Riding on soft sand

[skunkman]

I am new to e bikes and ordered 2 Juiced RipCurrent bikes with 4" tires. I am hoping to use these on the beach on Longboat Key. Some of the sand is firm but a lot of it is soft. Do you think I will be able to do this? Do I need to let air out of my tires?

 

[rich c]

Maybe, and yes. Maybe you can ride in some soft sand, but you are going to put a ton of heat into the motor and controller if you do extended riding under very heavy loading. Possibly to the point of burning something up. You don't say how much you weigh, that will make a huge difference. I have no idea what Longboat Key is like. Hope there aren't a lot of dunes or steep grades to climb. Do you need to let air out? It's best but you don't have to. By letting air out you will also increase drag on wet packed sand or pavement riding. Most people forget that eBikes are electric assist, not electrically powered. They don't work like a motorcycle, unless you put a giant motor and equal battery.

 

[skunkman]

I weigh 175. 750 W motor. The beach is flat. I suppose I should try and see.

 

[rich c]

I weigh 175. 750 W motor. The beach is flat. I suppose I should try and see.

Watch a few fat bike video reviews here. You'll hear the motors bog down, and in some cases the rider stops. They all breath a sigh of relief when they hit the wet packed sand.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I'm riding soft sand on Giant Trance E+ 2 Pro on 2.6" tyres, no issues.

 

[DanInStPete]

You can ride Longboat no problem. I rode Redington to Clearwater each recently with my 27.5 Plus tires. You should definitely soften the tires up, but with the Fattie it’s not as important. My buddy has been riding a fat electric on those beaches for a couple of years.

I think the RipCurrent is a good first bike for that type of riding.

Maybe we should meet up for a ride, I’m in Lakewood Ranch now...