Ebike for Long Distance Touring

Does anyone know if there is a Grin Satiator output adapter for the ST2 magnetic charge plug?

Unfortunately, no!
@vincent had some discussions with Grin to make adapters for her Easy Motion bike and finally, they said it wouldn't be possible.
Anything with XLR plug can be used with the Satiator. ST1 does come with XLR pins.
 
Good morning,

I recently left my job and so I figure there's no better time than now to fulfill my bucket list item of completing a long distance bicycle tour. I've done a 6 day trip on my non-electric bike, and decided that if I were to do a long tour, I would need to do it on an ebike. My route would be from Mississippi to Florida to Maine. I'll start heading east from Mississippi and then from Florida north similar to the proposed East Coast Greenway with some modifications - such as visiting friends/family along the Delmarva peninsula instead of DC/Baltimore, and heading to the Poconos instead of NYC.

I'd like to do the trip slowly, I would plan on averaging about 30 miles per day, mostly road, but some gravel/dirt paths may also be necessary. The ECG sections are mostly flat, but my detours will bring me into more mountainous terrain. My budget will be very tight, so I intend on camping as much as possible, which means I would like to get as long a distance as possible on a charge, I plan to buy a spare battery to extend my distance. Disc brakes and a good range of gears are on my list of requirements. I am also looking for an ebike that will be reliable, because my mechanical skills are limited. Also, to make things more challenging, I am 5'4", weigh 220lbs (+~40 lbs in gear), and need a step-through design due to some extra metal bits I have in my body. I figure I can spend up to $4000 on the bike + spare battery, but spending less will enable me to purchase better/lighter camping equipment.

Can you suggest an ebike that would be suitable for my tour? I'm also open to any other related advice.

Thanks!

Wanderlust, I love what you intend to do. Like everything else in life, the devil is often in the details, so thinking about everything and planning now can make your journey much more enjoyable.

I have a Stromer ST-1. They aren't cheap, but you can find good deals on them. I had the Elite, but it had issues and Stromer replaced it with the Platinum model. I am 6'2, 205 lbs. and in many ways I preferred the Elite--while it has a top assisted speed of 20 mph, it has better torque for hill-climbing and consumes slightly less power, give you better range. But the Platinum is fine too.

I have done trips up to 350 miles, from a few hours to six days. I have three batteries, and when on a long trip, carry a fair amount of stuff. On three batteries, riding 14-15 mph on average on mostly level or slight incline routes, stopping here and there, I can cover 85-90 miles before I am out of power. I do a lot of rails to trails, and while I would like to spend a lot less and camp much more, the issue comes down to recharging your batteries. You don't want to miscalculate and get stuck in the middle of no where without a functioning battery. I have done shorter out and back overnight trips and have camped on those, but didn't go further than my three batteries combined would allow. You can sometimes pull over and charge your battery(yes) if you think you're going to run out of juice before you arrive at your destination--I've gotten pretty good at find 120V outlets along my routes.

Besides power, I would say there are two other major concerns--getting really comfortable on whatever bike you choose, and figuring out how to carry your belongings.

Adding a Cane Creek Thudbuster with a broken-in Brooks B-67 seat and a good pair of padded biking pants will make you much happier and more willing and able to go the distance day after day. If your shoulders and arms get sore from the road, I would also recommend the Redshift Sports Shockstop replacement stem for your handlebars--it provides shock absorption taking the wear and tear off your upper body while still giving you good road feel and complete control.

As far as carrying your stuff--I've gone two routes: pulling a BOB Trailer (Ibex model) vs. two Ortlieb waterproof panniers on an Axiom rack with a third rack (Ortlieb, waterproof) top bag for camera, keys, maps, phone or whatever.

The BOB makes the bike a little less top heavy, but it can be difficult to turn around, and unless you lean everything carefully up against a tree, fence or bench when you stop or you have a really good, strong kickstand, the whole rig has a tendency to fall over and it isn't fun to get it back up in a vertical position. It's also quite long--probably 9' or so--sometimes feels like you are riding a semi, not just a bike with trailer. But it can carry up to 70 lbs. and pulling stuff in a trailer supported by a rear wheel takes a lot of the weight off the bike. The BOB yellow duffel style bag is a great thing--you can put everything in it and it will stay dry during even the worst downpours. The Ortliebs are expensive, but strong and durable. I have a matched pair and I have taken everything I needed--clothing, computer, two spare batteries, charger, a tool or two, Marmot Starlight 2 tent with fly and footprint, and a 30 degree rated sleeping bag and some food and other assorted stuff on rides using just the two bags. The Ortliebs clip on to your rack securely and mine have held up on over 1500 miles of smooth to pretty rough bike paths. I bought mine cheap 2 years ago on-line for about $110/pair--they are normally about $180. There is a store in Tucson specializing in bike bags--good people and a good resource I've used on several occasions.

Last of all, if you have a cell phone Strava can be fun to use. It documents every foot of your trip, tells you have much elevation and distance you've gained, and you can share the data on line.

Sounds like your on the right track and going to have a great trip.
 
