CuriousCurator

I run into a situation during fast touring (randonnée, more specifically) where I'd love to be able to recharge my electronics for maybe 30 mins (perhaps while also taking a nap). Is there an online resource or something that maps out the locations of all publicly available electrical outlets in various cities? (or for my specific needs, in Marin County, Northern California).

If not a map, then is there a good heuristics to find electrical outlets that you can use for short durations? (24 hour grocery stores, town plazas, gas stations, etc?)

Machka 

I'd be really surprised if there is a map. If there is, I'd like to see it.

I've never used a map to find electrical outlets ... I've used my own common sense:

-- public toilets have lights and handdryers, so perhaps they've also got electrical outlets. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't ... but worth a check.
-- park BBQ areas often have lights, and if they've got lights, they might also have electrical outlets. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but worth a check.
-- information centres used to have a small bank of computers for people to access the internet. Those are gone now (most information centres just offer free wifi), however the electrical outlets they were plugged into are often still there.
-- many cafes and restaurants have electrical outlets scattered around the place so that staff can vacuum the floor. When you go into a cafe, choose a table next to an electrical outlet.
-- grocery stores and service stations will have them, of course, but they may be well used by fridges, coffee makers etc. However, you can check.
-- laundromats might have electrical outlets. They might be used by the machines, but there's a chance you might find one free.

As you start looking around and seeing the usual places they're located, you'll start seeing them everywhere.


And if you're on a tour, you can get a powered camp site, or use the camp kitchen/games room, or use the electrical outlets in the bathroom or laundry ... or take a hotel at night.

Machka 

And also, don't just look in whatever might be considered a "typical" location for the electrical outlets. In BBQ shelters, look up. They are sometimes located up near the rafters. In bathrooms, look about mirror level. In laundromats, they might be located up near the top of the machines. In information centres, they'll likely be located low on the wall. YMMV.

martianone

randonnee ? consider a hub generator ?

spinnaker

Unless you are paying for the service such as at a hotel room or camp site, I would not use any outlet with out asking permission to do so. I would probably even ask at a restaurant where I was eating.

Best you take care of yourself like buying electronics that use conventional batteries instead batteries instead of a battery pack. You can also use a hub generator, solar panel or a large battery pack which is designed to charge other electronics.

wahoonc

I camped next to a billboard one night that had an electrical outlet....

Aaron

Bekologist

Marin? any starbucks you ride to. and independent coffeeshops too. They're suprisingly all over the place, from mountain view to sebastapol to the coast you'll find them. There's those buggers scattered all over, and you can usually zone out for a half hour cradling a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. No one really cares. Just secure your bike.

Coffeeshops and mom and pop places are usually very acommodating so long as you're a paying customer. People, everyone understands and sympathizes with running out of phone juice. Tip well. Riding towards Kings Road/Cazadero country, i'd find a greasy spoon or place selling pastries and coffee in the mix somewheres, ask if you can plug in, tell them you'll be outside enjoying the coffee, and sprawl out somewhere.

again, I've always found that as a paying customer, no one really cares so long as you don't overstay your welcome.

otherwise, like Machka said, most public spaces, picnic areas, even parks sometimes have them if you look for them.

during the day, all public libraries. not sure there's that many of them around marin, more coffeeshops for sure.

is there an app for finding free electrical outlets? probably.

andrewclaus

Any outdoor mechanical equipment like an A/C unit, heater, or fan is required by code (in the US, at least) to have an outlet nearby. You'll need to ask permission, but it falls under Machka's idea of looking in unusual places. It may give you an option that's otherwise overlooked, and will not disturb the owner or other customers. (I was a bit embarrassed once when a temporary touring companion asked diners at a nearby table if he could reach over them and plug in his phone at their table--it was slightly less rude than actually talking on the phone.)

Many stores and municipal buildings have something around back. Water, too.

imi

If you stop in a town with a bike shop, I'm sure they'd let you charge a phone while you went shopping or whatever... Ask nicely

Libraries of course. Gym reception? Police station?

Politeness and a smile can get you a long way

CuriousCurator

Actually, yes. I read Bicycling Quarterly's Paris-Brest-Paris 2007 survey; they concluded that riders with generator hubs, while slower, are much happier with their lighting system than riders with battery-powered lights.

Unfortunately, this being my first year of randonneuring, I don't plan on making such investment just yet. I'm just going to work mostly with what equipment I have, which when coupled with careful planning, should be more than adequate up to 600k.

Doug64

All of the above. We've never had a problem keeping our phones, cameras or netbook charged even on extended tours in North America and Europe. However, I did have a problem when someone took one of my camera batteries and charger out of a campground restroom. I think it was kids because after asking the other campers if they saw it, It miraculously showed up back in the restroom. There were only 2 other families in the campground, and I thought it would be OK to leave the battery charging.

