Comments on: “It is not a donkey and it is not horse. Maybe it’s a mule.”

By: Michael Coo

Michael Coo — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:30:55 +0000

In reply to Gila. We do not do any riders in Israel..yet. For our other tours riders meet in the city at the beginning of their tour/section.

By: Gila

Gila — Sat, 10 Nov 2018 10:05:36 +0000

In reply to Ben. I live in Israel. Where do u meet for bike rides? I live in kfar saba

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 07:40:26 +0000

We ride as part of an e-bike team in Israel organized by a local company called Magnum. Every Saturday there’s a group of people that consists of a couple dozens of rides from various age categories mostly from about 17 to 50 year old men and women and from different areas in Israel all gather together on Saturday morning for a ride that usually goes for about 5 hours each time in a different location. It is possible to rent e-bikes as well so if you ever visit Israel and love cycling you are all invited to participate and ride with us.

http://www.magnumbikes.co.il/

By: Rob McPherson

Rob McPherson — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 02:57:42 +0000

G’day Henry,

Keep going with the E-Bike tours. I am 70 and I will be cycling for years yet, but I am sure I will end up with an E-Bike.

Australia should be a good place to trial them. A van-top solar panel would go well.
On Trans Oceania 2016, the majority of my companions were over 65 years old, so I am sure that some electric-assist will keep us coming back.

By: PW Holt

PW Holt — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 02:14:45 +0000

Hi Henry, It was a pleasure to meet you at the alumni dinner in Amsterdam after the Odyssey. You’re a legend, mate. And I’m glad you are considering E-bike tours. My failing health has seriously impacted on my relationship with cycling and it saddens me. Finally I tried an E-bike in Nova Scotia doing the Cabot Trail and now I’m a fan. Yes, its a heavy old mule but it keeps me in the saddle and it is a workable solution. E-biking is definitely in my future. Long distances may present more challenges but I have every confidence that you’d be the guy to solve them. Go for it!

By: Edwina Mattinson

Edwina Mattinson — Sun, 03 Dec 2017 13:45:32 +0000

Hi Henry

Joe and I read your article on the e-bikes with great interest as we’d really love to do another of your trips.

I rented an e-bike last summer and loved it – instead of groaning when I saw a hill ahead I said to myself “bring it on”!! E-bikes would give an opportunity to many of us who would really love to go on another trip, but feel somewhat daunted by a regular trip.

You are a real maverick, Henry, and I think it’s wonderful that you’re giving e-bikes consideration. Very best wishes Joe and Edwina

By: Tullio Valfrè

Tullio Valfrè — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 15:52:19 +0000

Hi Henry,
you can imagine my happiness on reading your report. We have been discussing on e-bikes tour when a cancer interrupted my dreams for more than one year… Now, in convalescence in Tenerife, I re-started thinking on a South America Epic in e-bike !!
Come on, allow weak people, like me, to enjoy a long distance tour ! I usually rent an e-bike here because I’ve been unable to carry by air the lityum batteries of my e-bike, hopefully you will be able to solve this problem, and I hope in some months to climb the Teide as I was used to do with my race bike in the past. (I’m 66 now) and may be you don’t remember me, but we have been in contact for a while trying to convince you to consider e-bikes for long distance tours. I look forward to your (good) news on this matter. Kind regards. Tullio

By: Bill Heidler

Bill Heidler — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 22:55:06 +0000

Consider the situation of a couple, like my wife and me, where one can handle the tour on a self-powered bike but the other might really be able to use the assist of the e-bike. We would very much like to enjoy the tour together. Plus all the other excitement and togetherness of traveling to another continent that neither of us have been to before (we are interested in the last section of the Tour d’Afrique). It will be as sad for me as for her if she cannot join me on this tour.

By: henry

henry — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 15:39:37 +0000

In reply to Catrina Millikan. Yes certainly a possibility for spare battery in a lunch truck. My understanding is that new batteries are coming on the market that will increase range by 50%. By the way how other non ebike cyclists on the trip reacted to ebike cyclists.

By: Catrina Millikan

Catrina Millikan — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 23:37:42 +0000

In reply to henry. The battery on the Cube uses about 60% of a full charge (3 out of 5 bars) on a 70k ride with maybe 200 m of elevation gain. Lots of variables affect range of course: headwinds, elevation, the age of the battery, how much assist on the level spots, speed on the flats. On a prior trip in Croatia (Pedal and Sea, a Nova Scotia touring company) I just carried a spare battery for the hard days, over 80 k and 1500 m of climbing. The answer for range anxiety is a spare battery, which maybe could go in the lunch van?

By: henry

henry — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:05:30 +0000

In reply to Catharine Daly.

Hi Catharine,

Glad to hear that you agree with my thoughts. Time will tell if it will work out.

Henry

By: henry

henry — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:03:08 +0000

In reply to Peter Hargreaves.

Hi Peter

We have not made any final decisions on Japan/Korea tour but the way it looks it will be a regular tour on which we will allow a few ebikes.
Cheers,
Henry

By: henry

henry — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:00:25 +0000

In reply to Alan Lunt. Hi Alan, I remember you well. Glad to hear that you are doing well and still cycling. By the way I contacted BionX who have a factory just north of Toronto. I went there and was hoping that they would be interested in working together to develop ebike use on long tours. Unfortunately there was zero interest.

