odd places to recharge a bike on the road...

SniperGaulois

SniperGaulois

10 kW
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
797
Location
Rhone-Alpes
I have found myself topping up batteries at camping sites, in the train station waiting for a train, on the train. do any of you travel with an electric bike and ask in shops and restaurants if they will recharge a bike? what is the weirdest place you recharged your bike?
 
Only once next to an Ice machine, I tend to day trip and Horrors, drive to the ride. I looked at a lot of places though, and walmart is one place that seems to always have a plug up front. Looking for ice machines or Ice vending coolers, or coke machines can lead to finding plugs. Bring a three way plug though, so you can plug in the ice machine and your bike.
 
I think the oddest place I recharged was on a long Freecycle pickup trip, with DayGlo Avenger, where I plugged into an extension cord just dangling down from a block wall in a parking lot near a place I stopped to eat at. I assumed it was there as a "permanent" outlet for whoever has to trim the bushes and weeds that grow along that wall, but as it was really close to the light pole I locked the bike to, and in view of the side and front of the place, it was convenient and easy, and I knew I'd be there a couple hours anyway till it got cooler to continue.


Usually I don't bring the charger with me, as most of my rides are less than 1/4 to 1/2 of my battery range, but the long trips like those (or one being planned for this afternoon) I have to bring it to get back home without pedalling all the way (which might kill me in the heat, hauling a trailer of cargo).
 
Only 2 weird times I charged were in a library and in a McDonalds. My batteries are in a pannier so I just bring 'em in. In the library it was pretty inconspicuous and I got to read a book while I wait. The McDonalds didn't have a plug near a place I could sit so I ended up putting the bag next to a plant while it charged for over an hour. Nobody ever asked about it which was surprising. Also was weird in general. There was a group of older folks just sitting around drinking coffee and talking the whole time I was there. Guess their small town cafe must have gone out of business or something.
 
The weirdest place I got a charge from was in front of the Motor Vehicle Department waiting for my turn to get a drivers license. LOL.
8)
 
I've charged near soda machines, circle k, lamp post on the street, inside Starbucks, outside wall of a laundry mat at 2am... Anywhere there's an outlet, I charge it there..

I once, even took out my 12v 35ah battery, hooked up my 200w inverter, and plugged in my 36v 2a charger to my 36v battery for 20 mins.. LOL
 
I adjust my chargers to draw ~11amps maximum from folks outlets these days. My chargers will happily draw around 25amps at full tilt, but that just instantly pops the breaker unless you're powering it from a pair of separate 15amp breakers.

I never feel bad just stealing a charge from any random outlet I find, but I do feel bad having to tell them, umm... I popped the circuit breaker for your soda machine or sign or whatever. Umm, yeah, I was charging my electric bike batteries for a bit. Do you know where your breaker box happens to be? I'm pretty handy with these things and will gladly find the tripped one and reset it for you.

I used to do 12amps for 15amp breakers, but it's just too damn inconsistent at tripping breakers still after 5-10mins of constant 12amp draw. 11amps seems to be fairly reliable at avoiding the whole breaker reseting procedure, and 10amps has never caused an issue. At home I've got dual 30amp 220v outlets for charging now in my landlady's garage, and I put fresh breakers in that really hold about 28amps without tripping. :) 6kw charging FTMFW. :)

For the newbz out there, 6kw charging means every 3mins 45seconds I add the full energy capacity of your 36v 10Ah ping pack into my pack.
 
how do you recharge from a lamp post? It would be great to make a kind of connection adapter that you could put on to any lamp post and intercept the electricity at the level of the lightbulb :idea: or something... same as making an bayonnet-to-wall adapter except for a standard public fixture, a lampost, an on/off switch... in the old days when sockets didnt exist they plugged the first washing machines into the the light fixture, except they hadnt invented the on off switch yet so some ladies got their hair caught in the washing machine and couldnt turn it off and got minced... the husband found her half stuck in with her legs hanging out...
 
Oughta be a law that streetlights have to have an outlet too. Chain your bike to the post, and charge too.

