read info, two tactile buttons, and an optional USB-C charging port. Theres also a new EC-EM810 version of the old-style bar-mounted display, now with more data and full color.Another new piece of hardware is the nice new wireless 3-button assist switch, so you dont have to worry with cables anymore, and can easily control the new displays.720Wh internal batteries and chargers are also all-new (and not backwards compatible) with the switch to a higher 43V system voltage that promises faster charging and quicker motor power delivery. Theres a standard 2A and a more powerful 4A fast-charger, too.EP810 Q&A with Shimano ebike Product Planner, Henry BoschFirst off, yes, that is the name of Shimano head of planning for ebike system development. And yes, thats hilarious.I wanted to know more about the new EP810 system and some of its design choices, and Shimano was happy to explain.Why flip the motor orientation left to right? The EP810 uses a completely new architecture built around a larger, more powerful motor. To design a compact drive unit, the motor is positioned on the left side of the system, while the electronic components are positioned on the right. This layout supports the performance requirements of the EP810 while contributing to a smaller and lighter drive unit.Positioning the motor on the left side also creates more available space within the drive unit structure. This allows the motor housing to sit further outboard, improving cooling performance and helping maintain power under sustained loads. Achieving a similar arrangement on the right side would not have been possible because of the packaging constraints created by the chainring and drivetrain.How did the motor lose a claimed 400g (almost 15% reduction)?The weight reduction comes from several changes within the drive unit. The larger motor architecture allowed Shimano to redesign the internal gearing arrangement, using shorter and more compact shafts to reduce overall mass.Additional weight savings come from the motor itself, which uses a larger-diameter design with a lighter, hollow internal structure.Was weight savings a higher priority than higher torque & power output?Development of EP810 focused on achieving the best balance of power, control, efficiency, durability and ride feel, rather than prioritising a single performance metric. Reducing the size and weight of the drive unit was an important objective, as it improves ground clearance and gives bicycle manufacturers greater flexibility when designing frames. At the same time, the EP810 also delivers significant increases in both torque and peak power compared to the previous generation.Will brands be able to put the new EP901 motor into existing frames, without new molds?While the EP810 retains the same mounting bolt locations as the EP801, the overall shape and dimensions of the drive unit have changed. As a result, most manufacturers will need to update designs to accommodate the new system.How does it ride?Test Riding Shimano EP810 full-power on the Honda RN0(Photo by Dan Milner/Honda)I got to test out the new Shimano EP810 motor over two wet & rainy days in Spain with the Honda RN0. Its EP8 name on the side may be the same. But with more power, more control, a more compact design, and lighter weight, its a whole new animal.Lets go back to those key stats. The new EP810 cranks out 100Nm of max torque, up 17.6% from EP801. Its peak power now tops 750W, up 25% from the previous generation. And it shifts to a higher 43V system, compared to 36V of the prior EP-801 generation (and most other premium ebikes). Those all lead to a noticeable boost in power feel, and quicker motor response.No, thats not the most torquey or most powerful ebike system. But, it might just be the lightest full-power eMTB motor. And I never felt lacking of power. In fact, if I had to guess based on simple math, if the motor power is a bit lower than some competition, you should get a bit more range out of that 720Wh battery, right?More compact, and more controlAs for 400g of weight savings at the magnesium-cased motor, I dont think that makes much difference on a on a 22-24kg ebike. But the new flipped motor configuration is quite a bit more compact. That means you are less likely to hit it on rocks (chainrings are now more vulnerable though, and might need an extra bashguard). The new motor is also narrower from the front, which looks like it exposes more of the fins on the increased left side, which may improve heat dissipation.What is important to know, though, is that the new EP8 feels much more powerful than the previous generation. And while the new True Auto controls and in-app adjustability range can be a bit overwhelming, you can definitely customize the performance to how you prefer an eMTB ride to feel. Ill be curious to try it out on more eMTB platforms.bike.Shimano.com

Mahle motors power lightweight e-bikes from Litespeed and Auvum, City of London councillor faces criticism for revealing Lime role after rejecting Voi, and more

After months of uncertainty and the threat of closure, one of French cycling's longest-running professional teams appears to have secured its future. According to Ouest-France, Jean-Rene Bernaudeau and Stephane Heulot have reached an agreement with a new title sponsor to replace TotalEnergies from 2...

