Dude, I’ve been thinking of doing this from San Diego, CA to Vancouver, WA… I hunt so the E-Bike would be a 1000w AWD w/ duel motors, trailer, 10amp Charger, 3 extra batteries, small tent for when I hit NorCal, OR and so forth… this is cool!
This video is making me homesick seeing that country footage. I'm living in upper Michigan now but I used to live in Mt carroll and went to savanna alot.. had to like this video..👍
Your channel is my favorite. I am retired and can’t really find anyone to bike with. Wish I could give you a month’s worth of my vacation so you could just take off and go. Your videos are inspiring.
This is the first e-bike touring video I have seen.....I like it. You really covered some ground. Looks like a good way to go. Good job with the design and integration of the system onto your bicycle.
4/18/22: Impressive that you built your own E-bike. You even constructed a high capacity battery for a Xcountry trip. Since your contraption is holding up well (watched thru Day 6 so far), you obviously know what you are doing and are a fine craftsman. Videos are of good quality too. DB
@@bikingbrian Did you ever do a build log for your bike? You're a larger rider it looks like and you put together something holding up quite well, I'm interested.
@Folsomdsf2 no build log but I have some videos I am putting out about the build. It’s an old 1993 trek mountain bike that I had since it was new and just added a bafang bbs02 mid drive motor and built from there. It’s my own custom 52v 50ah battery.
Great job with this video! I’m a life long cyclist. I was a Category 3 bike racer until my early 30’s, and an ultramarathon bicyclist until my early 50’s. I’m now 67 with congestive heart failure, but you’ve inspired me. I might give this a try.
@@bikingbrian I’m from Omaha. When I was a 27 year old bike racer I once rode from Ogallala to Omaha just under 22 hours. In my head I sometimes still think I’m that guy 🤣
I bought a lectric bike this past summer, help me a lot had a right hip replacement last November, I use access a lot, from Missouri with Katy trail and a new Rock island state park going be developed another 144 miles .
Thanks for watching, very nice! I just did a couple days on the Katy trail last month. I want to get out there and do the whole thing. Will be nice if it gets extended another 144 miles.
On a non ebike, 55 miles is a bit low in summer which I assume is when you go. You got more than 12 hours of daylight, 55 miles being maybe 5 hours cycling.
I would argue that there are too many variables to call out a low mileage, but ride your ride. E-bike or not. I typically base my mileage on amenities and terrain and enjoying the sites and smells but everyone is different.
Just found this!! First day video was great looking forward to them all! Used to do tours haven't forseveral years now but would like to get back into it.. Thanks for sharing with us!!!!
This is great; thanks for sharing. Love that old very personal bike -- wouldn't give it up for today's $13,000 e-bike! Love that thumb shifter! Love those handlebars!
What a surprise to see that you camped in my hometown the first night! Hope you enjoyed your stay. As you noted, the humidity can be oppressive in July. Can’t wait to see how the rest of your trip goes.
I'm a very old man who is still resisting the electric revolution. Fine business, yours, making the trip. I've pedaled the Rockies in years past, but probably never make the Mississippi. Press on, my friend. I'm 85. Got old, but never grew up. :-)
I'm watching this in May 2022. It was on my feed because I'm interested in Ebikes. Very good start with the map over view. I'll have to look at your other videos to see more about the build process.
Thanks for the vlog. I have been talking about doing an ebike tour. Every little town has a city park and they all seem to have an electric out let at the shelter house. And most small towns are 7-10 miles apart so finding electracy does not seem to be a problem. I like your laid back style. You don't put on your racing kit to tour. And you don't have to be a macho honcho 25 year old to ride a bike cross country,. The ebike opens up a way for older bikers to keep on bike touring.
Thank you for watching. I had been wanting to do it for a while just had to figure out a way to fast charge and a larger capacity so I could put down some mileage and not have to stop all the time. And you are right about towns for charging especially in more populated areas. I prefer the laid back approach I find it more enjoyable.
Just watched all 10 videos before getting out of bed this morning. Loved the series. I use the same motor and would like to see you make a video on how you built the extended battery and also a bit on your camping equipment.
I'm SO HAPPY I found your channel, I used to live in Island lake for years, but moved to Reno in 2006. I just bought a Fiido T1 for the same idea, there's so much beauty here in Nevada I couldn't think of a better way to see it! 💯👍 I actually just sold my car too, I never make a trip more than 15 miles both ways, & with gas being $5.20 here, I said; "NOPE" they aren't tearing through my hard earned money anymore, I'm petrol free now, & believe me, I would've never thought I'd give up driving for a BICYCLE, but here we are...... 😂
That sucks. On their site it does say they are allowed but 45lbs weight limit for any bike. Amtrak is so inconsistent in their procedures and policies. Each person will likely give a different answer. Half the time I have to tell them what the policy is. Not just with e-bikes but bikes in general.
Thankyou for sharing!!! I found you because I was thinking of doing this from Florida, my goal is to photograph along the way, I don’t know much about e bikes, hopefully I learn more about your charging system!
Looking forward to seeing how the e-Bike works out for you, so far so good. Great video as always. Thanks for the videos over the years, it is because of people like you that we have started bike touring more seriously and did 3 tours last year and looking forward to more in 2022. Still using the human assist bikes but know that we will have to switch in the future as we get older.
This video has a great technical overview of range capability. But, you have figured out the technical solution relative to your bike, and you should share much more about your brilliance in solving for your range "ambitions". Not sure if there is a buried treasure of technical discussion in the other 12 parts of this series.
