“No e-bikes allowed”

[Biplaneguy]

Not an EE, but EVs are very high voltage devices and Ohms law says something about lowering voltage raises amperage ... the current must go somewhere, step down transformers be damned.

Chargers and other devices that handle a wide input voltage range are probably using switching power supplies, so there's no extra current that has to "go somewhere".

 

[Roamers]

Many, if not most, of the US routes in the Northeast are not good for bicycles. Some have wide shoulders, but they are littered with debris. Many have no shoulder at all.

My personal bigger concern would be how to do such a trip staying off of main roads. Unlike much of Europe, I take it, you can’t take any form of bicycle on most highways (and you sure wouldn’t want to).

It sounds like many have negative riding experiences with vehicles; I never have. In our younger riding days we stayed off most US and state highways, traveled mostly on county roads.

Road biking experience is limited to IA, IL, NY; miles of "back roads" in all directions. Grab a Gazetteer or Benchmark and have fun planning a trip away from traffic.

We haven't been bringing our bikes to a 2 week annual trip to Maine because of the available roads around the cabin (State highways). My brother brought his bike this year and indicated the roads looked like they'd suck for biking because of lack of rideable shoulder, but never felt threatened by traffic on his bike (hi-viz vest and flag). Drivers were very courteous to him as a courteous rider.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Several cheap and dumb 110v chargers, both Specialized and boutique ones that came with the bottle batteries. They all appear to be identical.

Not an EE, but EVs are very high voltage devices and Ohms law says something about lowering voltage raises amperage ... the current must go somewhere, step down transformers be damned.
It only takes one overheated cell to start a fire, so I wouldn't do it.

Fair enough mate.

 

[Chargeride]

This is the Guy in Vermont Maine, 300m trip, who knows how genuine it is, but its pretty entertaining, just the notion of pretending to be a homeless traveller would see most people off.
Hes quite a character and gives zero ducks .
The difference between the UK and America, places accepting bags of cans for money, the wild west is still hanging in over there.

 

[Art Deco]

Chargers and other devices that handle a wide input voltage range are probably using switching power supplies, so there's no extra current that has to "go somewhere".

The half dozen chargers I own will only accept US 110v current. I know there isn't supposed to be "extra current", I also know how many fried transformers ("power supply") I and my young friends suffered in the early days of "computer clubs" all on supposedly steady grid 110volt power. Surges happen, heat happens.

I don't own an EV but I suspect anything that can boost current high enough for an EV is way out of design specifications for a little 36 volt battery charger.

 

[Chazmo]

It sounds like many have negative riding experiences with vehicles; I never have. In our younger riding days we stayed off most US and state highways, traveled mostly on county roads.

Road biking experience is limited to IA, IL, NY; miles of "back roads" in all directions. Grab a Gazetteer or Benchmark and have fun planning a trip away from traffic.

We haven't been bringing our bikes to a 2 week annual trip to Maine because of the available roads around the cabin (State highways). My brother brought his bike this year and indicated the roads looked like they'd suck for biking because of lack of rideable shoulder, but never felt threatened by traffic on his bike (hi-viz vest and flag). Drivers were very courteous to him as a courteous rider.
View attachment 197713

I will only say that (some) yahoo motorists on the back roads of central MA are not friendly. Still wouldn’t deter me if I were on a quest like the OP.

 

[Wallykl]

Thx so much all. My charger DOES support up to 240V input. But I'd be sitting there awhile at 3 amps. I'll have to look into the max amperage I can throw at my battery with a faster charger.

Now I'll search location of EV stations in relation to my desired route. I've been noticing a trend-- in smaller towns--that if they are just big enough to have a chain fast food (McD), some are starting to put in 1 or 2 EV stalls, even in rural locations now. Seems to me like a viable "last resort" in a pinch.

 

[Wallykl]

Thx so much all. My charger DOES support up to 240V input. But I'd be sitting there awhile at 3 amps. I'll have to look into the max amperage I can safely throw at my battery with a faster charger.

Now I'll search location of EV stations in relation to my desired route. Seems to me like Z Z a viable "last resort" in a pinch.

?

 

[Wallykl]

Something like this maybe?

 

[Wallykl]

Something like this maybe?

View attachment 197718

This was interesting

 

[Art Deco]

Many, if not most, of the US routes in the Northeast are not good for bicycles. Some have wide shoulders, but they are littered with debris. Many have no shoulder at all. I suggest that you plan a week's worth of riding using a bicycle-centric route planner like RideWithGPS. Check out points of interest along the way with Google Maps street view. Get a feel for what you are up against.

Correct. @6zfshdb maps his routes (and alternatives) using both a route planner and Google Earth zoomed way in, ahead of time. I just get lost a lot, even on local routes. It's a system .

 

[DaveMatthews]

This was interesting

And there ya go...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Sur Ron is a motorised vehicle

 

[MrHyak]

This was interesting

This is an e-cycle, not an e-bike. Still looks fun, but will ruin it for the ebikes if they bring them out on the bike trails.

 

[stompandgo]

Sur-Rons, Super73's, and clones are all over our bike trails. That ship has sailed.

 

[Art Deco]

Sur-Rons, Super73's, and clones are all over our bike trails. That ship has sailed.

The only other ebikes I see very often in my town is a super73 clone and some fat tire bike whose pedals are used as footpegs only. We have a couple good LBSs that carry Treks and Giants, but noone seems to ride them anywhere around here except trails.

No Sur-Rons though. .

Lots of motorcycles and tadpole style trikes on the roads ... big, loud, gasoline powered, and rarely a helmet to be seen.

No helmet laws in Pennsylvania anymore since Harley built a factory in Harrisburg 20 years ago.A coincidence, I'm sure.

Those ships sailed into the sunset and disappeared over the horizon years before I joined EBR.

 

[BlackHand]

Unlike much of Europe, I take it, you can’t take any form of bicycle on most highways (and you sure wouldn’t want to). The highway interstate system in the US would be completely off limits for a biker

I think by highways you mean limited access interstates and freeways? A highway can technically be pretty much any public road....

In any case, in much of the West bicycles are allowed on freeways to varying degrees. In WA we are allowed pretty much everywhere except the freeways around the Seattle-Tacoma metro area and Spokane, plus a few other isolated areas. They can and frequently do place temporary bike bans during construction.

 

[Art Deco]

Many people think of our 4 lane Interstate highways only as highways.We have many twisty 35mph to 55mph State highways in the East, many that pass through old main streets in towns with 25mph limits. Sometimes they even have shoulders for pedestrians, bikes, and horses, but not that often.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

There was another thread, I think here, that showed how to do it.

No clue where the thread was though.