UPDATED November 6, 2026 BY Guest Author IN South American Epic no comments What Makes You Feel At HomeBenjamin Levin is the Content Creator on the 2026 South American Epic.When traveling like we do, something funny happens to your perception of time. I cannot really explain it and you will only know what I am talking about if you have travelled like we do on these TDA tours. You are present nearly every moment of every day. The world that you see is novel, it isnt a typical daily life thats full of repetition and normality. Because of the novelty of the world you tend to notice things, you see the different ways that houses are made. You see that in countries with a higher GDP there tend to be more fences. You see that houses that are on the beach look similar all across the worldGary riding down Chiles Pacific CoastIt has been 65 days since we last saw the ocean here in South America. As Will (the Tour Leader on this edition of the South American Epic) and I crested a small rise near La Pesca, Chile, we saw the break of the waves and felt the sea mist through the windows of the car. Will and I both come from places on the Pacific Ocean: Sydney and San Francisco. We have spent so much time in the waves, we both grew up with the chill air telling us that we were home.As we drove towards the ocean and then made our way through coastal towns Will commented on the buildings, This looks like such a fishing village. When he said that, I realized that these towns had the same feel as ones that we have in some towns in California and others that I have seen in Japan, in Peru, and in many other places all over the world that I have been to with TDA.That feeling of familiarity in a new place is a feeling that I really treasure on these trips. While being in new places and being super conscious and present every day is lovely, after months on the road its amazing to feel a sense of the familiar. Seeing the ocean and hearing seagulls call makes me feel at home on the road.Will and Richard enjoying lunch on the coastHere are some other things that make us feel at home on the road on the South American Epic:As soon as I see the shape of the trees (Eucalyptus) I know what they are and I feel like home, Maddie said when we chatted about it. I work out in nature a lot back in Australia and see the trees nearly every day, so when I see them here it brings me back.She was not the only rider that mentioned the environment as something that reminded them of home. Today, as we approached the Pacific, we entered a more forested ecosystem before emerging onto the coast, Joanna said this reminded her of her home in Denmark.Karen and Andrew both said music. I listen to music everyday as I ride and on the rest of the days I am always downloading music, said Karen.My wife, said Luca. Even though I am far away from home I speak to my wife every morning. That brings me home.Jess and Ine leading Halloween games at the beachToday, in particular, as we reached the coast, a lot of people felt at home, not just myself. It was a peaceful evening on the beach at camp, at least until Ine and Jessica, Assistant Tour Leader and Medic respectively, had a trivia and games night to celebrate Halloween. In no time at all, we all got riled up and ready to push onwards down into Patagonia.On the road againRELATEDTOURSouth American Epic This challenging expedition offers you the best opportunity to explore the vastness and diversity of South America by bike. In keeping with the TDA... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "What Makes You Feel At Home" Cancel reply

Giulio Pellizzari won six races in 2026, including the biggest stage-race victory of his career, yet the 22-year-old Italian believes the setbacks he suffered taught him more than any of those successes. Illness derailed his Giro d'Italia ambitions, criticism left him struggling to enjoy cycling, an...

