ebikes
12-11-18, 03:34 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
ebikes
just curious anyone using Ebike for touring photos please .
i was looking at Reise and muller ebikes but there very expensive any thoughts people thanks.
i was looking at Reise and muller ebikes but there very expensive any thoughts people thanks.
12-11-18, 03:44 PM
#2
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Not me personally, but I know there are some cool setups around here, including a guy who uses a solar panel as a roof.
Assuming, of course, the ebike bashers don't get this thread shut down first.
Assuming, of course, the ebike bashers don't get this thread shut down first.
12-11-18, 03:50 PM
#3
Senior Member
Might have better luck in the e bike forum? More info and less of everything else.
12-11-18, 06:04 PM
#4
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Thread Starter
Thanks lads ,
yeah have to say there is a lot of ebike bashers about the place but for me i think there fantastic,at least it would get my old aching body back in the saddle .i have 2 lovely bikes gathering dust in the spare bedroom probably never see the light of day again well at least not by me lol,
thanks for replys lads much appreciated.
yeah have to say there is a lot of ebike bashers about the place but for me i think there fantastic,at least it would get my old aching body back in the saddle .i have 2 lovely bikes gathering dust in the spare bedroom probably never see the light of day again well at least not by me lol,
thanks for replys lads much appreciated.
12-11-18, 06:25 PM
#5
cyclotourist
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I have a friend who was told if he showed up with an e-bike in Canmore, the locals would beat him up.
So, Anto, don't bring your e-bike to Canmore!
So, Anto, don't bring your e-bike to Canmore!
12-11-18, 09:26 PM
#7
Senior Member
By all means go give the ebike section a look for some basic learning about ebikes in general, but you’ll find nothing helpful there in regards to e-touring. It’ll mostly just be some nice older guys talking about standard ebikes for cruising around town, and nothing to do with touring in any way. If you ask a touring question, you likely won’t get knowledgeable answers(if answers at all?) This forum is your best bet for touring questions. Don’t worry about the grumpy ones here if they try to **** on your thread. There’s a weird, small group of e-haters here for some reason. Anyway...
What type of bike do you prefer normally? Personally, for touring, I’d probably build up or modify the type of bike I already enjoy. You can buy pretty small and light weight hub motors(you would want a geared hub motor, not Direct Drive), or a mid-drive kit if you want to spend the money. Then the main reason I say I’d build a bike - the battery. You can get a much larger battery with a massive range, and there are custom battery pack builders to be found on web-sites or forums like endless sphere. Stock bikes aren’t going to have the kind of range you’ll likely want for touring. The few that might have the range are really gonna cost you, and still aren’t designed with touring in mind. Check your local laws. I know the UK and lots of western Europe, I think, have much more strict ebike laws than the US. Maybe sell those bikes you have and put the money toward an ebike? Or sell one and use the money to help turn the other into an ebike?
What type of bike do you prefer normally? Personally, for touring, I’d probably build up or modify the type of bike I already enjoy. You can buy pretty small and light weight hub motors(you would want a geared hub motor, not Direct Drive), or a mid-drive kit if you want to spend the money. Then the main reason I say I’d build a bike - the battery. You can get a much larger battery with a massive range, and there are custom battery pack builders to be found on web-sites or forums like endless sphere. Stock bikes aren’t going to have the kind of range you’ll likely want for touring. The few that might have the range are really gonna cost you, and still aren’t designed with touring in mind. Check your local laws. I know the UK and lots of western Europe, I think, have much more strict ebike laws than the US. Maybe sell those bikes you have and put the money toward an ebike? Or sell one and use the money to help turn the other into an ebike?
Last edited by 3speed; 12-11-18 at 09:37 PM.
12-12-18, 04:15 AM
#8
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Thanks lads ,
yeah have to say there is a lot of ebike bashers about the place but for me i think there fantastic,at least it would get my old aching body back in the saddle .i have 2 lovely bikes gathering dust in the spare bedroom probably never see the light of day again well at least not by me lol,
thanks for replys lads much appreciated.
yeah have to say there is a lot of ebike bashers about the place but for me i think there fantastic,at least it would get my old aching body back in the saddle .i have 2 lovely bikes gathering dust in the spare bedroom probably never see the light of day again well at least not by me lol,
thanks for replys lads much appreciated.
