What Do You Carry on Your E-bike and How
Equipment
Hi fellow e-bike owners,
I'm preparing for my elk hunt and putting together an emergency repair kit for my e-bike. I'm curious what you guys carry and how. I will not be using a cart. Is anyone using the dual use pannier/backpacks that clip to the rear rack? If so, what do you think of them? What other ways have any of you found to carry a minimal repair kit, and what's in your kit?
Also, how do you carry your bow while riding? Strapped to your backpack, or on a bow rack?
Thanks,
Matt
We’re going to need an ebike subform for all you old guys to leg hump eachother! Pretty soon you’ll form a crew and go on rides together. Imagining Lou with a pair of Ass-less chaps will haunt my dreams. ;)
John, would you prefer another "Fixed vs Mechanical Broadhead" thread? ;-)
Just admit it, you want an e-bike, don't you. ;-)
Matt
Actually Matt, all of the help you are asking for on this elk hunt on multiple threads you better shoot a 470" plus or JJ will sign in to bust your chops, deservedly so;-)
Thanks Frank.
If the only help JJ needed to kill that monster bull was advice on field judging antlers and an e-bike repair kit, my hat would be off to him. But, I think we both know he needed a tad more help than that. ;-)
Matt
I was trying to lighten the mood brother. You know by now I am a smart ass!
Likewise, my friend.
Another 14 miles on the e-bike did wonders for my mood, today. It’s getting a lot easier, and it’s beginning to show on my waistline. I can fit into camo pants that I haven’t been able to in years. ;-)
Matt
My first advice is don't tie your bow to the bike, the jarring is terrible and may knock your sights, etc. I carry my bow on my backpack. I do bungie the arrows in a good quiver to the rear bike rack. I don't use panniers as I carry most everything in my pack. If needed, I could use a small pack for a pannier, but haven't yet.
I carry a very minimal repair kit in a small bag under the seat. Includes, tire tube and any tools needed to change a tire. Nothing different than i'd carry on a regular road bike around town. (you might carry extra tube, etc in your truck). I have added puncture proof "belts" between my tires and tubes, plus put that green "ooze" into my tubes, since in the offseason, I ride my bike in TX while hog hunting where there are many large thorns, so I am very aware of flats and go to great lengths to prevent them. It's a long ways into town to get a tire fixed.
Also, don't overfill your tires. Underinflate for a better ride over rocks, etc.
Lastly, have extra bungies attached to your bike rack, so you can strap full game bags to the rack on the ride out!
I am trying to figure this out also. I have a repair kit from Bakcou. My main concerns are repair flat tire and chain breakage. Most other stuff I can deal with at the truck.
I have the panniers. I am unsure if I am going to use them.
What about theft? What are you guys doing to make sure nobody steals those things. I assume you’re taking them off the road and hiding them?
Do you carry spare tires on these or an extra battery when venturing far from the camp
Bou, I’d have to venture pretty far from camp to worry about battery life. I’ve gone 40 miles on a single charge.
A flat or chain damage are my only real concerns. I have liners in my tires, but you never know. I think a spare tube and chain would be worth the extra weight. I have a compact pump and a bike specific multi-tool for minor adjustment or maintenance.
Not sure what else I may need.
Matt
What Bowcrazy does. I also carry a multi-tool and a set of metric Allen wrenches. I don't worry about an extra tube since I have tire liners. I also have a can of "dry" chain lube in camp.
As for theft, yeah, I’m just going to stash mine well out of sight from any trails or roads. If I were in a urban or OTC area (same thing) I’d chain it down.
Matt
I plan on having a cable with a combo lock. Either chain to an aspen tree or chain both tires together. Doubt anyone will carry one out of the woods. And most people won’t have a bolt cutter
I hide mine in the timber and stash my battery behind a log in a different location.
As easy as my bike is to ride without a battery I don’t want to take the chance someone will ride off on it.
Lou,
You ever worry at your age you might forget where you stashed one of them?
:-)
We plan to ride ours in and park them. We have to hike about a half mile from there to where we plan to camp. I have pannier bags and a cart for my bike. Plan to use the pannier bags for repair kit. Repair kit will have some tools, patches, repair link, pump, extra tube. Going to lock the bike up and hope nobody messes with it. I plan to put my pack in a contractor garbage bag in the cart while I drive in, so it doesn’t get full of dust. I took an old Keltypack I have and took the bag off. The metal parts of the pack I took some of that foam pipe insulation and taped it around it. Plan to strap my bow to that and carry it on my back while I ride in. Just leave that frame with my bike while I hunt.
Franks I can find the bike, so I put a note on the bike with a clue on the battery location!
I knew you were smart Lou!
See, that was my way of asking for myself how not to lose one of them;-)
You could also take the front tire off, and stick the axle in your pack. That would render the bike unridable, and I doubt anyone is going to pack out a 70 pound bike and a separate front tire.
I really don't see much difference in leaving my e-bike in the woods versus leaving my campsite set up in the woods, and I've never had anything stolen from my campsite. I suppose there's always a first time, but I'm not too worried about it.
Matt
I don't have a e-bike but use a bike every year. A tool kit, pressure gage, tire pump, and spare tube is all I carry. I use a small seat stem mounted pouch for tools, etc, and a stem mounted pump, both from REI. I have logged many miles with the bow mounted to the handle bars as well as on my pack. Nothing will rattle loose when mounted to the bike if the screws are tight but, If you fall, the bow is gonna take a hit no matter where it's mounted. If you're on trails, obviously, strapped to the pack will give better clearance. Either way can be a challenge with lash straps, strings, cables, and bow finish.
