J.Higgins 

I reckon so, but I just can't if you aren't pouring every ounce of sweat and pain into your bike, then you need to find another hobby. e-bikes aren't bicycles in my honest opinion, and they are definitely are not HPVs. Just because its got pedals don'e mean its a bicycle. You may not like what I say, but that's the state of the world today. Accept it.

By the way, I'm 60, and I sure as hell hope that I'm cranking my own pedals until I expire. No motor-assisted bikes for this guy!

djb

ha. No I was just recalling that it was boxed up to go on the plane, and then at one point he told me that he had the battery shipped seperately at a X cost.
I imagine it made sense doing it that way because it cost less to ship the relatively small battery vs the whole bike and battery--although it may have been because the large lithium ion batteries or whatever they are have to put into secure containers, fireproof or whatnot, and thus are more "containable" by themselves.
This was a neighbour, and I had completely forgotten about this until the topic came up here about flying with an e bike--but it clearly is a real issue and has to be remembered.

jefnvk

Yeah, assuming an American airport, lithium batteries are carryon only, and I doubt ebike batteries fall under carryon limits: https://www.faa.gov/about/initiative...info/?hazmat=7

Probably was cheaper to ship just the battery v the whole bike, though.

djb

I'll ask him at some point and if I remember, I'll let you know how much it cost him and the details.

ps, I rode his bike once for a few minutes, and holy bananas it was weird feeling it take off when you would pedal. I had lots of motorcycles but this was quite a feeling. I wouldnt say no to one when I get old and decrepit.

2manybikes

No. Just No.

jefnvk

The aforementioned gentleman in my post above started this ride: DALMAC - Home Page when he was a state representative back around 1970 as a publicity stunt to prove cars and bikes could coexist. He expressed the same dismay about using the device as he hit his throttle and bolted up a hill in front of me on his recumbent trike

My point is simply I don't care to judge anyone's situation. I saw a motorcycle with a handicap plate today, which I find far more ludicrous than someone on an ebike, but it is their life.

RobotGuy

350htrr

And... But maybe you are putting in every ounce of effort you have, but need some assistance...
E-Bikes are not all the same, some are assist only, some are in between, some are operated by a throttle...
Good for you, unfortunately some people do need some assistance sometimes... I hope you reach your goal...

RobotGuy

indyfabz

+1. The point of my previous post. Not all e-baikes are those throttle-driven bikes you may see people flying around on.

pinholecam

Lots of good suggestions here.

I just did a New Zealand tour and encountered some folks using ebikes.
I'd encounter some of them along the multi day trail every day as the start and end locations were usually the same.
From my encounters here are my inputs :

1. You gotta have to like them a lot (and vise versa), because they will get up climbs fast and also have to wait for you. So it can be frustrating that your ebike friends zooms up climbs and also go so far away that you might as well been cycling yourself, or setting so fast a pace that it becomes stressful.
2. They stayed in accommodations with power every night (obviously) and in their case, there was a support vehicle in case the bike/batt failed.
3. I did not see any stranded ebike along the way, so I'd think the battery was enough, but that really needs a few test runs to confirm.
4. Starting with day trips would be a good idea

J.Higgins 

Its a matter of perspective. E-bike touring is just another facet of the sport. I'm not saying that E-bikes are not cool - they are - just not my cup of tea for touring.

raria

These are all new to touring people so the idea of them touring together won't work.

The airplane issue I had not thought about nor the issue of them always waiting for me or pushing the pace too fast. Good points.

I should have clarified, but by e-bike I meant pedal assistant bikes so if the battery dies or could not be charged over night they can at least keep on pedaling it as a regular (albeit heavy) bike.

inks

Bmach

pdlamb

I ran into a couple doing something similar a while back. She was cycling an "ordinary" bike, while the husband needed an e-assist. (Found the link: W2E TransAm - 1 Trek electric bike & 1 regular bike, by Suzanne Stack )

There were a few takeaways I got from talking with them:
Motels every night. That added some difficulty, as there was no stopping short on a difficult day.
Battery ran low on a few days, including one I remember as almost all downhill.
It made Suzanne's cross country dream a possibility, since Don could ride with her (until the accident, at least!).

I'd have to wonder about the people who want to ride with you, if they're not very close (spouse/parent/child). Do they understand what they're getting into? This is more than a ride to the ice cream store. Can you tolerate them for long periods of time? I'm thinking of the day I was ready to call it quits with my daughter - our tour was saved by the fact it was two days' ride to a place we could get out of. How are you going to deal with personality conflicts, or differences in what time to go to sleep, wake up, how often and how long to take a break?

Leebo

One more reason I tour alone.

alan s 

adablduya

i would surmise that signs prohibiting "motorized" vehicles have not caught up the the current technology (and popularity) of BATTERY-POWERED motorized bikes. rather, i think the signs refer to COMBUSTION motorized bikes. battery-powered = ASSISTED pedaling and is not a primary means of propulsion, compared to a combustion motor. just my opinion.

Happy Feet

I would agree with that. Whether it is how much gear one hauls or the power requirements on tour, e bikes do have a different set of criteria from conventional bikes that can cause a lot of topic confusion if it isn't acknowledged by the poster. In this case though, I think the question does to pertain to the conventional perspective.

acantor

I would give it a go to find out how to works out.

A few times, I biked around town with a friend who rode a small scooter. Even when the scooter was going slow, I couldn't keep up, at least not for long. Motor power does have a speed advantage over muscle power! Nevertheless, I would try again.

indyfabz

Interesting to put names to faces. I remember her angry political drive bys on another forum. IIRC, he needed an ebike due to lung problems caused by decades of smoking.

alan s 

indyfabz

Not factually accurate in every case. Some ebikes can be propelled without any rider assistance if the operator so desires. There is a throttle on the handlebar. They are common with Chinese food delivery men here in Philly and NYC, and likely other big cities. For bikes, they can accelerate quickly and reach very fast speeds.

adablduya

that must have made you feel better to point out the inaccuracy in my post.

however, you fail to address the main point of my post, and that is that signs prohibiting MOTORIZED bikes on MUPs are likely intended, and have been for years, to refer to COMBUSTION motors (motor scooters, motor cycles, etc.).

Tourist in MSN

I see the word assist or assisted a lot in this discussion, and that is part of my disagreement with the whole concept. Marketers are trying to sell the concept that these are bicycles with a tiny little electric motor to assist the elderly or disabled, but a lot of these have 750 watt motors. The exercise equipment at my health club says that I can sustain something like 120 to 135 watts, more for brief periods of time but almost never over 180 watts. I am not a slow rider, nor a fast one, pretty much in the middle of the pack. So, when the e-bikes have a motor that puts out about six times the power that I can sustain, that is not assistance. The electric motor in this case is the primary source of power. And some of the e-bikes (that are violating the law) that have passed me on bike paths at speeds that had to be close to 30 mph are on paths and trails that frequently are used by pedestrians are a genuine safety hazard.

I have been amazed how fast some of those e-bikes can "coast" uphill with the rider not pedaling, I think some of them are running more than 750 watts. Pro cyclists don't even put out the power of some of the e-bikes.

I own a few motorcycles, and I see nothing wrong with putting a motor on two wheels. But I would never presume that it is acceptable for me to use anything other than human power on narrow bike and pedestrian paths that were not designed for the higher speeds and heavier e-bikes. Those are essentially small motorcycles and should stay on the road where other motorcycles are used.