I saw this touring E-bike (French family with the mother riding the E-bike) at Connolly station in Dublin last September. I believe it's a Kalkoff Endeavour Move I9 which retails in Ireland for about €3,000. If you're still working then you might be eligible for the 'bike to work' scheme and get a grant towards the purchase.
https://lovemybike.ie/collections/2018-models/products/endeavour-move-i9
12-12-18, 04:41 AM
#9
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I'm quite happy to use an ebike as a commuter, but haven't quite worked out how one would fit into touring.
For commuting, it's quite easy to make sure you have battery enough to cover your daily need.
Touring, not so much. And range can vary considerably with the terrain you're riding in.
So either you plan your stages according to range, which would require either very conservative planning or considerable experience to come out "right".
Or you save the assist for some sections, climbs only, to know that you have it when you need it.
Or you customize the gearing ratio to make sure the bike remails rideable even when the battery runs down.
For commuting, it's quite easy to make sure you have battery enough to cover your daily need.
Touring, not so much. And range can vary considerably with the terrain you're riding in.
So either you plan your stages according to range, which would require either very conservative planning or considerable experience to come out "right".
Or you save the assist for some sections, climbs only, to know that you have it when you need it.
Or you customize the gearing ratio to make sure the bike remails rideable even when the battery runs down.
12-12-18, 05:56 AM
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Hi Anto, I've been characterised as an E-bike basher from time to time but for those who need them I think they're great. If your body isn't up to non-assist cycling anymore then go for it.
I saw this touring E-bike (French family with the mother riding the E-bike) at Connolly station in Dublin last September. I believe it's a Kalkoff Endeavour Move I9 which retails in Ireland for about €3,000. If you're still working then you might be eligible for the 'bike to work' scheme and get a grant towards the purchase.
https://lovemybike.ie/collections/2018-models/products/endeavour-move-i9
I saw this touring E-bike (French family with the mother riding the E-bike) at Connolly station in Dublin last September. I believe it's a Kalkoff Endeavour Move I9 which retails in Ireland for about €3,000. If you're still working then you might be eligible for the 'bike to work' scheme and get a grant towards the purchase.
https://lovemybike.ie/collections/2018-models/products/endeavour-move-i9
12-12-18, 09:55 AM
#11
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Advice I read from some already on the long road with ebikes suggested carrying a spare battery, or two. And a charger for each battery. And a power strip. Their recommendation was basically enough power to buck an all-day headwind and enough recharging capacity you don't have to get up several times during the night to monitor and swap.
Remember that electricity isn't free for your host, and you'll need a lot more electrons than somebody charging their phone. If you would like to plug in to recharge during lunch, a rest stop or a warm shower, ask first and offer to pay. (If asking folks to not freeload and make things worse for those that come afterwards makes me a 'hater', I'm good with that.)
There are posters who like to impose a purity test before they'll agree one is 'touring', but actually there are lots of different ways to bike tour. That said, if what you have in mind is self contained, long distance touring, inspect any candidate bike with that in mind. Many of the stock factory racks on ebikes don't look up to touring dunnage to me. Some ebikes have no practical, secure way to attach standard touring bike racks.
Remember that electricity isn't free for your host, and you'll need a lot more electrons than somebody charging their phone. If you would like to plug in to recharge during lunch, a rest stop or a warm shower, ask first and offer to pay. (If asking folks to not freeload and make things worse for those that come afterwards makes me a 'hater', I'm good with that.)
There are posters who like to impose a purity test before they'll agree one is 'touring', but actually there are lots of different ways to bike tour. That said, if what you have in mind is self contained, long distance touring, inspect any candidate bike with that in mind. Many of the stock factory racks on ebikes don't look up to touring dunnage to me. Some ebikes have no practical, secure way to attach standard touring bike racks.
