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BBC News e-bike segment provokes negative reaction due to “factual inaccuracies”

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9 Jul 2025, more…

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Bristol-based Cytech training provider and ACT member Life Cycle has launched its award-winning Bikes Beyond Bars programme at HMP Bullingdon, expanding a project that has already impacted lives...

7 Jul 2025, more…

Bike mechanic shortage in Europe sparks Shimano to launch investigation

Shimano has launched an urgent investigation into what it describes as a “critical” shortage of skilled bike mechanics across Europe, warning that the situation threatens to...

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MPs have called on Amazon and eBay to tighten controls after e-bikes and chargers flagged as serious fire risks were found for sale on their platforms.

2 Jul 2025, more…

E-Bike Positive campaign gains national momentum amidst media coverage in 2025

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25 Jun 2025, more…

Cytech Training Returns to Darlington as Activate Cycle Academy Reopens Workshop

Activate Cycle Academy has reopened its Cytech training facility in Darlington, offering a full range of courses from Home Mechanic up to Cytech Technical Three.
 

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Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.

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Study warns forceful cycle advocacy risks hindering bike lane progress

A new academic study has found that overzealous pro-cycling campaigners on social media may be inadvertently damaging the case for better cycling infrastructure across the UK.

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Young adults leading the UK’s surge in e-bike popularity – but increased education on battery safety crucial, new research reveals

 To coincide with Bike Week (9-15 June) – the UK’s annual celebration of cycling – new research has revealed a clear shift amongst Gen Z and Millennials in their approach...

9 Jun 2025, more…

ACT Director among judging panel announced for BikeBiz Awards 2025

The judges for the BikeBiz Awards 2025, in association with Bikedesk, have been officially announced, with ACT Director Jonathan Harrison among the leading voices from all corners of the cycling...

3 Jun 2025, more…

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BBC News e-bike segment provokes negative reaction due to “factual inaccuracies”

Posted on 9 Jul 2025

A recent BBC Breakfast segment has sparked backlash from the cycling community over its portrayal of e-bikes, with critics accusing the broadcaster of conflating legal e-bikes with illegal, unregistered ‘e-motorbikes’.

BBC Segment

The segment, aired last week (1st July) featured celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, who described a recent incident in which his mother-in-law was injured by a rider on an electric hire bike that ran a red light, calling for Government action and suggesting London is “saturated” with bikes.

While no one has disputed the seriousness of the incident, cyclists online took issue with what followed—broad criticism of e-bikes as a whole, supported by footage of police seizing illegal e-motorbikes, with little clarity provided on the legal distinction between the two according to a number of viewers.

Zilli claimed the pavement outside his restaurant is “mayhem” due to reckless e-bike use and asked, “What needs to happen before anything is done?” adding that incidents are “happening every day now, people are losing lives, people are losing limbs.”

He said: “It’s chaos out there at the moment—people are weaving in and out of pedestrians on pavements, riding through red lights, with no accountability; something needs to change.”

ACT Director Jonathan Harrison
ACT Director Jonathan Harrison

Jonathan Harrison, Director of the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT), commented on the segment, saying: “While any injury caused by incidents involving e-bikes should be taken seriously, reporting on these issues—particularly by the BBC and other mainstream media—must clearly distinguish between illegal e-motorbikes and legal, compliant, and safe e-bikes.

 “These types of TV segments unfairly damage the image of reputable e-bike retailers and manufacturers and undermine the positive role e-bikes play in sustainable transport—exactly what the E-Bike Positive campaign is working to highlight.”

Chris Boardman, National Active Travel Commissioner, has previously noted that over 30,000 people are killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads every year, yet “less than three [of those cases] involve a cyclist.”

Cargo Bike Ben, a user on social media platform Bluesky, was among several online voices criticising the segment, saying: “Of course, being a BBC ‘both sides’ talking head, it was full of factual inaccuracies like conflating e-bikes with illegal electric motorcycles, spouting spurious claims of hundreds of people being killed or maimed by bikes, and no difference being made between commuters and delivery riders.”

Others questioned the absence of positive stories about e-bikes on mainstream TV, with one user commenting: “Let every cyclist drive a car on Monday morning... Let's show the BBC what anti-cycling really does.”

The controversy follows a previous Panorama episode hosted by Adrian Chiles that also faced widespread complaints for being “misleading and damaging” in its depiction of e-bikes.

For more information on the E-Bike Positive campaign, visit: www.ebikepositive.co.uk.