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.
