Source: Bikebiz

The UK’s bike shops have in recent weeks been visited by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, specifically addressing “risks and responsibilities” associated with e-bikes and e-scooters.

As noted by Bikebiz, this activity coincided with the lead-up to the launch of E-Bike Positive, a new initiative with wide industry support, which aims to help the public safely navigate the world of e-Bikes.

The visits focused on guidance notes for retailers stocking, selling, and working on e-bikes, and an advice note was shared, titled: “Prevention of fires caused by dangerous e-bikes and e-scooters”.

A video shared on the Bikebiz site from a bike shop owner showcased some of the concerns and questions about this approach; while shops are able to take steps to work on branded bike products with known provenance, many bikes and kits are sold by retailers and online marketplaces outside the traditional cycling industry.

The UK’s Bicycle Association was also approached for comment:

The Bicycle Association (BA) has engaged closely with the Office for Product Safety and Standards, the UK product safety regulator which sets policy for Trading Standards, on issues around e-bike safety, and we’ve previously noted to our member companies that this campaign is underway.

We believe the industry should welcome the recent intense scrutiny from Trading Standards on the e-bike sector, especially around the repair and conversion of potentially higher-risk e-bikes.

This work will help protect the reputation of the very safe products provided by responsible suppliers and retailers.

The guidance highlighted in the video about being sure of the safety of e-bike systems you may work on is excellent and common sense advice.

We’d also suggest that anyone in the e-bike business check out the other resources we’ve compiled on this issue on this subject, including both further official Government advice and industry guidance from ourselves and others.