Loving this, thank you for this. Please let us know what kind of benefit we'd gain my touring with an eBike. That's my main question, but I MUST be a witness to the most outstanding Arkel bags! I have many Arkel bags, and they have all proved to be bullet-proof. I'm all about Arkel for sure.
Don’t know you’d gain anything from ebike touring other than doing a different type of touring being able to cover more mileage. It could also be used in a disability situation, etc.
Thanks Brian! Very entertaining. Your production values are great! I live far away from you so it's very interesting for me to travel along with you even if only virtually. I especially liked the 'Relive' content as it really helps visualise your route.
Awesome idea for an e-bike touring adventure, Brian. I really enjoyed this video, but also have some questions about your e-bike set-up. Perhaps for one of your post-adventure vids you can share some of this info with your inquiring viewers? My wife is interested in an e-bike, but those with good range are quite pricey, so we're interested in alternatives. Happy Holidays to you and your family and stay safe out there on the roads, Brian!
Thanks for watching! That sounds like a good idea. Yeah pretty much the longer the distance = more $$ for more batteries. I actually used the 21700 Tesla cells instead of the typical 18650's as they had a higher capacity/volume ratio. Happy Holidays to you and your family too. Thanks!
At age 62, I finally purchased my first e-bike last week. In 4 days I've gone 56 miles with it. So, I guess I'm hooked on them. Found this video last night, and ended up watching the first 9 videos before calling it a night. What an awesome trip you've got going on. I'll finish the rest of the series today when you head towards Ft. Collins. Curious if there's a way to map things out for rides like this that are bike friendly routes. For example, Rt. 30 goes through Lancaster PA where I live. There is an area that is 4 lane highway, which you wouldn't be able to ride on. However, you've already given me an idea of taking Rt. 30 to Gettysburg and maybe even out to Pittsburgh this summer. Thanks for the video!!
Awesome! They are addicting aren’t they. I use the ridewithgps website for planning routes. . You can view heat maps from previous people who cycled as well as bike routes. Really handy for planning the best route. I also use the google street view if available to see if there is a shoulder, etc.
@@bikingbrian Thank you for taking the time to reply. Thanks for the information. I'm definitely hooked on my eBike - just hit 103 miles on it in 10 days of owning it. I think I'm going to add another battery and use the controller that sells for about $59 and I'd like to do some overnight bike rides if my wife doesn't mind :) Take care and enjoying all your videos of your trips.
I'm 65 and just got one. I have been checking out the bike hiking videos in PNW & Oregon Outback videos for a couple years. I'm only using about 100 or 150 watts peddle assist most of the time. I am fit enough for about 40 miles a day without power. I am very excited to find how much more range I can shoot for on some overnight camping trips this summer. Very nice of you going the extra mile, putting all the work into recording your adventures.
Wish I had my childhood bike back. It was a 10 speed. If I had I would convert it into a ebike even though I have a ebike already. Things like that hold a lot more sintamental value because both my parents are Dead. Good luck on all your adventures and God bless.
I enjoyed watching this video that has so much in common, I used to live in Crystal Lake, I live in Is Savanna Illinois, I go to Denver on the bike and run the Amtrak Back myself, Sometimes I take the Amtrak out West To Flagstaff With the bike and ride all over
@@bikingbrian Yeah I would recommend it when you get off in Flagstaff you're at 7000' altitude, And you can go South a 150 miles to Phoenix and we'll be at 2000', Take route 89A South through the world's largest pine forest To Sedona ,Some of the best scenery in the country.
Just found your channel. Love the video. I am just getting into eBikes which has proven to be a great addition to my camping and overlanding. Looking forward to watching more.
I have a BBS02, but i could use a better battery. When i finally get one, i might reprogram the controller to be a power sipper and just use it as a pedal assist ebike for long tours. This inspired me🙂
Close to 11.000km, crossing 7 different states, 2 countries, 22days 12hours non stop or 2-3 months with sleeping, brake etc. Going as much as 11 thousands feet above sea level twice. Taking 2 ferry boats. Leaving from my town (quebec) to British Colombia with my Ebike. I can’t wait to do it!
I have a aventon level 2. Honestly I stopped riding it. I'm 36 and got it for commuting back and forth to work but went back to gravel bike for commuting. The health benefits are worth it Alone. But whatever gets ya out there!
I sometimes feel guilty riding the ebike. But usually it’s when I would drive instead or not even go out. I still like riding my regular “acoustic” bike thought and that will never go away.
Really liked the part where you trace your route with the satellite view. I would like to see more information on trip planning and gear that you carry on your trips. That is, it would be great if you give more attention to the journey rather than just reaching your destination. Thumbs up.
Excellent videos very impressed with the mileage you are tackling on a day by day basis. A normal cycle and motorbike tourer at the moment but it seems I I can combine my two hobbies. Subscribed
@@jimgarrity2048 not quite you still have to pedal with these at minimal assist if you want to get any range it gives you a totally different experience. I still love touring the very remote places with the motorbike and always will but electric bikes are coming of age and allow for longer distances.
Where do you find all these campgrounds and plan the logistics where to charge and where to stay? I also live near Illinois and might do the same trip . Please write about this. Thank you
I use ridewithgps to lay out my general route. After that I check mileage during each day and adjust the tour based on amenities. Google satellite and street view help a lot. Often times I will look in city parks for spread out parking spaces which often indicate campsites that might not be online or listed. Charging is based on what I see. I start looking early and don’t pass anything up after 50 miles in just for extra insurance.
