US ebike Tour 6000 miles 2014 and Documentary feedback

Joined
Aug 9, 2014
Messages
51
Location
Missoula, Montana
Hey Guys,

I am crossing the US on e-bike (Montana to Maine and then Maine to Florida) to comlplete a 6000 miles ride. My family (wife and 2 and 4 year old kids) are my road crew and we're also filming a documentary of the tour to promote clean transportation.

We've been on the road for about 1,000 miles now and I just had my first flat tire. I am hoping I can find a good bike shop soon, to get the bike serviced/adjusted by expert hands

My set up is:

A Bafang BBS02 on a Diamondback Overdrive (29er). I carry 66 ah on batteries (6 @ 11ah) Motor and batteries sourced from China to save a few bucks.

Here is a pic of the bike
http://instagram.com/p/r2AGMLTL1y

Here is a picture of my family (they are my roadies) with the bike
http://instagram.com/p/sushFRTL-9


I'll be posting updates as we go, but most times I can't get internet cause we're camping in kind of remote places. !!!

If you want to see the Garmin info (maps, speed, average, maxs, riding time, etc), I am uploading everything to Garmin Connect here:
http://connect.garmin.com/modern/profil ... camperclan

Also, if you are really into e-bikes and have some info that would make them more interesting or that you would want to add if a documentary about e-bikes was made, i'd love to hear them to include them in the movie!! (maybe we can discuss it, and then you send me footage to include).

Thank you!!
 
Cute kids, quite the adventure watching dad ride across country. Good luck on your trip and good luck with bike shops wanting to work on your ebike, and even better luck on them not screwing something in your electrical system up in the process.

I couldn't access your Garmin page, it wanted a login and password and I'm not a member.
 
Good luck on your trip, I donated to your campaign on KS!

Just a tip, I'd ditch those tires at the next bike shop in favor of some commuter tires. Maybe Schwalbe marathons or Maxxis Hookworms. Those knobbies on the road are eating into your speed and efficiency. You could probably go a mph faster and mile or two further on each battery if you have street-appropriate tires.

Also, are you using tire sealant? Throwing some Joe's Super Sealant in there could have meant the flat you just got didn't go flat until another 1,000 miles from now.

Keep posting updates. You saw Grindz thread from his record breaking trip, we all want to follow your progress!
 
mlt34 said:
Good luck on your trip, I donated to your campaign on KS!

Just a tip, I'd ditch those tires at the next bike shop in favor of some commuter tires. Maybe Schwalbe marathons or Maxxis Hookworms. Those knobbies on the road are eating into your speed and efficiency. You could probably go a mph faster and mile or two further on each battery if you have street-appropriate tires.

Also, are you using tire sealant? Throwing some Joe's Super Sealant in there could have meant the flat you just got didn't go flat until another 1,000 miles from now.

Keep posting updates. You saw Grindz thread from his record breaking trip, we all want to follow your progress!

Thank you so much Mlt34!, Yep. I got some new tires, more appropriate for road use and I will change them but i was waiting to wear out the first set (i am on a real tight budget) :). Also, so far I've been hitting some dirt roads and I some times I am glad I have some extra grip. I'll be all better when I get closer to the east coast where i can ride all paved roads.

I am proud and admire Grindz, we run a different set of challenges. He was running against time and doing everything solo. I have to manage my daily mileage to set up camp, cook for the kids, take them to the park, etc .

We're almost to Fargo, ND now, so we just passed the 1,000 mile mark. Motor gave me Err 4 a couple of times (and turned itself off), so, it's time to check what is malfunctioning.

Cheers!
 
Jonathan in Hiram said:
Cute kids, quite the adventure watching dad ride across country. Good luck on your trip and good luck with bike shops wanting to work on your ebike, and even better luck on them not screwing something in your electrical system up in the process.

I couldn't access your Garmin page, it wanted a login and password and I'm not a member.

Thank you Jonathan! I know about the bike shops. Last time i tried to take the bike to the shop (to true the tires cause i don't have the tools) they gave me the biggest stink eye and almost told me to go away. The one place where they didn't discriminnate me and liked the bike was at REI.

I thoought I set up the profile on Garmin as "Public access", i will check the link, maybe i posted the wrong URP and repost.!
 
