Electric Bike for riding on beach on sand

[Green Machine]

Try DuPont Teflon Multi-Use Lubricant, you'll find it at chain saws dealers. Once you try it on a bike chain, you'll never use anything else.

Thanks..Thats actually the one i am using...works pretty good but it seems to be getting washed off in the salt water so i need to reapply every other ride or so when i get wet.

At first i had bad luck with it attracting sand because wasnt wiping it off good enough after applying it.

It seems to be working ok now that i am applying it properly.

I will "stick" with that one for a while based on your recommendation. I have some others i have been experimenting with. I figured out purple royal (an affordable large can motorcycle lubricant) is exactly the same as purple extreme a highly hiped expensive little bottle bike lubricant. Its really hard to get any good information on any of the bike lubes because all the bikers swear to one brand or another. Eventually i plan to do a comparison on a bike riding on sand and beach and put it up on a web site i am developing for sandbike care called "rustychain.org".

 

[MadRhino]

Ideally, you would clean and lubricate after a ride, so the lubricant has time to dry before riding. Nevertheless, riding in salt water requires frequent cleaning, especially suspension components. I have to live this situation every winter, with the calcium salt in the slushy streets.

 

[Green Machine]

Its amazing how fast rust pops up....just after one week of riding in salty conditions on the pugsley and it already has surface rust. Learning to lube correctly etc is making a difference...because it was the chain that started rusting first.

We are in the process of building a new sand bike out of titanium which should rid frame rust completely.

Regarding suspension...we are not running suspension on these bikes because of maintenance issues...but they have big thick tires which does remarkably well in the place of suspension.

I am also looking for different chains that dont rust so i dont need to do any love and care at all on the new titanium bike. I actually found a chain made from titanium in china that guarantees no oil needed even in salty conditions....the drawback to that chain is the price $140 wholesale...ridiculous..but worth it if i never have to lube and clean the chain again and it lasts.

Having no reraillers really helps in terms of rust. I think if i let the existing chain go it would take 6 months in hellish conditions before the chain finally failed. My driveline is completely straight.

I am not willing yet to resort to belt drive for a maintenance free system...the titanium chain is a cheaper option at this point and i like chains more than belts.

 

[Kingfish]

NPR: Welcome To Alaska, Where Winter Is Cold And Bikes Are Fat

Not exactly sand, but I thought of phatty bike tires and this thread propped up.

<snip>

In the late 1980s, cyclists in Alaska were looking for a good way to tackle snowy trails, so they welded three mountain bike rims together. That allowed for fatter tires that almost float on top of the snow.

Today, fat biking isn't quite so do-it-yourself. The market for a bike like this is still small, but it's the fastest-growing segment of the cycling industry. At Goldstream Sports, just north of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, owner Joel Buth specializes in cross-country skis and road bikes. But four years ago, he added fat bikes to his winter inventory.

"The bikes are typically a $3,000 sale, versus a ski package, which is much less. So there's more customers in the ski, but the bike market is growing rapidly," he says.

That $3,000 isn't just for the bike. It includes all the other gear as well, like extra tire tubes, shoes and lots of winter clothing. It's the fat bike clientele that surprises Buth most.

"Mostly what I see is the backcountry enthusiast and older couples, too, that just want to get out and get exercise in the winter and don't want to mess around with skis, and they just like to bike," he says.

Back on the trail, Breitenbach says fat biking is more fun than skiing, even when temperatures hit 50 degrees below zero.

More info on the link. Can't imagine pedaling in that in -50°F. Would electric work? For me, it'd have to be 2WD - with hand-warmers :wink:

On the move, KF

 

[lcrewse]

There is already a front wheel drive electric Fat Bike for sale from a manufacturer, its the Fat E-Monster from Fat Sand Bike. These have been available since December. They sell Steel, Aluminum and Titanium bikes with Marine Grade Stainless Steel Hardware to keep the rust out. http://www.fatsandbike.com/fatemonster.html