By: Steve S

Steve S — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 15:56:35 +0000

Whilst on a training ride recently, a guy on an ebike came cruising past me on a slight uphill. It struck me then that ebike touring will open up an entire new market, and I think Catrina above sums it up nicely – regular riders will be able to entice so many more of their less energetic mates to join them on adventures!

By: henry

henry — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 15:54:14 +0000

In reply to Catrina Millikan. Hi Catrina I am curious, what kind of distance are you able to do on one charge and in what kind of conditions i.e. road conditions, winds, altitude gain, etc?

By: henry

henry — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 15:49:07 +0000

In reply to Colin Biggin. We can have a beer and weep together while reminiscing how tough we were on the firstTDA.

By: Catharine Daly

Catharine Daly — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 23:56:33 +0000

What an informative article. E bikes don’t interest me at all but for many, to see countries by bike is so much more than by bus or car.
Henry, you are a very intuitive,brilliant man and I agree, E-bikes are the way of the future for many.

By: Peter Hargreaves

Peter Hargreaves — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 06:37:38 +0000

Henry , interesting read.

On my list, (it is a long one, so not all will be achieved) is a bike tour, probably north to south, along the length of Japan. I was therefore intrigued to hear of TDA plans for Japan & Korea.

I had gathered this was to be an ebike tour, so I had been put off.

Is it still intended that the Japan & Korea trip will be only on ebikes, on conventional bikes or permissive, encouraging both?

Best wishes Peter

By: Alan Lunt

Alan Lunt — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 22:59:00 +0000

Hi Henry,
You might remember me from the 2011 India tour, one I’m sure you won’t forget. I had both knees replaced in 2014 and bought a Bionx wheel and battery set to add to my bike and help me get back into cycling. As I am now 81 I find I need it when the ride is long or my companions are fast, so it is really great for keeping going. I had to modify it a little to fit it for drop handle bars, but I think Bionx gives the most natural cycling experience, and can take me over 100k at a 35% assist level.
I,m glad I have the memories of my three tours with TDA and that you are still thriving.
Best wishes,
Alan Lunt

By: Catrina Millikan

Catrina Millikan — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 22:20:25 +0000

Thanks for looking into using ebikes on TDA tours. These past two summers my husband road the TransEurooe and the Odyssey. I joined him for a couple weeks on each tour. After always being the next to the last to make it to our destination each day (We had a deal that I would join him only if he promised to ride behind me), I decided I did not care to go on another TDA ride. When we returned home I sold my bike and bought a Cube electric bike with Bosch battery. I love it! I am now able to ride with him and in a group with others and enjoy myself, not slowing the group. If you were to rent ebikes I would consider another TDA trip.

By: Colin Biggin

Colin Biggin — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 21:02:29 +0000

As I read this article, I am weeping!

By: henry

henry — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 22:38:35 +0000

Hi Michael

Go ahead and post the blog to the Gears Bike Shop eBike Blog.

Henry

By: Michael Cranwell

Michael Cranwell — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 20:47:38 +0000

Hello Henry,

I very much enjoyed your blog post about eBike. They are indeed the future for many who ride. Would be very interesting to see how you incorporate them into the Tour de Afrique given some of the potential infrastructure challenges.

But if there is a will… there is a way.

I was wondering if you would allow me to share your post in the Gears Bike Shop eBike Blog? – https://empoweredbygears.blog

This is a new initiative for us, but one that we are committed to. The eBike market is growing rapidly and we are driven to be a forefront of this business in the GTA.

Cheers,

Michael Cranwell
Gears Bike Shop
416.855.4327

By: henry

henry — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 15:16:19 +0000

In reply to Rae. Charging station is not in the cards but a small generator is an option, however I did see a folding solar panel that apparently can charge an ebike in a few hours. This needs to be tested if this would be an option at the same time solar panels are also improving from year to tear. Yes, taking battery on plane is a problem so there is a need to work around that. And yes circular tours would be ideal but hopefully we can work out other options.

By: Rae

Rae — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 01:36:02 +0000

In Africa, I recall the elites found cold cokes en route, fast ordinary people got somewhat warmer cokes, and slow people were lucky to find anything. Recalling how obsessed we all became about cokes, there will be a big problem if some slow guy like me shows up with an ebike and gets to the cold cokes before the elites. Of course the hotel rooms with electricity are few and far between in Africa, so will TDA bring a charging station along? Or maybe we need solar powered ebikes for the camping trips.

More seriously, a practical issue may be the logistics of transporting the bike to/from the excursion. Apart from the greater weight, most airlines will not take lithium batteries of the size needed for bikes – indeed, we’re close to having any size (even cell phone size) banned from checked luggage.

But you make really good points about opening up the cycling experience to more people. You mentioned tours in the planning stage – maybe a circuit starting and finishing same place – like maybe Amsterdam up the Baltic coast, south to Venice, Trans-Europa along the south to Lisbon, back up to Bay of Biscay, Normandy, through Belgium and back to Amsterdam – assuming that there was a source of rental ebikes for the journey… Just a thought.