How To Travel With an Electric Bike

September 11, 2019

If you’re looking for e bikes for sale, you’re in for a life-changing experience. Electric bikes make it easier than ever to get where you want to go while utilizing the ideal amount of exertion for your health and fitness needs. If you get tired at any time during your ride, you can activate the electric assist so your bike does the hard work for you. On the flipside, if you want to get the most intense workout possible, simply deactivate the electric assist and use your own energy to propel your bike forward.

Travel with electric bike is a great way to experience other parts of the state, country or even the world. If you’re wondering how to get your new bike from here to there, here are a few things you should know.

Airport Battery Rules

Learning how to travel with e bikes can be tricky, especially if you plan to fly to another part of the world with your back in tow. Due to strict aviation rules, some batteries are not allowed on planes. These include batteries larger than 160WH. While this rule may seem unnecessary to some, it is believed that lithium-ion batteries may have already caused three aircraft crashes and many aircraft fires. If your e bike has a battery of this size or larger, you may be able to get special approval from your air carrier. This rule also applies to spare batteries for your e bike.

Ship Your Battery

If you can’t get air carrier approval for traveling with e bikes, you may want to consider separating the battery from your bike and shipping it to your destination. When shipping a lithium-ion battery, you will need to identify it on the packaging as a Dangerous Good so it can be labeled and handled safely. Shipping charges for dangerous goods are higher than regular shipping charges, but it may be worth the extra cost to be able to ride your electric bike during your vacation or other travels.

If you decide to ship your battery separately, you can prepare the rest of your bike for air travel by packaging it in any of the following materials:

Hard Bike Case: A hard bike case provides the highest level of protection for your bike. You will, however, need to figure out how and where to store it during your trip.
Cardboard box: This option is inexpensive and easy, but it doesn’t provide very much protection for your bike.
CTC plastic bag: If you put your bike in a clear plastic bag, baggage handlers are more likely to load it with care. However, if the bike is accidentally dropped, plastic will provide virtually no protection.

To package your electric hybrid bike, you’ll need to take it apart. Make sure you pack the necessary tools to reassemble your bike once you arrive at your destination.

Rental Considerations

Although electric bike travel can be challenging if you are flying, you can check to see if electric bike rentals are available at your travel destination. It is wise to reserve an electric bike rental before you leave on your trip so that it is ready for you when you arrive.