Camping trip in Austria with a solar-charged ebike S01E01

Рет қаралды 1,985

Күн бұрын

You can buy me a coffee to support future videos:
ko-fi.com/solartrails
This video provides some real-world data on camping/bikepacking with an e-bike and charging it with a solar panel that you can carry with you. I refer to it as lazy camping since there is absolutely no rush involved. There are no hard-set targets; the only goal is to have fun and collect some data. I will continue making trip videos, so check back later for new ones, or even better, subscribe to get notified.
I completely acknowledge that this type of camping is not for everyone. There are lots of bikepackers who thrive on covering long distances, toiling away the whole day. However, I suspect that as we age, we tend to gravitate towards more comfortable ways to enjoy this activity. Whatever your preferences are, I hope you'll find this and my other future videos interesting or even useful.
Route gpx: drive.google.com/file/d/1reyD...
About the equipment:
I have customized the setup of my PAS (Pedal Assist) levels in order to provide minimal assistance under normal circumstances. That is, on level ground the assistance provides only 100W. I use higher assistance only when climbing, on difficult terrain (e.g. deep mud), or headwind. The 100W assistance about offsets the extra weight (motor, battery, trailer). This usage provides a comfortable ride with an impressive range (about 100km) on level terrain and paved roads.
Weights:
Bike (with motor and battery and packed panniers): 25 kg (55 lbs)
Trailer (fully packed): 25 kg (55 lbs)
Rider: 95 kg (210 lbs)
Bike: Decathlon Rockrider
Motor: BBSHD Bafang mid-drive, 1000W
Solar panel: purportedly 300W (although, according to the charge controller, I could never cajole more out of it than 100W)
Battery: 52V 17.5 Ah (this should make it a 910 Wh battery, although, charging it 0-100% showed only about 850 Wh, therefore, in my calculations I will be using this empirical data)
E-bike modification kit:
vi.aliexpress.com/item/100500...
Panniers:
www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B07JLFV...
Sleeping mat:
www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B08H5J5...
Sleeping bag:
www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B09KL7R...
Tent:
www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B0B2NHB...
Extension cable for the solar panel:
www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B0814N1...
Charge controller:
www.ebay.com/itm/193703301488...
Solar panel:
www.ebay.com/itm/313343662362...
Bike front tube bag:
www.ebay.com/itm/115712186545...
Bafang BBSHD programming cable
www.ebay.com/itm/373735986586
Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
00:21 Day 1
05:39 Day 2
10:15 Summary

Пікірлер: 33

@livingsimplytosimplylive6817 3 ай бұрын

I just saw your post on Reddit. That’s what brought me here.

@SolarTrails 3 ай бұрын

Great to have you here!

@22Vets 2 ай бұрын

Amazing sunset on day 1. Great video!

@perroaventura Ай бұрын

Nice setup. I love cycling and solar gadgets. Beautiful landscape too. Good work!

@SolarTrails Ай бұрын

Awesome, thank you!

@livingsimplytosimplylive6817 3 ай бұрын

Lichtenstein is a country that have always wanted to visit. That tiny country between Austria and Switzerland looks to be so beautiful. By the way, I’m sure Austria & Switzerland are as well but Lichtenstein’s tiny size has always had my interest.

@SolarTrails 3 ай бұрын

Absolutely. The whole region is phenomenal.

@tdiddle8950 Ай бұрын

A relaxing and informative video. Loved it.

@SolarTrails Ай бұрын

Thank you! :-)

@user-td5yp9pm8u 4 ай бұрын

Zat is fantastique!

@SolarTrails 3 ай бұрын

Yes, indeed :-)

@AB-kg6rk Ай бұрын

excellent and informative video. I like your music too.

@SolarTrails Ай бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@SB-hr5yr 2 ай бұрын

My idea is to add trailer with solar and have a portable power station as the spare battery such as Anker c800. even an induction hob for free cooking :-)

@SolarTrails 2 ай бұрын

Your setup might work well. Calculate the weight of the power station, consider the length of your typical routes, and factor in the bike's typical consumption. This should make clear whether your solution is suitable for your needs.

@VideoMusicManiacPlace 2 ай бұрын

I was interested in the trailer as much as everything else or more. Please post and link if possible. Thank you.

@SolarTrails 2 ай бұрын

I bought it here. However, VidaXL seems to be an international company, there might be other stores, depending on your country. www.vidaxl.hu/e/vidaxl-fekete-es-sarga-kerekpar-utanfuto-65-kg/8718475701361.html I believe that in S01E02 you can see which part of the trailer I broke. However, the company doesn't appear to be in a rush to provide me with a replacement part.

@MichaelFergusonVideos 25 күн бұрын

Interesting trip!

@SolarTrails 25 күн бұрын

It was!

@Eric_Tennant 3 ай бұрын

@SolarTrails 3 ай бұрын

Hi Eric, I've been watching your videos! Great work!

@markhester6377 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for the video. The links in your description to your equipment have been truncated so they do not work. I would like to know the solar equipment you are using. Thanks for sharing.

@SolarTrails 4 ай бұрын

Thanks. I will try to correct this issue. Anyway in the next videos I will show my new solar equipment, with a 100W panel permanently affixed to the trailer and a 200W folding solar panel.

@DiabloManiacz 4 ай бұрын

From my experience 150W+ fixed panels work the best and give around 1W ~ 1km worth of daily range. 200W panel gives around 200km, on a sunny day, without using batteries! Larger high quality panels produce ~75%+ of their nominal power, while smaller panels can be only

@ElectrifiedStud 2 ай бұрын

You need to add 'Time' on screen. if possible, Battery Capacity & Solar Generation too. Cheers!

@SolarTrails 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. Handling the 'Time' aspect should be manageable. Solar generation is a bit trickier since one panel charges the bike continuously while the other only charges when connected to the circuit. The battery capacity is already displayed alongside the percentage value. I'll try to incorporate the additional data you mentioned, but I want to avoid overcrowding the screen. KZfaq analytics indicate that roughly 60% of my audience watches videos on mobile devices, so the text needs to be large enough for readability on phones. These are challenges I still need to address. Thx again!