12-12-18, 11:03 AM
#12
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Thread Starter
can't imaging it would cost to much to charge a battery but i could be wrong .
i can't for the life of me figure out why cyclists (me being one 50 years) hate ebikes ,
i'm talking pedal assisted you know the one that will get you up that long long hill a bit easier.
i cycled a few time on my lightweight carbon bike with a lad who rides an heavy ebike,it didn't bother me or him we enjoyed a good spin and each others company .
life to short to be hating anyone or anything enjoy it all while your still above ground.
anto.
i can't for the life of me figure out why cyclists (me being one 50 years) hate ebikes ,
i'm talking pedal assisted you know the one that will get you up that long long hill a bit easier.
i cycled a few time on my lightweight carbon bike with a lad who rides an heavy ebike,it didn't bother me or him we enjoyed a good spin and each others company .
life to short to be hating anyone or anything enjoy it all while your still above ground.
anto.
12-12-18, 11:35 AM
#13
Clark W. Griswold
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I would love to own a Supercharger GX Rolhoff HS (with some upgraded parts here and there). R+M make fantastic bikes for all sorts of uses but for touring they would be great. Especially for touring in areas where you can charge batteries at least every so often. I have yet to actually ride the Supercharger but I have ridden the Delite (many times) the Charger, New Charger, Nevo, Load and Packster and they are all great bikes though if going cargo I would go Load over Packster any day and would even consider the Load for touring because you can just load up the front bucket and ride out.
The reason their stuff is expensive is that it is not an off the peg bike, you can change some features of it (like drivetrain, motor and battery set up as well as sometimes other things as well) and they use pretty high quality parts. Sure some stuff I might change but it is all designed as that long lasting durable e-bike that will be relatively trouble free for a long time.
The reason their stuff is expensive is that it is not an off the peg bike, you can change some features of it (like drivetrain, motor and battery set up as well as sometimes other things as well) and they use pretty high quality parts. Sure some stuff I might change but it is all designed as that long lasting durable e-bike that will be relatively trouble free for a long time.
12-12-18, 11:49 AM
#14
Banned
Fwiw,
Guess you would have to plan for short days around the battery distance.capacity . .. motel to motel for the power plug in for battery recharge..
E bike Commuting is a better application I'd suppose..
so more idle conversation then.. fair enough..
out here LBS does E Conversions on MTB, motor kit replaces crankset
the basic 350w motor kit installed is $1600 ..750w & 1kw motors more $
main customers (rural county) are elk/deer hunters ..
to get atop the hill (private, timber company lands) i and go back down with gravity..
Prey carcass dragging perhaps..
.....
E bike Commuting is a better application I'd suppose..
i'm retired and broke
out here LBS does E Conversions on MTB, motor kit replaces crankset
the basic 350w motor kit installed is $1600 ..750w & 1kw motors more $
main customers (rural county) are elk/deer hunters ..
to get atop the hill (private, timber company lands) i and go back down with gravity..
Prey carcass dragging perhaps..
.....
Last edited by fietsbob; 12-12-18 at 12:04 PM.
12-12-18, 05:35 PM
#15
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Even Iceland had accessible power points at most of the campgrounds, although I really wouldn't want to go there if I had to rely on the assist.
You wouldn't be wrong on the first point. On the second, some cyclists don't understand they aren't in a competition with everyone else on a bike they pass on a road, and get mad that those people break their rules about how they should be "competing" against them.
12-12-18, 05:43 PM
#16
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You're not. A couple of big ebike batteries from dead flat to full charge probably wouldn't exceed 15¢ at average USA electric rates. My guess is if you offered to pay nearly everybody would say 'forget it' - but IMO you should still offer at any gratis rest stop or warm shower.
12-12-18, 06:00 PM
#17
Senior Member
IMO there is not really much difference in touring with a regular bicycle or an E-Bike, as you would needs to be very frugal in the use of electricity... Meaning, you's got's to put in most of the effort,.. The main difference would be you must find a place to plug in every day, THAT is about the only difference. IMO, having done a few 800Km of touring, each tour about 10 days with an E-Assist bicycle... as for the cost , get a kit, for your bicycle that you have now to keep costs down, but get the "biggest" battery you can afford. 
Last edited by 350htrr; 12-12-18 at 07:12 PM.
12-13-18, 03:49 AM
#18
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E-bike touring is certainly practical in Europe. When I cycled the Camino del Norte last June I met an Irish guy at an Albergue (hostel) in northern Spain on an E-bike. He told me the assist was only 30%. Think I saw about four E-bikes touring on that trip, less than 5% of all the touring bikes encountered.
