Could "E-Bikepacking" Become A Thing?

[@ronaldsheller4738]

Did my first E-Bikepacking trip two years ago on a Trek Allant+7S hardtail a Bosh 250 w motor and 500w battery. I went from Mears Jct. on SR 285 south of Poncha Springs to Hammels on the Taylor via Marshal Pass to Sargents, over Black Bear and Waunita Pass to Pitkin , over Cumberland Pass to Taylor Park, and rainy day over Spring Creek Rd to Hammels on the Taylor. Four days about 125 miles and only about 11 miles of pavement. P.S. Forgot to mention that I was 77 years old at the time and had 3 Stents in my heart. Without the aid of an e-bike I would not have been able to accomplish this modest task. Just hope the people that are giving e-bikes a bad name don't screw it up for people like me.

[@ericb.4358]

Dude, you are amazing considering your heart problems At 81 I DO hear you. With my E-CELLS Super Monarch Crown I will be bike camping ghost towns and ghost mines in southern Nevada. But since I'm also a lightweight backpacker my camping gear and food (minus water load) is only 18 pounds, tent and all. I have a good heart says my doc in 2023 after a 2 day extensive heart checkup. AT 74 I back packed the Grand Canyon, North Rim to South Rim in 4 days and had a blast - well, some parts were tough on the 3rd and 4th days, but still great.

[@TheBrookler]

My husband and I have been ebike packing across Canada since 2021. We mostly wild camp, he pulls a trailer, and we bring extra batteries. So far we’ve gone over 8,000 km from Vancouver to Montreal. We’ll be back in the spring to finish from Montreal to Newfoundland.

[@sinasherafati8047]

Could you please mention how do you charge your ebike during travels ? much appreciate

[@DearSX]

Wow, we just did something super similar, with an extra battery, trailer, etc in Canada for 110 miles. We charge our bikes at AirBnB locations and restaurants. Quick chargers help a lot!

[@jeffhayes4512]

I really hope e- bike backpacking further develops. I am 61 and the assist truly opens up bike packing to me, and I'm sure others. As us aging backpacker's stay enjoying the wilderness.

[@Theoffgridcabinbuild]

I’ve been ebike packing for three years now. I bike an 800km rails to trails gravel loop around the southern coast of Nova Scotia leaving from Halifax three to four times each year. I used to hike it as I was prepping for the Appalachian Trail 2019. Then the pandemic hit and my hike was crushed. Since I now had all the ultralight hiking gear I figured I’d try riding the trails instead of hiking them. In my research for a new bike was when I first learned about bikes. I ended up buying a Biktrix Juggxrnaught Beast hardtail with 4.8” tires. The frame internally holds two Dorado style batteries each 720 watt hour. Those give me an average of 180kms range before I stop at a Tim Hortons or McDonalds to recharge. From zero it takes exactly 2 hours 50 minutes to charge both batteries. I spend nights in a war bonnet hammock every night and avoid towns completely except to charge up the bike. I can easily carry enough food and supplies for the 6-7 days it takes to compete the 800km loop.

[@randallgd]

Sounds like a good system!

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

You mean the electric moped does it

[@DearSX]

Nova Scotia is great, just did 110 miles over 3 days with 2 Toddlers on hard pack gravel trails on our E-bikes there. I stayed at Bed and Breakfast places 1-3 miles away from the paths and used them to recharge. Hybrid E-bikes did ok, used a lot of batteries pulling over a 120lbs trailer.

[@cirrusdesigngroup]

I have been bike packing for 10 years mostly with a Jones lwb. Just built an electric version and it looks very promising with min 40 mile range and longer with my muscle interaction. Route planning with charging in mind is already part of the planning so extending this thinking to battery for bike charging seems totally doable. I am excited to see what further tech development and personal training leads to. Being strong certainly helps as I have had battery failure lead to 20 mile plus return home without assistance experience. It's not that different than acoustic bike packing with overloaded cargo. You can still pedal which makes me think...what don't cars have pedals?

[@PRH123]

Sounds like a nice motorcycle you have. You should ride it on the road where it belongs.

[@Bertie..]

I'm 66 and love bike packing but know the day will arrive when riding 8 hrs a day will be too painful. I will keep pushing hard till that day arrives. E gravel bike will be waiting for me when that day arrives.

[@archsys307]

let me know how it goes… i just had the idea that e bikepacking might go crazy and turns out it is a thing… just seems like itd be a great combination

[@wanderlost.productions]

e-bikepacking is a great way for people to get out and explore! I rode the Great Divide back in 2017 and my dad was able to join me from Silverthorne to the Mexico boarder. due to my dad's fitness, he would not have been able to complete this trip at my pace without his ebike to help him though some of the more challenging sections of the trail. This made it possible for us to experience the joys of bike travel together and creat some epic memories; this is something that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. Charging did make for a minor stressor at times, but it never actually became an issue due to his 2 battery setup.

[@hilaryyoung5290]

E-bikes are great for folks who need accommodations. I'm all for them! I have asthma and have trouble keeping up with my peers on a bike. My e-bike was life-changing for me! I was so excited about a bike-packing e-bike that I was already thinking about how I could make this work, lol.

[@milesarbour2210]

I'm happy to see us having this discussion. While I'm not totally excited to see e-bikes on backcountry singletrack routes like the Oregon Timber Trail or AZT (they aren't permitted in lots of areas), I see huge potential in using e-cargo bikes for semi-supported trips, helping newer riders get into bikepacking, and of course, car replacement. Part of what makes regular bikepacking so fun for me is the opportunity to "unplug", and even bringing a bike computer and inReach is kinda of annoying for me-I don't see myself relying on pedal-assist, but I can imagine they open up doors for loads of people that cannot ride a standard bike for all kinds of different reasons. Well done, Neil.

[@CranknGrindmtb]

Well said, Miles. I share the same sentiment.

[@slowwerthensnot]

Pretty much my thoughts Miles! , probably won’t ever own one….. wish the us had adopted the uk 🇬🇧 Europe rules

[@Jobother]

i agree completely. i think marketing E-bikes as a better version of a bike is misguided. the main use of them should be as a car replacement. If i owned an e-bike, i wouldn't use one for cycling for pleasure trips, but i would definitely use one for many of the errands that are usually too long or too heavy to use with a regular bike. think groceries, gym, and other similar trips.

[@Jean-jk4zv]

In my region in France (south west) I saw a lot of retired people doing e-bikepacking in summer for the past 3 years. I find it super cool, they usually ride a few hundreds for a few days and sleep in hotels or Airbnb 😊

[@Chicago_Bikepacker]

You obviously never ridden on before.