@@bikingbrian Interesting. Do you mean you look at Google satellite and street view before you go? I think I would be nervous if I didn't have these sites pretty well planned before I left.
Just found your channel and ebike tour playlist while researching the concept of a touring ebikes for my wife.... curious if you have a a video/playlist discussing how you built out the ebike. Thanks for the videos
How were you able to get your charge rate up to 15 amps? My ebike charge rate is only 2 amps so it takes hours and hours to charge it and it's only 48V 14ah and 672wh.
I bought a 15a 52v charger online, but it’s only safe to do with a larger battery pack. It was one of the reasons I also went with a larger capacity battery so it could handle the higher load of faster charging. You will want to research calculating the C rating of a battery. You can then find out what would be safe for charging.
I'm into the gas power 2 stroke small engines. I'm making a bike for cross country. E-bike has its advantages and disadvantages and so does the gas bicycle. If the e-bike breaks down I don't know that much about electrical stuff I'm more mechanical so the gas bike is right up my alley. I love your journey when I get ready to make mine maybe you can go with me. Cuz I'm looking for someone to do a journey with me. I live in Rockford Illinois. We can compare the two different bicycles and let veiwers know all the pros and cons on both types.
HI. Are you using pedal assist or just riding on the battery. Also , did you build the ebike motor or what company did you use to purchase the motor? Thanks
Wow, what an impressive e-bike setup and ambitious tour! I'm curious about the details of your custom battery pack and charging system. A 50Ah battery at 52V is huge - how did you manage to fit that on the bike? And a 15A charger is seriously fast. I'd love to see a detailed video on your e-bike build process, battery construction, and all the components you used. The range you're getting is incredible. As someone looking to get into e-bike touring, this is really inspiring. Keep up the great work and safe travels!
Looks like a great trip. Where can I find more info on your E-bike build? Love to also here about how far you can go in a day, how much do you pedal to motor usage, max speed, motor wattage, tools you carry, repairs made along the way and any other specs you can share. Have fun out there.
Very impressive. Could you post your components on the description? Also if you would have done anything different. I’m thinking of linking two 48 volts (32ah total) and 2 2-amp chargers but your 50ah and 15amp charger is another level 👍👍
Really love watching your videos. Thanks you. You have great aventures and information to share for Bike Touring. Will you be making a video on your E bike conversion?
I’ve fished under that bridge multiple times but never drove over it. Interesting to see. I’ve fished by the Sabula campground too. Awesome looking campground. Hopefully the pizza place wasn’t mannys. Been there a few times and never had a good experience
Very cool! Thanks for watching. I did eat at Manny's and the pizza was ok, but I did have good service eating at the bar. It was a nice campground, bathrooms probably need to be re-done but overall pretty nice.
Congrats your a pioneer! I have and EMTB but it is not suitable for touring. I did quite a bit of bicycle touring when I was young. I saw some e-touring bikes in Germany along the Rhine and I was curious about the logistics.
@@bikingbrian i have made my own bike and its wonderful. Thanks so much for the inspiration. I have managed to get 60 miles on a charge and still had a little charge left. I am going to buy another battery when I can. I have been so lucky to learn from your videos. I used a Tsdz2 motor .
Loved your video can't wait to see the next episodes. Your video got recommended to me while I was researching for a good ebike to buy with "longest range" and your video was like 7th from the list (love how that played out). Though not the information I was originally looking for, I have enjoyed the videos a lot. If you have some time, I would be infinitely grateful if you can recommend an off the shelf ebike that is good for exactly what you are doing in this video for a budget of around $4,000. Your custom rig looks impressive but I am afraid I am not as tech savy nor bike savy as you. I would love to purchase an already built ebike and go on a trip just like you. Thank you so much
Thanks for watching! Glad to that search brought you to my channel. I haven't really looked at any pre-built bikes so unfortunately I don't really know what's out there.
@@bikingbrian thanks for taking the time to answer. No worries at all. After some research I landed on Electric Bike Company model c. All American assembled and had the option of expanding the battery capacity with load capacity of 380 lbs. i believe am all set. Have a great weekend
@@cescudify I took a peak at the Electric Bike Company website. The mileage stats the quote are pretty optimistic ``` 200 Miles (36 Ah)``` I'd expect closer to a 100-125 mile range, but of course there are many factors - hills, how hard you pedal, etc.
Curious if you could do a short video on your GoPro setup. Notice that you really don’t have any wind noise when talking so wondering what deadcat you use and how you mount the camera for various shots. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! Actually this trip was an entirely new setup on my go pro. I had horrible noise when holding the selfie stick if it moved at all and it took a long time to edit it out. I moved to an external mic with a dead cat on it and it was so much better. Zero noise and it did help with wind too however I did have to use a plug-in to edit out some of the wind noise. Maybe some time I will have to do a video with the go pro setup. Most of the time I am just using the selfie stick with integrated tripod. No mounts or anything.
Great looking setup! Can you talk a bit more about that motor and how you electric-fy your bike? We are in the process of ordering a tandem which would hopefully get us thru our 200 mile-commute which we intend to do 10-20 times a year. We'd been looking at front-wheel drive and are having a tough time finding front-wheel e-assist that are at least 48 spokes (made for heavy touring) along with other features. Your motor is not front or rear wheel which I'd like to learn more about. Thanks very much.
