Ebike in Swiss/French Alps?

[rholt]

I'd like to do at least 2 weeks of bike touring in the Alps this summer based out of Geneva.  A deteriorating knee forces me to go the eBike route so  I will likely have to rent or buy a bike there.  Does anyone know of the availability of an eBike suitable for road touring up to 100km per day there -- either rentals or used bike sales?

Also, how much of a problem is it to find places for recharging along the way if I can't get a bike with enough battery power to get to the next night's destination.?

[davidbonn]

There is a lot to unpack here.  I have experience touring with an e-bike in the states and can add some observations.

The first thing I'd say is that e-bikes designed for touring aren't that common and are pretty expensive.  So I'm doubtful you could find a used one or a rental.  Also, used e-bikes (and particularly used batteries) are their own universe of challenges.

I have an e-bike that I sometimes use for touring and errands with two 500wh batteries.  With that configuration running on low pedal assist in not-very-hilly terrain 140km+ fully loaded is achievable.  In mountainous terrain on poor roads the range drops dramatically, as it also will if you run higher assist levels.

The biggest issue with charging on the go is that it can take time.  Like you might have to stop for two or three hours.  This is especially true if you are using the typical charger that comes with the bike and don't have a fancy higher-power one.  The downsides of that higher-power charger are that you probably shorten battery life somewhat.  My favorite choices for charging on the go (when I do it) are public parks and fire stations, where you can almost always find an available outdoor outlet and you will rarely be given any hassles using one.  By comparison charging at a restaurant or cafe you can expect they will lose patience after about half an hour or so.

Bosch has public e-bike charging stations in some locations.

One thing you might not have considered is ergonomics.  Few e-bikes are designed to be comfortable for long rides day after day.  And because so many of them are so heavy they also are uncomfortably stiff.

[rholt]

Thanks for the reply.  I do have a Tern GSD eBike that is similar to what you have used.  I had to replace the seat and seatpost to get my butt back far enough to be tolerable at distances over 15 mi./25 km but I have done rides up to 3 times that long since then and feel I could easily do another15-30 mi. if I took a long break in the middle.  A couple of these rides included 3-5 miles of 7% gradient which required Level 3 (of 4) assist.    Unfortunately at 90#/44 kg, it is too heavy to transport to Europe.  (I have used Level 4 assist to get up shorter grades I could barely climb on my old regular touring bike in my prime but that does reduce battery life hugely.)  I intend to further explore the limitations of battery life on rides before I go.

However. at ~90 # (44 kg) with empty panniers, it is too heavy to go on a plane even assuming batteries are allowed.  So, I will need to rent or buy a bike there to do my tour.  I don't need a full touring setup as I expect to avoid camping but I would need to fill a couple medium panniers and a handlebar bag.  (Camping would likely make overnight charging impossible in some cases.)

A friend from the UK informs me that he has done some day riding on eBikes in the Swiss Alps and that they are commonly available to rent in many mid-size towns.  However, he didn't mention their suitability or availability for longer rides so I will have to research that more.  I also don't know what current rental rates are or if there are rental limitations on crossing from Switzerland to France on one. 

[davidbonn]

I also question whether you can ship any e-bike via a commercial flight with their batteries included.

It might be good to look into bikeflights and see if they can transport your bike.  At least to get an estimate to what is likely to be an outrageous price.

One option might be to ship a bike without batteries and purchase batteries in Europe.

[rholt]

I talked to a guy in a bike shop that did some Euro e-biking in 2023.  He said that bike rental is the way to go -- particularly in Switzerland. 

1. E-bikes aren't allowed on passenger flights due to the batteries and heavier ones like mine would also incur extra costs if they could be transported at all even without the batteries.  2. I'd have to research to see if the battery packs needed for my bike are even available in Europe.  3. Shipping with other non-passenger air freight would be almost half the cost of a new bike (roughly) and there is no realistic guarantee that it would arrive on time and undamaged.  4.  E-Bikes built to US standards -- even Class 1 like mine -- offer more assist than is allowed in the EU and probably in Switzerland.  Anything that offers assist at levels above 25 kph (15 mph) is not considered an eBike but a motorized vehicle requiring licenses.  5.  Ebikes are widely available for rental in Switzerland to the point that their rail system even rents them and will transport them with or without you. 

On the good side, he said that public access to outlets for charging is very good even though restaurants/cafes can get a bit grouchy if you use their electricity for more than an hour.  Now, I just need to do some research to find out if his information is current/accurate.  If I can confirm, I will post the details here for others.