How to experience adventure with durable and efficient e-bikes
E-bikes have really come into their own over the past few years and are now the go-to for most cyclers, both the enthusiast and the occasional biker.
You can use these bikes to explore almost anywhere, and because of the assistance they offer, it is possible to visit places that you may have otherwise been unable or unwilling to see due to difficulty. The beauty of an e-bike lies in its ability to transport you everywhere on your own terms, without worrying whether you are able to reach your destination or if you will have to flag down someone to help you bring the bike back home.
In this article, we will offer a few tips and ideas on how to begin your e-bike adventure by covering the kinds of things you need to consider before setting out.
Choose the right bike
It might seem pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised at just how many models and styles of e-bikes currently exist. They can range from the everyday city bike that takes you from your home to the office and back to the monsters that are designed to tackle the most rugged terrain imaginable with ease.
Consequently, you will need to assess what the term “adventure” means to you and act accordingly. For instance, if you are attempting a mammoth ride via multiple locations but all within the confines of a city or road network, a cruiser ebike may be your best option.
On the other hand, if you are heading out into the great unknown, you’ll need to prepare by investing in a fat tire bike with a large capacity battery, all sealed very tightly within some kind of waterproof framing. It can help by heading over to an online forum where you can ask questions about what might be best for a particular riding style or location and gain answers from those who are really into this style of riding, but we will cover these forums a bit later.
Opt for high-capacity batteries (or bring spares)
Whatever kind of trip you end up doing, you will probably want to invest in an e-bike that uses a high-capacity battery that is better able to eat up long distances without losing too much juice over the course of a day. If you are planning a multi-day trip, you will also need to bring your charger with you so that you can top up as you go along the route and also overnight to bring the battery back to the top again.
If your kind of adventure involves camping and wilderness routes, you may also want to think of bringing a spare, fully charged battery with you so that if you do happen to run out of energy, you can simply replace it with the spare.
While you can charge these batteries up using solar power, you don’t particularly want to be lugging around too much gear, especially if it’s superfluous to requirement. One other option could be to share the burden if you have a traveling companion. So, one person could carry the charging cables (which tend to be far bulkier than you think) while the other holds the spare battery.
However, if there are many of you, it might be simpler to carry your own spares and equipment. Just make sure to nurse the motor so you don’t run out of charge too soon and have to lug around a heavy e-bike without the help of electricity to push you along!
Try to avoid overpacking
This tip follows on from the previous one. The best kind of adventure typically involves packing light in order to move more swiftly. Overpacking will only serve to bog you down and slow the overall gait of the trip. When packing, try to include only the essentials, which is the case for both bike gear and your own personal stuff. When it comes to clothing, most long-time riders will only have two sets of clothing:
- A cycling set that is used during the day when you are moving
- A dry set for the nights
This can help to keep your bag svelte and ensure that your batteries don’t run down too rapidly due to overworking. When it comes to your biking gear, try to bring only what you need, which usually includes:
- Pump
- Tube repair kit
- Charging gubbins
- Oil
Anything more than this will only serve to slow your movements and make the experience less enjoyable for all. The best way to achieve packing nirvana is by setting out everything you think you will need on the floor and then taking away 50% of it. You then repeat this several times until you are left with only the bare essentials required. This might seem brutal, but you will be happy you did this when you are on the road, as it lessens your load and removes the stuff you are unlikely actually to use anyway.
Invest in the right safety gear
Safety gear is a must regardless of where you choose to cycle. It doesn’t matter if you plan on smashing it through the forest trails or opt to stick to the roadways; you always need to have safety in mind. Many people believe that they won’t need a helmet if they are traveling through wooded areas, but even the slightest fall can result in serious head injuries if you are unprotected.
If you are traveling on roadways, it’s also prudent to wear reflective clothing and install night lighting on your bike so that other road users can see where you are and make efforts to avoid you. While you needn’t go overbroad with things like kneepads and the like (unless you want to of course), helmets, gloves, sunglasses, and suncream are vital and will make your trip much more enjoyable.
Bring along a puncture repair kit (or use puncture-resistant tires)
You really don’t want to get caught short when out on the road and find out you don’t have any way to repair or change your tubes when you get a puncture. Although some e-bikes will have standard tubes that you can find almost anywhere, others will have very specific options that may not be as readily available as you like.