Very cool! I got started touring on a tandem when I was a kid. Yeah the motor I use is a mid-drive which replaces the bottom braket. I plan on doing a video of the setup I have. Thanks for watching!
This is great! I'm super curious what gear you use to record yourself while riding (especially audio, very clear with no wind noise and yet no visible external mic!)
I use a GoPro Hero 7 with a small external mic directly attached and a dead-cat. I just added the external mic on this trip mostly because there was so much noise transfered from the selfie stick to the mic that it took forever to edit out.Thanks for watching!
I just found your journey & subscribed to watch all of it. I’m a cyclist and curious to see how your eBike goes. That battery box looks very heavy. 😕 I’m planning a coast to coast bike trip as soon as the pandemic really recedes. I’ll be going conventional on a Kona Sutra. Have you seen a little device called a PedalCel? It attaches to the bike and charges things like phones, GPS and other devices while you pedal. For the most part it eliminates the charging at the end of the day. I plan to get an electric bike for riding close to home, but not touring because I love the pedaling. After my US trip I’m getting a Tout Terrain with belt drive for some touring in Sweden, Norway and Finland. BTW I enjoyed your first episode. Stay safe. 👍☮️🌞🚴❤️
Thanks for watching! The battery is around 25lbs but with and ebike as long as it’s balanced weight doesn’t really matter. Coast to coast sounds like an epic adventure. I use my ebike around town and commuting. It’s great to get some places quicker than a car and getting to work without having to shower or be sweaty. Safe travels!
Dude, I’ve been thinking of doing this from San Diego, CA to Vancouver, WA… I hunt so the E-Bike would be a 1000w AWD w/ duel motors, trailer, 10amp Charger, 3 extra batteries, small tent for when I hit NorCal, OR and so forth… this is cool!
This video is making me homesick seeing that country footage. I'm living in upper Michigan now but I used to live in Mt carroll and went to savanna alot.. had to like this video..👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! 115 miles. You rock.
Your channel is my favorite. I am retired and can’t really find anyone to bike with.
Wish I could give you a month’s worth of my vacation so you could just take off and go. Your videos are inspiring.
I'm impressed, you look like a motorcycle rider and not a bicyclist. Props to you!!!
This is the first e-bike touring video I have seen.....I like it. You really covered some ground. Looks like a good way to go. Good job with the design and integration of the system onto your bicycle.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching. Glad you liked it. It’s a lot of fun riding too. It’s in probably it’s 3rd iteration and i am very happy with the setup now.
4/18/22: Impressive that you built your own E-bike. You even constructed a high capacity battery for a Xcountry trip. Since your contraption is holding up well (watched thru Day 6 so far), you obviously know what you are doing and are a fine craftsman. Videos are of good quality too. DB
Thank you!
@@bikingbrian Did you ever do a build log for your bike? You're a larger rider it looks like and you put together something holding up quite well, I'm interested.
@Folsomdsf2 no build log but I have some videos I am putting out about the build. It’s an old 1993 trek mountain bike that I had since it was new and just added a bafang bbs02 mid drive motor and built from there. It’s my own custom 52v 50ah battery.
@@bikingbrian 50amp?? Noice!
+1 for the build, im interested, and these videos are so cool! 🎉😊
Great job with this video! I’m a life long cyclist. I was a Category 3 bike racer until my early 30’s, and an ultramarathon bicyclist until my early 50’s. I’m now 67 with congestive heart failure, but you’ve inspired me. I might give this a try.
Right on! Thanks for watching.
@@bikingbrian I’m from Omaha. When I was a 27 year old bike racer I once rode from Ogallala to Omaha just under 22 hours. In my head I sometimes still think I’m that guy 🤣
Wow, this is just what I've been looking for as I'm in the market for my first e-bike!! I'm going to enjoy the tour 🙂
I look forward to following this adventire of yours. I'm interested in seeing how you manage the battery charging. Thanks for sharing this content.
Thanks for watching! The charging does get interesting. :)
Thanks for sharing dear brother. 😊🌎✨
I bought a lectric bike this past summer, help me a lot had a right hip replacement last November, I use access a lot, from Missouri with Katy trail and a new Rock island state park going be developed another 144 miles .
Thanks for watching, very nice! I just did a couple days on the Katy trail last month. I want to get out there and do the whole thing. Will be nice if it gets extended another 144 miles.
If I ever do a long distance trip I would for sure want an e-bike for it. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this adventure. Cheers.
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
I really appreciate people refining old bikes. That's mostly what I do. If the frames good you can turn it into whatever you want.
Heck yeah. That is the way to go.
On a non ebike, 55 miles is a bit low in summer which I assume is when you go. You got more than 12 hours of daylight, 55 miles being maybe 5 hours cycling.
I would argue that there are too many variables to call out a low mileage, but ride your ride. E-bike or not. I typically base my mileage on amenities and terrain and enjoying the sites and smells but everyone is different.
Need to show more of the bike
I might put a video together with more detail in the future. Thanks for watching!
Just found this!! First day video was great looking forward to them all! Used to do tours haven't forseveral years now but would like to get back into it.. Thanks for sharing with us!!!!
This is great; thanks for sharing. Love that old very personal bike -- wouldn't give it up for today's $13,000 e-bike! Love that thumb shifter! Love those handlebars!