As I mentioned on Wednesday, we have a winner of The Contest:Sponsored by The Lube:And all he had to do was lose all his bikes in a Japanese inferno.Actually, as readers pointed out, some of the bikes (or at least frames) may be salvageable:Still, thats a lotta patina, and at the very least a big pain in the ass, plus theres the small matter of, you know, his house, which is almost as important as the bikesmaybe not to him, but probably to the rest of his family.And so I am officially declaring him the winner and awarding him the grand prize, which is one (1) Meh-roica bike:This benefits him because, you know, fire, and it benefits me because I finally get to declare a winnerplus, lets just pretend for a minute I needed to make space for a much nicer road bicycle and was looking to divest myself of this bike anyway:[From here, probably a practical joke, also Id never ride a bike with a hole in the bottom bracket like that, it seems unsafe]It also benefits you because I get to keep the lube, and so I can choose some more contest winners, which I fully intend to do, even if at this rate it will take me several years.Of course shipping to Japan isnt cheap, so if youre feeling munifacent municiple generous as the Sub-Canadian Day Of The Annual Giving Of The Thanks approaches, you are certainly welcome to toss a few coins in the pot to help me with the costs, though I must issue the following caveats:I dont know this person apart from the fact he submitted a bike for the contest and then he emailed a week or two to tell me his house burned down. Perhaps all these images are AI-generated and its an elaborate scheme to bilk me out of a Chris Huber bicycle, which for all I know could be a cult item in Japan and worth lots and lots of moneyI have not vetted this person and dont know if he subscribes to some hateful political ideology such as conservativism, liberalism, or moderatism. I do know that he is originally from British Columbia, but after much soul searching Ive decided he can have the bike anywayIm not creating some kind of charity thermometer thingy that shows how much money Ive collected, so if a bunch of people pitch in a crapload and I wind up with a million dollars I get to keep the change, which seems fair, since conversely if nobody pitches in at all then thats my problem and Ive got to cover shipping the bike to some British Columbian expat political extremist all myself. My point is, if you send me any money, be comfortable with the idea that youre doing it because Im the worlds greatest living bike blogger and an exemplary person, and that the money could potentially go to something other than shipping the bike, such as feeding my kids or buying dental floss or something.So there you go. Sure, shipping a bike to a stranger in Japan who could very well be running the worlds lamest con is a risk, but sometimes youve got to take a flyer on humanity. Once again, heres the link, and Ill keep you posted whether you like it or not.Speaking of things going up in smoke (sorry), what the hell is happening to Bianchi?Jeez, how hard could it be? Seriously, you had one job, Bianchi! Just make bikes this color:[From here]Oh, wait, I guess they still do:But its really not the same in crabon, is it?Oh, well, I guess Im out of ideas. Running a bike company sure does sound hard. After all, a brilliant idea like designing a bike for humans only comes along at most once in a generation, right?And finally, we dont really need to talk about making it legal for cyclists to run red lights, but lets do it anyway:Basically, like every other cyclist (myself included), he thinks he runs red lights responsibly, so therefore whats the big deal?Listen, I get why motorists are frustrated with bikes. Someone on Twitter recently said cyclists combine the arrogance of the driver with the victim complex of the pedestrian. Accidentally get too close to a cyclist while driving, and youll likely get an earful of four-letter words just before watching that same cyclist run a red light.But consider our side: If we collide, youll probably be fine, and we probably wont be. Cyclists are killed by cars all the time.That doesnt give cyclists carte blanche to disregard everyone else on the streets, least of all pedestrians, our natural allies in the war on cars. There are some rules worth following, and Ill admit not everything in my opening confession survives scrutiny. Rolling through an empty four-way stop on The Wiggle, though, hurts no one.Alas, he completely undermines his own argument:To wit:I have a confession to make: I bike through red lights all the time. I treat stop signs as suggestions to yield. When the bike lane is crowded with cyclists pedaling too slowly, I veer into traffic to pass them. When Im on a road with no bike lane, I have no problem weaving between cars stopped at a light to get to the front of the line.As a New York City, its impossible for me to say exactly how many times Ive run red lights on my bicycle. However, if I had to make an educated guess, Id put it at 10,000 times on the low end, and 225,000 on the high end. As for how many times Ive been ticketed for running red lights, thats easier, and while its possible I could be forgetting an incident or two, I can say with certainty that Ive been caught and Summonsed? Summoned? Sommeliered? these three (3) times, as follows:Ticket No. 1: Sometime in the Late 90sI was working as a bike messenger and rolled through a red light. There was a cop standing there stopping cyclists. Im not the sort of person who tries to evade the police, so I dutifully stopped and received a ticket. This, coupled with the theft of my bicycle, is why I netted at best zero dollars during my messengering career.Ticket No. 2: Sometime in the Late AughtsI was commuting to work and I brazenly ran a red light across a busy street. A cop in an NYPD cruiser lit up his sirens. As I say, Im not the sort of person who tries to evade the police, but the streets were pretty busy with traffic, and it did occur to me that if maybe I pretended I thought he had his sirens on because he was responding to an actual emergency and just kept riding then maybe Id inadvertently lose him. This did not work, and he received my exclamation of, Wait, those sirens were for me?!? with skepticism. Ticket No. 3: The Tan Tenovo IncidentSo basically, taking my most conservative light-running figure, Ive been ticketed for it like .03% of the time, and Id wager the writers experience has been more or less the same, since if he had received a significant number of tickets, you can be absolutely sure wed be hearing about it. Because nobodybut nobodymakes a bigger deal over anything than a cyclist who has received a ticket:Meanwhile, as scrupulous as the writer and I both think we are about our light-runnings, its foolish to pretend that many cyclists arent terrible when it comes to yielding to pedestriansand yes, some of you will be tempted to BUT DRIVERS this assertion, but setting that as the bar for considerate behavior is like Pivot claiming an all-electronic road bike that costs $12,000 is a bike for humans. I commute to Brooklyn twice a week, occasionally by bicycle but mostly by subway, and Id say that on pretty much every walk to and from the station in Brooklyn I encounter at least one if not several riders who deserve to be punched in the head, usually because they ride right through a red light or stop sign as pedestrians are crossing without so much as slowing down. And yes, if its legal for cyclists to run red lights and stop signs then it can still be illegal for cyclists to fail to yield to pedestrians, but why remove a handy tool out of the toolbox? Its like getting rid of your crown race setter because you can always just use a slotted screwdriver. If a dumbass runs a light in a dumbass way you should be able to give the dumbass a ticket for it.And yes, Ill certainly allow that the current method of enforcement is silly, that being a cop standing around and stopping the slowest and most compliant light-runners in a single spot while all over the city thousands of cyclists and drivers and people speeding around on all sorts of flammable crap micromobility devices molest pedestrians with impunity. But Im not quite sure how making it legal to run lights helps. The point is, if you refuse to stop at lights, just slow down and check for cops first, youll be fine.

