Shore transportation - Bikes

[hbucklin3]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

I think scooters are in my future. Easier to stow and load.

Agree! Folding e-scooters are the way to go.

[singlespeed]

I have ridden my folding bikes from DC to Fort Lauderdale and throughout Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean (EC) for years. Hills are a fact of life below, the Turks and Caicos. The real killer is, it seems the tradewind are always in your face on the return trip. I have twin removable soft sided panniers on back for those shopping trips, because the inevitable fall with a backpack full of groceries is a lot more painful than having those cans of beer fall with the bike. A nice aluminum framed folding bike should be less than 25 pounds, extremely important when moving any personal transport between a fixed dock in an area with more than three foot tidal surges or a dinghy bouncing around in the afternoon chop. Both can be stressful and dangerous to ride in larger cities, but Uber exists for those locales.

No matter what you decide, buy and use a helmet. Once you leave the US, road maintenance is not a priority.

Buy a decent lock and chain and use them every time you get more than twenty feet from your bike. Ask yourself if you can run fast enough to catch that kid who just stole your unlocked bike from where you put it against the wall by the entrance, while you are waiting for your change from the rum shack purchase. Opportunist thieves are everywhere, not just in cities and certain countries.

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by pas63

I've been slowly working my way south down the east coast USA. I have a bit of a disability, as a result I walk very slow. I've been relying on patients and Uber, both of which limit the fun of exploring new areas. I've been looking at bikes, preferably a folding ebike. I've searched on here for both and the threads I've found are 5-10 years old, ancient from a technological stand point.

What is everyone doing these days for shore transport while cruising?

Unless you have some form of a balance disability, get a collapsible peddle bike, your heart and general health will thank you. They all come with various gear ranges to assist.

[JMaav]

Originally Posted by pas63

What is everyone doing these days for shore transport while cruising?

We have an old Kubuki folding bike we use. Folds VERY small, and fits in a hanging locker.
I recommend it if you can find one. Also, does not appear to rust or corrode… We have had it almost 30 years!

[Night_Sailor]

Originally Posted by SV_Galateia

https://youtu.be/ZR7Ua89cKGU

Not promoting the channel but was watching this one day. They used a scooter to get around for the day.

Can you really get this kind of distance from one of these...with two people?

If so, could be a good solution.

That is the worst v-blog out there. those people are so boring and seem to think their lives are interesting. I scanned through this link and found nothing about e-bikes.



A better move would be to go to a ebike store. I visited one in NYC and had a great time trying out bikes. For a boat. Folding is best. Small wheels are unsteady. Go for 20" wheels or larger. If you have the room for a full size bike, those are nice. If I were to buy one or two now, I'd get a Zugo. You can fit two people on one. They do not fold. They have fat tires good on sand and those provide some shock absorption.



Last, and people never seem to mention this. Food shopping. There is a company that sells folding wire racks that are sized for a paper shopping bag. The primary purpose of a bike is transporting food quickly in the tropics where just walking around in the hot part of the day is challenging.


An electric bike is marvelous for food shopping. You stay cool using the motor--and even make some apparent wind. If you have space get one of these. If not chose a non steel folding bike with 20" wheels. Avoid 16" wheels.

[donpjr]

We are in the process of moving away from two Dahon Mariner folding bikes, to folding electric bikes. The Dahon's are great but require too much pedaling for our taste. Thought about scooters, but fear the face plant potential with the smaller wheels. After some searching we went with two XP Lite bikes from Lectric. They are sub 50 pound (46 according to the specs) as long as you don't load up on too many heavy accessories. Jury still out on how this works out but so far so good. With some pedal assist the range is enough for us >20 miles, up to 40 if you believe the ads. The comfort seat adds a couple of pounds but worth it for increased comfort. We will add a rear rack to at least one of these for provisioning runs.

[toddster8]

I have been using a bike trailer for "major" provisioning trips. A 30L backpack for casual shopping. Though I haven't tried to land the bike and the trailer by dinghy. It might be possible.
My folding bike is set up for touring, so the gear range is quite low. Not really a problem pulling 50 lbs up a modest hill. And the company offers to do an electric conversion, but heck, I'm not even 70 yet.
Unfortunately, the trailer no longer comes apart for stowage, due to corrosion. It adds to deck clutter, lashed inside the pushpit. Maybe if I had been more diligent about keeping it lubricated...

Also I've been finding that a lot of the roads near port areas are somewhat heavily industrial and bicycle-hostile.

[Captain Kev]

I use a One Wheel. It's light, can fit in a shopping cart or in front of my stool at the bar. It is somewhat dangerous until you get the hang of it but is a ton of fun.

