RVs and E-Bikes

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Firedave

Firedave

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Posts
18
Location
Northern Colorado
We are thinking about getting a couple of electric "fat bikes" to carry around with us on the MH.  They certainly wont replace a car if you need one, but seem like they would be good for just cruising around the area you are parked, or to run a mile or two to the local store for a few supply's. I met a young couple last week while camping that had a couple and they love them and use them a lot. They have a double carrier that mounts in the receiver hitch of their camper/van and holds them securely. They even let me take one for a ride, lots of fun. Anyone here that have them or are considering getting them?
 
We bought a couple of them a few years ago. I made a 'carrier" for them to sit in the back of our toad (a Suburban), but they took up a lot of room and were a pain to put in and out of the Burb. We didn't use them as often as we thought we would.
 
We have two electric bikes, and we love them. We use them to visit ride around a campground and just to get some exercise. We both have bad knees;Kevin has already had one surgery, and I am rehabbing from a torn tendon. Our knees love movement, but not pushing hard to get up hills. We have "commuter" tires, not fat tires though. I would be worried the fat tires would have problems fitting on regular bike carriers. We use a great Yakima 2 bike carrier that sits in a receiver we had a frame shop weld on. Kevin routinely rides 10-12 miles on his just for some exercise. I generally ride less, maybe 5-7 miles.
 
I also have bad knees and I love my electric bike because it is so easy on my knees.  I use it instead of towing a car.  It gets me around the campground and sometimes to a nearby town if there is a bike path. Two big advantages of an e-bike over a motorscooter is that they are legally bikes, meaning that no insurance or driver's license endorsement is required.  They are heavier than a regular bike, so a little hard for this older woman to lift it onto the bike rack, but there is no way that I could manage anything heavier, like a scooter.  You do have to keep it covered during rain, however, so make sure you get a good cover.

The biggest fun is watching people try to figure out how you can coast uphill! 
 
I have one that I built out of a cheap Ebay kit 4 years ago (still love it and use it almost every day)

I owned, sold/retired from a motorcycle shop a couple years ago,  over the last 50 years I have owned thousands of great Motorcycles . 

I enjoy the electric bikes so very much more,  that I have absolutely no desire to ever ride a motorcycle again.    Ebikes are a total freedom riding, unlike a motorcycle. (no license, no helmet, sidewalks  whatever ..... Not that I do that stuff  ::))

I have ridden Ebikes from a $300 kit,  all the way up to a $7000. Specialized Ebike..  They are all great.  Now they are building some Ebikes, trikes. and folding Ebikes up in San Francisco that go incredible speeds for incredible distances.  (If I ever get one of those and a train ticket I'll never come home )

They have Ebikes that can go 62mph for 2 hours,  full lights, full suspension, hydraulic disc brakes, 4" street tires...and it's still a bicycle.


IMO...all new cars should be Tesla's..... and every motorcycle should be an Ebike.  ( I want an Electric Trail 90 for my motorhome  :)) )


sorry for the rant    ;D
 
We are also considering adding some E-bikes but one concern is a growing number of National Parks that do not allow E-bikes.

We were recently in Zion and signs everywhere stating that E-bikes are not allowed. I asked at the rangers station and the ranger I spoke to didn't know the reason but acknowledged that they are restricted.
 
Where were you trying to ride your e-bike in Zion?  They are probably not allowed on hiking trails, and in some places, they are not allowed on sidewalks, just like regular bikes are not allowed on sidewalks.  But I can't understand why they would not be allowed on the roadways.  And in Zion, the roadways are limited to shuttles past the park hotel.
 
Poppys 5th Wheel said:
We are also considering adding some E-bikes but one concern is a growing number of National Parks that do not allow E-bikes.