[@ryanlovin9748]

I’ve been using an ebike to bring my young kids on a WeeHoo trailer bike and a Kids Ride Shotgun jumpseat along on routes that I’d never be able to handle under just my own power. And so long as it’s credit card touring or a route within a single charge’s range, it’s been relatively seamless. They’re also great for helping bridge a gap between me and fitter friends where I might otherwise have to skip certain rides or risk holding them up, or worse, having them water down the routes for me.

[@pavelg4990]

I'm not gonna lie -- I've been secretly fantasizing about being on an e-bike while I'm pedaling my overloaded mechanical rig up another 1200 m climb in the Dolomites or Mexico... Yes, there is integrity in that, but then also a bit of self applauding fuss in looking down on e-bikers. I am guilty of that too, but I realize this is not the way to be. If you are an able bodied rider with a privilege of free time and love for suffering on ascends --- full mech, sure. But for so many people who just don't have the privilege of health or extra vacation days to spend on slow climbs that they are not enjoying --- for sure e-bikepacking is wonderful. I'm sure I'll join the ranks when I get older.

[@K1989L]

I don't think there is any difference in riding an ebike or having extra low gear. Both ease-up the ride but one is just faster. At least this is with the European ebike models (25km/h). For road riding these 25km/h limited ebikes are actually slower than not having a motor. For carrying a lot of stuff or little humans ebikes are great.

[@pavelg4990]

@@K1989L there’s a huge difference. Low gear doesn’t do the work for you. When riding a granny of 19 gear inches on a climb, you are limited by your spinning speed at 2.5-3 miles per hour. Any lower gear and you might as well be walking. An e-bike doesn’t have that limitation - it amplifies and propels you at 10-15 mph while you exert the same or lower effort. I’m not even considering a boost where it’s all motor. In fact, this is the main advantage of e-bikes for me and the main argument for it. Being limited on vacation time, people can use a motor not to waste hours or days crawling up a climb.

[@FUUUUU1111]

I know, right? During my last travel I was thinking how cool would it be to have assist on uphills. But when I'm home I'm thinking hell no, I won't pay 3-5 times more price for a heavier bike which will take an extra excercises from me. At that point I could buy a motorcycle for less money and travel on it, but that would be another kind of a travel? So here I am, buying another regular bike, not e-bike, not only because it's more rational, but also because after that I can say that I've made the whole way by myself, with no assist and be proud of it. xD

[@trailingupwards]

It was pretty nice flying up hills with full assist on a 28mph Cannondale Neo Topstone Carbon Lefty.

[@lotsoffish]

I'll tell you the truth I am 62 and have been a bike rider my entire life and for 59 years of my life I have flat out HATED climbing. Every single foot of climbing I have ever did I did while miserable. 3 years ago at age 59 I bought an E bike and I have been climbing with a smile on my face since day one with the E bike. I will NEVER go back to climbing using a conventional bike again and I hope to be E bike camping till the day before they scatter my ashes in The Allegany National Forest!

[@randallgd]

Over the years we have bought my wife 5 different high end e mt bikes. I'm a fan of these bikes. She rides with them with the power turned way down to ride my pace......... as I ride a non ebike. Works great for us. As far as the range its not miles that make bike packing a challenge (even withe range extenders) its hills that really kills the battery, its do able but serious planning has to be done mostly calculating elevation gain as the main factor. I don't personally think it worth the logisitical night mare on something like the tour divide. What we have found works best is 1-2 nights out bikepacking. As far as the whole e bike controversy topic. Everyone is going to get old at some point...... even you reading this that hate e bikes... one day you will get old or have medical reasons where you can't ride a normal bike. Then what? Do you just give up on riding bikes? I expect one day It will be the only way I can get out. Not for me now im 60 and going strong but one day for sure I'll have a e bike. And another note when people are really being jerks about it all...Have you ever been somewhen when a hiker goes off on you for riding your regular non e bike? Don't be that guy/girl ok...... Its the same mentally only people doing my sport deserves to be here. Why can't we all just get along and be kind to each other. Ride your ride enjoy the great outdoors and be respectful of others. :) Side note when you see the joyfull tears in my 90 year father eyes and he says "I thought riding bikes was something that was over in my life". The first time he rode his ebike. It will change your perspective :)

[@mike158193]

I live in Pittsburgh and we have the great Allegheny passage and many other rail trails. There are so many people, many of those who are older are doing the trip via e-bike which I love as it keeps people out on the trail who might normally not opt for a longer trail due to some physical limitations. I think the e-bike capabilities will grow and like it or not it will be an alternative way for biking as time goes on. Only those who refuse to accept it merely on the fact that it’s not traditional are the boomers of biking. I am 45 and have considered it as a possibility in the future when I start to struggle to maintain the distances I ride at now. Great video tho!!!

[@Dark_Vader888]

Hardcore bikepacker until I had a health issue in 2018 that nearly took out my knee. Now I only have about 70% of the power I used to have so switching to a cross country e-bike has basically saved my life. I bikepack amd tour now even more than before pre-health condition. I was a hater of e-bikes, e-cars etc before but now I am a huge fan.

[@isaacnelson4438]

On my California coast touring trip there was guy touring with an e-mountain bike. He pulled a trailer with a massive solar panel. Then would plug in to public sockets at camp sites.

[@PapaSnurp]

You see the new Tern? Orox has a 200 mile (company provided ofc) range with the two battery option.

[@TomaszChrapek]

yes, that's gonna be my next bike!

[@fabianf8903]

and room for big tyres

[@midlifeshredder]

I’m surprised there wasn’t a mention of carrying an extra battery. This would double your range and allow greater distance between charging. Of course there’s the extra weight but the extra range far outweighs the extra weight as a benefit in my opinion. I’ve been eyeing the idea of e-Bikepacking ever since I got an emtb. Definitely intrigued.

[@StayZero556]

Being a bigger rider myself an e-bike could be a gateway into bikepacking (or touring) by offering some much needed assistance on hills. That’s really all I’d want it for, otherwise I’m content traveling under my own power. I get that a lot of people think e-bikes are terrible for the sport, they think they make people lazy or reliant on the motor, whatever. But there’s the other side of that, that e-bikes have been shown to help people ride further and more often. Granted, there are the riders that just rely on throttle, but a lot of bikes and some aftermarket kits are torque based and require the rider to pedal. That means they’re still getting exercise and for me anyway, that’s definitely a good thing. The downside I see with the aftermarket kits at least, is that the battery usually takes up space on the downtube where you’d normally have your water bottles. That might be fine for commuting but obviously for bikepacking or touring it’s suboptimal.

[@abikeesclerosada]

I have an ebike since 2021, I also have MS since 1996, so in the last years became hard to follow my friends. An ebike was a game changer for me. Now I can ride 100 km with no problems. I didn't do any ebike packing so far, just because charging, however it is in my plan for this year.

