How to Organise an E-Bike Group Ride (and What UK Riders Need to Know About E-Scooters)
E-bike group rides are easy to run if you plan for different speeds and batteries. Here is how, plus a clear note on where e-scooters can and cannot legally ride in the UK.
Short answer
Set and publish a cruising pace, plan a route within the shortest battery range in the group, add regroup and charging stops, and check lights before dark. In the UK, privately owned e-scooters cannot legally be used on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes, so plan e-scooter meetups on private land only.
By RevSignal (Editorial team)
Plan for mixed speeds
Group rides with e-bikes often include different machines and riders:
- In the UK, legal e-bikes (electrically assisted pedal cycles) stop assisting at 15.5 mph, with a motor of up to 250 W.
- Some riders will be on non-assisted bikes.
- Fitness, confidence and battery size vary.
Publish the pace in the invitation, for example "social pace, about 10 to 12 mph", so people know what to expect.
Range and charging
- Plan the route around the shortest battery range in the group, not the longest.
- For longer rides, pick a café stop where charging is possible, and ask before you plug in.
- Ask riders to start fully charged and to use the lower assist levels on flat sections.
Lights and visibility
- Front and rear lights for anything that could run into dusk
- Reflective or bright clothing
- A route that uses quiet roads and cycle infrastructure where possible
Regroup points
Traffic lights split cycling groups more than any other kind of group. Name regroup points in advance, and let the tail rider tell the leader when everyone is through. A RevSignal convoy shows the whole group on one map so the leader can see who is held at a light.
E-scooters in the UK: check the law
In the UK it is against the law to use a privately owned e-scooter on public land, including roads, pavements and cycle lanes. Rental e-scooters in official government trial areas are the exception, under their own rules. Private e-scooters can only be used on private land with the landowner's permission. Check the current GOV.UK guidance before planning any e-scooter meetup, as the rules may change.