So it pays to bring along a tube repair kit, a set of spare tubes, or, if you take the belt and braces approach, both. This will ensure you are well-covered for all eventualities, especially when you get that inevitable flat in the middle of nowhere! Another interesting alternative is to replace your current tires with a set of puncture-resistant ones, which are filled with a thick material that isn’t prone to deflation purely because you never actually inflate them.
The main downside with these is that they can be costly (which is yet another expense on top of purchasing what is likely going to already be an expensive e-bike), and they aren’t as comfortable as their inflated brethren.
Consider adjustable suspension to make things more comfortable
Again, this point will depend on the style of trip you are heading out on since if you know that road cycling is more your bag, then suspension may be an unnecessary complication that adds extra weight without offering anything substantially advantageous.
Nevertheless, you should still bear in mind that even on a smooth road, suspension can make your trip a little bit more comfortable and, therefore, enjoyable. Moreover, if you opt for the adjustable variety, you can make them hard when on the road and soften them up when you hit a patch that is a little rougher going.
Conversely, if you plan on doing some off-roading, the suspension will really help to smooth out the bumps and lumps that you are going to be riding over throughout the day. Just make sure you double-check they are in good working order before you head out and that there are no visible leaks. If so, it could indicate that a seal has perished, and you will need to replace it before you start your trip.
Explore local trails for adventure opportunities
Before you go on a serious adventure, why not test the waters with a few local trials in and around your local vicinity? By opting for these routes over the more hardcore (at least initially), you can get a feel for your e-bike and see if there is anything awry that might need some attention.
The last thing you want is to purchase a brand new e-bike and travel hundreds of miles out into the wilderness, only to discover that it isn’t suited to your riding style or the terrain you wish to take it on. You can usually find these routes pretty easily by asking people you know and even looking online. In many cases, you could even find yourself an e-bike buddy to tag along and keep you company.
Regular maintenance ensures long-lasting performance
If you want to reduce the chances of something terrible occurring while you’re out on your bike, you need to make maintenance a crucial part of your pre-trip preparation. In fact, the best option is to set up a regular schedule where you can go over your bike and make sure everything is running smoothly and there are no observable issues.
If you find any problems you can repair yourself, you can whip out the tools and get cracking. If it is something a bit more intensive, you are probably best off taking it to a local bicycle mechanic who specializes in e-bikes so that they can perform the necessary fixes.
Join e-bike communities to find out where to go
It is easy to dismiss many online forums as the usual toxic wastelands that punish anyone severely for even considering asking a question. While this may be true for some (looking at you, Reddit), if you join specialist cycling forums, you will usually find a large number of thoughtfully decent people willing to give you whatever advice you might need based on their own experiences.
And, to be fair, if you manage to connect to the right subreddits, Reddit can be an extremely valuable proposition for mingling with other cyclists and sharing your thoughts on anything and everything bicycle- and e-bike-related.
Consider purchasing a gps to help you go deep off the beaten track
A GPS is a relatively significant initial investment (and you generally will have to pay for a subscription of some kind), but one that can not just get you out of some sticky situations but will also assist you with route planning and fighting out where specific trails begin and end.
The best and perhaps most well-established will be from something like Garmin, which offers an extensive range of models from which to choose. They come in bicycle-specific models or general ones that can be used for almost any other activity. The added benefit you will gain from purchasing one of these devices is that they sometimes allow you to add a feature that you can use to notify a service center if you come off your bike in the middle of nowhere and hurt yourself badly.
This usually costs extra but is well worth the investment for peace of mind, especially if you are traveling in wilder locales that are not known for their emergency rescue abilities.
Always inform someone where you’re going
The final step in any trip preparation, in fact, any trip, whether it be hiking, kayaking, sailing, or indeed e-biking, is always to inform someone you trust where you are headed, how long you intend to be, and when you should get back.
This information can be used by emergency services to follow your trail if you fail to check in with your designated person. If they are unable to contact you or you them, they should raise the alarm and get whatever local rescue service out on the road and looking for you based on the route you provided them. Just bear in mind that any deviation from your pre-planned route could hinder any search and reduce efforts, so it’s always best to stick with your plan when possible.
E-biking is a seriously fun activity that allows you to go to places that you may never have imagined. Thanks to their powerful motors, you can climb the steepest mountains and traverse the longest trails with relative ease. As long as you heed the advice in this post, your trip should go without a hitch.