[@dave_clarke]

They are getting pretty commonplace here in the UK. Different strokes for different folks. More people riding bikes is OK with me! The only problem I have with them is seeing people cheerfully breeze past me on hills when I am giving it all I've got at about 3mph. :)

[@dougchrysler3694]

My first bike packing trip was with a creo evo in 2020. Had eco mode at 10% and only used it on the steepest climbs traveling with all my gear. Exploring the trails around camp, I never turned it on. Round trip was 180 miles and the last 20 was in trail mode at 40%, on the road and because i had the juice. I had 30% battery life when I got home. No charging for the trip. After I got home my range extender arrived, and then got a cutthroat. If ebikes will get you out there, then go. It was like a gateway drug to cycling for me. But if you can't pedal it home, it's not a bicycle.

[@SwampyDuckRidesAgain3636]

Due to having a couple of limiting medical conditions I now have e-road, e-gravel and e-MTB all quite capable of doing bikepacking over multiple days and with each dependant on fitness and route you can achieve over 60 miles on a battery and it’s easy enough with my Fazua bikes to carry a spare battery giving a decent range. You just have to be smart with your charging.

[@MrQuestful]

I appreciate that these are starting to be made. In the last decade I’ve been an avid e-bike advocate. I sold my car and bought one and it genuinely changed my perception of how much machine I needed to get around for everyday things. My first e-bikes weren’t super powered, but were certainly handy with .5kwh battery. I learned I could do impromptu picnics in the park with friends, and mini adventures I wouldn’t have thought of before. I created different habits from that sense that I was empowered to go anywhere. I started regularly riding to the top of a mountain for sunrise. There are some limits to ebikes at the moment, I wouldn’t necessarily do the cross country ride I did on one, but I see e-bikes as a super useful tool that we should all be considering before buying another car. In terms of durability though, I think the real future is in E-bikes that don’t have a chain/derailleur and instead have a belt / gearbox/motor like the Pinion MGU or Bosch/Rohloff combos. Some other cool bikes that are worth noting: The Tern Orox: which has a base battery of 800watts and can couple that for a potential range over 100miles. I haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard word that Specialized is working on a long distance bikepacking machine with solar panels. We are only at the beginning of an emerging trend.

[@lachlansmith4762]

Have just completed a 4 day, 275km ride on a Specialized Turbo Levy SL. Mix of back roads, rail trails and an afternoon on an IMBA Epic mtb trail. Flashpacking, so charging each night not an problem, but never used more than half of the battery + range extender on any day, so remote overnight options are possible with the right route (and willingness to carry the extra gear). Have fitted 2.6" Maxxis Recons and an Old Man Mountain rack, but miss the space for a frame bag and the bidon options. Have had to go back to a Camelbak, which I think is actually better for hydration in hot weather, but less comfortable. Gearing up to do the Mawson Trail here in Oz later this year.

[@jcervelli]

i've been "commute bikepacking" from NJ to NYC for the past several years and have thought about adding an ebike to the bike quiver for this. i see this as a completely inevitable evolution

[@stuartdilts2729]

I'm all about getting rid of barriers that prevent people from biking. Most of the downsides of ebikes are related to infrastructure and behavior, which have much less impact when you are traveling on dirt roads and double track. The only real downsides are what comes when anything becomes more accessible, and we will just have to live with them. Oftentimes more use can lead to more pressure to preservate the outdoors, so there are upsides to it too.

[@jonathanbassett3967]

For those of us living in the centre of congested/ polluted cities (Bangalore for me!): - front wheel motor ebike conversion kit to get you out of town Friday night - carry a regular wheel - leave the battery to charge at the campsite/hotel - enjoy a two day regular bike packing trip - swap back to electric wheel to carry your tired legs home. Swytch in the UK do a nice conversion kit, and there’s a bunch of others that aren’t too expensive!

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

Yep, this is an awesome idea. Thanks for sharing.

[@luizfernandovillalbasantos1946]

In Brazil, there is little infrastructure for bikepacking. And we still suffer from a lack of security. The idea of ​​E-bikepacking still seems even more distant here. Great content. Congratulations!

[@aidanknight]

Love both options: light and nimble gravel bikepacking on my Surly LHT and fully loaded front country camping/touring with my family on a Tern HSD and Benno Boost. In order to get to 100+miles/160+km you need 2 batteries - We're still on single battery bikes but in the future we will get bikes with double batteries (probably a front load cargo with regen braking next), so for now we plan shorter day rides and charge up during lunch or at a camp site's ranger station if they have one.

[@niknah]

Another benefit is employment. I met a guy who was riding his ebike from city to city. Getting food delivery jobs ubereats, etc. to paying for his holiday.

[@br5380]

While I bikepack using a standard HT I do have a Specialized Kenevo SL eBike. The KSL is a 170mm full-sus enduro focused bike using the smaller 35NM motor. With its built-in 360Wh battery and 120Wh extender I've had 40 miles & 7,500ft of elevation on a single charge. Note that this is on super soft/grippy Michelin tyres, rough off-piste trails and it's carrying a lot of bulk due to it's capability/strength. Equivalent smaller motors are also available in other Spesh bikes, from road-gravel-MTB's.

[@jimw281]

I’ve moto-camped by motorcycle for years but the idea of ebike camping has captured me. My current fat-tire ebike lacks range but the new Wired Freedom, with its 60 volt battery seems to indicate that the tech is catching up to the need. I’ll be watching developments (and KZbin videos like this one) for the right choice.

[@CornDawggy]

Surprised you didn’t mention the Tern Orox

[@P.Ttrying]

Been ebikepacking for four years after a quadruple bypass it's opened the world up for me❤️ P.T trying

[@ryanolinger639]

One subject that comes to mind is the impact the additional weight would have on hike-a-biking and lifting the rig over downed trees or other obstacles.

[@MarkHayden-h8h]

Yup that is definitely a downside I have found.

[@freeforester1717]

That’s where the walk assist function (a common feature on most emtb’s) comes into play.

[@bruce.KAY-bike-drifter]

Thanks for discussing e-bikes and not being snobbish or elitist about only tolerating human-powered bicycling. These days I have rationalized my bike stable down to just two bikes. One is an e-bike. It is a Specialized Turbo Levo 6 Fattie. I only use it on gnarly single track for mountain biking, often in dedicated mountain bike parks. At 72, I decided to get an e-bike to be able to ride faster uphill. So that I could keep up with my son and not get so exhausted climbing that I would make subsequent mistakes when descending. It is a great bike. I love it. It has changed my life. I now ride more often and for longer sessions. I generally prefer to ride in eco mode. Higher levels of pedal assist don't interest me. I'm not a wanna-be Moto petrol-head. So, I get up to 140km on a single battery charge. I have upgraded my Levo with a Rohloff rear hub. It means far less maintenance is required for the gear mech, eliminating broken derailleurs and no bent derailleur hangers. My 2nd bike is my bikepacking-specific fat-tyre Tumbleweed Prospector. It too has a Rohloff rear hub for the same reasons as my Levo. It has a Son Dynamo front hub. However, it is intentionally not e-powered. Even though I tend to travel loaded up with a lot of gear for camping, I cannot imagine e-bikepacking. It would restrict where I want to travel and spoil the spontaneity of being able to stop to camp wherever I find an attractive campsite. Often, even with the best route planning beforehand, I just find I get too tired to force myself to push on to a planned overnight stop. Again, at 72, I just couldn't be bothered toughing it out to stick to the plan. My body has good days when I feel all-powerful, and bad days when I feel weak as a kitten. I prefer to listen to my body and stop when I need to. Trying to make it to somewhere where I can recharge a battery just doesn't work for me. So, no, I currently do not think e-bikes work for bikepacking.

