Feldman

Planning a tour where we will alternate motels and camping. We have lightweight ebikes--a Salsa and a Specialized--so no cheapo batteries or chargers.
Any experiences with getting bikes exiled from.US or BC hotels for charging in room?

mpetry912 

gut feel this is an iffy thing. notwithstanding the fact that you have to carry a big heavy charger with you, I would worry that the hotel would not allow you to bring the bikes into the room.

/markp

Rick_D

'Tis a good question. IDK but will broadly divide between formal hotels and motels, where one parks near their room and doesn't go through a lobby. I'd guess most motels won't prevent bringing the bike in and charging. Will also guess many hotels will not accommodate that, especially ones with elevator access.

Better hotels have a concierge and I'd call that person. They're there to make your stay pleasant and stress-free. They may have a secure area where you could park and plug. After all, they will hold luggage for guests and a bike is a big piece of luggage.

Sounds like fun. I've cycle toured Vancouver Island, which is splendid.

My charger is like a large laptop charger and I've not pondered long trips with the bike. Certainly adds an extra challenge.

2old

We've gone on camping/motel excursions with mountain bikes and brought them in the room without asking, and never had a problem, so it probably wouldn't with "e" either. The old "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission" worked well.

denis_987

I did an 11 week trip (not an e-bike). Only once did the motel owner tell me to park my bike outside. I politely told him that my bike would not sleep outside given its value and that I wanted to put it in the bedroom AND that I was being very careful not to damage anything in the room and it was not the first time. He accepted... If he would have refused, I would have been rented a room elsewhere.

veganbikes

I think most places would probably be pretty cool with it or don't mention and ask for forgiveness if needed. I generally just bring stuff in and so long as you are nice and friendly and especially on a bike tour they will be pretty cool with it. I went into a restaurant a while back with my road bike which had a half frame bag for commuting (since I was super close to the shop and didn't need to carry much as I kept a pair of shoes there and a few other small items I needed) and they had thought I had traveled a long distance and were super curious and I was like I just went a mile down the road to the shop and then maybe 5 miles home. Granted no charging needed but people not used to seeing people ride bikes especially long distances are generally pretty curious and if you say I don't have a lock for overnight they will generally be cool about it.

I am sure there are some who will say no but usually everyone is pretty cool at least in my experiences though to be fair I haven't had to charge in any of these places though with my Vado SL that might happen at some point. I would say if you need a SL battery I have some that are lightly used that I don't need but shipping Li-On is tough. If you are interested maybe we can figure something out just PM me (I am not looking for much out of them just someone to go on cool adventures with them)

Feldman

Thanks for the replies; I have toured much with meat-powered bikes and brought them into many hotel rooms but my wife and I recently rode a long trail in another country where e bikes specifically were banned from all indoor spaces. I'm hoping it hasn't gotten to North America yet, that's all.

Feldman

An fyi, the chargers we have are a comparable weight to fat paperback books and aren't prone to heating.

unterhausen

I was thinking about going on the Empire State Trail with my wife and her ebike. I'm somewhat concerned about this because of all the notice ebike fires have gotten in New York. I expect that if you stay in motels, i.e., exterior room doors, that bikes won't be a problem.

kayakindude

I'm a Marriott for life traveler. Never had an issue bringing a bike in, shouldn't matter what type of bike nor would I draw attention to it. Even bring the tandem in.

Russ Roth

Never had a problem bringing a bike in a hotel, even nicer ones. I wouldn't ask and I wouldn't mention it, just walk in with the bike once you've got the room, after all, bikes are just part of the luggage. As to being an ebike, most people don't pay enough attention to even know what is what.

Smaug1

I think it will be fine. Don't ask, don't tell.

To be safe, I would charge them on a non-flammable surface, like the sink overnight, or tile bathroom floor.

Charger weight is nothing, compared to the battery packs.

Rick_D

{threadjack}
Bringing up a question wrt long-distance/multi-day rides: what do chargers weigh? Mine's like a laptop changer, not small and 1.5 pounds. Not toting that thing unless absolutely necessary. Guessing they vary a good deal.

Smaug1

I doubt they're near 1.5 lbs., but even if they are, the effort to carry the charger is a LOT less than the effort to pedal if the battery is depleted. They're not big either, smaller than a typical water bottle. They can be clumsy to carry if the cords aren't managed properly. Of course, it'll vary on what type of bike and luggage you have. Carrying it on a Domane+ road bike would be different than a more typical and practical eBike with panniers.

Rick_D

That's what got me curious. Mine might be the outlier and am wondering what the range of charger size and weight are, broadly. Also, which are proprietary and which can be substituted if the need arises?

With a 4-pin connector mine likely requires the OEM unit at all times. Point of consideration for folks looking at touring rigs (which mine is not).

Smaug1

It depends, is the 4-pin an XLR-type? Or proprietary like Electra/Trek use? (as they can also be used to connect an extra battery pack)
In general, the 2-pin "barrel" connectors are all the same, but you need to watch the voltage; you don't want to use a charger designed for 52 V battery on a 48 V battery. (Remember too that a 48 V battery is charged with somewhere around 52 V and a 52 V battery is charged with somewhere around 58 V.)

Here's a 4-pin charger I have my eye on, as my eMoped uses two 52 V battery packs. I would buy two of the 4A chargers to bring with me, then I could go 40 miles each way at full throttle, and get most of the charge back in just a few hours.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6J1LSF7...lig_dp_it&th=1

Note that there are 58V, 2A chargers (replacing stock ones), 58V 4A chargers, (to halve the charge time), and 42V, 2A. (for 36 V batteries)

You also have to double-check the pinouts to make sure it isn't one for a reverse polarity arrangement.

Rick_D

Gosh, last time I saw an XLR would have been plugging in mics. Clever adaptation.

Mine looks proprietary, or an EU standard? Might have once guessed DIN when they were a thing.

59V/4A max output, EU, UK mains flexibility.

unterhausen

It wouldn't surprise me if the Shimano charger weighed a pound an a half. The bike weighs enough that I gave in and bought a ramp for our bike rack, so I doubt the charger weight will matter much. But any multi-day trips we might take go on relatively flat rail trails. And I expect that I would pack most of the weight on my bike anyway. At this point in my life, that much extra weight wouldn't register. Maybe in 20 years. But I will also have an ebike by then, no doubt.

znomit

I've got a bosch charger and its a pound with cables.

USB C can deliver up to 240W now, hopefully the next generation of ebike batteries can use that standard.

Smaug1

I've never seen that configuration before!

CrimsonEclipse

For electricity cost, assuming worst case scenario: 1KWH battery charging with a 50% efficient charger in the highest priced state (Hawaii at .30 per KWH) it's cost the hotel a whopping $1.20 for 2 bikes.

1-3 star hotel probably wouldn't care.
4 star might get snooty about their "image"
5 star will let you so what you want if you act eccentric enough
Bring a llama, a sun dial, request ONLY Tan M&M's and they'll forget about the bike