This is an interesting challenge. Charging while camping would be my question. Also with the commitment to an electric bike you will have a very tough time pedaling it with dead batteries.

The advantages of a mid drive --simpler flat fixes--easier mounting the trailer to the back wheel.
Hub drive---wider ratio drive train---however loaded you will not need a very high gear

Here is how I would build up for you---

I would go with a good quality mountain type bike that accepts at least 2.2 in wide tires. Wheel size does not matter.--20", 26", 27.5"

Any good bike shop can set up a bike for you---handlebars changed and seat changed to your liking.

Standard 9mm quick release wheels. You must have Disc brakes on your bike.

Buy a good bike that fits you well first.---It is critical that it has very low gearing.

I would go with a trailer. A loaded ebike with camping gear gets very top heavy. Bob trailers are awesome.

Now you have two options for converting your bike. Either hub motor or mid drive.

Hub motor---I would put on the front wheel in this case because you aren't after big horsepower and flats are much simpler to fix and gears are much simpler with front hub motor.

Mid Drive--The Bafang bbso2 is a great motor. I would go with a very small chainring so you could ride the bike without power if you need to.

I would probably go with a front wheel motor which will leave you with much better pedaling options.

Always start your bike by pedaling, using the electric motor to start uses huge amounts of battery power. Up to 40% of battery drain comes from just starting. Especially on steep hills or with a load.

Cargo bikes
I would also look at a Bike Friday cargo bike. They are an awesome bike with the ability to easily adjust in many ways to fit you. There is a lot of room on them to mount your electric bike accessories and carry your stuff. Low center of gravity and super strong 20" wheels---20" wheels are stronger than bigger wheels.
With the Bike Friday Haul a Day I would go with a mid drive.

A craigslist add for bike repair help in setting up an ebike with Luna parts will probably get you all the help you need. If he/she shows up to your house on a converted e-bike you are probably in good hands.

Anything that is known can be learned. You have time and there is a ton of knowledge out there you can learn about your new hobby.

This is exciting---you have a great adventure in mind.

I've had fun writing about this.---Now I'm thinking about an Ebike adventure.
 
Thank you all for your input!

As I've researched further my plans have been modified. I'm not going to head out until after Memorial Day. The more significant change is that my route has changed considerably. I'm now planning on heading north on PA bicycle route L (with some detours to visit friends & family) from the DE to NY borders, then ride around the Fingerlakes and PA's God's Country, before heading back south and east to Philadelphia. The approximate route is a bit over 1000 miles, over 50,000 feet of climbing, and I'm planning to take about 5 weeks. It's still mostly roads, but now a bit of trails as well.

Currently, I'm riding about 10-20 miles daily on my non-electric bike, but it is mostly flat here - so I'm hoping that the additional time and electric power will allow me to be more prepared for this ride. The reason I decided I needed an ebike after my 6 day tour last year, was not so much because I couldn't cover the distance, but because I was too tired to really enjoy the places I went.

The days in the Fingerlakes/God's country may be difficult to recharge, so it's become even more important to have good range, and I will carry extra batteries/charger. I had previously been leaning toward either the BULLS Lacuba Evo E8 or E45. With the new route plans, I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to consider a model with more of a mountain bike component - even though more than 80% of my trip will be on paved roads. I suspect this will not be my last tour either, and I do prefer roads to trails.

My plan for packing is camping equipment on the handlebars - bike packing style, one pannier for food/water, one pannier and trunk bag for extra batteries/charger, a dress and sandals for off-bike and one set of on-bike clothes, extra socks/underwear, small toiletry bag, first aid kit, bike repair kit, battery bank to charge phone. I really want to keep what I am carrying to a minimum. I'm also 5 pounds lighter than when I originally posted; suspect I'll weigh around 200lbs by the time I'm ready to go.

I appreciate any and all input. Thanks again!
 
I don't know if you are going for sponsorship but that may help you get some better batteries. If you have three 500 series Bosch batteries I think you can easily make it work.

My long distances rides have always had two panniers on the front wheel, two on the rear rack.

Think about getting a hybrid bike that uses mountain bike components. I am totally digging my Trek XM700+. Riding a name brand bike will let you get spare parts all over the country.

I wish I could go with you!!! Sounds like a great adventure.

jeff
 
I just stumbled across this post on a web search and it seemed very familiar. About two years ago, I did a 7-month cross-country hike and got addicted to camping wanderlust. I'm pushing 50 and have a semi-sketchy back, so I wanted to get the weight off of me and onto a bike. I originally was looking at e-bikes, like you, but the charging situation... reluctantly I decided to go with a "regular" bike, and wound up pulling the trigger on a 29+ setup with a Rohlhoff. It's done really well on my fully-loaded test rides. I hadn't really ridden a bike in 25 years, so I was surprised to find myself logging 60-mile offroad days in freezing temps without really killing myself. I love the idea of e-bikes, and still want to add one to the stable, but for touring I would probably go old school. Recharging will eat up a lot of time that could be spent sightseeing and exploring. Just my two cents... pack light and have fun!
 
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