RVing with E-Bikes

[Neal]

Well, I've finally joined the E-Bike club. I've absolutely loved my Trek Marlin 7 and will keep her, she's going to get fixed up in Flagstaff in a week from the little incident I mentioned on this site leaving Vegas not long ago. But this past week I took the leap of BROKENESS and bought a Trek Powerfly 4 electric mountain bike. It's nearly identical to my Trek Marlin 7 but with improved components and a 500W battery. I went to South Tempe to test ride it and it was a grin ear to ear with the torque and power of the motor. Great reviews on the Bosch CX Performance motor, and it rode nice. While I enjoyed my Trek Marlin 7 I never really rode it outside of the campground due to my stellar physical shape (literally and figuratively) but I think this is going to give me that nudge to get out of the campground, go find bike paths either paved or trails as I can take it anywhere and get outdoors more. So far in the few days I've had it, Amazon has made about 214 deliveries and I got all of the goodies I want on it including a top of the line Kryptonite U-Lock.

Who else has entered this evolution of crazy expensive biking but joy of riding opportunies abound?

Powerfly 4 Gen 3 - Trek Bikes

Discover your next great ride with Powerfly 4. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

 

[MapNerd]

I’m surprised you got one. I am waitlisted with Canyon until May. Went to a Trek Store to have my son’s bike serviced and replace the front fork. The shelves were almost completely bare. A few road bikes and entry level full suspensions. I looked at a Fuel EX 9 (an entry level full suspension) - $6,500! That’s Class V bike territory. Couldn’t believe it but people are buying them and the shop was busy!! Good for them I say!

 

[Neal]

I got very lucky and they held it for me for 3 days but I went next day to look at it. Loved it and swallowed the MSRP price as you know they are not discounting these at all with the demand. This is bike Mecca which makes it even harder. I got the bike size and color I wanted. It was the only Powerfly 4 in the area.

 

[MapNerd]

Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound, FL. Great MTB trails for every skill level, pump tracks and an obstacle course too. Very nice RV park. 5 minutes to nice beaches. A mandatory stop every year for us, sometimes twice!

 

[Neal]

Sounds cool. I’ve been downloading apps for trail finding.

 

[Neal]

Interesting reading as I'm researching places to ride my e-mtb in Prescott, AZ. A lot of trails here but I came across a web site (below) which is interesting to see how e-bikes are classified and how you may not be able to ride these where mountain bike trails are published. Bottom section is interesting.

Prescott National Forest - Recreation

Prescott National Forest - Recreation

www.fs.usda.gov

 

[Neal]

The app MTB Project seems great and indicates if e-bikes are allowed.

‎MTB Project

‎MTB Project is your comprehensive mountain biking guide to the trails you want to ride - with offline maps, full GPS route info, elevation profiles, interactive features, photos, and more. Like a guidebook, we suggest the best featured rides to explore—either near your current location or in...

apps.apple.com

 

[dave burns]

Wife and I made the jump this year. My LBS got me a couple of Santa Cruz Bullit's. I do have to say they are a lot of fun.

 

[Jim]

We've been working on our lot at Bella Terra for the last few days and the only thing there are more of than golf carts, is electric bicycles. So I figured, what the heck, it's time! Knowing nothing about e-bikes, I searched and found this post.

I literally shocked at the price of these things! Seriously, I figured $1,500, maybe $2,000, but then I see Neal's Powerfly 4 is selling for $4K. Scroll down a few more posts and @dave burns is sporting a bike for $8K! I mean, what the hell guys! What makes these things worth that kind of money?

 

[Neal]

Come on @Jim, try one of these. It comes with a 10% off coupon for your first collar bone surgery.

Onewheel // Future Motion

Destroy Boredom on Onewheel, the Best Electric Skateboard. Trusted By 300k Riders. 150 Million Miles Ridden. Designed & Assembled in the USA. Official Site to Buy Onewheel.

onewheel.com

 

[Jim]

Come on @Jim, try one of these. It comes with a 10% off coupon for your first collar bone surgery.

