“No e-bikes allowed”

[Wallykl]

Hi all. I’m a 65 yr old newbie to the e-bike. Planning a west coast to mid USA trip next summer on my new creation (1500-2000 miles). My plan is to find a route that allows for 50-100 miles/day travel with night options of electrical charging at campgrounds or hotels. And the route to have daytime topoffs to the battery via city park shelters with outlets.

My fear: I’m reading more and more restrictions to e-bikes. Not just to the charging of batteries, but to the actual bike itself. A route I was considering through Montana now refuses e-bike charging in the 3 hotels I was hoping for, and now the bikes are not even allowed in rooms (the bike must remain outside). To make things worse—I’m now seeing campgrounds where e-bikes may not even be present. There was a home fire near me recently from lithium charging that got publicity and now I see local hotels discussing a ban on batteries in rooms and one local place now discussing a ban on e-bikes on property.

I’m fearful that this trend will only worsen by next summer. Am I screwed? Do I consider that I will violate the rules? I can see how a person could sneak batteries in a pannier into a hotel room—but the bike? I can’t afford to leave it outside. I’m wondering if this won’t improve until there’s a national network of bike charging stations?

Thoughts from those with travel experience?

 

[6zfshdb]

I've stayed at dozens of different hotels in my travels here on the east coast. It's been my experience that if I ask at the desk about in room bikes or battery charging, I'm frequently told "no". However, I have yet to see any signs posted, at any hotel I've used, that ban either. Consequently, I use a don't ask, don't tell policy and plead ignorance if questioned. It's easy to carry a battery inconspicuously, but as you say, it's a lot tougher with a bike.

Since I often stay at the same hotel on different occasions, I know the ones with back entrances that can't be seen from the desk. So far, I've never been questioned using this approach to bring in my bike. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find these hotels without first being there. It is possible though to find "old style" motels with rooms that have exterior doors. Leave your bike & helmet out of sight when you check in so as not to raise any questions. It's also helpful, but not always possible, to have a "stealthy" bike that isn't obviously an e-bike at first glance. Using panniers or an item of clothing to hide a motor or battery can help.

From what I've seen, these battery / bike restrictions tend to be in urban areas and can be minimized by planning stays in more rural locations.

In my travels, I have never come across a campground that bans e-bikes. I'm sure they exist though, and perhaps I've just been lucky.

Another trick I use is to stay at B&B's near trails that cater to bikers. Most are e-bike friendly and welcome the trade. This is not always possible on long cross country trips though.

I don't rely on being able to charge mid day and carry two batteries. That way, I can easily get 100 miles or more with a little battery management.

Rules and laws are constantly changing though and can vary from state to state and even town to town. do as much advance research as you can and in some cases, hope for the best.

There are several threads here on bike packing. Use the search box and you'll find much more useful information.

Welcome to the forum and Good luck!

 

[MrHyak]

Many areas in So Cal and elsewhere are restricting ebikes, and some confine them to roads only. Its a growing trend, mostly due to kids being kids and exceeding the 15mph speed limit of most trails or riding fast on sidewalks. Its not hard to predict when you throw these high power ebikes into the hands of 12 yr old kids, what do you expect.

 

[Art Deco]

I've stayed at dozens of different hotels in my travels here on the east coast. It's been my experience that if I ask at the desk about in room bikes or battery charging, I'm frequently told "no". However, I have yet to see any signs posted, at any hotel I've used, that ban either. Consequently, I use a don't ask, don't tell policy and plead ignorance if questioned. It's easy to carry a battery inconspicuously, but as you say, it's a lot tougher with a bike.

Since I often stay at the same hotel on different occasions, I know the ones with back entrances that can't be seen from the desk. So far, I've never been questioned using this approach to bring in my bike. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find these hotels without first being there. It is possible though to find "old style" motels with rooms that have exterior doors. Leave your bike & helmet out of sight when you check in so as not to raise any questions. It's also helpful, but not always possible, to have a "stealthy" bike that isn't obviously an e-bike at first glance. Using panniers or an item of clothing to hide a motor or battery can help.

