Can I Really Go eBike Camping?

What do you get when you add up one injured back, two Copperhead EVO HD Wave bikes, a half dozen Ortlieb bikepacking bags and predicted below-freezing mountain temps?  The perfect opportunity to test out our health, gear and ebikes on a quick overnight bike-camping adventure!

Though both of us could be considered avid cyclists, this excursion was the first bikepacking trip for Adam, who’d been off the bike for several months due to spinal/nerve issues.   We had a good idea of what we were getting ourselves into, but there was some risk factor involved, too.  Could the trails be too rough?  Will the sleeping pad be soft enough?  Would the sleeping bag’s temp rating be up to snuff?

With these types of questions running through our minds we headed out the door, past our apprehensions and onto the alpine trails of the San Bernardino National Forest.  And just as soon as our tires hit the dirt we remembered one of the chief characteristics of ebikes: their ability to make the joys of life more accessible to those of us with dad bods, family responsibilities, busy work schedules, injuries and other limiting factors.  Cycling adventures aren’t just for the super-fit, spandex-minded anymore.  

There’s something to be said for pushing one’s limits, that “runner’s high” feeling, of grinding out a hard ride.  But for some of us, it may be a challenge to ride to the chiropractor, as hard as it might be to admit.  Yet, through this trip, we stumbled upon the “ebiker’s high”: having enough energy to actually enjoy the journey.  We found a 2,000’ climb over 13 miles was fun, not an ascetic practice!  We were able to enjoy the 8,000’ summit view of lakes and forests without gasping for air.  Ebikes level the playing field, allowing friends of varying fitness levels and capacities to share adventures.

 

We arrived at our campsite with gas still in our tanks, enough breath in our lungs to fill our air mattresses and with plenty of time before dark to get dinner cooking.  As an added bonus, because gear weight isn’t as much of an issue with ebikes, we were able to bring a lot more “stuff” than ultralight minimalist bikepacking bags usually allow for!  This was key, as we had a mixture of equipment, with a little extra to ensure we wouldn’t freeze overnight.  Simply put, bikepacking on an ebike opened the door to use whatever gear was available, because, afterall, we were riding the Copperhead EVO HD, as in Heavy Duty.

We might have even discovered something available only to ebike riders: bike-glamping!  Imagine bringing s’mores, books, string lights and camp furniture on your next bike trip!  And honestly, the pannier bags from Ortlieb made loading and unloading our luxury items as easy as pie.  ...Say, that’s a great idea!  Yeah, add pie to the next packing list! 

The Copperhead EVO HD Waves allowed us to take a break from civilization, to catch up as friends and to feel confident knowing the route was accessible to us, even if our health and gear didn’t match our ideal picture of life.  So go ahead and take a risk.  Get out there, enjoy life and grab a BULLS by the bars.  Check out the Copperhead EVO HD Wave here, and you won’t be disappointed.