7 ms·

We have a pretty good network of fire roads in the southern Los Padres National Forest. Several times recently I have seen hunters and campers using E-Bikes to

We have a pretty good network of fire roads in the southern Los Padres National Forest. Several times recently I have seen hunters and campers using E-Bikes to extend their range into the forest. From what I can tell they use a cargo trailer for gear as well as extra batteries. It will be interesting to see what other uses being find for E-Bikes as ranges increase.

ngngngng 5y ago
An added benefit for hunters is that deer aren't afraid of the sound of bikes. Similar to cars, they just don't care. It's much easier to approach a deer on bike than on foot.
- stevesearer 5y ago
  These particular roads are also closed to normal vehicle traffic (autos and OHV). I will be interested to see if E-Bikes end up being included in the motorized category in the future and therefore not allowed on these roads. There is some debate locally as to whether they should be allowed on normal trails which are already off-limits to motorized vehicles (but OK for standard bikes).
  - wing-_-nuts 5y ago
    My father actually inquired on this to my local state agency. Technically an ebike is considered a motorized vehicle by the state and is not allowed on trails that prohibit motorized vehicles. I say technically, because I'm pretty damned sure no game warden is going to give you a ticket for riding an ebike. If it looks like a bike, and rides like a bike, and you're not riding above bike speeds, I think you're safe.
    - alistairSH 5y ago
      Mountain bikes are classified as motorized (WRT Wilderness access at least). If EV bikes are allowed where both pedal bikes and ATVs are not, something is wrong.
jdc0589 5y ago
a friend does this for getting to fishing spots quicker from campsites. Sounds like an incredible idea if you've got the space for it, especially if you've got a large battery bank in your camper/vehicle for partial charges without having to turn an engine/generator on (I've got ~100amp hours of lithium battery in my truck camper, and I'd probably at least double that if I was gonna charge a bike every now and then)
aeharding 5y ago
> From what I can tell they use a cargo trailer for gear as well as extra batteries. This is the main reason if you might ever buy multiple ebikes in your household, buy a drivetrain brand that has generic, swappable batteries that can work on all your ebikes. Buying batteries is expensive (~$1,000 for Bosch). For example, some ebikes don't have swappable batteries (either they're integrated or are a no-name brand). The Bosch Powerpack, on the other hand, is ubiquitous and swappable. If I'm going on a long trip, I steal the battery from my other ebike and bring it along (I have a Surly Big Easy cargo bike and a Trek Verve+ 2. My SO also has a Verve+ 2). Another benefit on buying ebikes with the same powertrain manufacturer is the battery lock can be keyed alike. It simplifies a lot. (Oh, one last thing! If you go with Bosch, you can get the battery locks keyed alike to Abus U locks.)
- jacquesm 5y ago
  If you can charge your batteries up to 60% when you store them for a longer time rather than 100%, then charge to 100% just before you need them. That will keep them around that much longer. Better still if you can avoid discharging them below 15% soc.
  - aeharding 5y ago
    Makes sense for seasonal and recreational riders. We both ride year round though almost daily for transportation. As for discharging below 15%, Bosch's firmware is pretty smart about this. It keeps a reserve that's used for powering lights for a few hours after the assist cuts off.
    - jacquesm 5y ago
      Yes, that's at 5% state-of-charge, which is a bit low. If you charge up to 100% and discharge to that cut-off point you will get 300 to 400 cycles out of your battery. If you go from 80% state-of-charge down to 20% then you can get thousands of cycles out of your batteries. That's one of the reasons I designed that pack as large as it is: to stay within the 80-to-20 range on a 100 km trip.

ngngngng 5y ago

An added benefit for hunters is that deer aren't afraid of the sound of bikes. Similar to cars, they just don't care. It's much easier to approach a deer on bike than on foot.

stevesearer 5y ago
These particular roads are also closed to normal vehicle traffic (autos and OHV). I will be interested to see if E-Bikes end up being included in the motorized category in the future and therefore not allowed on these roads. There is some debate locally as to whether they should be allowed on normal trails which are already off-limits to motorized vehicles (but OK for standard bikes).
- wing-_-nuts 5y ago
  My father actually inquired on this to my local state agency. Technically an ebike is considered a motorized vehicle by the state and is not allowed on trails that prohibit motorized vehicles. I say technically, because I'm pretty damned sure no game warden is going to give you a ticket for riding an ebike. If it looks like a bike, and rides like a bike, and you're not riding above bike speeds, I think you're safe.
  - alistairSH 5y ago
    Mountain bikes are classified as motorized (WRT Wilderness access at least). If EV bikes are allowed where both pedal bikes and ATVs are not, something is wrong.

jdc0589 5y ago

a friend does this for getting to fishing spots quicker from campsites. Sounds like an incredible idea if you've got the space for it, especially if you've got a large battery bank in your camper/vehicle for partial charges without having to turn an engine/generator on (I've got ~100amp hours of lithium battery in my truck camper, and I'd probably at least double that if I was gonna charge a bike every now and then)

aeharding 5y ago

> From what I can tell they use a cargo trailer for gear as well as extra batteries. This is the main reason if you might ever buy multiple ebikes in your household, buy a drivetrain brand that has generic, swappable batteries that can work on all your ebikes. Buying batteries is expensive (~$1,000 for Bosch). For example, some ebikes don't have swappable batteries (either they're integrated or are a no-name brand). The Bosch Powerpack, on the other hand, is ubiquitous and swappable. If I'm going on a long trip, I steal the battery from my other ebike and bring it along (I have a Surly Big Easy cargo bike and a Trek Verve+ 2. My SO also has a Verve+ 2). Another benefit on buying ebikes with the same powertrain manufacturer is the battery lock can be keyed alike. It simplifies a lot. (Oh, one last thing! If you go with Bosch, you can get the battery locks keyed alike to Abus U locks.)

jacquesm 5y ago
If you can charge your batteries up to 60% when you store them for a longer time rather than 100%, then charge to 100% just before you need them. That will keep them around that much longer. Better still if you can avoid discharging them below 15% soc.
- aeharding 5y ago
  Makes sense for seasonal and recreational riders. We both ride year round though almost daily for transportation. As for discharging below 15%, Bosch's firmware is pretty smart about this. It keeps a reserve that's used for powering lights for a few hours after the assist cuts off.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    Yes, that's at 5% state-of-charge, which is a bit low. If you charge up to 100% and discharge to that cut-off point you will get 300 to 400 cycles out of your battery. If you go from 80% state-of-charge down to 20% then you can get thousands of cycles out of your batteries. That's one of the reasons I designed that pack as large as it is: to stay within the 80-to-20 range on a 100 km trip.