Electric bicycles for RVers - how to choose the right bike

If you’re an RVer do you have a bicycle or an e-bike? Today we’re going to look at several electric bicycles to help you make a decision. Are e-bikes safe? What’s the difference between one and the other and what should you be looking for if you’re an RVer? We have those answers and more here.

Why would I want an e-bike?

Electric bicycles open up the doors to a lot of different adventures. Since they can be anything from an electric motorcycle to a traditional bicycle, they allow you to get around as you would like.

We’ve traveled inside of larger campgrounds with our bikes but we’ve also used them to go on adventures. Many times campgrounds are close to things you’ll want to visit such as attractions, restaurants or whatever and we’ve often taken our bicycles instead of our truck. It’s just much easier and parking can be less of a hassle.

At several boondocking gatherings we’ve used our bikes to also transport water in our Wolverine Tough Bags in increments of five gallons at a time. At a recent gathering we rode our bikes, along with numerous others, into the local town and descended on a brewery.

Lots and lots of communities are creating bicycle-friendly adventures with many offering “rails to trails” pathways that really open up where you can get to.

We also used to see a lot of golf carts at things like FMCA Conventions but, lately, more and more RVers are moving to e-bikes. Having our bikes at these gatherings has proven to be very enjoyable and made traversing the grounds much, much easier.

What is an e-bike or electric bicycle?

Electric bicycles have become very popular because they offer more flexibility than traditional bicycles. Like a traditional bicycle, an e-bike can be ridden through the power of your ability to pedal them so, in that respect, they can be just a heftier version of a traditional bicycle.

But most e-bikes also have the ability to add power to the equation and some can perform just like an electric motorcycle, sort of. For example today’s reviewed bicycles have five levels of what are called pedal assist.

Essentially you dial-in how much assist you want on a scale of 1-5 and, when the bicycle senses that you’re pedaling, it applies that assistance to make the pedaling easier.

You can also adjust this on the fly through a set of buttons on the handlebars. If you see a hill upcoming you can dial-up the pedal assist to get you over the hill, for example. Then dial it back down as you descend. This is really the key to what makes an e-bike such a great mode of transportation - the flexibility is outstanding.

Electric bicycles also come in a huge variety of configurations with more styles hitting the market as the market continues to grow. There used to be just a few types of e-bikes but now there are models from tiny, folding bikes to large cruisers along with three-wheeled trikes.

There are currently three classes of e-bikes;

Class 1

Bicycle with a motor that only provides assistance when the cyclist I pedaling and does not provide assistance over 20 miles per hour (32 kilometers per hour).

Class 2

Bicycle with a throttle-actuated motor that doesn’t provide assistance over 20 miles per hour. In other words, this bike can also be propelled by the throttle or through pedal assist.

Class 3

Bicycle with a motor that only provides assistance when the cyclist is pedaling and doesn’t provide assistance over 28 miles per hour.

How do you choose an e-bike?

As with anything the more choices you have the more choices become available.

Unless you’re an experienced rider, I would consider going to a local bicycle shop and trying out several configurations. Even between two theoretically similar bicycles there can be a big difference in how you experience the bike and fit on it.

For example our folding e-bikes are great for less experienced riders because they’re relatively light and easy to handle. They have what is called a “step-through” frame so that there isn’t a cross bar to get in your way as you hop aboard.

The larger 28” bicycle is much faster and can ride over more types of terrain successfully, bit it’s a big and relatively heavy bicycle. It also has a crossmember that you have to swing your leg over as you get on.

Your own mobility can affect the style of bike that works for you.

Are electric bicycles safe?

Lots of people have heard lots of stories about fires with personal electronics that are charged by lithium batteries. In fact, it’s certainly possible for a battery fire to occur but it’s also possible to cause a fire with a can of gasoline or have a propane explosion.

The difference between a good battery-powered product and a cheap one includes how well the battery management system works. High-performance batteries like the ones you have in an e-bike have a lot of energy stored in them.

A good battery management system will dramatically reduce the chance of a fire or explosion. This is true of RV batteries as well.

Buying a high-quality bicycle from a reputable manufacturer who cares about that reputation and customers is the best way to go. Buying the least expensive thing you can find on line can lead to your being on the news. You get what you pay for.

All these bikes are made in China, but the specifications a company puts on their bikes makes a difference. A big difference.

Can I ride my e-bike anywhere?

As RVers we have the opportunity to affect what we can do in the future. There are currently places where electric bicycles are prohibited. If we are careful riders who respect the principals of Leave No Trace (here our podcast with the organization here) then fewer places will consider prohibiting e-bikes. But if we’re discourteous to other people enjoying shared resources like trails and pathways we’re sure to get limitations voted in.

