Electric Bikes Make the Great Outdoors Even Greater

As any outdoor enthusiast will tell you, it’s important to stock up on the right gear when you're heading into the woods. 

For some, that means accounting for the basics -- water, food, shelter, a basic first aid kit, and enough duct tape to get yourself out of a bind. For others, full-bore glamping means a French press, string lights, and a ping pong table -- just in case. 

But for a whole new generation of adventurers, there’s one tool they’ll never leave behind: their electric bike.

There's no doubt that riding an ebike is one of the best ways to explore the great outdoors, but for these die-hards, the ride is just the beginning. They use their bikes to reach areas that cars can't get to, carry heavy gear with ease, and ensure they have enough energy to maximize their experience away from civilization once they get there. 

We reached out to some of the most outdoorsy people we know to hear how their ebikes are helping them go even farther.

 

 

 

 

Fishing  

 

When you head out on a fishing trip, you’re rarely looking for dinner. You’re looking for that perfect moment on the water when nothing else in the world matters. 

Cameron Garrison, a fly fisherman, told us that using an ebike on his outings helps him reach that mindset a lot easier. 

“It adds to the overall experience,” he said. “You get to have an enjoyable ride to your fishing spot and feel good about not burning carbon to drive a big truck there. It adds to the overall zen of the activity.”

Achieving total relaxation is also aided by not having to worry about carrying your own gear.

“It’s like a portable tackle box, only better. I’m usually able to fit in an inflatable 'pack raft' for floating, fishing waders, wading boots, rod, and my pack,” he told us.

“I guess you could say I’m hooked," he added. "No pun intended.”

  

Camping 

 

 

If you've tried to plan a camping trip this summer, you know that a simple night in the woods is oftentimes anything but. 

The biggest headache? Trying to reserve a camping site.

With COVID-19 making traditional vacations less appealing, more people are snatching up reservations and filling up campground parking lots. Even more, it seems, are being turned away as soon as they get there.

But for Marley Blonsky, that’s not a problem. It turns out that electric bikes are an awesome workaround for anyone looking for a spontaneous camping trip.

“It makes it so much easier to go camping without planning for weeks and months in advance. The biggest benefit is the flexibility you’ll have,” she explained. “Nearly all the state or county parks in Washington have hiker-biker dedicated sites, where you can just roll in on your bike and set up. It doesn't matter if you're on an ebike or a regular bike, you can camp there.”

While Blonsky rides both traditional and electric bikes, she’s found that ebikes are great for when you want to be really adventurous. 

“If you go on your regular bike, you work really hard to get there. Then when you arrive, all you’ll want to do is sleep,” she said. “With an electric bike, it’s a more enjoyable ride. And when I get there, I can go fishing or hiking since I won’t be totally exhausted.” 

 

Skiing and Snowboarding

 

With rugged fat tires, a reputation for sturdy handling, and a reliable 25-45+ battery range, our all-terrain electric bikes are the open-air companions you never knew you needed.

 

During the summer months, Lake Tahoe-based photographer Ming Poon will take his RadRover pretty much everywhere, whether that’s down to the lake for a daily swim, up into the hills to go climbing, or even to lug around tools to help build mountain bike trails.

But when the seasons change, that’s when things get really exciting. 

Ming and his wife, Mollie, use their bikes to go skiing and snowboarding. 

With climate change leading to higher and higher snow line elevation, they realized they could park their car at the trail head and then just bike up the 8 or 9 miles to where the powder is, rather than hiking or ski-touring in.

“Skis are easy. You can put them along the bike’s spine. If I’m going snowboarding, I’ll just strap my board to my back," Ming said.

“When we get up there, I just put the kickstand down and walk right onto the snow,” he said. “If we were to walk it, it’d take all day. Ebikes help us extend our season, conserve our energy, and enable us to go on longer tours.”

“It's not like we’re lazy," he added. "We just want to spend our energy on the things that we really want to do, like touring in the backcountry, mountain biking, or swimming -- whatever it is."

 

Hunting 

 

Jay Gregory knows a thing or two about The Wild Outdoors. In fact, it's the name of the show he co-hosts on The Sportsman’s Channel.

As an avid bowhunter, Jay used to rely on expensive all-terrain vehicles, but found that they made too much noise -- a major drawback in a situation where silence is key.

That’s when he discovered all-terrain electric bikes for hunting: the RadRover and RadRover Step-Thru.

“The bikes are a bowhunter’s dream,” he told us. “They're quiet, they're scent-free, and you can get in and out without disrupting anything. You just lay them behind the base of a tree and whatever you’re hunting doesn’t notice it's there.” 

As an added bonus, Jay notes that they’re perfect for hauling gear, whether that’s the usual hunting accompaniments or the camera equipment he needs to film the show. 

“Sometimes we'll even strap a decoy deer to the back of the bike before we head in,” he said. “We kind of go above and beyond when it comes to taking gear in and out, and we don't have any problems whatsoever.”