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Are there public places you can charge you electric bicycle? I don't think parks have electrical outlets. Anyone have any ideas? I was thinking of taking a longer trip with my electric bicycle but only wanted to go with no extra battery packs.
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Some light posts, you can open the bottom and find an outlet.
A lot of buildings have exterior 110v outlets. I've never had a problem finding a charging spot in the city.
Are there public places you can charge you electric bicycle? I don't think parks have electrical outlets. Anyone have any ideas? I was thinking of taking a longer trip with my electric bicycle but only wanted to go with no extra battery packs.
Maybe I'm missing something here but bearing in mind it takes some 3-4 hours to recharge the battery on my Dahon Roo EL, I imagine it wouldn't be cost effective to have "stations" to do this. Someone would need to offer security for the bike, unless you were prepared to sit and wait?
Cheers, briotone.
Maybe I'm missing something here but bearing in mind it takes some 3-4 hours to recharge the battery on my Dahon Roo EL, I imagine it wouldn't be cost effective to have "stations" to do this. Someone would need to offer security for the bike, unless you were prepared to sit and wait?
Cheers, briotone.
I couldn't really see it being really practical either. Unless you're absolutely certain about the safety of your bike being left to charge outdoors, or unless you have one of those extreme quick charging systems like an A123 setup, chances are being metaphorically "chained" to your bike for that time would be an irritating prospect.
On the plus side, it seems like fast-charge setups are becoming more common. On a downside, using fast-charging routinely tends to lessen your overall battery life.
As for your dilemma, if your bike has a seperate battery I would figure out if there's somewhere nearby you could safely leave your pack to charge?
I have a fast charger. What I was thinking is maybe charge it up for 1 hr. . Enough to get it most of the way home. I wouldn't be leaving the bike, I'd be there with it while it was charging
If you want to avoid getting in some serious trouble, you probably shouldn't use any outlets without asking the owner first. (that includes city-owned outlets.) The amount of electricity you can use up is only a few cents per hour of being plugged in, but a lot of people don't know that, and stealing a few cents is still considered stealing.
Stealing is stealing - when I ask about using an outlet I inform the owner that my charger uses about as much electricity as a medium size TV. Never been denied yet...
In a perfect eBike world - I would like to see neighborhood parking/charging kiosks that offer bicycle electricity and security for a reasonable price. $1 or $2 per hour? Charging cables would double as alarmed security locks and perhaps even some network cameras trained on the location?
Most home and building owners don't realize they could have a genuine vending business outside their buildings re-selling electricity and offering secure eBike parking. As the numbers of riders increase the demand for this type of service should increase.
Are there public places you can charge you electric bicycle? I don't think parks have electrical outlets. Anyone have any ideas? I was thinking of taking a longer trip with my electric bicycle but only wanted to go with no extra battery packs.
Dunno where you are but I am downtown Toronto Canada. Have done six yrs and over 10k km in commutes about 20km one way, this w/only 17lbs Pba... Kick scoot.
Regularly plug in to restaurant/bar patios over breakfast/lunch/dinner, where patios are not busy. Never mind the bill for food&bev - the tips are much more than the electricity taken. Helps if you are a steady patron.
Lots of plugins in the parks, especially at utility buildings, sea walls, etc. Because the kick scoot is physically and visually much smaller than the pedal bike w/seat, it's easier to sneak into places. Hides behind desks and potted plants... Have plugged in to subways and ferry boats. (Folds up and flies as luggage no charge, but that's another story.) Many older buildings have external outlets, sadly not as many of the newer buildings.
Sometimes plugs have no power. On regular commutes (routes) ya get familiar w/which ones work and where. The soleil charger is the size of a deck of cards, and its LED serves as a quick test light for any unfamiliar plugs...
Next scoot will have removeable/swapable battery backs to take inside for charging and warmth.
Also gonna (finally) change up to LiFePO4 :)
Have thoughts sometimes of a network of like-minded folks that might have garages or garden sheds to keep/share a distributed inventory of batts around town... Amateur/private network of charge/swap stations, bulk buy pricing for batts and chargers.
Would anyone anywhere object if you were plugging in a laptop?
tks
lOcK
human-electric hybrid
Would anyone anywhere object if you were plugging in a laptop?
The Toronto Eaton Center does...
Stealing is stealing, folks.
Boy, what an issue we have with sharing!
Mill Street Brewery (restaurant): "Excuse me, can I re-charge my bike battery here? "Sure, plug it in right here."
McDonalds (at Eaton Centre): "Excuse me, can I re-charge my bike battery here? Uh, duh, I don't know. You want fries with that?"
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