[Bill Streever]

We have folding zizzo bikes, aluminum frames. Love ‘em. About $500.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Kinkircating

Yes, totally agree with this and we did consider regular bikes. The problem is a regular small folding bikes and steep hills on tropical islands are a recipe for leaving them in the boat. Having a 500W motor and 50-mile range and only 37 pounds translates into actually using them seeing much more of the islands or local destinations than is realistically possible/desirable without that extra help. I'm not 20 years old anymore even though sometimes I act like it, my body makes sure to remind me of this.

The biggest issue on a tropical island with mountainous terrain is the fast drivers who pass on curves. Even trucks and buses take over the road on curves and there is likely to be a deep drainage trough on one side and steep drop on the other (no rail, no shoulder).
I recently spent a month on St Lucia, had a rental car, and that was often scary due the the above. Factor in the numerous deep and wide potholes, and I wouldn’t even consider riding any type of bike or scooter on those roads.

[Nicholson58]

Live aboard, Eastern Caribbean.

#1. Be very wary of non-LiFePo batteries regarding fire. Don’t leave one unattended on charge. Charge on deck.
#2. Issues of weight and range noted by others is significant. Even a folding bike is a pain in the dinghy.
#3. In the Caribbean, the roads are horrible, narrow and steep. Drivers are trouble and often not courteous. There are often group tours available or you can share a car rental with other cruisers.
#4. Most places do not require wheels. There are a few locations where covering distance is desirable.

[wmgysi]

I use a folding e- bike called CARBO for a year now. I am able to load/unload into dinghy while at anchor. Google it, 30lb, bought it with smaller battery in seat post, and no throttle so street legal anywhere. 7Ah battery easely goes 30km with easy assisting. Hydraulic breaks, belt drive so no corrosion. Charging it on board with solar, via inverter, 110V, draws 60W max.

[wmgysi]

Originally Posted by pas63

I've been slowly working my way south down the east coast USA. I have a bit of a disability, as a result I walk very slow. I've been relying on patients and Uber, both of which limit the fun of exploring new areas. I've been looking at bikes, preferably a folding ebike. I've searched on here for both and the threads I've found are 5-10 years old, ancient from a technological stand point.

What is everyone doing these days for shore transport while cruising?

I use a folding e- bike called CARBO for a year now. I am able to load/unload into dinghy while at anchor. Google it, 30lb, bought it with smaller battery in seat post, and no throttle so street legal anywhere. 7Ah battery easely goes 30km with easy assisting. Hydraulic breaks, belt drive so no corrosion. Charging it on board with solar, via inverter, 110V, draws 60W max.

[MGRodems]

we spent 66 days at anchor in 2021 and 102 days last year. In 2021 we had 2 folding Dahon bikes, one from the 80s and the other brand new. The new one was for the Admiral. I rode the antique.

In 2022, I replaced the antique with a folding e-bike. It is a Go City which cost me $749. We travelled up to Maine and then down to the Chesapeake. We kept both bikes on the bow uncovered, so lots of salt spray and rain.

We had to replace the chain on the Dahon, but the Go City never had an issue. We charged the battery pack with our solar, and I bolted a milk crate to the rear rack for provisions. It was great! At 65 lbs, we used a halyard to load it into our catamaran dingy (also with electric motor).

This combination of catamaran dingy and using a halyard to load and unload the ebike worked really well. The Dahon was much lighter and we just handed it back and forth.

The ebike was a good investment, and at $750, it was not a big risk based on the reasonable price. It was powerful, comfortable and steady to ride. It carried a lot of weight on the basket. It survived the salt and rain quite well. I would recommend it. Their waebsite shows it at $1,099, but other resellers carry it for under $800.

[CaptJPMcGuire]

Originally Posted by pas63

I've been slowly working my way south down the east coast USA. I have a bit of a disability, as a result I walk very slow. I've been relying on patients and Uber, both of which limit the fun of exploring new areas. I've been looking at bikes, preferably a folding ebike. I've searched on here for both and the threads I've found are 5-10 years old, ancient from a technological stand point.

What is everyone doing these days for shore transport while cruising?

We have been up and down and all around with a 38' sailboat and a Grand Banks-42.
Cheap used 10 speed girls bikes with a big padded seat worked very well. One got stolen in Cocoa Beach when I left it leaning against a stop sign to run into a store to get a bottle of water. It was a crime of convenience--someone was looking for a quicker way down the street!!! nothing like a free bike. (got to lock them!!!). Not a great loss ---but I did get stuck with a big cab fair back to boat --and then later to salvation army store. I think I bough its cousin back for same money I originally paid $25.
PS folding bikes made me feel like a Russian Bear at a circus tooling around a ring!🤣