12-13-18, 05:18 AM
#19
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Thread Starter
IMO there is not really much difference in touring with a regular bicycle or an E-Bike, as you would needs to be very frugal in the use of electricity... Meaning, you's got's to put in most of the effort,.. The main difference would be you must find a place to plug in every day, THAT is about the only difference. IMO, having done a few 800Km of touring, each tour about 10 days with an E-Assist bicycle... as for the cost , get a kit, for your bicycle that you have now to keep costs down, but get the "biggest" battery you can afford.
i would need to sell my pristine roadbike tho to finance the conversion and hoping the wife would never get wind of it or i could be living on the bike permanent lol.
thanks for reply's lads happy Christmas to one and all.
12-13-18, 05:26 AM
#20
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Thread Starter
E-bike touring is certainly practical in Europe. When I cycled the Camino del Norte last June I met an Irish guy at an Albergue (hostel) in northern Spain on an E-bike. He told me the assist was only 30%. Think I saw about four E-bikes touring on that trip, less than 5% of all the touring bikes encountered.
mind you caretaker if ever a fella needed an ebike it would be ideal for the camino those hills ain't easy.
yeah if i could get my Thorn Audax convirted it would be ideal it's a class bike fits me like a glove and carries rear panniers no problem.
big problem i have is lower back pain once the road rise's i'm goosed.
12-13-18, 05:37 AM
#21
Senior Member
If there was an E bike that had regenerative braking and a way to capture all that energy lost on long downhills, I'd get one, but unfortunately that'll be something in the future, probably after my cycling days are over. Does anyone charge their E bikes from a generator hub?
12-13-18, 06:39 AM
#22
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I think there are hub motor ebikes that can do regen braking. I also remember reading that it wasn’t as much of a game-changer as one might imagine.
12-13-18, 06:49 AM
#23
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I'm quite happy to use an ebike as a commuter, but haven't quite worked out how one would fit into touring.
For commuting, it's quite easy to make sure you have battery enough to cover your daily need.
Touring, not so much. And range can vary considerably with the terrain you're riding in.
So either you plan your stages according to range, which would require either very conservative planning or considerable experience to come out "right".
Or you save the assist for some sections, climbs only, to know that you have it when you need it.
Or you customize the gearing ratio to make sure the bike remails rideable even when the battery runs down.
For commuting, it's quite easy to make sure you have battery enough to cover your daily need.
Touring, not so much. And range can vary considerably with the terrain you're riding in.
So either you plan your stages according to range, which would require either very conservative planning or considerable experience to come out "right".
Or you save the assist for some sections, climbs only, to know that you have it when you need it.
Or you customize the gearing ratio to make sure the bike remails rideable even when the battery runs down.
With the ability to run a triple crank, it’d be easier to set the bike up with a ”limp-home” gear range in case of running the battery flat.
That way the battery can remain a comfort item rather than required equipment.
I’m all for taking the edge off things but would be a bit wary of planning a tour that relied on heavy use of e-assist to be doable.
12-13-18, 09:42 AM
#24
Senior Member
I had to go electric two years ago due to health issues. My 556 watt hour battery boasts a range 30-70 miles. Two years and 7.5k miles later that is more like 20-50 miles in hilly terrain with the ageing and use of the battery. That is on an unloaded bike around town. Loaded for travel I may get only 20-30 miles in hilly terrain. Carrying a second battery that would mean a range of just 40-60 miles before having to plug in for 5-6 hours. That's assuming I'm also carrying a second charger for the spare battery. Add to that a CPAP machine... long distance bike touring has become too dependent upon electricity for me to continue to participate.
I'm not even going to find a motel every 60 miles on an extended trip in the US and their regular use is not in my budget. A campground with power would be even more difficult to find. All I can do is short, local well planned trips. Sorry to be so negative anto. I love my e-assist but have yet to find a way to make it work for extended overnights.
12-13-18, 10:16 AM
#25
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Thread Starter
came across this video review on the Reise and Muller roadster very good.ride starts at 30 min lovely route.
not a fan of those big welds tho on aluminium frame pity they didn't polish them make for a beautiful bike for sure.anyway.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zj4KHirt9E
not a fan of those big welds tho on aluminium frame pity they didn't polish them make for a beautiful bike for sure.anyway.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zj4KHirt9E