All about bicycles, electric-assisted bikes, technology and safety in the press

The most common safety risks that we come across in our daily work around bicycle safety, technology and operating instructions are also published by us in articles in the leading German special-interest magazines TOUR (Europe's road bike magazine no. 1), BIKE (Europe's mountain bike magazine no. 1), MYBIKE and EMTB in order to make this information, which is important for the industry, available to a wider public.

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RadMarkt.de 12/2015
Reading time 2:00 minutes

German associations VSF and ZIV: Agreement on guidelines for modifications of pedelecs

The German service and bicycle association (VSF) and the German Bicycle Association (ZIV) in cooperation with the renowned Zedler institute from Ludwigsburg have agreed on uniform guidelines on the replacement of e-bike parts

To date the question what bicycle dealers and workshops were allowed to modify on pedelecs and for which components they had to ask for the approval of the vehicle manufacturers and/or the system providers had been controversial in legal terms. Now, the associations VSF and ZIV as well as the Zedler institute have agreed on joint guidelines.

"By means of these recommendations German bicycle dealers obtain an orientation when it comes to changing certain components on a pedelec up to a speed of 25 kmh", is the wording of a joint statement.

Yet at the beginning of this year there had been controversial discussions between the interested parties: There were different legal interpretations in the cycle industry and the respective interested parties took up position. All participants agree, however, in the point that clarification for all partners are of major importance. With this fact in mind a table was developed (see below enclosure) which subdivides the components of a pedelec in four categories and which is intended as future guideline for those who are requested to give their approval for the replacement of components on pedelecs:

  • Components which require the approval of the vehicle manufacturer/system provider before the replacement
  • Components which require the approval of the vehicle manufacturer before the replacement
  • Components which require the approval of the vehicle or component manufacturer before replacement
  • Components which do not require a specific approval.

This table does not only list the components, but also formulates supplementary remarks. "Another pedal can simply be mounted without consultation, if it is not wider than the original pedal. Otherwise takinga curve in oblique position could turn out to be risky", explains the expert Dirk Zedler.

There is agreement between VSF chairman Albert Herresthal and ZIV chairman Siegfried Neuberger on the fact that the "joint guidelines not only represent an overdue contribution in product safety, but also a milestone for the cooperation between industry and retailers".

Author: Jo Beckendorff/VSF-ZIF

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