Touring on an electric bike?
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- Posts: 79
- Joined: 29 Jul 2019, 3:52pm
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
Dunno how common they are but on my just completed tour in France, I did see some e bike charging lockers dotted around. Idea seemed to be that you took the battery off the bike, put it into the locker, plugged your charger into the provided socket and locked the whole thing up, taking the key with you while you went for a meal or whatever. Put a Euro in a slot to get the lock and get the key out - like swimming pool lockers.
Saw a number of loaded tourers on ebikes too. One particular elderly couple from NZ who`d been touring Europe since July. He was on conventional pedal power, but she had quite severe joint problems and used an ebike. I`m not a huge fan of them, personally, but it was great to see them still able to enjoy a mutual hobby well into their later years due to the assistance the motor provided.
Saw a number of loaded tourers on ebikes too. One particular elderly couple from NZ who`d been touring Europe since July. He was on conventional pedal power, but she had quite severe joint problems and used an ebike. I`m not a huge fan of them, personally, but it was great to see them still able to enjoy a mutual hobby well into their later years due to the assistance the motor provided.
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
willp01908 wrote: I`m not a huge fan of them, personally, but it was great to see them still able to enjoy a mutual hobby well into their later years due to the assistance the motor provided.
Agree totally and I will have no hesitation in my later years of using some electric back up if it means I can still enjoy this great hobby of ours. The knees still work within reason so should be some time off.
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
willp01908 wrote:Dunno how common they are but on my just completed tour in France, I did see some e bike charging lockers dotted around. Idea seemed to be that you took the battery off the bike, put it into the locker, plugged your charger into the provided socket and locked the whole thing up, taking the key with you while you went for a meal or whatever. Put a Euro in a slot to get the lock and get the key out - like swimming pool lockers.
Saw a number of loaded tourers on ebikes too. One particular elderly couple from NZ who`d been touring Europe since July. He was on conventional pedal power, but she had quite severe joint problems and used an ebike. I`m not a huge fan of them, personally, but it was great to see them still able to enjoy a mutual hobby well into their later years due to the assistance the motor provided.
In the Netherlands, there are green bollards where you can charge e bikes, usually in town centres. I expect they're on OSM.
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
Oldjohnw wrote:....?..Using hookup on a site might be problematic as I believe you need a special lead and waterproof plug as well as your charger. A lot of extra weight.
Missed this post.
All that's needed is a waterproof plug with a 100mm(or less) lead with a 13amp extension lead socket to plug your charger into.Not a lot of additional weight really.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
reohn2 wrote:Oldjohnw wrote:....?..Using hookup on a site might be problematic as I believe you need a special lead and waterproof plug as well as your charger. A lot of extra weight.
Missed this post.
All that's needed is a waterproof plug with a 100mm(or less) lead with a 13amp extension lead socket to plug your charger into.Not a lot of additional weight really.
Thanks. Will look into.
John
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
Oldjohnw wrote:reohn2 wrote:Oldjohnw wrote:....?..Using hookup on a site might be problematic as I believe you need a special lead and waterproof plug as well as your charger. A lot of extra weight.
Missed this post.
All that's needed is a waterproof plug with a 100mm(or less) lead with a 13amp extension lead socket to plug your charger into.Not a lot of additional weight really.
Thanks. Will look into.
Here:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerMaster-34 ... th=1&psc=1
PS, sorry about the amazon link ,first google hit
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
reohn2 wrote:Oldjohnw wrote:reohn2 wrote:Missed this post.
All that's needed is a waterproof plug with a 100mm(or less) lead with a 13amp extension lead socket to plug your charger into.Not a lot of additional weight really.
Thanks. Will look into.
Here:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerMaster-34 ... th=1&psc=1
PS, sorry about the amazon link ,first google hit
Thanks again. Presumably I could plug my charger straight into the socket but it would need to be in a plastic bag or similar.
Of course, sites charge for hook up and so far I've just needed to put a couple of pounds in the mountain rescue/air ambulance or whatever charity the site supports.
John
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
Oldjohnw wrote:reohn2 wrote:Oldjohnw wrote:Thanks. Will look into.
Here:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerMaster-34 ... th=1&psc=1
PS, sorry about the amazon link ,first google hit
Thanks again. Presumably I could plug my charger straight into the socket but it would need to be in a plastic bag or similar. Or a longer extension into my tent (where I could charge other stuff if necessary).
Of course, sites charge for hook up and so far I've just needed to put a couple of pounds in the mountain rescue/air ambulance or whatever charity the site supports.
John
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
I doubt that many campsites would be happy with that arrangement. Having an unprotected 13 amp socket dangling from the hook up outlet is probably 'illegal' within the hook up rules (electrical standards). Normal hook up leads have waterproof plugs at both ends if they are used outside.
Some people do use hook up in tents, but you need the longer lead to go from hook up outlet to tent. Using something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lengths-Socket ... 8773&psc=1
Some people do use hook up in tents, but you need the longer lead to go from hook up outlet to tent. Using something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lengths-Socket ... 8773&psc=1
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
In my experience, most French campsites have a few spare hook-up cables, so I don't think that should be a problem.
Last year on EV6 somewhere on the Saone a site was offering free hook-ups for cyclists. Madame seemed quite suprised that we weren't on electric bikes!
Last year on EV6 somewhere on the Saone a site was offering free hook-ups for cyclists. Madame seemed quite suprised that we weren't on electric bikes!
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
Last summer, I met a German family touring the UK with electric bikes. One parent pulled a child trailer, and the other pulled a trailer with camping gear in it and solar panels on top. They had 4 batteries (2 on the bikes & 2 charging) and about 1.5 sq. m. of solar panel, which they said was enough to keep their battery packs charged.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
Oldjohnw wrote:Thanks again. Presumably I could plug my charger straight into the socket but it would need to be in a plastic bag or similar.
Yes if it's raining,but then you'd need to protect your charger too.
Of course, sites charge for hook up and so far I've just needed to put a couple of pounds in the mountain rescue/air ambulance or whatever charity the site supports.
I think that's a good enough approach on a campsite,pub,etc.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
simonhill wrote:I doubt that many campsites would be happy with that arrangement. Having an unprotected 13 amp socket dangling from the hook up outlet is probably 'illegal' within the hook up rules (electrical standards). Normal hook up leads have waterproof plugs at both ends if they are used outside.
Some people do use hook up in tents, but you need the longer lead to go from hook up outlet to tent. Using something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lengths-Socket ... 8773&psc=1
Most if not all,modern UK and European caravans have 13amp household socket on the outside of the 'van,these are not waterproof ones just covered with a water resistant flap.
There's also these:- https://www.sparkswarehouse.com/product ... 90QAvD_BwE
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
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- Posts: 5327
- Joined: 27 Oct 2012, 9:13pm
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
Touring on an electric bike ..... or motoring as it's known ......
I'm joking .... honest ....
I'm joking .... honest ....
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Re: Touring on an electric bike?
landsurfer wrote:Touring on an electric bike ..... or motoring as it's known ......
I'm joking .... honest ....
There'll come a time when ............
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden