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Old 12-09-2019, 10:57 PM   #1
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Ebikes on Escape

Do any of you carry ebikes on your trailer. If you do what are you using for antithieft. We just got some and want to buy locks but need help. Chain, cable or something else?

Thanks
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Old 12-10-2019, 09:54 AM   #2
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What ebikes did you purchase? Why did you decide on them? We're looking at them too.
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Old 12-10-2019, 10:36 AM   #3
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We carry our ebikes with us on every trip. They are great for getting around and seeing the country/city near the campground. We're using a 1UP heavy duty bike rack and purchased the accessory wheel locks to secure the bikes to the rack. They work well and we don't worry. Someone could theoretically detach the frame from the wheels, but that would be time consuming and cumbersome. I expect a thief would just move on to something else.

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Old 12-10-2019, 12:02 PM   #4
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We saw these at a rally at Algonac and then ordered a pair. So far they have been very good. Fold up and fat tire

Weight is not bad so they go in the back of the truck under the topper
https://lectricebikes.com/

There was a free pannier bag offer on this video review

The only issue was a bit of a harsh ride, but fixed that with these
https://www.nashbar.com/cane-creek-t...272kxl/p324054 and a shim to fit
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Old 12-10-2019, 12:09 PM   #5
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i carry my rad bike on the back of my trailer. i use my Swagman bike carrier and bought fat tire tire holders for it works well use my bike lock to attach my bike to the carrier but i rarely leave it while its back there because you could still remove the whole carrier to get it if really motivated.
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Old 12-10-2019, 12:13 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder View Post
What ebikes did you purchase? Why did you decide on them? We're looking at them too.
We have folding Ebikes for over a year now and they are great. They are sold by a direct sales company called Voltbike which has warehouses both in Canada and the US. The folding model is the Mariner and it has very wide 4 inch tires for off pavement use as well.

The components are brand name and the seat and battery are removable for easy lifting. Comes with fenders and rear rack...that can be extra with many other companies.

I am 5-10 tall and can make it so my feet don’t touch the ground. On the other hand I can easily lower the seat way down so my feet are flat on the ground. Great for cruising markets or swap meets with high pedestrian traffic.

There is enough room in the back of our F150 to fit two of them without folding. This keeps them clean and generally secure. We like them in the truck because they are with us all the time. If we leave camp and go for a drive to a nearby town, which may involve a Hwy or a road with very little edge to get to, we can off load the bikes in town and ride around exploring.

$1,750 Canadian and a sale on now that gives you a free motorcycle helmet, storage bag and free shipping anywhere in North America. They also have other normal type bikes as well.

Good luck on your search!
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Old 12-10-2019, 02:55 PM   #7
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Using a bike cover does make it so thieves don't know if you have a nice e-bike or a Walmart boat anchor. Uncovered bikes can attract unwanted attention, and thieves attract attention if they start peeking under covers. It also slows them down if they need to remove the cover to access locks.

Also, if you carry your bikes behind the trailer they will get a lot of road crud in bad weather as the flat back end just sucks it in. I recently changed derailleurs on my neighbors bike after the crud got in so bad I could not get them to move freely. A cover will prevent that too. You do need to ensure that your cover does not block the tail lights or is transparent in the tail light line of view.
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Old 12-10-2019, 03:33 PM   #8
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What ebikes did you purchase? Why did you decide on them? We're looking at them too.
We picked up some Surface 604 bikes. They make several models we got the rook and colt. Designed in Vancouver BC built off shore (China). They are good quality and even have hydronic disk brakes. Company has been doing them since 2012. Now days most ebikes are China made parts at least
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Old 12-10-2019, 04:00 PM   #9
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no cable lock is secure, they have handheld hydraulic cable cutters now that snip even a heavy cable in seconds.

IMHO, the current best bike locks are the current model Kryptonite Evolution (orange) and New York (yellow) u-bolts, and the same versions of integrated cable locks. the New York line are really heavy, the Evolution aren't quite as thick, so a little easier to carry.

both these series use disc detainer lock cores which are very difficult to pick, and they use seriously hardened and tough steels that are hard to cut even with an angle grinder.

