Best options?

[Bruce Arnold]

Also, look at the Sun Trip page. In 2018, they did a race from Lyons, France to Guangzhou, China -- over 7000 km -- all recharging done via solar power. They are all DYI, with such a variety of different solutions to the same challenge.

Here's an article about my favorite rider, Jack Butler. The videos on his YouTube channel are delightful. He documented his Sun Trip adventure really well.

 

[BBassett]

Also, look at the Sun Trip page. In 2018, they did a race from Lyons, France to Guangzhou, China -- over 7000 km -- all recharging done via solar power. They are all DYI, with such a variety of different solutions to the same challenge.

Here's an article about my favorite rider, Jack Butler. The videos on his YouTube channel are delightful. He documented his Sun Trip adventure really well.

I seriously wouldn't recommend a rigid solar panel mounted to a bike or trailer. It's dangerous enough with a fully loaded bike and trailer and wind pushing you everywhere, but you're right solar power changes the whole game.

 

[Chancelucky2]

I bought my current e-bike knowing that this was my first e-bike, so was happy to find a mid-drive Bosch bike for $1399. I'm still very happy with it.
98% of the time, I'm using it for day rides and the 40-50 mile range is plenty. Bosch batteries are simply really expensive and they only work
on Bosch powered bikes. I'm very hesitant about spending that much money on a second battery that I'm unlikely to use that much. The 500 battery seems
to go for about 800 dollars or more, which is probably higher than the current value of my bike. A used 400 is about $350 which seems more in keeping with the
value of the bike, but I don't think it's going to get me far enough in hilly riding. I am looking at the e-bike vision batteries, but can't find any evidence of someone else trying
them and liking them. Still, I have to decide whether I want to stay with my current Bosch bike or move onto something else before I do a longer tour.

 

[BBassett]

...Still, I have to decide whether I want to stay with my current Bosch bike or move onto something else before I do a longer tour.

If it's taking you as far as you like then ride it like ya stole it. Your situation is exactly why I tell people not to buy into a production ebikes 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.

Ride safe.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

I seriously wouldn't recommend a rigid solar panel mounted to a bike or trailer. It's dangerous enough with a fully loaded bike and trailer and wind pushing you everywhere...

And yet the majority of entrants made it the whole way from Lyons to Guangzhou with their rigidly mounted solar panels. A few minor accidents. It's a fascinating story. I'm looking forward to this year's Sun Trip, starting in July IIRC.

 

[Hectors Ghost]

And yet the majority of entrants made it the whole way from Lyons to Guangzhou with their rigidly mounted solar panels. A few minor accidents. It's a fascinating story. I'm looking forward to this year's Sun Trip, starting in July IIRC.

I can never understand why people seem to think that riding 100+ miles per day, day after day, would be enjoyable. Probably because they have never done it. It's doable to be sure, but you miss so much of what you are riding through. When riders place the emphasis only on distance they are usually doing it for different reasons than the majority of tour riders. Like seeing how fast you can ride, or how many crackers you can stuff into your mouth on a bet. Mostly to showcase and exaggerate the performance of batteries and/or solar capability. Riding for thumb-ups, sponsor support, or begging for Patrone hand-outs. I'd be far more interested in reading about the riders that stay on the bike for months at a time and only cover 20 to 50 miles a day. The riders that use the bike to see the world around them rather than the riders that use an ebike to rush from one point to another as quickly as possible and then doing high-fives for the achievement. Riding to a base-camp and setting up then doing a series of rides out of camp to actually get to know the area that you are in as opposed to riding through it as fast as you can... especially while pulling a massive sail that makes you fight the wind continuously. To each their own.

 

[dblhelix]

I can never understand why people seem to think that riding 100+ miles per day, day after day, would be enjoyable. Probably because they have never done it. It's doable to be sure, but you miss so much of what you are riding through. When riders place the emphasis only on distance they are usually doing it for different reasons than the majority of tour riders. Like seeing how fast you can ride, or how many crackers you can stuff into your mouth on a bet. Mostly to showcase and exaggerate the performance of batteries and/or solar capability. Riding for thumb-ups, sponsor support, or begging for Patrone hand-outs. I'd be far more interested in reading about the riders that stay on the bike for months at a time and only cover 20 to 50 miles a day. The riders that use the bike to see the world around them rather than the riders that use an ebike to rush from one point to another as quickly as possible and then

My experience has been that riders who are rushing 1) come from other countries (return flight constraints) 2) have to get back to work 3) combination of 1&2. People just don’t get a lot of vacation time in the US.