I learned my lesson about mounting the bow on my bike. Luckily the bow survived the crash unscathed. Since then I've taken a couple mild tumbles on the ebike and was sure glad my bow was strapped on my back. But I ride some really rough, rocky trails (also with loose rocks) in the dark that I would never attempt with my old-fashioned bike.
To be honest, the bow is my biggest concern with using the e-bike for hunting. If you take a tumble, it seems the bow would be equally at risk on your back as it would be mounted to the bike, but I'll take Lou's word for it. I don't plan to do anything too extreme on mine, but accidents can always happen.
So far nobody has mentioned carrying an extra chain. I've never broken a chain on any bike I've owned, but that could sure ruin a day, if it happened 5-6 miles deep in the woods. Thoughts?
Matt
I would suggest adding to your list a spare rear derailer hanger specific to your bike. They are relatively cheap, small and will give out before your chain breaks. You are screwed if it breaks...
Good idea, Michael. I have ruined one of those hangers on my regular mountain bike before. I guess it's not practical to prepare for all possible problems, but that's an easy and inexpensive one to check off the list.
Matt
Never broke a chain but had one slip off the sprocket once.
I've got about 200 miles on my bike is all this summer...my take;
Chain tool and pins is critical. I had a problem with the universal link chains on my ebike the I really tried to push it on some steep slopes...and I'm a fairly big dude.I broke a couple chains. I settled on the Shimano XT chains plus a Luna offset front chainring and have not broke one since. I had some problems on high assist and steep trails......I'm a big strong rider...and it just put too much pressure on the chain.
My take; I'm not going to use my E Bike for elk hunting. The trails I hunt are too steep...and sometimes wet...thats asking for trouble with a heavy bike.
E bikes are tailor made for flat to rolling hard ground trails. Fire roads are awesome...you cn put some distance between you and the on foot crowd.
Bombing down technical trails is for light spry young guys....on true mountain bikes...not some 60# thing with a battery. My. buddy that played 10 years in the NFL went Endo bombing down a single track on his ebike.
These give you a false sense of confidence...you can climb stuff easily that was a real chore before.
The problem with E bikes is; 1) They are heavy...much heavier than a quality Mountain bike
2) Coming down trails that are slippery or wet.....the bike handles like a tank....and less like a nimble mountain bike. I can't imagine putting a trailer with a lot of weight in it behind one on a steep, muddy downhill trail...be careful studs.
Bruce,
How big of a guy are you, and which e-bike did you purchase? I'm 6'4" and 250#. On the loose dirt county roads I've been riding on, my e-bike feels far more stable than my regular mountain bike. I think the fat tires have a lot to do with that.
That said, I think I'll pass on riding any steep, muddy, downhill trails. I've endured enough Super Man type crashes in my life to know that I don't want to endure another. If conditions are anything but dry, the e-bike will stay in camp.
Matt
Bruce is Spot On.
The reason I got into so many wrecks on my e Bike was because I tried to use it like I did my old school Mnt. Bike
Ya just can't 'muscle' a 65-70lb e Bike like ya can a 25-30lb Mnt. Bike.
Good luck, Robb
My e-bike is a Rambo Krusader it is front and rear wheel drive it is a single speed. If I break a chain I think the bike would drive without it. I also have a small repair kit with for tire repair etc.
What air pressure do you guys run in your tires?
David, I think I have mine at around 20 psi.
Matt
My journey with these bikes starts Tuesday this week. Hoping it will turn back the clock a bit as I hunt on and enjoy my own property. One hill, very early in the access of most of my farm, prevents me from using my regular mountain bike. I am hoping the Mule solves that hill and gets me out much more. I like these educational threads.
20 PSI for me, too. I bumped them up to 30 PSI for a 24 mile pavement ride up a steep mountain pass in Oregon
bowwild,
Your Mule will definitely put a smile on your face. My wife and I just completed a 14 mile ride that includes a couple of hills that used to kick my butt, and my wife couldn't climb, on regular mountain bikes. They are still no cake walk, but we both pedal right up them with our Mules. She rides hers on assist level 3, I ride on level 1, and we both get the workout we desire.
Matt
Matt, I really didn't use mine that much on my hunt last year, but when I did I carried my bow strapped to my back pack. I agree that it's a little safer there than on the bike. I carried a spare tube, pump and small repair kit only as pretty much every place I took it was a road I could take my truck on. I figured if worse came to worse I'd just walk back, get the truck and load the bike up. I also just pulled it into some cover and walked away. I took no other precaution, but I probably would have in an OTC area. As you know, I used it on the retrieval, but only for about a mile of flat road. The first mile and a half was on our backs and I walked the bike down the steeper areas closer to the trucks. The big time saver was on the flat road, both going in and coming out. That's an 80 pound hindquarter on the rack and anything other than the hard packed flat road would have been scary, but having it on the flat saved a lot of time and helped us get all the meat out in good shape.... Just over a week to go for you. Remember to enjoy the whole experience. You're going to have a blast!
Jim, I’ll never forget the sight of you peddling away on your e-bike with that beautiful set of antlers strapped to the back, and a big grin on your face. I think you know, that pack out convinced me to buy one. Thanks for your well wishes, and the invaluable information you’ve shared with me. Hopefully we’ll have a repeat this year.
Matt
This will be you in a couple of weeks
BTW, Jim, I'll have to take your word on the "shape" of the meat, since I never got to taste any of it, you stingy old cuss. :-)
Matt
If I could get you on the river I'd serve you some.
Now you've really pissed me off, brother. ;-)
Looks delicious, and in a beautiful setting!! I'm just waiting for the invite. ;-)
Matt
Best pic of an ebike I"ve seen Brun! Nice!!
