Proving your bike isn’t an e-bike

Equipment
1

A bit of an unusual situation last week on my commute to work. To cross the river I use a cable car. The cable car prohibits e-bikes and e-scooters.

As I rolled up I could see the usual staff but something different about their attitude and they challenged me as to whether my bike was an e-bike or not. I denied it but didn’t really know what to say, turns out they heard me downshift the front derailleur (di2) and though “e-bike”.

So basically they took my word for it, but now I’m thinking they could change their mind any time and I don’t have a way to prove it is a normal bike. Who knows, maybe they’ll get funny that the shifting system has a battery?

So I’m wondering, how can I prove my bike isn’t an e-bike?

2

Not a great answer, but don’t e-bikes have a big hub/axle which is easy to do visual check on?

It’s definitely got more complicated to check now that batteries are often incorporated into the downtube.

So I’d be pointing at the wheels?

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3

Tell them to try to pick it up… If your bike has Di2, I reckon it’s probably pretty light – e-bikes are obviously much heavier!

Other than that, maybe you could point out that there’s no motor/battery on the bike?

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4

Well for cyclists it’s easy, but the thick tubes on roadies these days could easily contain a battery. And then it’s a case of proving a negative.

Maybe I’m worried about nothing (quite normal) but I can see it becoming more of a problem.

I don’t want exploding imports on public transport or in the bike stores either.

Maybe the “UCI Frame” decal mine has?

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5

Is that due to fire risk?

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Weight - ebikes are much heavier.

Also there is no control box - ebikes have something to check battery level and set the mode etc.

If yours is a reasonable close to stock modern bike, you could also find one online and show them that it is not sold as an ebike. (Though I don’t think I’d want to show a random person how much my bike is worth).

I’d guess legally they would have to prove that yours is an ebike, and not the other way round, but practically if there’s someone stood there saying “you’re not coming in”, there is little you can do.

You could also ask them how they want it proven. Maybe you could get some sort of written note from a bike shop “this is not an ebike”.

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7

2 motors (front and rear mech) and a battery, technically :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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8

You tell them you just have electronic shifting (there are no wires going to the shifters or derrailleurs), and if they’re worried about that little battery they shouldn’t allow cell phones or laptops. As you said, you can’t prove a negative, so it’s incumbent on them to show you what parts on the bike they think are e-bike specific…where is the battery? Power button/display? Motor?

You can tap on the frame tubing to show it’s hollow, I guess, but might want to try it ahead of time to know how close you can get to the BB and unions before they change their sound.

9

I doubt you’ll have to. E’bikes were probably talked about in their staff briefing and they probably have no idea what actually constitutes an e’bike and were just being cautious. They probably stopped every bike that morning.

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Perhaps it is the “rental e-bikes” they don’t want left on the train.

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There is certainly an increase in batteries and electrical fires. Most are caused by chargers not having the safety features but there are some when the battery is pierced of broken in some way. These are very high energy fires, as one might expect with lithium.

I can understand why a train or bus would not want to be carrying a potentially unsafe electric battery.

(But this sadly doesn’t help the original question of proving a negative)