Bicycle suited for riding in the desert

[MrNoodly]

The softer the surface you want to ride on .
The fatter the tires you should have.

The camping area at Ehrenberg is mostly "desert pavement" which is a layer of tightly packed stones ranging in size from about walnuts to baseballs with football sized ones mixed in. Most of the stones are smooth but there are patches of shale-like stone on edge. Here's a link to some photos. https://tinyurl.com/y8a9adn6

The "roads" will be either dusty or have an inch or two of mud, depending on the weather -- with clumps of rock here and there. And the pavement from the roundabout is as rough as the unpaved part.

So I would go for something with a good suspension and tough tires.

 

[Van Mama Wannabe]

Hi Gypsy, I'm very excited about the RadRover electric bike. I rented one for a couple of hours last week and it was a BLAST to ride! I'm in my 60's and have body pain issues and just can't ride my road bike any more without paying dearly for it. The 4" fat tires and the front suspension on the RadRover were really kind to my body. I also rode the RadMini for a few blocks and the controls for that bike are the same as for the Rover. The ride is just a different "feel" with the smaller diameter tires. I'm going to go back and rent the Mini for a longer time to help me decide which one to buy.

My plan while riding was to pedal as much as I could and use the throttle when I needed it or wanted an extra boost, such as going up hills or getting through an intersection before the signal turned red. It turned out to be a perfect combination of exercising my muscles/lungs while getting to see a lot of scenery without worrying whether I had the energy and strength to get back to the bike shop. The "20-mile" range limit is a very conservative estimate. I rode close to 20 miles and the battery indicator when down only one notch (I think out of 4, if I remember right.)

Using the throttle sounded complicated when the guy was explaining how to use the bike, but it was pretty intuitive when I got started. You don't have to switch around on the components--you just pedal when you want and twist the throttle when you need an extra boost. Easy! And did I say fun?

I was on bike trails and streets, so I can't say how these tires would work in the desert, but the woman Bob interviewed made it sound like it worked well for her. I would encourage you to try one out if you can. I found the bike shop I used at https://www.radpowerbikes.com/pages/where-to-ride

The price is right on the Rad bikes compared to other electric bikes. I also like the fact that you can get exercise if you want (vs. a scooter or motorcycle) and yet get assistance if you need it. The down side is the weight. There's no getting around the fact that you have to heft around 60 lbs. of bike (a little less if you remove the battery) when it's time to load it up into or onto your vehicle. If you can do that or know how to rig something to accomplish that, I'd say you're golden.

I'll be eager to hear if you get to try one out!