Electric bike gift in Brussels? The best things to know

Updated on May 27, 2024 by Pierre

🎁 Giving an electric bike is a great gift idea for residents of Brussels, whether for family outings or commuting 🚴‍♂️. This article guides you to know who to give an electric bike to, whether for a child, an adult or a senior citizen. It discusses the criteria to consider, the regulations in force and the advantages for each group. Find out everything you need to know to make the right choice and delight your loved ones with this eco-responsible and trendy gift! 🌟

To whom can we offer an electric bike?

Electric-assisted bicycles have enjoyed great success with children and adults in recent years. It is used as much for walks as for commuting. It is therefore a good gift idea to please your loved ones or friends on a special occasion. To be sure that this is the ideal present, you need to know who can get an electric bike. An electric bike can represent a certain budget, hence the ideal sometimes to look at reconditioned electric bikes.

Before going any further, these articles should interest you:

• The best bike tours in Brussels?
• Villo Instructions for renting a bike in Brussels
• Brussels by bike. What do you need to know?

Is it a good idea to have an electric bike for children?

We will develop here the criteria to be taken into account before offering a used electric bike or nine to a child.

What is the legal age for having an electric bike?

In France, there are strict regulations concerning the use of electrically assisted bicycles by children. The law imposes a minimum age of 14 years for a child to ride an electric bike.

In addition, the child must master at least one bicycle. Indeed, apart from the fact that they have a battery and electronic assistance, the characteristics of an electric bike are not so different from those of a bicycle. Therefore, a person who can ride a conventional bicycle must be able to ride an electric bicycle.

The skills and notions of the Highway Code to master

If the legislator sets 14 years as the minimum age to be able to drive an electric bicycle, it is good for the skills that it requires. Indeed, the child must be able to understand the Highway Code. Other concepts such as signage and driver responsibilities are also covered. The same is true of the notion of cycle paths where to cycle.

Exception for children under 14

It is quite possible to offer an electric bike to a child under 14 years old. However, the latter must only drive the two-wheeler on private land. These trails are not subject to the presentation of an authorization to ride an electric bike. So, if the child has a lot big enough to ride a bike, you can offer it to him. As a result, he will be able to learn to drive a VAE before he is of legal age to ride on cycle paths.

An electric bike for adults

It is about responsibility and control of the two-wheeler.

The responsibility

If it is possible to offer an electric bike to a child of 14 years old, what about an adult? An adult is above all a responsible person. An electric bicycle should only be used by a responsible adult. The notion of responsibility here is not philosophical but legal.

A responsible adult is an adult who is neither under guardianship nor under curatorship, even less under legal protection. A responsible adult does not need someone to perform an act in relation to himself. He is able to decide on his own.

He must not have diseases, for example, dementia and personality disorders. Likewise, if he has heart problems, he should not receive an electric bicycle as a gift. This is also valid for adults with serious vision problems such as cataracts or glaucoma.

Mastery

Finally, the adult who wants to receive an electric bicycle must master the electronic gadgets of our time. This is related to the characteristics of the bike in question. There are gadgets that are not known to the general public, but that technophiles have mastered perfectly. So they will have to learn them and know how to use them.

An electric bike for seniors

One could naturally think that the people of the third age do not use this type of device. However, we notice more and more that the bicycle serves them in daily life much more than children and adults. Older people need to keep in good shape and in good health. That's why they often use electric bikes. The electric bike remains a good way to do fitness. Such a gift could therefore make them very happy.

Nevertheless, inform yourself in advance about the state of health of the recipient. If the person has major vision problems, it is quite inadvisable. In addition, cycling is a means of preventing cardiovascular disease. If the recipient has joint problems or other such concerns, they should not be offered an electric bicycle.