[@HD46409]

When we start to see solid state batteries AND we get regenerative braking, then probably yes for non-epic trips. Pinion is pretty close with it's MGU to doing regenerative braking from the hardware perspective. They will need to come up with a clutchable locking rear free-hub. FS bikes may require additional engineering but hardtails should be pretty simple.

[@nobodyspecial9035]

Full squish E-bike packer here. Yes, it’s been a thing. I carry a spare battery, solar panel, burley flatbed, solar generator, chargers and my same lightweight, camping kit. Upgraded the handlebars to accommodate aerobars, and electronics.

[@reubenwarburton8949]

eBikes are great for dipping your feet into bikepacking. Probably directed more to holiday park destinations after getting a train to the closest rail trail. I recently did an overnighter with the wife and 2 kids we were both hauling at least 100kg each along a 45km rail trail. Omnium cargo and Karate Monkey with Burley d’lite both accoustic bikes. There were ample charging locations at the end destination and plenty of down hill where pedalling/power would not be needed. Very easy to do the whole trip on a single charge. eBikes would make this type of journey so accessible to a broader range of people who would then bring business to these smaller towns. It has has to be said that eBikes just take the edge off, you still get so much joy from pedalling and achieving.

[@GeekonaBike]

I believe I could if so motivated bikepack on my OG Radpower Cargo bike. with a fresh fully charged battery I had a 120mi range in the lowest power setting which made the 70lb bike ride like a normal MtB. I got this range by turning off the assist for the flat roads & using the regen breaking on any downhills (set the mech brakes quite loose to engage regen with a light touch on the break lever). Loaded for bike packing, w/ a 110v charger & a extra battery I think I could easily do 50 mile day on non'tech single track & 60 to 70 on gravel roads.

[@robertmedlen8289]

I love bikepacking on my analog bikes, an RSD Sergeant and my old TriCross…. I also love moto camping on my dual sport…. E bikes are a cool grey area in between. I bought an old Specialized Pitch for $200 bucks and installed a Bafang BBSHD mid drive and I’m enjoying it… kinda like a lightweight dirt bike. It’s not as rewarding as grinding up a long climb under my own power, but it allows me to see 4x as much in the same window of time, so I find myself using it to explore areas I may hesitate to on my MTB or CX bike. I fondly remember the days when I only had to choose between my BMX bike and my MTB…. Lots of options these days. For reference I’m a 44yr old guy that used to race BMX and ride 2 stroke MX bikes.

[@jonpoon3896]

Met a few when I was bikepacking in New Zealand. Looked like a great setup. They did carry spare batteries

[@cruachan1191]

GCN have done some videos on it too, they took Tern Orox cargo bikes on a trip recently. I think it's a great way to get more people out on bikes, especially families, given the higher cargo capacity. Just means more careful planning of stops to ensure you can charge up.

[@bikebikerides]

I've done a few ebikepacking trips and really enjoy it. Super fun in a different way. Ultimately, these trip are all based on where you can recharge and how far you can go on a full charge. And speaking of charge, the best bikes to look for are models that can let you add a second battery. Can't wait to use my dual battery Surly Skid Loader this summer.

[@darkm4g1c]

I think E-bikes present an enticing replacement for cars. In fact, at some point I plan to stick a conversion kit on an Omnium, once I end up in a more... commuter friendly city. Having said that, my fear is that E-bikes will open up the world of backpacking to a lot of people. Now that last statement sounds suspect, but hear me out. The reality is mountain biking and by extension backpacking is a dangerous sport. The term earn your turns comes to mind, not from a place of self centered gatekeeping, but from a place of... proven experience/endurance. Getting up terrain is a whole different ball of wax than riding down it, and I have personally witnessed people make it up things that they were 100% not prepared to ride down. In addition, bikepacking tends to place people far outside the range of civilization, so if something goes wrong the difference between self assistance and a call to SARS ultimately comes down to your experience, your level of preparedness, and the severity of the situation you end up in. The more accessible this sport is made, the more likely inexperienced, unprepared individuals are likely to get themselves hurt/ killed. If there is a genuine increase to the amount of... E-packers? Then there needs to be a concerted effort to educate them on the do's and dont's of safely traveling in the back country with that type of equipment. I am one to avoid the cynical views of the bike industry for the most part, but I don't feel like the big players would be spearheading this initiative unless a string of bad incidents forced their hand.

[@Hathasolar1]

Portable, stowable lightweight solar panels allow you to get way out there, and recharge from the sun. They do take longer to recharge, but you have a built in excuse to stay in one place. :)

[@kathleenhart707]

I use my Trek Rail 7 eMTB for bikepacking. Around 12 kilo of luggage on a 25 kilo bike. Can get approx 60km range with 1000m of elevation on mixed gravel/rail trail terrain from a 600kwh battery. Camp in dedicated campgrounds with powered sites.

[@Mike-ql4sz]

Can u pls recommend a full suspension belt ebike 4 bike trekking/packaking? Thx.

[@maxmachin4894]

Riese and Muller. You can choose pretty much what you want on them, belt drive, extra battery, full suspension... really high qjality builds but it comes at a price. Also Im talking about EU, no idea if they are elsewhere.

[@stevenbushong9181]

It seems people do not listen when it is explained that Class 1 and Class 3 (in the US) MUST BE PEDALED to advance. It takes work. Most of my e-biking friends (EMTB or e-Gravel) Use minimal or no power assist until it gets really hard. Same on the road and bike lanes. Riding gravel and fire roads like this I can get an easy 80+ miles with my Canondale Topstone Neo. I believe that people should respect the choices of others in the equipment they buy - particularly people who are trying to appreciate the beauty of nature.

[@justinbogart278]

I don't understand why people care so much. If someone wants to go bikepacking on a class 2 and throttle the entire way, that's fine by me as long as theyre having fun.

