I wanted to touch on the subject of e-bikes and Honey Badger rides. I’ll first come right out and say that e-bikes are completely welcome on any and all of the scheduled Honey Badger rides. The rides are truly a “run what ya brung” mentality. I think it’s awesome that on the rides there will be great mix of people on all types of bikes. That’s the whole idea of the Honey Badger rides. Remember, “Honey Badger don’t care!“

The emergence of e-bikes have allowed a bunch of people who might not want to or be able to do a Honey Badger come out and join in the fun. The issue arises in some of the e-bikes that are coming out for the rides. E-bikes run the gamut of quality and capability. Like analog bikes, e-bikes are designed and made to do different things. Go to any bike manufacturer web site and you can choose from a step thru grocery getter all the way to a long travel enduro bike designed to shuttle the rider thousands of vertical feet in a day. The differences in those bikes will share commonalities with their analog bike cousins. Where they differ from each other is the battery and motors used.

E-bike batteries are designed for how long the bike need to power the motor and how much draw that motor requires. Think of the difference in size between a smart car and a semi-truck. One is for short runs with a smaller, lighter vehicle. The other needs to supply fuel for a large vehicle over a long distance.

E-bike motors use torque to provide power to the wheels. Some are a mid engine and some are hub mounted. Both have their plusses and minuses, but there are different amounts of torque supplied. Once again like trucks, lower torque rating will be able to move less weight. So when things get steep, the lower torque rated motors won’t be able to assist the rider as much as the higher torque motors. They will cut out or reduce the assist level and the rider will be left to their own leg strength to get the bike up the hills.

All of this is a way to me caution folks that not all e-bikes are suitable for all Honey Badger routes. I wish I could give you a set battery and motor rating for each route, but it’s not that easy. Some bikes don’t list their battery output and range and the torque of the motors. Some bikes have a tone of accessories like racks, fenders, kickstands, and other stuff which all add to the weight of the bike thereby reducing it’s power, range, and efficiency.

Again, I’ll refer you to the bike company’s website. Look at the pictures in the ad copy in the background. If it shows a bike being used out on gravel roads and trails, it’s probably good to go for the Honey Badger routes. If you can’t find the torque rating for the motor, then it’s a good clue that the bike might be a bit over matched for you bike.

All is not lost if you have one of the less “capable” e-bikes. Many of the Honey Badger routes will still be just fine on them. I would choose the medium or shorter route options as a good starting point. Pay attention to the amount of elevation on the ride. A good rule of thumb is keep it below 100ft of elevation for every mile. For example, a 30 mile ride with 2500ft elevation would probable be ok. A 30 mile ride with 4500ft of elevation gain would probably be to steep and long for bikes designed around city use. I would also click on the route and examine the ride profile at RideWithGPS. If there’s extended sections of gradient on the climbs that are in the double digits, the townie type e-bike is going to be struggling.

Lastly, feel free to email or message if you’re not sure. There’s a lot of variables and by putting our heads together we can figure it which routes will work best for you. Remember, all bikes and riders are welcome to all Honey Badger rides, but you’re responsible to be able to take care of yourself, because just like the the song from Jackass says, “If you’re gonna be dumb, ya gotta be tough.”