A different question is: if you’re going to do 25 miles/day, is the ebike overhead worth it?

 

[Hectors Ghost]

My experience has been that riders who are rushing 1) come from other countries (return flight constraints) 2) have to get back to work 3) combination of 1&2. People just don’t get a lot of vacation time in the US.

A different question is: if you’re going to do 25 miles/day, is the ebike overhead worth it?

If time is a constraint and it's not about racking up miles or bragging about crossing the country as fast as possible why wouldn't they just "fly/drive" to somewhere really special and do day rides out of a base camp for the time they have? Saying you rode across North America is pretty cool, saying you did it in the shortest time possible seems like a waste regardless of doing it for 50, 80, or 100 miles or 3000. Like I said I don't understand.

Not sure where you came up with a 25-mile a day limit but ok. Are you asking if an expensive ebike is worth owning? I'm surely not going to try and walk 25 miles a day with the comforts I want on my back. The times I do only shift base-camp 25+/- miles I still usually ride 50 or more miles each day I am there. I found a fishing hole once about an hour after having packed up camp, maybe 12 or 15 miles away that was so hot I had to spend a day. I had ridden the area some on preceding days but it was too good to pass up. The "overhead" you are referring to I think is quality, durability, having more power or capability than you need rather than less. The ebike and gear I carry on it allow me to travel in the style I like and stay in places that people in cars can't get to easily or at all.

 

[dblhelix]

If time is a constraint and it's not about racking up miles or bragging about crossing the country as fast as possible why wouldn't they just "fly/drive" to somewhere really special and do day rides out of a base camp for the time they have? Saying you rode across North America is pretty cool, saying you did it in the shortest time possible seems like a waste regardless of doing it for 50, 80, or 100 miles or 3000. Like I said I don't understand.

Not sure where you came up with a 25-mile a day limit but ok. Are you asking if an expensive ebike is worth owning? I'm surely not going to try and walk 25 miles a day with the comforts I want on my back. The times I do only shift base-camp 25+/- miles I still usually ride 50 or more miles each day I am there. I found a fishing hole once about an hour after having packed up camp, maybe 12 or 15 miles away that was so hot I had to spend a day. I had ridden the area some on preceding days but it was too good to pass up. The "overhead" you are referring to I think is quality, durability, having more power or capability than you need rather than less. The ebike and gear I carry on it allow me to travel in the style I like and stay in places that people in cars can't get to easily or at all.

To the first point, I think it’s just quite common to take in “as much as you can.” Circumstances vary, but I met young Europeans last summer who came here with a bucket list before returning home to settle down in a job or perhaps start a family. Long leisurely trips are just not that easy to do unless you‘re retired, have a trust fund, or a job that allows for extended time off.

25 mph is arbitrary; the overhead is relative to a non-electrified bike.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I don't think there is any one right way to do bicycle travel.

For me, on an acoustic bike 35-45 mile days seem reasonable, sustainable, and comfortable. For an electric bike that number shifts up, and 55-65 mile days are reasonable. Sometimes I ride much further than that, and sometimes much less. For myself, I generally try to move every day (although with the covid that is less likely to happen on my next trips).

So my advice is to get out there and ride your own ride.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

I can never understand why people seem to think that riding 100+ miles per day, day after day, would be enjoyable. Probably because they have never done it. It's doable to be sure, but you miss so much of what you are riding through. When riders place the emphasis only on distance they are usually doing it for different reasons than the majority of tour riders. Like seeing how fast you can ride, or how many crackers you can stuff into your mouth on a bet. Mostly to showcase and exaggerate the performance of batteries and/or solar capability. Riding for thumb-ups, sponsor support, or begging for Patrone hand-outs. I'd be far more interested in reading about the riders that stay on the bike for months at a time and only cover 20 to 50 miles a day. The riders that use the bike to see the world around them rather than the riders that use an ebike to rush from one point to another as quickly as possible and then doing high-fives for the achievement. Riding to a base-camp and setting up then doing a series of rides out of camp to actually get to know the area that you are in as opposed to riding through it as fast as you can... especially while pulling a massive sail that makes you fight the wind continuously. To each their own.