Onewheel // Future Motion

Destroy Boredom on Onewheel, the Best Electric Skateboard. Trusted By 300k Riders. 150 Million Miles Ridden. Designed & Assembled in the USA. Official Site to Buy Onewheel.

onewheel.com

Well I would, but . . . no place to hold my beer.

 

[B & J T]

The e-bikes are compelling for sure. They look like a ton of fun! One question I have is what is the best way to carry them? Do you use a bike rack on the back of your toad? Are there special bike racks for e-bikes?

 

[Jim]

The e-bikes are compelling for sure. They look like a ton of fun! One question I have is what is the best way to carry them? Do you use a bike rack on the back of your toad? Are there special bike racks for e-bikes?

And what about folding e-bikes?

 

[MapNerd]

Electric Bikes | Adult Electric Bikes | PRIORITY CURRENT E-BIKE

The Priority Current is the most progressive E-bike on the market, with more power and more comfort than any of its competitors at an unmatched price.

www.prioritybicycles.com

These guys make excellent bikes. I can’t speak to the E-Bike listed above but their normal bicycles are maintenance free and practically rust proof, perfect for something that will be carried around on the back of a road or trailer. If their E-Bike is half as good as their standard bikes, I wager you’ll be very happy.

 

[MapNerd]

The e-bikes are compelling for sure. They look like a ton of fun! One question I have is what is the best way to carry them? Do you use a bike rack on the back of your toad? Are there special bike racks for e-bikes?

E-bikes are going to be heavier than than a normal bicycle due to the additional weight of the battery , motors and beefing up of the frame and other components to support that.

The best way to carry them as a result, is going to be a either a heavy duty hitch mounted platform rack, or if you have a pickup a bed rail carrier. The biggest problem is that their weight can make them difficult to get onto any rack.

 

[Neal]

FWIW I still enjoy and prefer my lightweight mountain bike for campground travel. To go out to trails or anything greater than a 1.5 degree incline I'll take the assist!! I'm on the fence in whether the money is better spent on a lightweight MTB vs an e-bike.

 

[redbaron]

Come on @Jim, try one of these. It comes with a 10% off coupon for your first collar bone surgery.

Onewheel // Future Motion

Destroy Boredom on Onewheel, the Best Electric Skateboard. Trusted By 300k Riders. 150 Million Miles Ridden. Designed & Assembled in the USA. Official Site to Buy Onewheel.

onewheel.com

I bought the XR a few months ago. Buying three more of these now. They are amazing. I am getting the GT for myself and my wife. The kids will be fine on the XR. These things are very rugged, and really do go the distance.

Anyone that can skate board, or wake board will have no trouble balancing on this.

 

[Neal]

I bought the XR a few months ago. Buying three more of these now. They are amazing. I am getting the GT for myself and my wife. The kids will be fine on the XR. These things are very rugged, and really do go the distance.

Anyone that can skate board, or wake board will have no trouble balancing on this.

I love my pint, took some time to learn but enjoy it but respect it. I don't go faster than I can run off the front if stopped by an obstacle. Falls resulting in fractured collar bones are very common with these. Ride with caution and safety gear (helmet, wrist guards, etc.) at least when learning.

 

[redbaron]

I love my pint, took some time to learn but enjoy it but respect it. I don't go faster than I can run off the front if stopped by an obstacle. Falls resulting in fractured collar bones are very common with these. Ride with caution and safety gear (helmet, wrist guards, etc.) at least when learning.

Most of my riding is on grass / dirt trails. I have done some sidewalk and driveway, but that gets to be a bit scary. Being 6' 4"...thats a long way to fall!

 

[Scooterfan]

We enjoy the Rad Runner e-bike(s). Bike racks designed to carry heavier e-bikes were really pricey so I opted for a motorcycle carrier. And actually got the Harbor Freight version. With a little fabrication (alteration) this carrier handles the e-bikes just fine. So for less than $150 I have what I consider a very reliable and sturdy bike rack. Those e-bikes are really a blast! Don't need to spend $8,000 if you don't want to, mine was less than $1,400. These bikes are great for OG's When I get a chance I'll put the bike on it and snap a picture...