Oh for sure. I love those bars and shifters so much I wanna swap out the bars on my acoustic touring bike!
What a surprise to see that you camped in my hometown the first night! Hope you enjoyed your stay. As you noted, the humidity can be oppressive in July. Can’t wait to see how the rest of your trip goes.
Thanks for watching! It was a nice little town. I really liked it.
I'm a very old man who is still resisting the electric revolution. Fine business, yours, making the trip. I've pedaled the Rockies in years past, but probably never make the Mississippi. Press on, my friend. I'm 85. Got old, but never grew up. :-)
Thanks so much for watching!
I'm watching this in May 2022. It was on my feed because I'm interested in Ebikes. Very good start with the map over view. I'll have to look at your other videos to see more about the build process.
Thanks for watching!
Wow. That’s cruising. Nice free camping. Take care, Al
Thanks for watching!
Wow you're a brave soul to take a trip like that. Have to plan for so many contingencies.
For sure but that’s part of the adventure.
I liked and subscribed before even seeing the video. I like the concept.
Awesome! Thanks!
Thanks for the vlog. I have been talking about doing an ebike tour. Every little town has a city park and they all seem to have an electric out let at the shelter house. And most small towns are 7-10 miles apart so finding electracy does not seem to be a problem. I like your laid back style. You don't put on your racing kit to tour. And you don't have to be a macho honcho 25 year old to ride a bike cross country,. The ebike opens up a way for older bikers to keep on bike touring.
Thank you for watching. I had been wanting to do it for a while just had to figure out a way to fast charge and a larger capacity so I could put down some mileage and not have to stop all the time. And you are right about towns for charging especially in more populated areas. I prefer the laid back approach I find it more enjoyable.
@@bikingbrian😊
Just watched all 10 videos before getting out of bed this morning. Loved the series. I use the same motor and would like to see you make a video on how you built the extended battery and also a bit on your camping equipment.
Sounds good! Thanks for watching!
@@bikingbrian When traveling on Amtrak with your bike, did you have to box up the bike?
My son has used Amtrak with his bike and a box isn’t needed. A reservation is, and I think it costs $20.
Wow I'm so excited for you. I wanna do a trip like that awesome journey
You should!
I'm SO HAPPY I found your channel, I used to live in Island lake for years, but moved to Reno in 2006. I just bought a Fiido T1 for the same idea, there's so much beauty here in Nevada I couldn't think of a better way to see it! 💯👍
I actually just sold my car too, I never make a trip more than 15 miles both ways, & with gas being $5.20 here, I said; "NOPE" they aren't tearing through my hard earned money anymore, I'm petrol free now, & believe me, I would've never thought I'd give up driving for a BICYCLE, but here we are...... 😂
What a small world! That is awesome! You are braver than me getting rid of a car. Thanks for watching!
I did a 70 mile round trip. Amtrak employee on my way back hassled me about my e-bike. Says they have weight limits and no e-bikes allowed.
That sucks. On their site it does say they are allowed but 45lbs weight limit for any bike. Amtrak is so inconsistent in their procedures and policies. Each person will likely give a different answer. Half the time I have to tell them what the policy is. Not just with e-bikes but bikes in general.
@@bikingbrian I hope they catch up to the trend of big e-bikes soon. At least be clear and consistent.
Dude, great video! As a dad of 4 young kids who cannot do this, I enjoy living vicariously through you!
That’s awesome. Thanks for watching!
This is a nice relaxed video, many thanks. I love the bike set up!
Thanks!
Tks for sharing, can't wait for more of your adventure. Going to see if you have a load out video
I will have to do a video with more details on the bike sometime soon.
We need an ebike charging network across the USA!!
Hahah that would be great! We kinda do if you count city parks and gas stations. ;)
Thankyou for sharing!!! I found you because I was thinking of doing this from Florida, my goal is to photograph along the way, I don’t know much about e bikes, hopefully I learn more about your charging system!
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
Looking forward to seeing how the e-Bike works out for you, so far so good. Great video as always. Thanks for the videos over the years, it is because of people like you that we have started bike touring more seriously and did 3 tours last year and looking forward to more in 2022. Still using the human assist bikes but know that we will have to switch in the future as we get older.
Thanks for watching! That is awesome to hear! I am looking forward to 2022, already have a human powered trip booked.
thanks for sharing, you always meet generous people when you bike tour, good luck and stay charged!
Thanks for watching! Take care!
Great product- worked perfectly, no issues.
Great to hear!
This video has a great technical overview of range capability. But, you have figured out the technical solution relative to your bike, and you should share much more about your brilliance in solving for your range "ambitions". Not sure if there is a buried treasure of technical discussion in the other 12 parts of this series.
I still need to put a video together for the setup. Mostly the first video has an overview.
Sign me up for the battery how to!
Loving this, thank you for this. Please let us know what kind of benefit we'd gain my touring with an eBike. That's my main question, but I MUST be a witness to the most outstanding Arkel bags! I have many Arkel bags, and they have all proved to be bullet-proof. I'm all about Arkel for sure.
Don’t know you’d gain anything from ebike touring other than doing a different type of touring being able to cover more mileage. It could also be used in a disability situation, etc.
Thank you for the video. Been contemplating a E-Bike trip myself. This will definitely help.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
Thanks Brian! Very entertaining. Your production values are great! I live far away from you so it's very interesting for me to travel along with you even if only virtually. I especially liked the 'Relive' content as it really helps visualise your route.