Figures Wineboy would have the best wierd place. Surely somebody can top it and say they charged while waiting in line at traffic court.

Nice of you LFP, to actually tell people you popped thier circuits. I guess you wanted to finish charging eh? Fortunately one Meanwell 350 watt won't blow breakers too much. But it might when the ice machine kicks on.

Btw, my meanwell running two chargers at 300 watts total is drawing just under 5 amps of 110v AC current. So a double meanwell charger setup should still be under that magic 10 amps of 110.
 
Figures Wineboy would have the best wierd place. Surely somebody can top it and say they charged while waiting in line at traffic court.
Click to expand...
Thanks Dogman I somehow needed that. I am all in for the Deathrace! I got a new cell number pm me.
:p
 
Lots of parking lot lampposts have cover plates over the wiring conduit that you could (if not caught, or if you could get permission, your choice) install an outlet into. ;) Havent' seen a regular streetlight that had anything accessible, yet, but often the ones in bigger parks do, here. Problem is, to get power to the lights, you have to "rent" them, becuase nowadays the city is so cheap they won't turn on the park lights unless someone else is paying. :(
 
I've noticed the newer the building, the less likely to have any outside outlets. Wallmart seems to always have one up front in my area though. The bigger the city the fewer the plugs. I find plugs everywhere in little one horse towns.

I looked all over when I started getting the idea to ride cross country. Enough range, and you could go from wallmart to wallmart even out west. In reality, on a long ride I'd likely charge in motels or campgrounds. Rv'ers are often very freindly, so go to the RV park and chat one up if going crosscountry. Even in the sticks, they have generators. In NM, very few state parks have power. But many have park guides, that live there in an RV, and have their own power.
 
There are all these free power points on the back of the BBQ's here, just head to the beach for a recharge ...
BBQ At the Beach.jpgeasterly view.jpg

Recently they have started replacing them with these new stainless steel BBQ's that have a timer on the plug, there is only power on for an hour or so in the morning :(new type of not so friendly BBQ.jpg

At the shopping centre car parkView attachment 1

Lots of the parks have these in but I think I'd need a 415v charger for that plug !
 
thewmatusmoloki said:
Lots of the parks have these in but I think I'd need a 415v charger for that plug !
Click to expand...

Nice selection. BTW you can just take a single phase of the three phase power to run your charger as normal - you'd just need to carry a slightly bulky plug adapter.
 
On the Marthas Vineyard ferry coming back from the island to Woods Hole, MA. I needed 15 miles capacity to get back to my car and was near flat after riding on the island.

That's the weirdest place I've ever charged up. Have done public libraries and plenty of convenience stores too.

regards,
Bill
 
This is an important subject for us e-riders, and probably deserves a bump.

Anyone else got any pics of where you recharge out on the road ??

I'm interested in free top ups and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Wish I could afford a 40 or 50 a/h Li-poly pack, but unfortunately, I just can't, or fit it on the bike,
so how about a few good idea's from around the globe on this.
 
And if you don't have any pics of your sneaky recharge places
then take some.

I know that bugger all people have a GoPro but surley there's a few digital cameras out there guy's ?

Just looking for idea's really

Cheers
 
Its called "theft of services" and you can lose your bike as well as go to jail in some places. I would borrow electric as well if had to but don't take it so lightly.

I carry a 2nd battery for the long trips.
 
Since a charge only costs pennies I recommend carrying some in your pocket, and If anyone says anything about it pay them at the rate of 5 cents per hour and demand a receipt for the poilce when they arrive.
 
Paul_G said:
Its called "theft of services" and you can lose your bike as well as go to jail in some places. I would borrow electric as well if had to but don't take it so lightly.
Click to expand...
Well golly officer, you'd better write me out a ticket then !

By the way don't ever stop for a drink from a tap either, it's could be construed as "theft of services".
 
This is not really an odd place,

My local college has 110v plugs at the bike racks. Nice to get a top -up after class for a faster ride home.
 
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