Switzerland-based bike brand BMC has just announced what they are calling their "overdue arrival" into the womens pro peloton, by unveiling a new partnership with Spanish UCI Women's Pro Team Laboral Kutxa-Fundacin Euskadi.The newly inked agreement will see BMC, a former WorldTour team sponsor, become the official technical partner for the Basque Country squad, supplying riders with framesets, cockpits and wheelsets. BMC already supply bikes to the Swiss Tudor Pro Cycling Team, and of course BMC Racing was a successful WorldTour outfit for over a decade, from 2007 to 2018, when it was finally wrapped up, having produced a Tour de France winner in the shape of Cadel Evans in 2011, and taken a prestigious Paris-Roubaix victory with Greg Van Avermaet in 2017. However, up until now the brand has not had a direct involvement with a senior level womens squad since the inception of the UCI Womens WorldTour a decade ago. "This partnership represents an exciting new chapter for BMC, said the company's head of marketing, David Heine. "As one of the brands that supported women's cycling early on, we are proud to return to the highest level of the sport with Laboral Kutxa-Fundacin Euskadi. Women's racing is thrilling, inspiring, dynamic, and growing rapidly worldwide. We look forward to supporting the team with our performance-driven bikes and proudly cheering for the riders throughout the season."Having begun as a Continental-level team in 2020, Laboral Kutxa-Fundacin Euskadi became ProTeam last year, with racers riding Chinese XDS bikes equipped with Shimano groupsets.Standout riders on the squad include Spaniard Usoa Ostolaza, who placed fourth in the GC at the 2026 La Vuelta Femenina. Joining her in the team for 2027 will be compatriot Sandra Alonso, who raced with Ceratizit Pro Cycling Women's WorldTour team including gaining experience at three editions of the Tour de France Femmes until it folded last year, and then took a season off while she had her first child.The squad, which contains exciting young talent from Europe and South America, will be contesting all three Grand Tours and the major one-day Classics in 2027."We are excited with this partnership with BMC," said Iaki Isasi, President of the Fundacin Euskadi. "Their technical standards and culture of performance correspond to the ambitions of Laboral Kutxa-Fundacin Euskadi. This support allows us to approach the season with confidence and continue to grow our women's team at the highest level.

Demi Vollering may have completed a remarkable Giro-Tour double in 2026, but according to FDJ United - SUEZ sports director Lars Boom, the Dutchwoman was still struggling with nerves during her first Grand Tour triumph of the summer. By the time she reclaimed the Tour de France Femmes title two mon...