Glad you like them!
Great timing. Just bought an E bike, and wondering what it might be like on a tour. Thanks so much Brian.
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
Awesome idea for an e-bike touring adventure, Brian. I really enjoyed this video, but also have some questions about your e-bike set-up. Perhaps for one of your post-adventure vids you can share some of this info with your inquiring viewers? My wife is interested in an e-bike, but those with good range are quite pricey, so we're interested in alternatives. Happy Holidays to you and your family and stay safe out there on the roads, Brian!
Thanks for watching! That sounds like a good idea. Yeah pretty much the longer the distance = more $$ for more batteries. I actually used the 21700 Tesla cells instead of the typical 18650's as they had a higher capacity/volume ratio. Happy Holidays to you and your family too. Thanks!
Really interesting e-bike that you built and it looks like a fun trip!
It was! Thanks for watching!
great job, I just can't believe you ride that far on that seat... having a large super comfy seat changes everything
You would be surprised how comfy a leather seat is once it conforms to you ;)
At age 62, I finally purchased my first e-bike last week. In 4 days I've gone 56 miles with it. So, I guess I'm hooked on them. Found this video last night, and ended up watching the first 9 videos before calling it a night. What an awesome trip you've got going on. I'll finish the rest of the series today when you head towards Ft. Collins. Curious if there's a way to map things out for rides like this that are bike friendly routes. For example, Rt. 30 goes through Lancaster PA where I live. There is an area that is 4 lane highway, which you wouldn't be able to ride on. However, you've already given me an idea of taking Rt. 30 to Gettysburg and maybe even out to Pittsburgh this summer. Thanks for the video!!
Awesome! They are addicting aren’t they. I use the ridewithgps website for planning routes. . You can view heat maps from previous people who cycled as well as bike routes. Really handy for planning the best route. I also use the google street view if available to see if there is a shoulder, etc.
@@bikingbrian Thank you for taking the time to reply. Thanks for the information. I'm definitely hooked on my eBike - just hit 103 miles on it in 10 days of owning it. I think I'm going to add another battery and use the controller that sells for about $59 and I'd like to do some overnight bike rides if my wife doesn't mind :) Take care and enjoying all your videos of your trips.
I'm 65 and just got one. I have been checking out the bike hiking videos in PNW & Oregon Outback videos for a couple years. I'm only using about 100 or 150 watts peddle assist most of the time. I am fit enough for about 40 miles a day without power. I am very excited to find how much more range I can shoot for on some overnight camping trips this summer.
Very nice of you going the extra mile, putting all the work into recording your adventures.
Great looking bike
Thanks!
Wish I had my childhood bike back. It was a 10 speed. If I had I would convert it into a ebike even though I have a ebike already. Things like that hold a lot more sintamental value because both my parents are Dead. Good luck on all your adventures and God bless.
Thanks so much for watching. Who knows maybe you will find the same model or something.
Bro I finally found your channel again. Love this. From Wisconsin and loved your videos when you rode the trails I do.
Welcome back! Thanks for watching!
Love the graphic map & elevation, very cool. The bike is nice and quiet.
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
I enjoyed watching this video that has so much in common, I used to live in Crystal Lake, I live in Is Savanna Illinois, I go to Denver on the bike and run the Amtrak Back myself, Sometimes I take the Amtrak out West To Flagstaff With the bike and ride all over
Wow crazy. Great minds ;). I have always wanted to do some more riding. In the southwest.
@@bikingbrian Yeah I would recommend it when you get off in Flagstaff you're at 7000' altitude, And you can go South a 150 miles to Phoenix and we'll be at 2000', Take route 89A South through the world's largest pine forest To Sedona ,Some of the best scenery in the country.
Just found your channel. Love the video. I am just getting into eBikes which has proven to be a great addition to my camping and overlanding. Looking forward to watching more.
Awesome! Thanks for watching!
So lucky to have outlets/power sockets all over the place, lucky to have them on the train here, UK
Oh man that would make things difficult.
Dude this is so cool!
Glad you enjoyed!
I have a BBS02, but i could use a better battery. When i finally get one, i might reprogram the controller to be a power sipper and just use it as a pedal assist ebike for long tours. This inspired me🙂
Close to 11.000km, crossing 7 different states, 2 countries, 22days 12hours non stop or 2-3 months with sleeping, brake etc. Going as much as 11 thousands feet above sea level twice. Taking 2 ferry boats. Leaving from my town (quebec) to British Colombia with my Ebike. I can’t wait to do it!
Fun! I love watching your adventures….
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching.
Awesome video!! Your stats are incredible! DD
Wow, thank you!
What a treat a new adventure
Thanks for watching!
I have a aventon level 2. Honestly I stopped riding it. I'm 36 and got it for commuting back and forth to work but went back to gravel bike for commuting. The health benefits are worth it Alone. But whatever gets ya out there!
I sometimes feel guilty riding the ebike. But usually it’s when I would drive instead or not even go out. I still like riding my regular “acoustic” bike thought and that will never go away.
Really liked the part where you trace your route with the satellite view. I would like to see more information on trip planning and gear that you carry on your trips. That is, it would be great if you give more attention to the journey rather than just reaching your destination. Thumbs up.
Thanks for watching! I do have some gear video's and have always thought about doing one about planning.
@bikingbrian Then please, for us loyal watchers, get on with it!! Dont you have a square to share?