Be mindful of any restrictions on e-bikes and be courteous to others.

Three electric bikes we’ve tried

Here are the three electric bicycles we’ve tried and videos about each of them.

Rad Mini Step-Thru 2

Our first e-bike was the Rad Mini Step-Thru 2. While this bike isn’t in production any longer, the company does make a similar product today.

The Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru 2 is a folding, fat tire electric bike that's friendly, stable, and somewhat off-road capable. The custom 3.3" wide tires have reflective sidewalls, puncture protection, and all-terrain tread. This is the second generation RadMini Step-Thru, and it comes standard with wide plastic fenders, integrated lights, and an adjustable suspension fork with preload and lockout. Only available in one frame size and one color, but the handlebar and seat height are adjustable so it can accommodate a wide range of body types.

The frame feels very solid and the welds and construction are first-rate.

Large aluminum alloy folding pedals feel solid and sturdy, a chain ring guide keep your pants clean while reducing chain drops. Wide 11 to 34 tooth gearing makes it easy to pedal up steep hills and comfortable to maintain ~20mph top assisted speeds without feeling outpaced, large thumb shifter is intuitive but a little difficult to reach compared to triggers. The twist throttle is what I call motorcycle mode - it operates like an electric motorcycle.

I was impressed by how well this bike performed and how well thought-through it felt overall.

Lectric XP 3.0

This is our second Lectric e-bike. Our first was the Lectric XP 2.0 and, I believe, the Lectric XP is the best-selling e-bike in the US. The upgrades to the bike in the 3.0 version are absolutely noticeable.

The bike feels much more polished, much better engineered and just offers a better experience overall in this 3.0 form.

As with the Rad, this bike folds in half with the handlebars also folding down. We had been putting these on our Curt Aluminum Tray-Style Bicycle rack on the back of our trailer but now we fold the bikes up and put them into totes.

When they upgraded to the 3.0 the suspension, braking, throttle and much of everything else was improved.

Something else they’ve improved is the rack which is now a part of the frame and is welded to the bike. Because of this Lectric offers seats you can place here and give people a ride with that capacity being 150 pounds.

One of the things we’ve liked about Lectric is that their Phoenix, Arizona-based support team is really a good group of people. You can also go to Phoenix and test ride bicycles there which is a good idea. Honestly the company and their products are solid and the value is there.

Puckipuppy Beagle

Puckipuppy reached out to us and offered up the Beagle model to try out. This bike came mostly assembled and was easy enough to put together. This is a larger bike with 28” tires that has a 400 pound capacity.

This particular example does not fold so it’s less of a traveling bicycle but I suspect I’m going to get a lot of use out of it right here at home. With major grocery and dining options about two miles from where we live, plus a couple of breweries, I can see taking advantage of the larger wheels on this bike and using it to go there as much as I would use our truck.

I was surprised at how much came with this bike including mirrors, a lock, a motion-sensing alarm, a phone holder, bike rack, bicycles cover and even the tools to put it together. Even without reading the instructions the process of building the bike was relatively easy.

If you have a bike rack, like the Curt Aluminum Tray-Style Bicycle rack, you could absolutely take this bike with you and my buddy Michael has a similar bike from Rad that he takes with him. So, again, determining what style of bike suits you and your adventures makes a difference.

One more thought

Another nice thing about e-bikes is that it’s an additional form of transportation. If you have a mechanical issue on your travels having an e-bike as a back-up can prove to be helpful. For example, if you’re stuck on the side of the road outside of cell signal perhaps you could bike to a place where the phone works. Just a thought.

Conclusions

All three of the bikes we’ve had the opportunity to test have about the same specifications on the motor and braking and this is a good combination of performance, efficiency and stopping power.

I would say all three of them offer a good quality build and have a good value for the dollar. They’re not the cheapest but they offer the quality that will serve you well without being overly pricey. You can certainly spend a lot more money on an e-bike for sure.

But even with the same specifications on paper each bicycle offers a very different riding experience. From the performance of the motor to the feel of the bike to how it handles terrain, there is a noticeable difference. This is why it’s in your best interest to go try out bikes.

Many local bicycle shops now have e-bikes in their inventory and good bike shops will let you test ride models to see how they perform. As mentioned really cheap bikes may not have the protection of their battery system that really is important and one of the things you pay for when buying something that’s not super cheap.

Overall we are huge enthusiasts about electric bicycles and the freedom they bring to the RV lifestyle. We’ve had the most experience with Lectric brand and really like how they support their products. But Rad has been around for a long time and the Puckipuppy bike was a great value.

Hopefully that’s helpful.