I second/triple the emotion on the cover, ebikes aren't real happy to get soaked in rain.
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Old 12-16-2019, 04:32 AM   #10
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Black Lectric XP

Quote:
Originally Posted by TZBrown View Post
We saw these at a rally at Algonac and then ordered a pair. So far they have been very good. Fold up and fat tire

Weight is not bad so they go in the back of the truck under the topper
https://lectricebikes.com/

There was a free pannier bag offer on this video review
I ordered one yesterday, and the pannier was sold out. If we enjoy it, we'll get a white one for Brenda.

It would be great if the XP is hardy enough to ride the forest roads in the Chattahoochee National Forest, but I suspect our main venue will be campgrounds.
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Old 12-16-2019, 12:06 PM   #11
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eBike Charging When Boondocking

I travel with a pair of eBikes, one being a tandem. Big deal, so do a lot of others here on the forum. My big difference is four weeks each year my travel is boondocking in one of the many biking meccas of Wisconsin.

With testing we have determined the range of these bikes are about 85 miles, it varies depending on many factors. They typically need to be charged about every four days. Here is what I have discovered.

Your first choice to charge is to find a plug, that is the easiest, fastest method. Particularly if you can remove your battery and locate a distant outlet, having a portable battery and charger means you maybe able to bike to a nearby location and leave the battery to charge.

A second option is to install something called a buck charger, it operates with your solar panel and takes the output (usually about 17 volts) and ups the voltage to what would be recommended by your batteries. Usually something in the 50 volt range. In researching this option I found the usual issues with solar, no need to go into those. The problem was the time it took to charge, I could not find a success story using this method. One individual said they were able to charge the bike battery over two days. Maybe that was a success?

What I finally settled on is a kludge, certainly not the most efficient and it required some adaption. Having dual six volt agm batteries and an inverter I simply plug the 120 volt charger that came with the bike batteries and it takes 3-4 hours to fully charge. I only run this process when my solar panels are in the sun and recharging the batteries as I pull from them.

What I found in early summer was my 120 watt portable solar panel could not keep up with my bike battery charging and my normal day to day usage (I use an exceptional amount of power with charging my disabled son's electronic devices and his use of a CPAP overnight). I had to increase the amount of panel on my solar system. Since I use a portable solar panel this process was easy, no need to deal with a roof installation.

In searching for a solution I considered adding a second panel or replacing the portable panel entirely. I found both solutions would not work. Adding a second panel is tricky as your results are based on the "weakest" panel. Replacing with another portable panel and I ran into a limitation of all these smaller panels, they are all 12 volt. Right now the largest 12 volt panel I was able to find was limited to 200 watts. There has been some improvement of the yield over the years but it still was not going to be enough to meet my needs.

If by chance you have dual panels on your roof or a single roof supplemented by a portable panel you are probably set. I searched for a alternative and found I would have to go with a very large (but not the largest) panel as used in home solar installations. It is about 19 in by 65 in, hardly portable. But it is 310 watts at 24 volts, it required a new solar controller that is capable of 12 or 24 volt. I can carry in my vehicle but with four bikes already stored there it works best inside the trailer.

It has performed dramatically better. Having 24 watt improves the input to the solar controller, the difficult to achieve 17 watt input on my old panel has been replaced with a consistent 24 watts. Ruining on 10 gauge wire to the controller I find the batteries charge much faster/sooner.

This next summer I plan to experiment with charging two bike batteries at once.
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Old 12-16-2019, 12:41 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg and Kathy View Post
Do any of you carry ebikes on your trailer. If you do what are you using for antithieft. We just got some and want to buy locks but need help. Chain, cable or something else?

Thanks
We carry two bikes on a 1UP rack and use the wheel locks and hitch lock sold by 1UP. They are quick deterrent that goes through the spoke of the tire in the rack arm. When leaving them longer or when I'm more concerned I add my Kryptonite cable and ubolt to secure them to the trailer hitch frame.

