eBike Curious

Back in 2021, A. and I were bicycle touring around Vermont, laboring up steep hills on loaded touring bikes in order to get to the next brewery and take a break. As we pedaled and sweated in the stifling summer heat, smarter locals would spin by us on ebikes. We joked that we were old farts on penny farthings. One night, at dinner, a gentleman admired our bikes and I asked if he rode too. Yes, he said, but he wished that his wife would ride with him. “Get her an ebike,” I helpfully offered. He scoffed at the idea. Oh well. At least we’re not THAT old.

Earlier this Spring, we found ourselves once again chugging our way up cruelly-steep hills, this time in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains. We don’t pack particularly light, but we don’t pack many luxuries either. But we do have camping gear, including a camp kitchen, and this trip required carrying several days of camp food in order to avoid day after day of gas station cuisine. And I have camera gear – easily another 3-4 lbs.

I don’t remember what gravelly, 18% ascent we were on when the idea of touring on ebikes floated into our heads. It would certainly help with the climbing, of course, but it would also add a layer of charging complexity to the day-to-day logistics.

Which leads us to my next bike project – an ebike. The old Gary Fisher Hoo Kee e Koo mountain bike that I just finished last summer is going to be transmogrified again. We thought about buying an ebike, and found many temping ones (like the Ride1Up Roadster V3), but my frugal side won, and I’ve bought the pieces to DIY the Hoo Koo, a Toseven DM-02 mid-drive motor and an ebike battery. The hope is that I’ll get smarter about ebikes by building one and be smarter about their purchase and repair if we buy one to tour with. And it’s already started – I already learned what a Hailong battery is. I’m still baffled by all the types and whatnot, but I’m that much more knowledgeable about things.

The idea is to build it and maybe try it on a trip or two and see how assisted climbing and charging logistics change the vibe. Will it make finding campgrounds with charging more difficult? Will range anxiety be a bummer? Will the assist of the hills be a drug? We’ll bring one e-bike and one “non-e” bike, put all the heavy stuff on the e-bike, and see how it goes.

So come along as I try to build an ebike!