Several day tour with e-bike

[simonineaston]

Looking at the best e-bikes - something like this - you've effectively strayed into motor-bike territory, which plays havoc with the traditional logistics of a cycle-tour. Sticking to the C roads might seem counter-intuative, with all that speed at your disposal - but the commune lanes are half the charm of a French cycling tour for me... And chopping up the trip suggested by the OP into traditional "cycle-days" goes out the window when you're on a vehicle capable of 20-25 mph averages, over 100-plus miles (say). You either see that an advantage, or else, you might think, "Brest to Dieppe - I'll be there on Day 3! " and think that a Bad Thing.
If the point of the trip is that it is Multi Day, then the best e-bikes might not be a right tool. On the other hand, one of those might free you up to go whither you want, take in every POI that takes your fancy and free you up from the worry of fitness levels and wear & tear!

[al_yrpal]

That thing isnt a road legal ebike, nor is it designed for touring. Pedelec type E bikes make a bit of long distance hilly touring practical for old codgers like me.

Al

[Oldjohnw]

Nothing wrong with that bike John.

Al

Thanks Al. Almost 20 years old but a steel frame. Most original parts. Keeps going and is well looked after.

[simonineaston]

That thing isnt a road legal ebike,

A good point - do we know what the e-bike regulations are when in France? (I was only using that example to illustrate the point re the potential game-change...)

[simonineaston]

Just found this, which is gently encouraging

[MarcusT]

From some of the comments I've read, it seems that some people may have the impression that once the battery is dead the bike is not ride-able.
Yes, it sucks, but riding without motor assist is perfectly doable.

[Oldjohnw]

I'm just wondering if anyone has done this. A moving on ride of a few hundred miles.
I don't have an e-bike so this is (at the moment) pure just curiosity.
Presumably a spare battery would be a necessity.

Back to the original question.

Yes I've done this without difficulty and with fill camping gear.

I do not have a spare battery - far too heavy.

You do need to plan.

[simonineaston]

It all comes down to exactly which sort of e-bike you use...

some people may have the impression that once the battery is dead the bike is not ride-able.
Yes, it sucks

I do not have a spare battery - far too heavy.

As far as my own experience is concerned, thinking about my own 'leccy bike, I would definitley have to take to a spare battery if I wanted to travel more than 20 miles in a day, electrically assisted, and at the same time the bike, pedalled normally, isn't very much different to a ordinary Brompton... Each battery weighs just 1.2 kg.
As usual, it's horses for courses... an e-bike fitted with a big enough battery set to guarantee a full day's ride with full touring kit, is likely to be, shall we say, unpleasant to cycle un-assisted... but on the other hand, one is unlikely to have to do it! The nano Brompton would almost certainly need to be cycled un-assisted now and then, but wouldn't feel much different to the plain-vanilla Brompton experience.
That is to say, choose your weapon carefully!

[Jdsk]

A good point - do we know what the e-bike regulations are when in France?

TTBOMK they are typical EU following EN 15194:
* Be fitted with a motor with a power of no more than 250w
* Provide a maximum assisted speed (i.e. the speed at which motor assistance is automatically cut off) of no more than 25 kmph (roughly 15.5 mph)
* Not be fitted with a full speed throttle that can work ‘independently’ (that is without the pedals ‘moving forward’). Start Up Assist throttles (those that assist up to 6 km/h) are allowed.
* Be ridden without any minimum age limit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws

And I think that they have also legislated for higher powered "speed bikes"/ "speedelecs".

Penalties for illegal tuning:
https://cyclingindustry.news/french-government-lead-on-e-bike-tuning-with-threat-of-e30000-fine/

Jonathan

[al_yrpal]

So far my longest trip on my Bosch Performance powered pedelec has been a hilly 40 mile round trip. I ended up with 1 bar out of 5 left on the Purion display. I was unloaded on this trip so touring weight would probably diminish that range. If I was in flatter country that would help but I feel this range doesnt give enough of a safety margin. The bike plus touring gear would weigh at least 35kg. A spare battery weighs 2.5kg but the cost is an eye watering £550. I am still minded to try to get another battery to extend my range to a comfy 60 miles. My age and level of fitness makes this necessary.

Al

[ANTONISH]

There is a lot of interesting stuff here.
I wasn't thinking of using an e-bike for riding Brest to Dieppe - I'm still o.k for about 50 miles a day on varying terrain.
I usually start early and keep going at a pottering sort of pace.
I use hotels and I aim to arrive sometime before 6 .pm if nothing goes wrong

What I had in mind was the route of the Pyreneen raid (again - but I wanted to try it again before I snuff it). I'm not actually trying to do the 100hr event.
I've always been very slow so I would normally allow a speed of about 4-5kph on something like the Tourmalet - I might get a coffee out of that.
I was thinking about 8kph with electric assist.
I don't camp and use hotels carrying enough luggage for a change of clothes, first aid, tools etc.
I'm 70 kg and all in with bike and luggage I reckon on about 90kg.
At an average 4kph I need about 70W just taking gravity in to account - 7% slope
If I rode an e-bike say about 10kg heavier at 8kph the power needed would be 152.6 W
Say about 80 w from the motor for 2.75 hrs. (0.22kWh)
And another question - is there any regeneration with e-bikes?

I take your point about the C roads Simon - That's what I usually go for
I got caught out though two years ago when I set off on a C road only to find it was used as a rat run for HGV's - there wasn't room for them to pass normally so they were intruding onto the verge - it was a horrible few kilometres.

[Jdsk]

And another question - is there any regeneration with e-bikes?

Only a few have it. (The energetics are very different from a car.)

I'm 70 kg and all in with bike and luggage I reckon on about 90kg.
At an average 4kph I need about 70W just taking gravity in to account - 7% slope
If I rode an e-bike say about 10kg heavier at 8kph the power needed would be 152.6 W
Say about 80 w from the motor for 2.75 hrs. (0.22kWh)

Bosch online range calculator:
https://www.bosch-ebike.com/range-cockpit/

Jonathan

[simonineaston]

Looking back, I can see that your post indeed does not state, suggest or imply that you are to travel from Brest to Dieppe by e-bike however it's as good an example as any! Has certainly got me thinking BTW I did a couple days along the Nantes to Brest canal one year - lovely scenary but a bit boring - soooo flat!

[ANTONISH]

And another question - is there any regeneration with e-bikes?

Only a few have it. (The energetics are very different from a car.)

I'm 70 kg and all in with bike and luggage I reckon on about 90kg.
At an average 4kph I need about 70W just taking gravity in to account - 7% slope
If I rode an e-bike say about 10kg heavier at 8kph the power needed would be 152.6 W
Say about 80 w from the motor for 2.75 hrs. (0.22kWh)

Bosch online range calculator:
https://www.bosch-ebike.com/range-cockpit/

Jonathan

Thanks for the pointer - for a mountainous tour at 15kph, I got a distance of 65 km.
Going for a twin battery setup it was double at 130km.
I think 65 km might be a bit limiting - I certainly wouldn't want to be a few km from the top of a climb and find the battery had died
Food for thought though.

[al_yrpal]

Looking back, I can see that your post indeed does not state, suggest or imply that you are to travel from Brest to Dieppe by e-bike however it's as good an example as any! Has certainly got me thinking BTW I did a couple days along the Nantes to Brest canal one year - lovely scenary but a bit boring - soooo flat!

I agree about the Canal and vois vertes are often even more boring. Its the little towns and the vistas that make for an interesting tour.

Al