Shore transportation - Bikes

[Windpilot]

Choices and compromises.
Scooter, light folding or 60lb folding ebike 20" tires?
Idk, I opted big with baskets, can easily carry lots of heavy stuff a 2nd person or even carry 3 5gal Jerry cans of fuel from a station if needed. But oh the room it takes up in a 41' boat. And awkward to carry and stow tight.

[Phyrcooler]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Its all about the condition of the surface you will be traveling on. Scooters don't do pot holes well

Agreed. Good point, and something else to note for both bicycles and scooters. The beefier the tires the better. Don’t go skinny or hard. It’s not a racing bike! And there are some pretty good, rugged-surface pneumatic tired scooters out there as well.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Its all about the condition of the surface you will be traveling on. Scooters don't do pot holes well

Not quite, depends on the scooter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b2LqQMCDLA

[Kd9truck]

Sorry ahead of time the firefighter in me kicking in:

NEVER LEAVE ANY E-BIKE/ESCOOTER ON CHARGE WHILE YOU ARE NOT AWAKE OR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY

Sorry again, there has been an overwhelming number of fires with fatalities in NYC that have been caused by cheep Chinese lithium batteries in these E-items
I would hate to see your vessel or anyone’s vessel fall victim.

Cheers

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

I think scooters are in my future. Easier to stow and load.

If you are talking about the stand up platform models with tiny wheels, great for doing face plants when the front wheel meets a pebble...especially if the OP isn't agile as implied in his first post.

I would lean toward the e-bikes.

[JoetheCobbler]

Fuji made a folding 26" ,15 speed mountain bike with chrome Molly frame in 1996 for Marlboro company as a promotional program.
I've 2 of them and they are superior to the dahon folders which typically have 16"and20" rims that do poorly off road and are flimsy and poorly ergonomically designed as well as limited carrying capacity ( weight limits).
The Fuji's can typically be found used for about $75-100 us.
A Carry bag allows transport on busses or cabs they weigh about 30lbs.

[Gone Gypsy]

As far as e scooters go …..
Are you trim, fit, 35 years old and play recreational soccer every week in a competitive league? If so, you are NOT READY for an e scooter! Good pal just got one, went down because of an impossibly small crack. Broke most of the metatarsals in his left foot. Required surgery due to location of some breaks close to joint. No walking AT ALL for two weeks. Hoping to be allowed in a boot and crutches this week. These are for kids that hit the pavement and bounce back up. Buy one for your grandkids.

[LF4]

I think the best bike you can get is a gravel grinder.

Gravel bikes can go over most terrain, are way lighter than electric bikes, and can be fitted with heavy duty or slick tires based on location. You can even get quick release skewers for the front wheel for easy removal and storage.

The other advantage is the footwear. You can clip in and not look like a goof in gravel bike shoes or MTB shoes that are comfortable enough to walk around in.

Or get an electric scooter. My kids love them, and we use them in big cities.

[SeanPatrick]

Meh. Gravel bikes are essentially road bikes with more clearance in the frame so you can fit wider tires and/or tires with more tread. Gravel bikes also may or may not have some form of suspension. They're good for light to moderate off-road use [hence the name], but for really rough terrain you'll be much better off with a mountain bike. Mountain bikes ride just fine on smooth, paved surfaces, too - they're just slower due to more rotating mass, more tread and a larger contact patch. But if you're not trying to win a race, that's not a major concern.

So, if you want to be prepared for anything, get a mountain bike. If you think you'll be riding on mostly paved surfaces with a little off-roading here and there, get a gravel bike. BTW, there are electric versions of both gravel and mountain bikes - such as the Cannondale Topstone Neo or the Specialized Turbo Levo. But, keep in mind that a mountain bike will typically be heavier due to the beefier frame and shock forks. Carbon fiber frames go a long way to offset that, but they are typically much more expensive.