I live about 30 min west of Rockford IL. Glad I found your channel buddy. Great vid
Thanks for the sub!
Time for a set of Arclight pedals to light up bike and be seen. I am really liking the ones I have on my bike.
Total weight on your panniers? Thanks for the ride.
Probably about 60lbs including the battery and everything.
@@bikingbrian That's light. So, no tools, no extra parts?
Great Vlog... well done you!
Thank you so much for watching.
Excellent videos very impressed with the mileage you are tackling on a day by day basis. A normal cycle and motorbike tourer at the moment but it seems I I can combine my two hobbies.
Subscribed
Might as well drive a motorbike
@@jimgarrity2048 not quite you still have to pedal with these at minimal assist if you want to get any range it gives you a totally different experience. I still love touring the very remote places with the motorbike and always will but electric bikes are coming of age and allow for longer distances.
Thanks! 👍 it’s somewhere in between both.
Where do you find all these campgrounds and plan the logistics where to charge and where to stay? I also live near Illinois and might do the same trip . Please write about this. Thank you
My question as well
I use ridewithgps to lay out my general route. After that I check mileage during each day and adjust the tour based on amenities. Google satellite and street view help a lot. Often times I will look in city parks for spread out parking spaces which often indicate campsites that might not be online or listed. Charging is based on what I see. I start looking early and don’t pass anything up after 50 miles in just for extra insurance.
@@bikingbrian Interesting. Do you mean you look at Google satellite and street view before you go? I think I would be nervous if I didn't have these sites pretty well planned before I left.
Just found your channel and ebike tour playlist while researching the concept of a touring ebikes for my wife.... curious if you have a a video/playlist discussing how you built out the ebike. Thanks for the videos
I am actually in the process of editing one right now.
Can you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE show us your ebike setup and how you managed to make a 50+ amp hr battery?
I will try and out something together. Thanks for watching!
That is awesome! I would've taken the bike ride back however but either way great video thanks man!
Me too if I had the time off!
Wow that's pretty cool. Love the journey. I never knew Iowa had an island.
Thanks for watching!
How were you able to get your charge rate up to 15 amps? My ebike charge rate is only 2 amps so it takes hours and hours to charge it and it's only 48V 14ah and 672wh.
I bought a 15a 52v charger online, but it’s only safe to do with a larger battery pack. It was one of the reasons I also went with a larger capacity battery so it could handle the higher load of faster charging. You will want to research calculating the C rating of a battery. You can then find out what would be safe for charging.
@@bikingbrian Excellent. Thank you.
Very inspiring! I also actually live 10 miles away from Crystal lake😂 so that’s something
Thanks for watching! That is funny. Had a few people that live close even someone that use to live at the end of my block.
I'm into the gas power 2 stroke small engines. I'm making a bike for cross country. E-bike has its advantages and disadvantages and so does the gas bicycle. If the e-bike breaks down I don't know that much about electrical stuff I'm more mechanical so the gas bike is right up my alley. I love your journey when I get ready to make mine maybe you can go with me. Cuz I'm looking for someone to do a journey with me. I live in Rockford Illinois. We can compare the two different bicycles and let veiwers know all the pros and cons on both types.
Sounds like an awesome adventure! I have a buddy with an ebike and a gas one and he loves both!
HI. Are you using pedal assist or just riding on the battery. Also , did you build the ebike motor or what company did you use to purchase the motor? Thanks
The motor is a bafang bbs02 I got from lunacycle. I use pedal assist.
Wow, what an impressive e-bike setup and ambitious tour! I'm curious about the details of your custom battery pack and charging system. A 50Ah battery at 52V is huge - how did you manage to fit that on the bike? And a 15A charger is seriously fast. I'd love to see a detailed video on your e-bike build process, battery construction, and all the components you used. The range you're getting is incredible. As someone looking to get into e-bike touring, this is really inspiring. Keep up the great work and safe travels!
Good news! I do have a video on my channel with a complete breakdown of the bike and battery, etc.
Looks like a great trip. Where can I find more info on your E-bike build? Love to also here about how far you can go in a day, how much do you pedal to motor usage, max speed, motor wattage, tools you carry, repairs made along the way and any other specs you can share. Have fun out there.
Thanks for watching. Perhaps I will put a video together going over the setup.
Very impressive. Could you post your components on the description? Also if you would have done anything different. I’m thinking of linking two 48 volts (32ah total) and 2 2-amp chargers but your 50ah and 15amp charger is another level 👍👍
That would certainly get the job done!
Nice video. I enjoyed it,
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
Really love watching your videos. Thanks you. You have great aventures and information to share for Bike Touring. Will you be making a video on your E bike conversion?
I hope to do a video eventually going over everything. Thanks for watching!
This is so cool..!
Thanks for watching!
I’ve fished under that bridge multiple times but never drove over it. Interesting to see. I’ve fished by the Sabula campground too. Awesome looking campground. Hopefully the pizza place wasn’t mannys. Been there a few times and never had a good experience
Very cool! Thanks for watching. I did eat at Manny's and the pizza was ok, but I did have good service eating at the bar. It was a nice campground, bathrooms probably need to be re-done but overall pretty nice.
Great video...I'm new to your channel. I'm pretty impressed with your e-bike :)
Hey, thanks!
Congrats your a pioneer! I have and EMTB but it is not suitable for touring. I did quite a bit of bicycle touring when I was young. I saw some e-touring bikes in Germany along the Rhine and I was curious about the logistics.