I would also add that we have incurred expense for brakes and shifter repairs on the ebike which I doubt would have happened without all the road spray contamination while uncovered.
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Old 12-16-2019, 01:57 PM   #13
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We picked up some Surface 604 bikes. They make several models we got the rook and colt. Designed in Vancouver BC built off shore (China). They are good quality and even have hydronic disk brakes. Company has been doing them since 2012. Now days most ebikes are China made parts at least
I have had my Surface 604 for over a year now and have had no problems. I carry it on the back of my trailer. The picture was taken in 2018 while riding on the Needles ferry on the Arrow Lakes.

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I use an RV rated Swagman that locks to the receiver and locks the bike frame to the rack. I also use a solid bar style lock for the bike frame to the wheel. If someone wanted to spend the time and effort they could defeat all of my security. So far it has been safe. I use a bike cover from Camping World that works great for keeping it clean. While we are camping I chain the bike and my wife's mobility scooter to the trailer hitch plus have the bike frame to wheel lock.
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Old 12-17-2019, 07:51 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Eggscape View Post

I am 5-10 tall and can make it so my feet don’t touch the ground. On the other hand I can easily lower the seat way down so my feet are flat on the ground. Great for cruising markets or swap meets with high pedestrian traffic.

There is enough room in the back of our F150 to fit two of them without folding. This keeps them clean and generally secure. We like them in the truck because they are with us all the time. If we leave camp and go for a drive to a nearby town, which may involve a Hwy or a road with very little edge to get to, we can off load the bikes in town and ride around exploring.

Ordered my Lectric XT this past Sunday and it is scheduled for delivery on Friday. I'm hoping it fits in the back of my extended cab Sierra. A second would be great if we get one for Brenda.

$1,750 Canadian and a sale on now that gives you a free motorcycle helmet, storage bag and free shipping anywhere in North America. They also have other normal type bikes as well.

Does anyone actually ride with a motorcycle helmet? Think I'll start off like that with boots, gloves, and a one piece AeroStitch riding suit. (So good to hear there's no inflation - my first Aero-Stitch was about $500 and the second about $750, now it's $1,337).

Good luck on your search!
I'm pretty nervous about a bicycle and think it's mainly lack of protective gear. I see so many bicycles in campgrounds and I've just got to try it. I'm already looking at more comfortable seats and spending a lot of time on youtube e-bile videos.
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Old 12-17-2019, 10:57 AM   #15
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Make that Lectric XP.
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Old 12-17-2019, 11:17 AM   #16
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“Does anyone actually ride with a motorcycle helmet? “

Depends on the value you put on your head.

I ride a regular bike often and would not ride without a bike helmet , not a motorcycle type helmet even though there is no CO law requiring a helmet.

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Old 12-17-2019, 11:56 AM   #17
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Helmet use for us depends on where we're riding, we do not use them on paved bike trails, pretty much everywhere else we do.
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Old 12-17-2019, 12:06 PM   #18
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Can anyone recommend a bike cover that doesn't disintegrate after a few uses?
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Old 12-17-2019, 02:17 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgiaBill View Post
I ordered one yesterday, and the pannier was sold out. If we enjoy it, we'll get a white one for Brenda.

It would be great if the XP is hardy enough to ride the forest roads in the Chattahoochee National Forest, but I suspect our main venue will be campgrounds.
It is pretty robust for power, though I am sure range would suffer

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgiaBill View Post
I'm pretty nervous about a bicycle and think it's mainly lack of protective gear. I see so many bicycles in campgrounds and I've just got to try it. I'm already looking at more comfortable seats and spending a lot of time on youtube e-bile videos.
Though they are costly the Thudbuster is the best, and adjustable to rider weight.
The ride was just to tough off road for me without.

https://www.nashbar.com/cane-creek-t...272kxl/p324054
You will also need this shim to make the post fit the bike.
The good thing is the post size is the same as my other bikes.

https://www.nashbar.com/cane-creek-s...t27318/p343230

2 of the XP bikes folded fit end to end in my 6 1/2 foot box
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Old 12-17-2019, 03:31 PM   #20
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Can anyone recommend a bike cover that doesn't disintegrate after a few uses?
I have a Formosa, Have about 6 months of use on it over the last few years, it's still fine. I think this is it. https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Bike-cov.../dp/B000WENDUS

I do wrap it with a few bungie cords to help keep it snug, the straps only do so much.
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