Before I write this Lectric Bike Review, I want to make it clear that I am in no way being compensated by the company and have no relationship with anyone who works there. We have owned our Lectric Bikes for a couple of months now and I wanted to wait until we moved from one campsite to another to post this review.
After much research and a recommendation from some friends we decided to buy the Step-Through Lectric bikes with fat tires. The ordering process was pretty simple but we were concerned that we could not get a guaranteed shipping date. As we travel frequently we needed to be sure the bike would arrive during our stay and Lee ultimately solved that problem by finding a live person who had stock on hand. The shipping from that point went off very well and I was impressed by how neatly the bikes were packed.
Despite Lee’s being really good at putting things together he did find it a bit of a challenge although eventually they were all setup. The “out of the box” bikes came with the basics and we immediately saw we wanted to make some upgrades.
Ultimately we replaced the rear platform with a basket and added rearview mirrors, a cup holder, a phone holder, new seat, nice rain covers, and saddle bags. By the time we were done we had spent roughly $3500 and were excited to try them out.
I was a little nervous initially trying the bikes, but after a short getting used to it I found them to be really great. The driver’s assist function was awesome helping out with pedaling on long rides or up hills and the batteries lasted way longer than I thought they would. My only complaint at this point was how heavy the bikes were compared to what I thought they would be. In all fairness a lighter version is available but I felt like I needed the bigger tires for stability. They were heavy enough before we did the add ons, but once we added the extra baskets we needed both of us to lift them in and out of our truck.
Worse before we added the baskets they folded nicely and fit perfectly under the tonneau cover, but after the baskets were added they didn’t fold as well or fit under the cover. We played around with baskets but Lee never could get the bikes to lay flat after we added them.
On the plus side we were able to chain them up next to our rig and Lee used his almost every day to go to work for weeks. Since we only have one vehicle having a second option for in town travel was absolutely terrific and far less costly than buying a second car would have been. Still we do travel frequently and we weren’t sure how we would load them and tow our RV. Ultimately Lee did find a solution although he was forced to take the front baskets off. They just barely fit in the front of our truck bed with the RV hitched which was a huge sigh of relief.
Long term we are going to look for a better solution, but in the short term this will work. All in all I am super glad we bought them for a second mode of transportation, but honestly I am not sure how often we will take them places just to ride them. It’s a bit of a hassle and getting them in and out of the truck (which is difficult now) will get worse the older we get. Lee is looking into a foldup cargo tray for the back of the rig so we’ll see what happens going forward.
Update: We eventually had a bike rack made and added a bumper to our RV to hold it on which was not cheap. If you would like to read more about this click on this link.
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We had the same problem! Our solution: We put the bikes inside the rv when traveling. Heavy to lift but we manage. Our bike rack (empty) goes on the hitch at the back of the rv and travels there. When we get where we are staying for awhile, we move the bike rack onto the truck hitch, and then can carry the bikes around there. We have Rad bikes – heavy! We bought a bike rack that can carry (2) 80# bikes. I have a basket on my bike also and both bikes still fit on the rack without removing the basket.
That’s very interesting !
I belong to a lectric bike Facebook group, and there were many recommendations for using a large bin for travel. They fit well in a 45 gallon from Home Depot, though with your add ons, you may need to go with a larger size. The lid won’t fit, but it contains the bike to keep is from being damaged. Some people put it on the bin, then put it in the rv for travel. Just another option!
Thanks Jeanine
We know some that have them. Have you looked into a tailgate pad? Wouldn’t solve your move day drives but good m for transport rides.
We have the Lectric bikes too and agree that traveling with them has been a pain (have done it with them in truck bed as well as in the RV). My husband just showed me a YouTube video made by RVLifestyle about an ebike rack they have that works well on their fifth wheel, Class A, or truck. We are considering it…. It is called Hollywood Racks RV Rider and is $599.99 on Amazon.
Hollywood Racks Sports Rider HR 1500 is the rack we have. It’s heavy but carries the bikes safely – you should still remove the batteries when transporting. We signed up for the Amazon visa to get 100.00 off, then cancelled it……
Thanks we will check it out
Thanks !
Let us know what kinda cargo tray you find. I have the Townie peddle forward pedal assist by Trek…. also found it heavy, but I appreciate the peddle assist when riding with the Ocean Breeze. We are selling our truck as soon as our Jeep arrives, so a cargo holder will be key!!!
I worry about cargo carriers on the back of Fifth Wheel trailers. Many makes say they are not suitable for 5ers unless you have a full on securely frame mounted trailer hitch receiver there as opposed to the bolt on types that will not stand up to the bouncing and vibration in that configuration. Agree, taking the batteries off the bikes cuts significant weight off the loading. We are considering the e-bikes but current plan has us putting them inside the RV for travel. Definitely looks like a two person job for safety reasons.
I worry about them too but we see tons of RVs with them
We carry our bikes inside our 5th wheel when traveling. The bike rack travels empty on the back of the rv. Once unhooked and settled we put the bike rack onto the truck hitch. Our Rad bikes specifically warn against carrying them on the back of a trailer – too much bounce.
Yeah that’s my worry as well but I think we are going to try it
We use a Freedom Ex 2-bike (rack) and it’s attached to a hitch we have on the back of our trailer.
Thanks for the feedback
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