eTrike tour from Bilabo to the UK

[DGG1941]

Earlier this year I took my ICE trike, complete with Neodrive rear wheel motor, by ferry to Bilbao in northern Spain and then cycled the 700 miles back through France to St Malo. The trike and the motor behaved well and left me with two lessons for next time: when planning the route be aware that what is suitable for a two wheeler will not necessarily accommodate a trike - obstacles of this type that I encountered included a set of steps over a railway bridge, a steep 6 foot high muddy bank, and a concrete block big enough to stop a tank!

The second lesson was to avoid stopping on long steep hills on hot days; without the cooling generated by movement of the wheel, the heat in the motor would seep into the electronics and trigger a No-Start situation. Solution incidentally, is to freewheel a few yards down hill to allow it to cool down!

For those interested in more detail, here's the brief blog that I kept along the way.
https://davidggalloway.wordpress.com/bilbao-to-uk-on-an-e-trike/

 

[Ann M.]

That's an amazing trip and beautiful bay in the picture, @DGG1941! Did you encounter other electric bike or trike riders on your trip? Please do load a couple more pics

 

[DGG1941]

Hi Ann
My favourite meeting was with an English carpenter who was travelling on a three speed bike and towing a trailer for his dog - a wonderful counterpoint to our modern assisted machines!
Also saw this solar panelled trike outside a supermarket; a c
More images at https://davidggalloway.wordpress.com/picture-gallery/

 

[DGG1941]

Thanks for the comments on the umbrella. When grinding uphill in the midday sun it can be a huge help, giving shade to the head and neck; it slots into a tube behind the neck rest and can be angled to either side of the trike as well as straight up, according to the direction of the sun. I had one like this on the ICE trike that I took across the States in 2002 (pedal power only of course) and would not have travelled without it.

 

[Ann M.]

Court would be proud of all your water bottle mounts on that tadpole, Awesome! When you're touring with the electric trike how far do you travel in a day, on average @DGG1941? Thanks for sharing the pics, too.

 

[DGG1941]

Yes, I've run out of water once too often! Average mileage over the 700 miles was 50 miles per day with a longest day of 75 with an elevation gain of 2800 feet. That required judicious balancing of battery and legs, and with a total weight of 275lbs, I was very happy to have a low ratio of 20/36, albeit offset somewhat by the 26" rear wheel.
I only recharged during the day a couple of times - when faced with a strong headwind and fighting a bad tummy - and on one of the occasions, the chef hearing of my request came dashing out with the largest extension cord I've ever seen. All restaurants should offer this service!