cat0020

Post some pictures of your ride.

Robert C

It almost becomes tiring to keep reposting the pictures of my electric trike that I rode from Kansas to Utah without ever plugging in. Yes, I am being slow about version 2 that uses my velomobile.

KPREN

Charging at park pavilion over lunch

Pop N Wood

I've always enjoyed your bikes. don't you have multiple batteries on that fat bike? I think I see 3 different batteries in that picture.

On a typical tour how many hours a day do you spend charging?

2old

+1 with the above; that's a great conversion even though I doubt bike touring (packing) is in my future.

KPREN

There are four batteries on the bike. One in a gray bag behind the saddle.
I have yet to figure out what typical is. I am still searching for that number. The rig you see above was about 425 lb for me and the bike but I was also carrying gear for another person. On that trip I averaged about 65 miles a day and had to charge about about 3-4 hours to put enough back in for the next day. That was typically charging 1 hour plus during the day and 2-3 at night. Typical use for that trip was about 2,500 watt hours or 38+ watt hours per mile. Mostly off road with lots of climbing with lots of short steep climbs into the high teens or low 20's on grades.
The most I have used in a single day was 4,600+ watt hours with 6 hours of total charging. 172 miles @ 27 watt hours per mile. If you are going heavy and fast, really fast charging is the way to go
.
I am not advocating this type of touring. I am really starting to think the opposite way and go lighter without a trailer. I think I will be more agile and faster overall with greater enjoyment. (Better bike feel). I really was arrogant about e biking on those early trips. Do you realize that in that trailer in the picture is a cooler with ice, cold drinks and beer. There is also a 9# tool and repair kit plus a pillow and air mattress. I now realize that and E bike is a GD bicycle, and not a motorcycle at all. Being a bicycle they are not meant to carry much weight or go very fast and doing so is more of a stunt than a good idea.
I will keep this bike as a spare for another rider to join me but I am looking for a bike capable of long distance self supported remote off road touring. I am 100% convinced that I can achieve it.

KPREN

I certainly did not think that off road touring was in my future and kinda went there kicking and screaming about it. I got into e biking because I stupidly built an e bike for my wife and got hooked on it debugging hers. I was content at first to do short MUP rides and mountain biking but the allure of going further bit me and I started riding further. Of course the "further" was off road mountain biking on easier trails. Greed snuck up on me and I wanted longer distances.
Right away the logistics of doing so started to smack me right in the face. First problem was having a 35 mile ass. I solved that with an Infinity seat saddle and right away exceeded the battery capacity. I solved that by adding more battery capacity but then realized that the longer I rode the more watt hours per mile I used. I added more battery capacity. Next up in the OCCD battle was exceeding the length of a day. Tain't no motels where I like to ride so the idea of camping crept in.
Now I hit the hard part. The first time I contemplated CAMPING the thoughts were short lived and I found myself saying out loud " Well, I ain't sleepin in no GD F-ing tent! The grammar of course signified my total contempt of the possibilities. the beauty and serenity of off road remote touring was strong enough to actually find myself in that exact situation. I did an overnighter to a state park. 50 miles each way and even remembered to ask for the seniors discount. Sure enough I had to take a leak in the middle of the night, stiff and sore I stumbled and landed on my ars with the resulting shower of my own respiration dew from the inside of the tent. My worst scenario!. I survived the ordeal and vowed to try again. I promised myself that if I could talk about camping without using all the colorful language to describe the camping gear that I would buy new better gear. Well------ahhh, I bought the new gear anyway and discovered that new gear was way better than 40+ year old gear from the closet.
Camping is now a huge part of the adventure and I am going to do the GDMBR. I will have an extra bike, wanna go?

john m flores 

Cool stories, folks! I rode an electric motorcycle from San Francisco to NYC back in 2016 so I'm familiar with the challenges and anxieties of charging. I didn't have pedals though! My partner and I are in the early stages of planning a big, multi-year trip. The original plan is for two touring bikes but now I'm starting to think that it would be a great help if one of the bikes was electrified. That bike could be the mule and carry the heavy stuff!

Still early planning stages, so please keep the inspiration coming!

2old

Mr KPREN, thank you for the kind offer, but I respectfully decline. My wife (a CA girl) and I (a NYC old man) have car camped all over the SW with our MTB's in tow. She's a born camper and I'm a reluctant one. I started to acquire components for bike camping (light tent and sleeping bags, camp stool, etc), but haven't got the incentive to try it yet, and don't seem to be heading in that direction.

KPREN

I will continue to carry one frivolous item with me on all of my trips. Something I would probably not carry without being electric. My four pound phantom poodle. The carrier, the dog and the ancillary items weight about nine pounds total

Setting up camp

Dog after grooming

Pop N Wood

Lol

KPREN

You admit that you are close to being pushed over the edge otherwise you would not have included the details or posted in this thread. You would like me. I have two other nasty habits. I Alpine and telemark ski at a very high level and I have the ultimate in adventure sag wagons. I have a 42' Hatteras LRC trawler.

2old

I appreciate your "confidence", but it's even less likely since my wife doesn't ride e-bikes, so it means we would venture to wherever (but definitely a hilly area since that's what our rides consist of). This doesn't sound like fun to me since I would ride unassisted too even though I carried the bulk of the water, equipment whatever.

cat0020

Lectric XPedition Takes on a 2600-mile Adventure

https://cleantechnica.com/2023/08/18...-adventure/amp

TrailTraveller

The heavier the weight of the electric bicycle, the more power consumption, but the basic 672WH battery, should be able to travel 50 miles + if it is a double battery, you can take one more battery 100 miles is no problem, but there is no charging facilities on the road, it is very hard to ride by foot.However, it is still very cool to pedal an electric bicycle with half the strength of the usual pedal bicycle, and you can see more beautiful scenery