Forum menu
Was chatting to a friend at work yesterday and him and his riding group are going out to the French alps in the summer. They all have ebikes, about 11 in total to transport. They seem to be having issues with getting the bikes out there for the week. Cant fly with them because of the batteries I believe. They looked at hiring a van and driving over, which they are happy to do, but because of the mileage involved and taking the van abroad the cost was around £2k for the week. Anyone have any suggests ?
Aren't there specific places in the alps that hire out batteries these days... Pretty sure I read or watched it somewhere like EMBN on YouTube.
Means you can fly with your own bikes and ride as normal
Convoy!
1/2 Big estates for all the bikes, however many other cars for the people (or they fly and the bikes get driven there).
Use public transport?
i believe there was a magazine did this.
Use public transport?
Might work for a smaller group but 11 bookings on trains could be problematic.
Ride them there. They're ebikes. How hard can it be?
Might work for a smaller group but 11 bookings on trains could be problematic.
Maybe but do they all need to go one one train.
Not much choice im afraid, due to a lot of e-bikes now having integrated batteries and some manufactures designing their own batteries only bosch and shimano batteries tend to be offered for hire
Given that your group has 11 people i bet at least one or two don't have bosch or shimano batteries
You could fly with the bikes and hire batteries if you can find a hirer who has 11 batteries available for that week for every bike you are taking
Other option is to post your battery out a week before (they have to go via road, no air) then post them back at the end, problem with sending 11 batteries individually is one is bound to get lost or damaged (law of averages) and i don't think you would be able to post all 11 as one shipment (would be over 5500wh of power in one package)
Which leaves three options, drive and suck up the cost, hire bikes whilst your out there rather than taking your own or get 2 mates with the most economical car to take the batteries whilst the rest of you fly and the guys flying pay the fuel bill (this is what my group may be looking at)
Buy a cheap van to drive the bikes down there, then sell it when you get back?
Fuel, insurance, tax, loss when selling etc. split 11 ways won’t be much
They’ve got chairlifts in the Alps. Take proper bikes? 😉
2k for a week between 11 people is only 180 each, if they can’t afford that they won’t like going on holiday to Europe very much.
For 2k you could probably put 3 racks on 3 cars, have the other 2 bikes inside and just drive there.
11 of them and nobody owns a van?
What kind of mountain bikers are they?
There’s an advert popping up here for a company called velotransfer who claim to get your bike to/from your European sportif might be worth a call.
2k for a week between 11 people is only 180 each,
and two or three people are going to save the cost of a flight so it’s not even that much of a price increase. Especially if you compare to costs for flying with a bike and then hiring batteries...
Is hiring a trailer any cheaper? Only need one car with tow bar (and suitable towing limit for car and driver). In fact for 2k you could pretty much buy a bike trailer - and flog it when you get back - might be less chance of major breakdown than buying a van.
Drive all the batteries down in a car with a couple of bikes etc, fly with the rest as if the bikes as if they were normal bikes?
martymac
Subscriber
2k for a week between 11 people is only 180 each, if they can’t afford that they won’t like going on holiday to Europe very much.
yip, 2k isn't expensive for that, just hire the van and stop being tight wads..
Drive all the batteries down in a car with a couple of bikes etc, fly with the r if the bikes as if they were normal bikes?
This is the obvious choice surely
Ooh that's smart thinking Kilo.
11 of them and nobody owns a van?
What kind of mountain bikers are they?
Ebikers, not mountain bikers.
Yep, in a big people carrier you'd get a few bikes, all the luggage and the batteries. 2 drivers to do a bit of wine tourism on the way and you're good. To do it nicely you'd want a stopover each way.
Drive all the batteries down in a car with a couple of bikes etc, fly with the rest as if the bikes as if they were normal bikes?
This is probably the best idea! You could pack all the batteries and a bunch of luggage in the biggest car - people in the group would also then save on the cost of hold baggage on the flights AND you could then take some heavy(er) tools with you in the car
Ride them there. They’re ebikes. How hard can it be?
This.
And because they're ebikes the people riding down would have twice as much fun as the people going by plane.
And get fitter.
11 E-bikes. Surely the SAGA coach has room!!
AND you could then take some heavy(er) tools with you in the car
And all the CO2 canisters and other illegal stuff. I can't imagine anyone on an e-bike could be arsed pumping a pump.
This:
Buy a cheap van to drive the bikes down there, then sell it when you get back?
Fuel, insurance, tax, loss when selling etc. split 11 ways won’t be much
or this:
2k for a week between 11 people is only 180 each
Bike bag and hold luggage is around £100 extra on flight costs, plus getting a bike bag itself to put them in, rentals are £70ish for 2 weeks or few hundred to buy, £2k over 11 isnt that bad TBH
PSML at Scruff 🙂
Give me £1000 cash (only 90 quid each) and I'll take the time off work and drive all the batteries there and back for you.
Their uplift driver might do it for some extra dosh. Can't hurt to ask...
Ebikers, not mountain bikers.
Post of the thread.
Ride them there. They’re ebikes. How hard can it be?
Big hitting troll of the thread.
I taught you well.