Traveling in really wet weather

riplipper

riplipper

Member
Region
USA
Planning on doing some long distance travel with our bikes, on a rack or back of pick up.
Hitting nasty weather is unavoidable and wonder what others have done to protect electronics from
heavy rain and such.
 
riplipper said:
Planning on doing some long distance travel with our bikes, on a rack or back of pick up.
Hitting nasty weather is unavoidable and wonder what others have done to protect electronics from
heavy rain and such.
Click to expand...

Most decent e-bikes are reasonably waterproof. Although they handle filthy dirty road water much less well than just strait rain falling down from the sky. And it isn't just the electronics you have to worry about.

A couple of recommendations:
  1. Like previously posted, wrap the display with saran wrap. Secure with duct tape or similar.
  2. Also, pull the battery and wrap the battery mount area (and especially the connectors) with saran wrap. Again, secure with duct tape or similar.
  3. Wrap the saddle with saran wrap.
  4. Take chain lube and grease and apply as necessary.
  5. Take all of the stuff you'd want or need to wash your bike. And wash your bike if it starts to get dirty.
 
I purchased this bike cover for wet weather back in 2016 on Amazon, $46. It is now overt $130 for an updated version for the same cover today. Covering and uncovering the entire ebike(s) in 10 minutes for wet weather seemed like a better and faster solution compared to prepping, removing parts, wrapping electronics, and cleaning/lubing afterwards without the cover.


It take about 5-10 minutes to covered my two Radrover 4" fat tire ebikes and entire 2 position bike rack to the rack arm. It has translucent panels near the wheels for tail lights. It folds very compact (down to around 2/3-3/4 the size of a paper grocery bag). The updated cover has a license plate holder. You could probably add velcro strips and use the 4-way Curt 53201 Aux LED light strip on the rear of the cover for extra visibility.

The only major down side I found was it felt I was dragging a parachute on the rear of the 7 passenger Acura MDX at 75-80 mph.

bike cover.jpg
 
All good suggestions above. The only things I can add are these:

I use these forearm protector sleeves on my bar ends. They keep water, dirt & debris off the display and handlebar controls:

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These silicone stretch lids are also handy for covering sensitive areas:

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On some bikes, the seat tube is open to the bottom bracket. Water & debris entering the seat tube can foul the bottom bracket bearings. I usually remove my seatpost and saddle when transporting, to keep them dry and eliminate a bit of weight. To keep foreign matter out of the open seat tube, I cover it with a vinyl cap:

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I also use plastic cling wrap as mentioned above, and cover it with an ace bandage to keep the wind from unwrapping it.

Welcome to the forum and please post pics from your travels!
 
Last edited:
Thx guys. some great tips here.
When traveling do guys typically take your bikes into hotels? I have done it before with my good mtn bike but have not traveled with these, which are even more expensive. cheers
 
It kind of goes without saying but I want to state the obvious. Always remove the batteries when transporting. That bike cover looks great.
 
I've been lucky to request and get a ground floor. I can take my ebike in from a side door into the hotel room. I stayed one night in Flagstaff, AZ, on my way to the Grand Canyon to ride and kept my two Radrovers on the hitch rack. I used the bike cover I listed above, added 5 locks (2 cables w/ lock, 14mm chain w/ lock, two D-locks), and was able to park near the front door in view of my 3rd floor room. Back in those days, I had the Boomerang alarm with smartphone GPS tracker on Verizon cell network.
 
riplipper said:
Thx guys. some great tips here.
When traveling do guys typically take your bikes into hotels? I have done it before with my good mtn bike but have not traveled with these, which are even more expensive. cheers
Click to expand...
Yes, I do take my bike into the hotel room but I try not to be obvious about it. Many hotels ban in room charging of ebike batteries due to the rash of fires. Unless such a ban is clearly posted, I do it and use a don't ask don't tell policy. I try and frequent motels with exterior doors and avoid those with interior corridors.
 
I've only very rarely had problems with keeping a bike in my hotel room or vacation rental.
 
Did you use the SEARCH "wet weather clothing" there are plenty of posts about this already
sdvg.jpg
 
Mr. Coffee said:
Most decent e-bikes are reasonably waterproof. Although they handle filthy dirty road water much less well than just strait rain falling down from the sky. And it isn't just the electronics you have to worry about.
Click to expand...
I doubt ebike seals aren't design for 60-70mph rain which is case when on back of vehicle.
There are neoprane covers available for middrive motors.
Complete road cover is best thing but need to find one sturdy enough. Recreational Vehicle sites are probably best place to try.
Do your research as some are for rear racks which are sheltered by RV while others for front where they exposed to 60-70mph wind.
 
Last edited:
riplipper said:
Planning on doing some long distance travel with our bikes, on a rack or back of pick up.
Hitting nasty weather is unavoidable and wonder what others have done to protect electronics from
heavy rain and such.
Click to expand...
A high quality e-bike is waterproof.

1702879258440.png

Making e-bike waterproof was unnecessary for any e-bike I have owned. This picture was taken on a rainy ride yesterday.

Cannot promise that for the cheap imports, though :)
 
I just wonder about transporting an ebike on a rack on the front of a bus. How the heck do you water proof that? Anybody transport an ebike on a bus?
 
Stefan Mikes said:
A high quality e-bike is waterproof.

View attachment 168190
Making e-bike waterproof was unnecessary for any e-bike I have owned. This picture was taken on a rainy ride yesterday.

Cannot promise that for the cheap imports, though :)
Click to expand...
No such thing as "waterproof" some may be much more water resistant, but none of them are waterproof.
Trust me on that. I live in a salt water environment. :cool:
 
riplipper said:
No such thing as "waterproof" some may be much more water resistant, but none of them are waterproof.
Trust me on that. I live in a salt water environment. :cool:
Click to expand...
Yeah, but there is for sure "waterproof enough"

Barnette-3-1.jpg

Making electrical connections that work underwater is really 1890s technology. And the water pressure from even relatively shallow depths far exceeds the water pressure from road spray at freeway speeds. This problem is solvable and solved and if your bike can't handle it with a minimal amount of care then you wasted your money.
 
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