"The motor must not propel the vehicle when it is travelling faster than 15 mph," it says here. So beyond 15mph you're just pedalling an inordinately heavy bike. Chances of chasing down middling-to-fit road rider on lightweight road bike = nil.

I'd put money* on the FX+ on a standing-start drag race up to 15mph, though

*not much, I don't bet.

Hmmm, yes you may be rather quick on a something like the Fred Whitton though, with a good number of hills you could continue to do 15mph up! It uses regenerative braking too, to recharge the battery.

Can't see me getting one, but jolly good fun. Would also be incredibly easy to crash if you pedalled out of a corner, as it really does speed up rather rapidly when the motor kicks in!

King Richard wrote (see)

I dont understand why is isnt wireless. Bluetooth chipsets use jack shmitt power are weigh less than a gnats left teste.

Plus you could have a 'shift buddy' responsible for your gear selection.

The problem with wireless is that you can't easily send power to each shifter and each derailleur without wires.  So to go wireless you'd have to have batteries in each piece.  It would be worse to deal with charging 4 batteries, especially as each one would die at a different time.

However the idea of a shift buddy I like.  It could take the thinking out of road racing, the director could follow in the team car and choose your gear for you via his cell phone.  

Haha! There are some really harsh pranks there. Just as you get to the bottom of a climb stick them in the 53/11. Or just do it gradually so they think they're really struggling!

I enjoy White's climb, although I still can't ride some of those switchbacks for sh1t!

"Some"? There are only about two that count as switchbacks

at 15 mph ? 

I tried that electric Trek as well a few days back. Very odd indeed although it certainly works (up to 15mph). Anything faster than that and the pedalling becomes incredibly laboured.

I thought the same as Nick though - when you come out of a corner and pedal the acceleration throws you forward which will catch some people out - usually the people who don't ride much - the exact people i'd guess the bike is aimed at?

Fun to try though if you can get a go on one - i'd love to overtake a roadie on a steep hill just to see the look on his face as i cruise by at 15mph in a suit.......

I believe that you can press some buttons on the control box thing and turn down the acceleration a bit.

I'm not convinced that you'd overtake a roadie on a climb all that easily either - the motors are limited to 250W by law, which is about what an "ordinary healthy human" can manage for half an hour or so. So, in simple terms, take a hill that a bloke off the street can't ride up, and you won't get up it on a EU-legal electric bike either. 

The FX+ also weighs 46lb. You would, I think, need to pedal fairly vigorously to match a road rider on any substantial hill. Which'd rumple your suit a little

I think the powers that be need to allow meatier motors before electric bikes really take off in most of the UK.