From what I've seen, these battery / bike restrictions tend to be in urban areas and can be minimized by planning stays in more rural locations.

In my travels, I have never come across a campground that bans e-bikes. I'm sure they exist though, and perhaps I've just been lucky.

Another trick I use is to stay at B&B's near trails that cater to bikers. Most are e-bike friendly and welcome the trade. This is not always possible on long cross country trips though.

I don't rely on being able to charge mid day and carry two batteries. That way, I can easily get 100 miles or more with a little battery management.

Rules and laws are constantly changing though and can vary from state to state and even town to town. do as much advance research as you can and in some cases, hope for the best.

There are several threads here on bike packing. Use the search box and you'll find much more useful information.

Welcome to the forum and Good luck!

I don't think you will have an issue with any campground or cabin that has electricity at each site. Many don't have electricity at the site but have outdoor outlets in a common area you can use. The key seems to be that it must be outdoors.
At many cities and tourist towns, motels prohibit charging ebikes as general policy, but don't mind if you use an outdoor outlet.

 

[Wallykl]

I've stayed at dozens of different hotels in my travels here on the east coast. It's been my experience that if I ask at the desk about in room bikes or battery charging, I'm frequently told "no". However, I have yet to see any signs posted, at any hotel I've used, that ban either. Consequently, I use a don't ask, don't tell policy and plead ignorance if questioned. It's easy to carry a battery inconspicuously, but as you say, it's a lot tougher with a bike.

Since I often stay at the same hotel on different occasions, I know the ones with back entrances that can't be seen from the desk. So far, I've never been questioned using this approach to bring in my bike. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find these hotels without first being there. It is possible though to find "old style" motels with rooms that have exterior doors. Leave your bike & helmet out of sight when you check in so as not to raise any questions. It's also helpful, but not always possible, to have a "stealthy" bike that isn't obviously an e-bike at first glance. Using panniers or an item of clothing to hide a motor or battery can help.

From what I've seen, these battery / bike restrictions tend to be in urban areas and can be minimized by planning stays in more rural locations.

In my travels, I have never come across a campground that bans e-bikes. I'm sure they exist though, and perhaps I've just been lucky.

Another trick I use is to stay at B&B's near trails that cater to bikers. Most are e-bike friendly and welcome the trade. This is not always possible on long cross country trips though.

I don't rely on being able to charge mid day and carry two batteries. That way, I can easily get 100 miles or more with a little battery management.

Rules and laws are constantly changing though and can vary from state to state and even town to town. do as much advance research as you can and in some cases, hope for the best.

There are several threads here on bike packing. Use the search box and you'll find much more useful information.

Welcome to the forum and Good luck!

I've stayed at dozens of different hotels in my travels here on the east coast. It's been my experience that if I ask at the desk about in room bikes or battery charging, I'm frequently told "no". However, I have yet to see any signs posted, at any hotel I've used, that ban either. Consequently, I use a don't ask, don't tell policy and plead ignorance if questioned. It's easy to carry a battery inconspicuously, but as you say, it's a lot tougher with a bike.

Since I often stay at the same hotel on different occasions, I know the ones with back entrances that can't be seen from the desk. So far, I've never been questioned using this approach to bring in my bike. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find these hotels without first being there. It is possible though to find "old style" motels with rooms that have exterior doors. Leave your bike & helmet out of sight when you check in so as not to raise any questions. It's also helpful, but not always possible, to have a "stealthy" bike that isn't obviously an e-bike at first glance. Using panniers or an item of clothing to hide a motor or battery can help.

From what I've seen, these battery / bike restrictions tend to be in urban areas and can be minimized by planning stays in more rural locations.

In my travels, I have never come across a campground that bans e-bikes. I'm sure they exist though, and perhaps I've just been lucky.

Another trick I use is to stay at B&B's near trails that cater to bikers. Most are e-bike friendly and welcome the trade. This is not always possible on long cross country trips though.

I don't rely on being able to charge mid day and carry two batteries. That way, I can easily get 100 miles or more with a little battery management.

Rules and laws are constantly changing though and can vary from state to state and even town to town. do as much advance research as you can and in some cases, hope for the best.