We also carry one "dumb" phone and one smart phone. While we have an extra battery for the smartphone, it only good for a couple of days use. My dumb phone with a high capacity battery is good for a couple of weeks.

Also, it is not catastrophic if a phone, camera, or computer is out of action for a day or two. We do carry extra batteries for our cameras since this is our highest priorities.

Tansy

California and Arizona seem to be the worst places for finding power outlets, in my experience. Elsewhere, I can usually plan on them being in parks and rest areas, but along with the covered picnic shelter, I guess these states fear keeping them around - can't have people getting too comfy in public places, after all!

That being said, you can pretty well plan on finding them outside grocery stores and such. Usually if a plug-in is outside, I just go ahead and use it. If I can't find anything better, I go inside and as at a gas station to use a plug-in behind the counter. I've never had anyone refuse. Outdoor outlets tend to have plastic guards around them, which thought rarely are locked, do tent tend to block wide batter chargers. I carry a little adapter to extend the power outlet - you can get them for a buck at any electronic or dollar store.

I'm on the lookout for a short, very lightweight extension cord that I can keep my important stuff plugged into, and run the other end out of my trailer and quickly plug in anytime I stop near an outlet. Right now I can kind of do that by plugging all my usb stuff into my laptop and leaving the cord accessible.

seeker333

Make one - cut any old 110v cord to desired length, add female repair plug from Lowes, HD, WM.

bktourer1

The MBTA Commuter trains in mass. have them. Look outside gas stations. Stop by a bike shop

Tansy

That's actually a really good idea that kinda flew over my head. Thanks!

cafzali

If you tour a lot, I'd personally get one of those Duracell pads that allow you to lie devices on them to charge. The mats themselves are made to be plugged in, but you can get small backup batteries that will power their charging capabilities if you're out and about and can't easily get to an outlet. They're about $80 and won't really add much to your overall load.

Machka 

You might want to post your questions and comments in the Long Distance forum rather than the Touring forum ... Randonneuring falls under Long Distance cycling, more like Racing than Touring.


And I'm one of the ones who really likes my hub dynamo for randonnees. I don't notice that it makes me any slower than I already am, but it is nice not to have to bother with batteries. When I used battery-powered lights (and I have a battery-powered backup, of course), I just carried a set of extra batteries with me, rather than worrying about charging batteries en route.

What else would you want to charge on a randonnee? 13 years of being a randonneur, and I've never had to charge anything mid-ride.

staehpj1

I have no experience with it but check out:
https://www.plugshare.com/
They apparently also have an Android and an iPhone app for this.

zeppinger

I usually carry a few extra AA batteries with me for head/tail lights and such. When I am on the road and want to recharge I use one of these AA emergency chargers. I could charge my ipod nano 4 times with typical batters or my kindle 2 times. I then recharge my AA at the end of the day at camp or in a hotel or whatever.
https://www.espow.com/product_info.ph...FetFMgodCQgASw

Tourist in MSN

I am all for lightweight biking, but quite frankly if you are riding so light that you need to stop for a 30 minute charge in an outlet, maybe you should consider carrying some spare batteries instead. The amount of charge you can get in 30 minutes is so small that very little battery weight would easily substitute for the stop for a quick charge.

I use AA and AAA rechargeables for touring and carry enough so that I don't need to find an outlet for a week. My GPS uses AA, the lights I use all take AAA. I recently bought two small USB type Li Ion battery packs that will run my Android tablet for several hours per pack once the tablet battery is low. In the past I carried the ability to charge four AA or AAA batteries at once, I recently increased that to eight.

I also carry one of those little 3 into 1 type adapters that allow me to plug three devices into only one outlet for those times that others in my group take most or all available outlets.

fietsbob

Drop in for a pint, the Bartender may have the charger cable there, and be staring at their I - thingie..

iforgotmename

I have one of these https://www.amazon.com/Digipower-JS-D.../dp/B004DUMBQE it charges two devices while also charging the internal battery. the battery was sufficient to charge my garmin 305, small speakers and my mp3 player while on a week long tour last year. I plugged it in, along with two devices in a variety of places...all you have to to is ask.

njkayaker

What "electronics", exactly?

It's possible that carrying an USB battery would make more sense.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...at%2Caps%2C478

There are a range of capacities available, which allows you to choose the size you need. Note that it might not make sense to get the largest available because more capacity means more weight (and bulk).

njkayaker

I think this is targeting electric car owners.

njkayaker

https://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Mygri.../dp/B002M3TLLC

Looks a bit gimmicky and fussy. Skip it and just go with the backup-battery approach.