[@jeremykelm6113]

I routinely Ebike pack. A friend and I will set out on a Trek Allant+ 7s equipped with range boost and a cane creek suspension seat and a Trek Rail 9.7 gen 2. We bring 4 batteries for a total of 1925 wh split between the two bikes. Riding in eco with loaded rigs, we can go without charge for > 100-120 miles even in less than ideal conditions. It’s a fantastic way to make a 4-7 day trip work on a 2-3 day weekend. Also excellent for bridging the athletic gap between more skilled/less skilled cyclists in your group (weaker cyclist on higher assistance). Sleeping overnight somewhere with power is probably necessary every 2nd night, however. Otherwise, charge at restaurants/bike shops in towns en route.

[@theneondino]

Did a mild single overnight e-bikepacking trip a few weeks ago with a friend. It was a riot. I like to pedal and did for most of the trip, but it was nice to be able to throttle if I felt like it. Did about 55 miles, and I was using a bafang BBS02B kit on a 1994 Raleigh MT400.

[@tedbellWRV]

You are on the right track to look at this as a feasible if something more like the European model was followed. Of course the Western US is not Europe, but there are many, many "Jeep" roads out here that would be open to e-assist bike packing. A new category for the U.S.. And like road and city biking has discovered, the e-assist crowd is largely an older demographics that love the outdoors, but can no longer ride hunched over in a super efficient riding position on a lightweight bike with no suspension. Many of us did that for decades, but arthritis and age catches up eventually for most of us. At 67, I had to resort to e-assist a few years ago, and it keeps me riding about 100 miles per week. Even without intermediate huts or hotels , "re-charge" resupply stations would not be that difficult. A $2,000 Ecoflow Delta Pro (or similar power station) with a few residential solar panels could have the capacity to charge a half dozen bikes per day. Cost would be less than $7-10k per station. Charging would take 2-4 hours per battery. A power station like the Delta Pro has enough output to charge several bikes at once. I really hope our recreational land managers modernize their thinking about how our forest and mountain resources are managed and developed to facilitate this potential new category of bikepacking.

[@dennismattai1]

In 2022 rode the Pacific Coast Bike Route on a dual-battery Cannondale Tesoro Neo X1 from Mexico to Canada. Crazy fun and can't wait to do another long journey. Used a Racktime Boxit Large basket with 2 Ortlieb Urban Panniers and that met all my gear needs. Would stop for a long lunch and to recharge daily which would get me about 100 miles with power. Had a handful of challenges charging in remote areas, but got by overall. Looking to put together a solar charging solution that will charge one battery while riding on another. E-bike packing is a great emerging market for everyone period, but it represents a new market for seniors that would have previously disregarded the activity due to physical concerns/limitations.

[@Camp3r]

I still think eBike Packing has too many hurdles to become a thing anytime soon. You'll of course have some outliers who will say they've already been doing it for years, but until it's achievable by a regular joe that only has a long holiday weekend to play with, it's too niche to be a thing companies throw serious money at. On the other hand, eBike Touring is here and ready. It's a different kind of fun, but still has similar elements. You get to sleep outside whenever you want, but maybe it's at a campsite instead of under a random cactus. You get to cook for yourself, or hop into a cool looking brewery you're passing by. You can put down huge miles, or hop from place to place. There is a guy I've been watching that will do 150 miles, and just charge while having lunch. I actually think eBike Touring is a perfect gateway drug to the next level that is Bikepacking.

[@justinbogart278]

That's how I got into packing. Started with escooter touring, then ebike.

[@captain-jonny]

i'm about to (in a couple of months) ride a Velotric Discover across Southern USA with a 48V 691.2 Wh LG battery pack (carrying 1 extra as well) and hub-mounted 500W brushless motor, pulling a train of 2 bike carts - one with suspension for the heavier stuff and a lighter one behind it hauling light camping gear, then probably a set of pannier style packs in the rear... Pretty confident in the bike's power-train for this purpose - max load rated at 450 pounds! I get at least 70 miles over mostly flat terrain in speed-2 (eco) with active pedaling, at 11.8 mph (19 kph) on one charge. It's pretty badass. Anyway I'm an older rider just getting back in shape for the long ride, riding 20 to 40 miles per day at this point. Pretty excited. Yeah - America is so behind the curve facilitating eco-friendly transportation/routes/modes etc... Florida has been a nightmare with everyone seemingly driving the most energy-hog vehicles they can buy or build or refit - and a lot of weird road-rage issues on narrow roads without bike lanes where big pickups like to fly past me with inches to spare then look in rear view mirror to see if they ran me off the road! I've taken to just getting off the road when I see them coming!

[@Lawnboy306]

I used an Orbea Wild FS with a 625w battery and the Aeroe bikepack set up, 32lbs of gear, 252lb rider through cypress hills Saskatchewan/alberta . The wide tires and full sis had me bombing down hills and climbs where an absolute joy. I hit 72 km/hr with a fully loaded bike on the reesor lake hill, WAY to fast but I was blown away at the amount of control I still had. I think it’s absolutely Ana amazing way to do it, but you def need to know your range, range anxiety between charge points is HUGE, so much more planning. As well, consumables, chains and cassettes are the two things I’ve eaten up the most. A lot more can go wrong, but when everything goes right, it is an absolute BLaST.

[@williamramey1959]

I use my Riese & Muller SuperCharger2 pedal-assist and dual 650w battery e-bike for extended tours with belt drive + Rohloff. Yes, planning is important where to recharge and I mostly ride on roads. With a loaded touring bike and contributing to at least 50% of effort, my range is generally 100 miles. I am 71 years old and thoroughly enjoy my pedal-assist ebike, for I can put in as much effort as I can to keep physically fit.

[@egalegal2058]

I used to be a bike tourer. I did San Francisco to Chicago and many tours in Europe. As work and family life evolved I had no time left and became only a commuter. Three years ago I got an e-bike to be able to continue to live carfree. With that I could use the small time windows in daily life to get out there again. I started to do overnighters again and changed the road for trails and forest roads. But just as Neil I prefer to sleep under the stars and so with the e-bike extended trips are not possible. As family and work will offer me growing windows of free time I will buy a conventional bikepacking bike soon. So the e-bike kept me carfree and through it I regained the interest and time in bike travel. And one thing for Europe: if you are willing to do so, you can sleep on developed campgrounds every night and recharge the battery.

[@Timbodacious]

buy 5 extra batteries and a single track trailer for your bike. ride as far as you like and charge at a restaurant or grocery store or gas station.

[@egalegal2058]

@@Timbodacious Haha . With that price, weight and trailer drag I think I’m better off just buying a used non electric hardtail or touring bike…

[@elliotwilliams7421]

Where I live Scotland, a few Bosch charging points have been installed with plans for more. I'm all for it

[@br5380]

Quite a few videos on KZbin of 'older' riders ebikepacking across Scotland, guess they just carry a charger.

[@elliotwilliams7421]

@@br5380 potentially, you'll easily find somewhere here to get charged I'm sure if needed. Ebike chargers should be integrated with electric car chargers.