What a load of baloney. Just because it doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean it isn't a great way to go.

I doubt that anyone speaks for "the majority of tour riders."

The sister of a friend of mine, Lael Wilcox, is an awesome distance rider. She won the 4,200 mile Trans Am in 2016, beating both men and women. Who would race 4,200 miles on a bike? In 18 days? Well, Lael and 45 other finishers, that's who. Are they just showcasing and exaggerating the performance of -- ummm -- bicycles, I guess?

How about our own @Ravi Kempaiah ? 5100 miles in 34 days on a Stromer. And something else -- not sure about this one -- 750 km in under 24 hours? I wouldn't do it, even at my peak of condition. But I admire him.

People have many reasons for riding their bikes in all kinds of ways, and one is not better than another. If you looked at the videos by Jack Butler, for instance, you would see just how much he enjoyed the SunTour journey, and why. It wasn't always fun, but it was always an adventure.

Sadly, the SunTour has been cancelled this year due to Covid 19.

 

[Hectors Ghost]

To the first point, I think it’s just quite common to take in “as much as you can.” Circumstances vary, but I met young Europeans last summer who came here with a bucket list before returning home to settle down in a job or perhaps start a family. Long leisurely trips are just not that easy to do unless you‘re retired, have a trust fund, or a job that allows for extended time off.

25 mph is arbitrary; the overhead is relative to a non-electrified bike.

I still think that if you allot a specific amount of time for riding it's best spent at a pace you can do more than just look at the ground in front of the tire. I just did 47 miles in 4 hours (moving time) and stopped for pictures, to gab, and to nosh a couple of oranges. If I ride at 20+ mph it's all way more of a blur.

Overhead... The motor, battery, control, and charger together are about $2K. I feel that's a reasonable amount considering I haven't driven my cars since it last snowed. How much is gasoline now?

 

[Hectors Ghost]

What a load of baloney. Just because it doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean it isn't a great way to go.

I doubt that anyone speaks for "the majority of tour riders."...

Well Bruce, the vast majority of tour riders don't use motors and are constrained by physics way more than those of us that do. Their speeds are more in line with mine that with someone spinning away head down until exhausted for 4K miles, or using a solar panel to drive the motor 1/2 the day in hunt of a blue ribbon. I know for a fact that I can stomp a Stromer in both distance and speed even loaded. It's not that hard, they're weak ebikes with pitifully small batteries. The individuals you referred to aren't tour riders they're racers as you pointed out. Not sure why you bring them up at all. I don't care about any of that s*it. A friend of my buddies uncles sisters friends roommate knew a guy that went to the moon too... what's the point? Do you really believe you can only have fun on a bike a 25+ mph? That's just stupid. Not to mention that it shows a lack of experience riding a heavily loaded bike assisted or not.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Well Bruce, the vast majority of tour riders don't use motors and are constrained by physics way more than those of us that do. Their speeds are more in line with mine that with someone spinning away head down until exhausted for 4K miles, or using a solar panel to drive the motor 1/2 the day in hunt of a blue ribbon. I know for a fact that I can stomp a Stromer in both distance and speed even loaded. It's not that hard, they're weak ebikes with pitifully small batteries. The individuals you referred to aren't tour riders they're racers as you pointed out. Not sure why you bring them up at all. I don't care about any of that s*it. A friend of my buddies uncles sisters friends roommate knew a guy that went to the moon too... what's the point? Do you really believe you can only have fun on a bike a 25+ mph? That's just stupid. Not to mention that it shows a lack of experience riding a heavily loaded bike assisted or not.

Not even paying attention to what people are trying to share with you. Trying to be right. Putting words in people's mouths, and then "proving them wrong." I think you're on the wrong forum. There's probably people who like bikes on Twitter that you could argue with.

 

[Hectors Ghost]

Not even paying attention to what people are trying to share with you. Trying to be right. Putting words in people's mouths, and then "proving them wrong." I think you're on the wrong forum. There's probably people who like bikes on Twitter that you could argue with.

Huh?