There are several threads here on bike packing. Use the search box and you'll find much more useful information.

Welcome to the forum and Good luck!

Thx kindly for sharing. The 1 campground was due to a fair amount of older folks angry at kids flying up and down the camp roads at 30mph.

2 batteries would work as long as I can assure evening charge!

 

[Wallykl]

I don't think you will have an issue with any campground or cabin that has electricity at each site. Many don't have electricity at the site but have outdoor outlets in a common area you can use. The key seems to be that it must be outdoors.
At many cities and tourist towns, motels prohibit charging ebikes as general policy, but don't mind if you use an outdoor outlet.

Thx for sharing. Have you ever been told by city employee, police, etc.--that you're not welcome at a public outlet??


I also wonder about the issues of pulling up to the side of a restaurant, or McD's --poaching of an exterior outlet?

 

[Chazmo]

Hi all. I’m a 65 yr old newbie to the e-bike. Planning a west coast to mid USA trip next summer on my new creation (1500-2000 miles). My plan is to find a route that allows for 50-100 miles/day travel with night options of electrical charging at campgrounds or hotels. And the route to have daytime topoffs to the battery via city park shelters with outlets.

My fear: I’m reading more and more restrictions to e-bikes. Not just to the charging of batteries, but to the actual bike itself. A route I was considering through Montana now refuses e-bike charging in the 3 hotels I was hoping for, and now the bikes are not even allowed in rooms (the bike must remain outside). To make things worse—I’m now seeing campgrounds where e-bikes may not even be present. There was a home fire near me recently from lithium charging that got publicity and now I see local hotels discussing a ban on batteries in rooms and one local place now discussing a ban on e-bikes on property.

I’m fearful that this trend will only worsen by next summer. Am I screwed? Do I consider that I will violate the rules? I can see how a person could sneak batteries in a pannier into a hotel room—but the bike? I can’t afford to leave it outside. I’m wondering if this won’t improve until there’s a national network of bike charging stations?

Thoughts from those with travel experience?

Ambitious undertaking, Wally! Good on you!

I think you have a right to be concerned about these things, but I suspect you’ll be staying off the interstate hotel/accommodation ecosystem and will therefore likely be welcomed along as you make this journey. There may be software to help you plan your trip. I have not looked into RideWithGPS’s capabilities for planning rides, but that might be a product that can help.

Also, I wonder if AAA can help. They used to help plan car rides, but maybe you’re not the first one to inquire about a bike trip.

Good luck. Keep us posted!

 

[Art Deco]

Thx for sharing. Have you ever been told by city employee, police, etc.--that you're not welcome at a public outlet??


I also wonder about the issues of pulling up to the side of a restaurant, or McD's --poaching of an exterior outlet?

Honestly I never tried. I don't think anyone would object, b/c there are usually empty outlets available at pavilions and such without locking covers which I know exist.

 

[stompandgo]

It's going to get worse. Hotels don't like analog bikes much less e-bikes.

For your trip, I'd find friendly charging places like bike shops and have more than one option per stop. Your whole trip could be a drag if you're stuck dead in Nowheresville where they hate pedal bikes of any kind.

 

[Extreme1]

My wife and I and several friends have done a couple overnight trips with our Vados. We charged at the outside outlet at the Catalina Airport and also in the hotel room in Santa Barbara.

I think you are hearing about the “throttle” type e-bikes and not a pedal assist bike. No one likes the idiots that are riding basically an electric motorcycle on the bike path or sidewalk.

If you are riding a pedal assist bike and dont bring attention to yourself, you won’t have any problems. As far as the hotels, just keep it to yourself that you need to charge your bike. I would also try any Police or Fire station to charge up.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The life is so easy in Poland in this respect... The riders of the illegal Chinese scrap metal do not go on the trails. (These who ride it are almost only the food delivery couriers). People who recreate on e-bikes ride quality machines. No issue to leave the e-bike for charging in a hotel or a motel lobby. No problem to bring e-bike batteries to your hotel room for charging. You even do not need to ask for anything. The hotel is happy to give space for storing and charging an e-bike!