[@soloist777]

A couple of years ago, due to a medical condition, at the age of 60, I had really no choice but to hang up my conventional bikes, including my 2 hardtail 29ers I was using for my bikepacking adventures, and go to an ebike. I planned on continuing with multi-day bikepacking adventures and fortunately my bags also fitted my mtb 29er ebike. Obviously there are some extra considerations with bikepacking with an ebike with number 1 being - having a power source wherever u stay overnight to recharge. For me, it just now means a bit more planning ahead. The versatility or freedom of wild camping is no longer an option but instead either camp overnight in camp grounds with power or book an Air BNB. The main thing for me is my wife and I can still enjoy our bikepacking adventures.

[@juddstewart8535]

thanks for the video! I recently bought my first ebike, but I have been bike packing for years on my trusty v1 fargo. my new specialized turbo tero 5.0 is a fantastic do anything style machine- hardtail with 110mm fork. the specialized has a 710 watt/hour battery which is good for 25-85 miles, depending on conditions and power level. I have yet to try a bike packing trip with it, but I believe the bike would be a good option for shorter projects. I routinely haul all sorts of stuff with the bike; super fun to rally up the big hills with 30 lbs of gear (beer mostly) !

[@Huneidu]

I pre-ordered the Tern Orox R14 with three spare 800wh batteries to go with it. Plus 200 litters worth of panniers and 29" 2.6 wide tyres. All-in-all, it should have good range, carrying capacity, and terrain handling.

[@threeohm]

People tour on motorcycles so there is no reason people won't tour on e-bikes. They'll have to deal with the logistics around charging, but one guy I ran into hauls a generator and gas with him so he can charge his e-bike overnight in camp.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

wow, that's dedication.

[@Timbodacious]

haha i did the math on that type of setup for a long trip but its better to just bring like 5 extra batteries and ditch the weight of the generator.

[@justinbogart278]

Seems easier to just ride a 49cc bike at that point?

[@Timbodacious]

@@justinbogart278 only if you want the motor noise and carb and spark plug problems. pick your poison haha.

[@firehazard1792]

@@Timbodacious Motor noise? Absolutely, but I would rather motor noise while I am riding than to charge my batteries while I am trying to sleep at night. Carb problems? Even a basic Honda Metropolitan ($2,600) has fuel injection (and therefore no carbs) and has had it for years. Spark problems? This isn't 1969 anymore. Any fuel-injected water-cooled motor is going to have minimal plug fouling. More likely you will have to worry about electrode wear. An issue measured in years and tens of thousands of miles when touring. An issue solved with a $15 spark plug. I personally will continue to tour on my bicycle, but touring on a modern motorcycle is an honestly reliable (and even affordable) proposition.

[@jeffdible8171]

I'm thinking the Tern Orox is setting a new standard. Waiting for widespread release, but with wheel/tire changes its running the gambit.

[@MikeWasley-r6f]

Getting below 12km/h ( 7.5 mph) i find my sweat doesn`t dry and cool me down riding up hill. E-biking in warm weather has changed my life in how I enjoy getting out far. I have a cyclecross bike which i rig up for touring (rear paniers). I am at the crossroads for deciding what to do for a better touring bike , as the Cyclecross gear ratio is quite limited when paniers are loaded , and so steep fire trails have to be walked. With fat tyres there is no need for rear suspension ( maybe a redhshift spring seat post will help and lower pressure in the fat tyres). Descending fast is not necessary so I am thinking of rigging an old fashion generator to flick onto the back rim while descending , which can charge up phone and headtorch. Maybe rig a little solar panel on the back panier rack at the rear. I`m not deluding myself to thinking any solar panel will ever charge the bike battery enough to justify bringing one along , sitting around all day, but photography nuts might have a different perspective to me on that. I`m very excited to see how things develop. 700mm diameter wheels ( 27.5') would be best, front shocks, minimal range, with a flexing head set I reckon too.

[@jeremyhershberger3012]

I have done some e-bikepacking in China and it worked great in the area where I was traveling. It is important to understand the charging infrastructure along your route. Though I prefer acoustic bikepacking, e-bikepacking allows increases accessibility for people who are unable to grind out the miles on an acoustic bike.

[@raduturcanu8393]

If you have an older e-bike with external battery, like the Bosch PowerPack 500Wh, it's easier to switch batteries. So you can put panniers and carry 2 extra batteries that will give you a lot of extra range. You'll have to charge eventually but you get more flexibility. But I have to admit, here in Europe, it's way cheaper to get an used older Cube Reaction Hybrid with external batteries, buy 2-3 used extra batteries for 100 euro each and do your thing, at least that's what I've chosen, it made sense for me.

[@b.griffin317]

Should be noted that the Confluence's MAHLE X35 system has much longer range than Bosche in spite of having a smaller battery because it is designed to only occasionally and selectively give assistance according to how it is programed. In my case I find I can easily get 150 miles (200 if you flat the battery which you really shouldn't do) between needing to charge if set properly. The MAHLE system only adds about 10lbs / 4kg to the over all weight (plus ~18oz/500g for the charger) of the bike, which while real is a not a massive weight penalty given the usefulness of the system.

[@Eric-yc1qj]

I,m riding a e fatbike with a bafang middrive and a 900wh battery. Thinking buying an extra battery for +200km trips with my dog 🐕

[@Timbodacious]

nice im rocking the bafang ultra mid drive. going to get a nice granny gear setup going to i can climb up hills like im going down hills haha

[@ColbyRidesBikes]

There was no mention of the Surly Skid Loader in the write-up. I got one for a daily commuter, but I was surprised how well equipped it is for bikebacking. It has bottle mounts for days, 100 lb capacity on it's rear rack, and is only 10 cm longer than a Surly Karate Monkey, so it handles just like a normal bike. If nothing else, it's perfect for people doing trail maintenance.

[@RatikusuCh]

I just saw this and for those who use cargo e-bikes, you can go completely off the grid in good weather with a folding solar panel and a power station like a jackery and such. I plan to explore these options in the near-future.

[@SonnyDarvish]

I have a light motor assist e-gravel bike, a spare battery, a solar panel and solar charger. I have the freedom at hand, only have to start giving it a try :)

[@justinbogart278]

Do you pull a trailer?

[@MarkHayden-h8h]

It may not be a thing but it is my thing. It took me from a commuter in London to happily riding London to Napoli and doing lots of hilly bits. Recharge like re supply is half the fun of planning. In remote areas I charge alternate days or daily depending on towns with a café and do it then. I ride either a trek EMTB FS with 625wh or a reisse muller super delite with 1125 wh and a rolhoff/belt setup. With this I can easily do 300km on the flat with decent exertion or 100km in very steep adverse terrain. I don’t fly anymore so will head home to Australia by e-bike packing. As I said it’s my thing and to be inclusive should be a part of yours. Oh and only ever 250w 25km max. What’s the point of anything else that’s just an electric motorbike.