Ver cool! Thanks for watching! I am sure most ebike tours are lower mileage.
Great video
Hi Brian, I was wondering where you put your battery and charger on the bike? Really enjoying all of your videos - thank you!
The battery I have it in one of the front panniers and the other one I have the charger to try and balance the weight.
I have an ebike that I put on the Jones H Loop handlebars and love them. What mirror do you have? Been looking for one to put on the handlebars.
So cool I've been thinking about building an ebike for distance but I'm not sure where to start on the research
Very cool! I plan on doing a more in depth video.
I would like to see a video of how you made the bike and battery
I will have to put something together. Thanks for watching!
@@bikingbrian i have made my own bike and its wonderful. Thanks so much for the inspiration. I have managed to get 60 miles on a charge and still had a little charge left. I am going to buy another battery when I can. I have been so lucky to learn from your videos. I used a Tsdz2 motor .
Yes, a video please.
Loved your video can't wait to see the next episodes. Your video got recommended to me while I was researching for a good ebike to buy with "longest range" and your video was like 7th from the list (love how that played out). Though not the information I was originally looking for, I have enjoyed the videos a lot. If you have some time, I would be infinitely grateful if you can recommend an off the shelf ebike that is good for exactly what you are doing in this video for a budget of around $4,000. Your custom rig looks impressive but I am afraid I am not as tech savy nor bike savy as you. I would love to purchase an already built ebike and go on a trip just like you. Thank you so much
Thanks for watching! Glad to that search brought you to my channel. I haven't really looked at any pre-built bikes so unfortunately I don't really know what's out there.
@@bikingbrian thanks for taking the time to answer. No worries at all. After some research I landed on Electric Bike Company model c. All American assembled and had the option of expanding the battery capacity with load capacity of 380 lbs. i believe am all set. Have a great weekend
@@cescudify I took a peak at the Electric Bike Company website. The mileage stats the quote are pretty optimistic ``` 200 Miles (36 Ah)``` I'd expect closer to a 100-125 mile range, but of course there are many factors - hills, how hard you pedal, etc.
Curious if you could do a short video on your GoPro setup. Notice that you really don’t have any wind noise when talking so wondering what deadcat you use and how you mount the camera for various shots. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! Actually this trip was an entirely new setup on my go pro. I had horrible noise when holding the selfie stick if it moved at all and it took a long time to edit it out. I moved to an external mic with a dead cat on it and it was so much better. Zero noise and it did help with wind too however I did have to use a plug-in to edit out some of the wind noise. Maybe some time I will have to do a video with the go pro setup. Most of the time I am just using the selfie stick with integrated tripod. No mounts or anything.
@@bikingbrian awesome! Thanks for the info
Great looking setup! Can you talk a bit more about that motor and how you electric-fy your bike? We are in the process of ordering a tandem which would hopefully get us thru our 200 mile-commute which we intend to do 10-20 times a year. We'd been looking at front-wheel drive and are having a tough time finding front-wheel e-assist that are at least 48 spokes (made for heavy touring) along with other features. Your motor is not front or rear wheel which I'd like to learn more about. Thanks very much.
Very cool! I got started touring on a tandem when I was a kid. Yeah the motor I use is a mid-drive which replaces the bottom braket. I plan on doing a video of the setup I have. Thanks for watching!
@@bikingbrian would love to see that setup and how the bottom bracket is replaced. I am not mechanical savvy.
This is great! I'm super curious what gear you use to record yourself while riding (especially audio, very clear with no wind noise and yet no visible external mic!)
I use a GoPro Hero 7 with a small external mic directly attached and a dead-cat. I just added the external mic on this trip mostly because there was so much noise transfered from the selfie stick to the mic that it took forever to edit out.Thanks for watching!
I just found your journey & subscribed to watch all of it. I’m a cyclist and curious to see how your eBike goes. That battery box looks very heavy. 😕 I’m planning a coast to coast bike trip as soon as the pandemic really recedes. I’ll be going conventional on a Kona Sutra. Have you seen a little device called a PedalCel? It attaches to the bike and charges things like phones, GPS and other devices while you pedal. For the most part it eliminates the charging at the end of the day. I plan to get an electric bike for riding close to home, but not touring because I love the pedaling. After my US trip I’m getting a Tout Terrain with belt drive for some touring in Sweden, Norway and Finland. BTW I enjoyed your first episode. Stay safe. 👍☮️🌞🚴❤️
Thanks for watching! The battery is around 25lbs but with and ebike as long as it’s balanced weight doesn’t really matter. Coast to coast sounds like an epic adventure. I use my ebike around town and commuting. It’s great to get some places quicker than a car and getting to work without having to shower or be sweaty. Safe travels!
Thinking of doing something similar, West France to North Spain over 10/14 days or so
Very interesting video. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Great video, how do you protect your bike from theft?
A good lock and being paranoid!!
Epic trip, looks like you are not pedaling however.
Cool. Very interesting.
great video -- what fast charger do you reccommend
I found one that was the largest possible while still being safe for my battery.
@@bikingbrian thanks
Awesome content! How do you like the jones bars vs drops? I just switched to an h bar, and I’m excited for the difference.
I really like the jones bars a lot. I did find that I needed them really high to make them comfortable. The H bars look nice too
Just found this series, looks interesting, how did you make your own diy e-bike?
Thanks for watching. I didn’t do a how to but I have a video about the bike coming out soon