Also, the mountain bike pedals that fit the shoes with tread that use the smaller SPD cleats (the ones that are easier to walk in) can be fitted to just about any bike - not just gravel and mountain bikes. Almost all modern bikes have 9/16" cranks, so just about any pedal will work with them. Although you still may see a few bikes with 1/2" spindle cranks - but those are becoming increasingly rare.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Its all about the condition of the surface you will be traveling on. Scooters don't do pot holes well

That's exactly what I was going to say before Don beat me to it. I have a Segway 9Bot scooter that moves up to 30 kilometers per hour with a 28 klic range. I find this range to be more than adequate, I use this at my home residence to get out and away for a while roaming the local neighborhoods in Ft. Lauderdale. Clears my empty head. But Don is absolutely correct, those little wheels do NOT do well in much other than smooth paved roads. Thinking of all the places I visited on a boat, nice smooth paved roads aren't often found in the places I liked to cruise. I am looking at a new scoot as well with larger pneumatic tires that are meant for off road use. A bit heavier and certainly more costly but if I were to plan another RTW cruise that is what I would bite the bullet on and buy.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Not quite, depends on the scooter:

Did you actually watch this video? Their "scooters" are motor bikes with seats, are not street legal with up to 3000 watts of motor and 40 mph speeds, and weigh nearly 100 lbs! They need to come with life and orthopedic surgery insurance.

The other factor in choosing a ride is how resistant it is to salt water. I used 16 in Dahon folders in stainless steel, and the only rust I had to deal with was the chain and a screw on the shifter. One of them spent 2 hours underwater until I realized the wind had blown it off the dock, and after a good freshwater flush it was still going strong 10 years later. I even rode one of them down Mt Haleakala--the brakes overheated and I had to stop every few minutes to let them cool.

The current rides are a 26 in mountain bike with a 1000 watt motor and a Costco mini ebike. The admiral likes the Costco because she easily put both feet on the ground and step through it, but she has crashed out a couple of times with its 12 inch wheels. I like my converted mountain bike with its power and 40 mile range. However they are more suited for putting on the back of my RV rather than taking through the surf in a dinghy.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Did you actually watch this video? Their "scooters" are motor bikes with seats, are not street legal with up to 3000 watts of motor and 40 mph speeds, and weigh nearly 100 lbs!
"They need to come with life and orthopedic surgery insurance."

The other factor in choosing a ride is how resistant it is to salt water. I used 16 in Dahon folders in stainless steel, and the only rust I had to deal with was the chain and a screw on the shifter. One of them spent 2 hours underwater until I realized the wind had blown it off the dock, and after a good freshwater flush it was still going strong 10 years later. I even rode one of them down Mt Haleakala--the brakes overheated and I had to stop every few minutes to let them cool.

The current rides are a 26 in mountain bike with a 1000 watt motor and a Costco mini ebike. The admiral likes the Costco because she easily put both feet on the ground and step through it, but she has crashed out a couple of times with its 12 inch wheels. I like my converted mountain bike with its power and 40 mile range. However they are more suited for putting on the back of my RV rather than taking through the surf in a dinghy.

Now THAT's the truth!

[Stewie12]

We carried 2 folding bikes, but they were difficult to take ashore in the dingy and ended up rusting in the locker. We eventually gave them away in Antigua to children

[Goodxcharly]

I like full size bikes.
I use a Mt.Bike. I have a Bike Friday but prefer full size for getting around and longer adventures when on the hook.
I either break the bike down or just bungee them down below when going between ports.
Once there I bring them up on deck where there out of the way.

[Alchemist 66]

I have experience with both motorized scooters and folding bikes. Motorized scooters are compact and light, but they have a major disadvantage in their wheel size. Hit any road imperfection or pothole, and you'll likely be sent flying. I've torn up a jacket, a pair of pants, and scuffed up some gloves from falls over two years of using one.
I now use a folding bike and love it. I stayed away from steel frames because of rust concerns. I personally use the Zizzo Liberte, which appears unintentionally designed for boats: aluminum frame, stainless steel bottom bracket. It has 20 inch wheels, which are enough to soak up most potholes. It doesn't fold up as small as a Brompton, but costs a lot less than the rust-prone Brompton. If money were no object, I'd consider the new Brompton titanium bike: frame won't rust, and weighs just over 16 pounds.