[@wandererstraining]

eBikepacking is something I've been considering. Currently, I have a DIY ebike with a mid-drive and 1820 Wh worth of batteries. Traveling at 25-30 km/h with a mix of leg power and pedal assist, I use around 8 Wh/km. I'm using a parallel module to get my power from two separate batteries, which can also be charged in parallel, halving my charging time. I could easily get a 2nd parallel module, place a 3rd battery on my rear rack, and get a 350-400 km range. The question eventually becomes one of logistics and of technology. Perhaps it could be feasible to use solar power to recharge, even on the fly. I suspect that if I wanted to do something like that, I should build myself a new bike however, using batteries that work well with the output of solar panels and a motor that works well with the batteries. I might also have to choose my frame very wisely. Right now I'm using a steel frame hardtail. I could probably modify such a steel frame to accommodate a solar panel on the back, or perhaps smaller panels on the back and front for better balance and to keep the bike somewhat nimble. This is definitely not something that works off the shelf, and it requires a certain amount of building skills and research. But I think that it's doable.

[@jonathanrhodes8200]

I own 1 ebike, and it is used for commuting to and from work, and large grocery getting. I live in the UK, and find the predictability when it comes to journey time really useful to have the electric assist (headwind are much less significant). It has replaced my car for the majority of inter-urban travel. . And in stop start traffic it is really quite something to be able to accelerate as fast as a roadbike to 15mph whilst putting out a much less and smoother effort, on 50mm tyres to boot! However, for my bikepacking, sport cycling and touring needs, I will still use a regular bike, since I don't care how fast, but rather how far I can travel that way, and battery power only goes so far. I will probably change my mind come my later years, but for now I shall enjoy electric commuting, and analogue adventure.

[@flightographist]

Not addressed: an e-bike pedals just like a trad bike, provided you don't choose a moped style or a fat tire tank. I am a month in testing an emtb style 500 w rear hub with a 13 ah battery (1-8 drivetrain). I can easily pedal at 20 kph without the motor and do it for 50 or 60 klicks with a 30 lbs kit on the rear rack, camera gear on my back and the bike weight (70lbs). Add in the pedal assist and add another 60 or 70 klicks to that distance- a very respectable daily distance.

[@susan53226]

I won an ebike in a raffle and ride it on roads in Juneau, AK. I can dial down the assist and turn the motor off to freewheel on downhills, to make the battery last on longer rides. Yet, if I misjudge or take an extra side trip, then I’m peddling a super heavy bike back up hill to get home. The weight is also a factor to consider if trying to load the bike into a vehicle.

[@RideShagbark]

Already doing it for sub24 or weekend outings. What most people seem to forget, you don't need to use the power all the time. Only turn it on for the big climbs. Lasts a long time that way. Disappointed that the Tributary is going to be a Class 3, keeps it off too many of the trails I was hoping to ride with it. They literally made my dream eGravel/Adv bike, then made if off limits.

[@markprior3106]

Been doing this for several years with a custom build and off road kids trailer. The key for me is the Grin Satiator solid-state charger that charge a 52v battery at 8amps, which allows for fast mid-day charging.

[@supersonixstudio1]

I've cycled many long tours full mech, but just converted my touring bike with a Bafang mid drive as I'm simply not able to get fit enough in the time I have available, I'm in the UK, 50 years old, work in my studio every day (self employed) yet love LONG bike rides! So this has meant I can travel far more distance in the short time I can take away from work. I've now got 3 x 15Ah batteries and am taking on the NC500 (500 miles around the very hilly Scottish Highlands) in 6 days later this month for charity ;-)

[@gillesdavid7978]

I’ve been using my Riese & Müller Supercharger 2 now for more than as year. I use it for my daily commute. I also like to do long tours. It has 2x 625w Bosch powertubes and I bought an extra battery . I’ve been wanting to do the road to Compostella in Spain which I’ll be doing this summer. I did a dry run from Belgium to Paris and yes I sleep B&B where I can charge my batteries. My range is 190km with the 3 batteries with a mixture of riding in eco and tour-mode. So yes I’m a huge fan of E-bike backpacking…

[@matehorvath4710]

Think the best use case and target audience for dropbar ebikes is young(ish) parents. Towing a trailer with an acoustic bike on anything but pancake flat terrain is not a real option. I opted for the Rose Backroad plus with a shimano ep8 motor, so far so good. Range is about 50km with a trailer, double that if you aren’t towing kids. The big upside is the torque with this particular motor, the downside is the relatively low capacity built in battery, and to my knowledge no option to add a range extender. Planning some 2-3 day camping trip this summer, ebike charging is so widespread at grocery stores, beaches, etc that range anxiety should be a non issue.

[@kevinfeeney5309]

I don't think it's feasible for true off grid adventures. I can see them being used in the situations you mentioned...like if you're credit card/hotel touring or camping at actual campsites that have electrical hook ups.

[@Timbodacious]

it's easy you just buy a single track trailer and like 4 extra batteries and charge up every few days when you hit a town for a few hours.

[@kevinfeeney5309]

@Timbodacious just seems you'd burn through the battery levels lugging all the extra batteries.

[@YTownFats]

You also missed the specialized Tero what I believe is made for bike packing

[@Timbodacious]

i'm doing the pan american trail next year or the year after on an ebike with a side quest into the great divide trail. its doable you just need a single track trailer and about 5 extra batteries to bring with you. Not doing it because im lazy but i've got health problems so I run out of energy fast but still want to bike the route.

[@twissmueller]

I like to have both options. When I want to have pedal-assist I attach the battery and use the rear-tire with hub-motor. If I want to ride without any assistance I remove the battery and replace the rear tire with a tire with a normal hub. The cables stay in place and it’s a matter of minutes to convert my bike. I use a Pinion gear box. The biggest advantage of my Neodrive hub motor is that it is completely quiet. I don’t like the sound of mid-drives while cycling through nature. For me that takes all the fun away.

[@obfuscurity]

I have a Surly Bridge Club with a CYC Photon mid-drive conversion and it's a wonderful e-bikepacking/touring rig. I'm not sure if the off-the-shelf ebikes support this, but the aftermarket motors from Bafang, CYC, etc will let you create custom power levels to your choosing. Case in point, I regularly stay in "level 1" set to 150W max assist, which gives me enough assist to flatten out the hills, while yielding far more range than a stock configuration.