A camping site? Nobody would pay any attention!

 

[Extreme1]

The life is so easy in Poland in this respect... The riders of the illegal Chinese scrap metal do not go on the trails. (These who ride it are almost only the food delivery couriers). People who recreate on e-bikes ride quality machines. No issue to leave the e-bike for charging in a hotel or a motel lobby. No problem to bring e-bike batteries to your hotel room for charging. You even do not need to ask for anything. The hotel is happy to give space for storing and charging an e-bike!

A camping site? Nobody would pay any attention!

Aaaand you’ve got a solid border. I think I’ve said that before

 

[BlackHand]

I also wonder about the issues of pulling up to the side of a restaurant, or McD's --poaching of an exterior outlet?

Cafes with outdoor seating or Starbucks are good candidates. Look for people with laptops plugged in. Be a customer and they are very unlikely to hassle you.

 

[Wallykl]

Cafes with outdoor seating or Starbucks are good candidates. Look for people with laptops plugged in. Be a customer and they are very unlikely to hassle you.

Thankyou

 

[Chargeride]

I wouldnt charge an ebike battery in a hotel, or airbnb.
Im not extending my faith in the battery I just battered over miles if rough trails to all the families staying there.
We book places with parking close enough to put an extension out to a van , it would still be a fire, but they are diesel vans so it could be put out far more easily.
Likelyhood of it happening..miniscule.
Consequences if it did, absolutely catastrophic, not just for lives, but you in court and financially and mentally ruined if you ignored advice.
The issue here is the fundamental difference between most fires and lithium battery fires.
Your ebike battery will burn through every fire supressent method at 4000 degrees.
I can only imagine RC model enthusiasts conventions, hundreds of guests whacking 20 amps into Lipos on the hotel room desk .

Im a doom merchant, but I wont trust rechargeables until they cant sustain their own ignition , dont steam off highly poisonous and explosive gas and burn at paper temperatures.

 

[6zfshdb]

I also wonder about the issues of pulling up to the side of a restaurant, or McD's --poaching of an exterior outlet?

If you charge while eating a Big Mac & fries, I doubt you'll have a problem.

 

[6zfshdb]

A fellow I met on the trail last summer had an idea that has some merit. He was on a long distance ride pulling a Burley trailer with his fat tire bike. He had an array of solar panels on the trailer that he could deploy if necessary. He claimed that in about 2 hours, he could charge his battery enough to get him to his next destination. Not much help on a rainy day though.

 

[Art Deco]

If you charge while eating a Big Mac & fries, I doubt you'll have a problem.

True, but the meal is more dangerous than the batteries in the long term. I have worked on an outdoor cafe table with a laptop plugged into an outdoor outlet and only bought coffee and tea.

 

[Wallykl]

I wouldnt charge an ebike battery in a hotel, or airbnb.
Im not extending my faith in the battery I just battered over miles if rough trails to all the families staying there.
We book places with parking close enough to put an extension out to a van , it would still be a fire, but they are diesel vans so it could be put out far more easily.
Likelyhood of it happening..miniscule.
Consequences if it did, absolutely catastrophic, not just for lives, but you in court and financially and mentally ruined if you ignored advice.
The issue here is the fundamental difference between most fires and lithium battery fires.
Your ebike battery will burn through every fire supressent method at 4000 degrees.
I can only imagine RC model enthusiasts conventions, hundreds of guests whacking 20 amps into Lipos on the hotel room desk .

Im a doom merchant, but I wont trust rechargeables until they cant sustain their own ignition , dont steam off highly poisonous and explosive gas and burn at paper temperatures.

Thankyou

 

[Wallykl]

A fellow I met on the trail last summer had an idea that has some merit. He was on a long distance ride pulling a Burley trailer with his fat tire bike. He had an array of solar panels on the trailer that he could deploy if necessary. He claimed that in about 2 hours, he could charge his battery enough to get him to his next destination. Not much help on a rainy day though.

I have considered this. It seems potentially value for "topping off". I haven't considered a trailer vs pannier. I have heard that even cloudy skies cast decrease the value of this?