We were recently in Zion and signs everywhere stating that E-bikes are not allowed. I asked at the rangers station and the ranger I spoke to didn't know the reason but acknowledged that they are restricted.
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Yes they can be banned from the MTB and multi-use trails. There is a "bun fight" going on in the cycling community over e-bikes and trail access. Some MTB groups have fought hard to get access for pedal bikes and they don't want e-bikes ruining it for them so they oppose them. Others are OK with pedal assist e-bikes and see them as a way to get more people out on the trail.

There is a movement to get them classified (by the manufacturer) as to the amount of power and the type of assist (throttle vs. pedal) and then get the trails to allow/disallow based on this rating. So you may want to hold off on making a buy decision till this is resolved. The good news is that this is a huge revenue opportunity for the industry so they are keen to get a solution.
 
Firedave said:
We are thinking about getting a couple of electric "fat bikes" to carry around with us on the MH.  They certainly wont replace a car if you need one, but seem like they would be good for just cruising around the area you are parked, or to run a mile or two to the local store for a few supply's. I met a young couple last week while camping that had a couple and they love them and use them a lot. They have a double carrier that mounts in the receiver hitch of their camper/van and holds them securely. They even let me take one for a ride, lots of fun. Anyone here that have them or are considering getting them?
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You may want to consider a "plus" bike (3" or so tires) rather than a "fat" bike (over 4" tires). I have the latter (human powered) and it really is better for snow/sand riding. The "plus" bikes would give you the plush ride without some of the hassles of a fattie (weight, rolling resistance, bike racks, parts, and Q factor).

If you don't plan to ride off road/path a lot, then I'd recommend slick or semi-slick tires for a smoother/quieter ride. With either the fat or plus tires you are running low enough pressures that traction won't be a problem. (fwiw: I run my semi-slick 4" tires at 5psi I spend 1/2 my time on rock-and-root rides.)
 
Avid cyclist here.

Why a fat e-bike? Are you going off-road? Or, are you just using it to get around?

If you're just using it to have fun and get around, I wouldn't have tires any bigger than 2". Fatter tires are just going to give you a heavier, clunkier, more sluggish bike. Yuck. Even on maintained dirt roads, a fat bike is just overkill.

Most of the fat bikes I've seen are hybrid bikes which makes for a great e-bike for the casual bike rider. You'll get plenty of plush with those tires as long as you don't overinflate them.

Fat bikes are great, they are a blast - but not if you're going to ride it on roads.
 
I have a Townie Go! And love it. The Bosh drive shifts easily. Tires fat enough for comfort and various terrains. Easy to get on and off of. You have to pedal-there is no throttle. But I have taken on some good hills and I'm sure people passing me are thinking look at that fat old broad go!
 
At our TT in Yuma we have two Sun Recumbent Trikes, they are light and fast.  Electric propulsion can be added.  They roll so easy that a breeze easily rolls me down the street to the store.
 

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Someone mentioned covering them when towing so they don't get wet. I acquired 2 e-bikes that came with our MH. One bike didn't work and required a new motor. The bikes looked new so I knew they had not been used much. When I asked the factory tech why a almost new bike would need a new motor he said it was probably run in the rain or run through a bunch of puddles.

For this reason we have not brought our e-bikes with us on our MH. I don't know if it's just the brand of bikes we have (ProdecoTech) or if all e-bikes are susceptible to motor damage by getting wet. I would think it would be difficult to cover them so that you can be assured the motor assembly and other electrical components won't get wet.

So what do you folks do to prevent motor damage from rain or is my brand of e-bikes cheaply made? By the way they are too heavy to lift and store in a baggage bin and would take up too much space.
 
timjet said:
So what do you folks do to prevent motor damage from rain or is my brand of e-bikes cheaply made? By the way they are too heavy to lift and store in a baggage bin and would take up too much space.
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Man, if  a bike can't even get wet, that's bad. I'd call that a design flaw or just a cheap bike.
 
I carry mind on a rack on back of car and it has been sprayed with water and mud. I can't cover it without covering lights of car. I remove the little computer type thing and battery. I have had no issues.
 
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