Reposting the link to Garmin connect.

Anyone should be able to see progress without having an account. I believe i posted it wrong before. We're in Fargo, ND now and taking a day off. It's raining and the last time I rode in the rain the bike (the motor) didn't like it very much.

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/profile/tomcortijo_camperclan

Will try to post some pics or videos tonight.!
 
6000 miles is a long way

Order a replacement nylon gear set for the bafang as they seem to wear out after 3000km of riding and throw some lube in there also.
 
Miles said:
jesset33 said:
6000 miles is a long way
It sure is. Here's the long view: https://archive.org/details/tenthousandmile02baggoog

Good luck tomcortijo!

Yea but that guy cheated. He didn't do it on an ebike so he didn't have to stop and charge. :p
 
jesset33 said:
6000 miles is a long way

Order a replacement nylon gear set for the bafang as they seem to wear out after 3000km of riding and throw some lube in there also.

Thanks Jesse, do you know where i can order them?

The motor is starting to sound a little rough. It sounds really bad every time I ride in the rain, but I make sure to dump a bunch of oil in it every and it seems to make it a lot more quiet, but these last few days, no matter how much oil I put in, it still sounds a little rough.

Thanks a lot!!

Tomas
 
Miles said:
jesset33 said:
6000 miles is a long way
It sure is. Here's the long view: https://archive.org/details/tenthousandmile02baggoog

Good luck tomcortijo!

Did you write that book? Kudos to that guy and all the guys I have met on the road!. I know people have ridden their push bikes a lot longer, but besides the fact that only a few do it with kids (I take my hat of to familyonbikes.org) my goal is different: I want to help take the N (nerd) out of electric bike. I wan to to make a documentary that shows the struggle of going 6k miles, but that also puts the bike (and my family) in cool places, and in situations familiar to everybody. The idea is to make them a little more approachable to whomever would watch the movie.

If you have anything you'd like me to include in the documentary, please PM, me and we'll figure out how you can send me a clip with your imput to include in the movie!

Thanks a lot!
 
mlt34 said:
Miles said:
jesset33 said:
6000 miles is a long way
It sure is. Here's the long view: https://archive.org/details/tenthousandmile02baggoog

Good luck tomcortijo!

Yea but that guy cheated. He didn't do it on an ebike so he didn't have to stop and charge. :p

Yeah!, and he probably didn't have to change a diaper on every stop either :). My son is getting close to turn 3 and he still refuses to be fully potty trained!! The first two questions I ask when i get to a town are: Where can I camp and Where is the Laundromat! lol
 
tomcortijo said:
Did you write that book?
No, I'm not that old! It was written in the 1880's :)

I thought it would interesting to compare the epic journeys undertaken soon after the bicycle first became popular with the present day equivalents, made after the ebike has become popular.

Here's another example: https://archive.org/details/aroundunitedstat00murp
 
Hoping that my BBs02 holds up a few more miles, but loving Minnesota. So many paved trails and nice lonely paved roads. I believe i hit the right season if I can hurry. Everyone is busy in school or working and it's still not too cold!
 
If you think you need a replacement, this guy is selling them from the US for a decent price: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63316
 
mlt34 said:
If you think you need a replacement, this guy is selling them from the US for a decent price: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63316

I carry a second motor wtih me just in case, but if the first one does break down, I will contact this guy to get a back up!. Thanks a lot!
 
it appears that the motor has already broken if it is making a lot of noise. you should replace it as soon as possible to avoid being stranded. do you have any form of sag wagon available or contacts who will help you on this trip along your route when you are stranded out in the middle of nowhere?
 
dnmun said:
it appears that the motor has already broken if it is making a lot of noise. you should replace it as soon as possible to avoid being stranded. do you have any form of sag wagon available or contacts who will help you on this trip along your route when you are stranded out in the middle of nowhere?

My wife and 2 toddlers are my roadies. They drive a van, we meet every night to camp and they are ready to come pick me up if i get stranded. I do have one spare motor, so I will get a second replacement once the first one dies and I use my spare one. Thanks a lot!
 
That's curious as I thought those motors should hold up better then that.
Be interested to hear how it failed. Smart having a backup motor.
 
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