[@ronneher6327]

For my ebike setup (Mahle X20 with iX350 battery) - Use power mode one to come up to speed and then to zero - Use power modes as needed to manage effort / speed - If riding with non e-assistance riders I use 8% of my battery per 40 miles with 1,200 feet of climbing

[@TimR123]

I'm glad this triggered y'all to start covering the ebike options. I haven't (yet) joined the 'dark side' but have to admit I'm considering it more of a when then an if question. Then comes the questions that tie to bikebacking usage (longer distances without power) vs normal gravel day trips or MTB rides. And how much crossover is there. I'd really like to see evaluations that include time spent with dead batteries. It is so rarely mentioned in other reviews. But for a bikepacking crowd, I'd say that it is inevitable that one would have to do it sometimes. One that has no drag and just 20lb of weight isn't really a big deal. But one that drags.. ugh.

[@kristidubois8400]

My husband and I just bought a couple of Bike Friday All-Packas with front hub motors. I have arthritis in my knees, and can no longer ride up hills, especially with a load. These little helper motors are a game changer for me. We only plan on day trips right now, but I have wondered if the batteries could be charged with small, flexible solar panels.

[@douggroves908]

I need to know what that trailer is at 4:29 - looks like a mashup oflike the Coho or ey Travoy and a mono-wheel trailer. Looks like the perfect platform for me.

[@pedalingnowhere]

Frances: bikepacking.com/gear/frances-cycles-farfarer-review/

[@Zuckerpuppekopf]

I like the bikes you mention for e-touring with the one exception: range. That's probably because I usually do longer tours, as I have several TransAms under my belt. Interesting that you consider bikepacking to be mostly on trails, as I mostly tour on roads. All off road experiences with biking always struck me as being very unpleasurable, - always worrying about a bent rim or cracked dropout being one rock drop away. The last thing one wants is to be stuck with a bike you can't repair off road.

[@ryankennard6626]

I have a mid-drive eMTB cargo bike (Yuba Spicy Curry AT) for my daily commute and kid hauler. As a bikepacker, I have been thinking about the day my 8-year-old wants to bikepack. Having the eMTB cargo bike to haul her gear (and likely her, when tired) would be appealing. I have two Bosch batteries and could pedal 55-80 miles, based on power setting.

[@trailingupwards]

I tried ebike packing with a Cannondale Neo topstone carbon lefty. It was just too heavy, could not accommodate wider tires, and only had 30mm of squish up front. I ended up returning it.

[@peterbedford2610]

More bikes will, hopefully, lead to better biking infrastructure.. Bring it!!!

[@jmfgardner]

I would give the Creo 2 more of a look. It has gravel geometry and can be ridden without the motor on. But it's there when you really want it.

[@martinschwartz7342]

Riese and Muller makes some of their models with dual batteries. They make high quality bikes but their dealership network in the US is very limited.

[@smokcamp820]

I have seen videos of people bikepacking with riese and Muller bikes, they seem to have a great range and quality build with bikepacking in mind. Rail trails and canal paths are an excellent way to utilize an E bike for distances as there are usually towns and campgrounds along the way for charging.

[@Zuckerpuppekopf]

It already is a thing. The problem is the bike manufacturers aren't building the bikes quite right for touring, so there's a lot of DIY hacks out in the wild to make it work. These are the features I see as necessary for effective and enjoyable e-bike touring: (1) Bike frames and wheels designed for e-touring. Right now, the tires are way too fat, knobby, and have unnecessarily high rotational moments of inertia. Lighter frames and wheels, and more puncture resistant tires specifically made for 99% road touring are necessary. Quick release axles are important also to help deal with flats, however the extra carrying capacity with e-bikes could allow bringing more tools on trips. Every e-bike I have ended up with inevitably has 4 in knobby tires...and they inevitably get flat more often than thinner tires. Even products like FlatOut don't seem to help much. And worse, it take 1/2 hour to get the wheels off because you can't flip the bike without damaging an electronic screen, and you have to hand torque everything since there's no quick release. And for some reason, patching never seems to be enough for these fat tires, tubes have to be replaced...maybe it's just inferior Chinese rubber, I don't know. (2) Higher ranges on e-bikes for touring. To minimize wear on the battery, you need to recharge them before complete exhaustion, so the ranges should be up at least around 150 to 200 miles since 120 mile days could easily be possible on e-bikes since they ride faster than regular bikes. The range might need to be higher if a lot of hill climbs are expected. (a) Consequently, to maximize charging options, many e-tourists are buying the J1772 Type1 Socket to NEMA 5-15/5-20 adapter to allow charging from EV charging stations, however my own observation is that most charging stations would likely be in shopping centers or near where there's a Starbucks or other eatery you can plug in for free whilst sipping coffee or eating a meal. There are a few situations however where an EV charger may be the only thing around for miles. There's no fast charging from an EV charger for an e-bike, so it's like plugging in anywhere. (b) Solar recharging is not that useful unless you have unlimited time to tour as it will usually take a day or two of charging per battery. And if you look at the weight, it's more effective just to bring another battery. A solar panel with charge regulator is going to weigh about 7 to 10 pounds, while an extra battery will weigh 15-20 pounds. If you need to get somewhere before dark, you need a spare battery to be sure. A solar panel won't cut it. (c) Bringing extra batteries. This seems to be the easiest way right now to extend e-bike range for ordinary touring expectations. In some places in the world, even the US, there may not be a place to charge for over 80 miles, so range extension is absolutely necessary. (3) Better panniers. Although bike trailers have long been popular, I personally don't like these as they double the size of your bike's footprint, and frankly, it gets in the way when pulling up to a crowded bike rack. The trailer also may encourage you to pack more things as well, increasing your weight and dramatically shortening the life of the batteries. For touring I only need one pannier set that does it all: one backpack converting to two panniers which can help distribute weight evenly across a rear bike rack. I personally don't want to leave anything on a bike which can be easily stolen, hence my aversion to trailers (unless they have a lockable cab), or panniers that can't be easily carried with one's person.

[@Bunny-Power]

Doing eBike packing and touring for over 12 years now. Only Ebikes with the Bosch though. And even though I still have 7 eBikes with the Bosch (three of them with the Rohloff E14) I am already eyeballing the Tern Orox 😂

[@pleopod]

Can definitely see this in my future, as my health isn’t holding up that well. E-bikes are very popular here in New Zealand on cycle trails where you can charge every night. They’ve allowed my wife to keep up with myself and my son and we’ve had some great family trips. However, the owner of a local hotel where we stayed did report that they regularly had to helicopter out injured older poeple who were not experienced cyclists and would not have been on the trail without an e-bike. They would stray into deep gravel and crash. I also think there’s a legitimate concern if it becomes very easy for anyone to get into the backcountry.

[@alessandroquagliolo547]

I live in Italy and did a lot of long distance trip with my e-mtb (scott with two batteries). My dream is to ride accross Africa with an e-mtb. The recharging of tha batteries is the problem... and up to now, for what I know, the solar panel option is not good enough. Another major problem is that e-bikes are not allowed on planes and this means that you can only organize your e-bike bikepacking trips around home or where you can drive to (or take a train to taking a train with an e-bike fully loaded is not that simple)