E-Bikes on OOFD Bike Camping Trips

An OOFD rider on their e-bike on OOFD's 5 day SWMI bike camping trip

Can I ride my e-bike on an OOFD adventure?! The answer is very likely yes. 

Because, we push for radical inclusivity in all we do, and excluding ebikes and their riders just wouldn’t align with our #1 value of being welcoming. 

That said, there are really two main things for you to consider riding your e-bike on one of our rides:

Number 1: Is your e-bike legally allowed on the trails we will ride? 
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The rules for e-bikes on trails vary a bit depending on who manages the trail or which municipality we are riding in. Creating a list of all those municipalities, trails, and their rules is simply outside of our capacity, so it is a good idea for you to do a little research before coming on one of our rides to make sure your bike is ok on the trails we’ll be riding. There are some resources linked below.

That said, you and your bike likely are all good on any and all of our rides and trails as long as they are Class 1 or Class 2 which include e-assist and throttle bikes. And many trails require that e-bikes do not exceed 15 mph on their trails. If your bike has a max assisted speed over 20 mph, it likely is not allowed on the trail. 

Riders at a beautiful prairie on Day 5 of the SWMI Ride

Number 2: Will your bike’s battery make it the distance, and if not, what is your game plan? 
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Most of our overnight rides take breaks every 12-18 miles though those are usually just 15-20 minute breaks and electric outlets are not always available. We do often take an hour lunch break and usually there is somewhere you can find to plug in though it can take some pleading with a local business to allow you to plug into their outlet while you eat lunch. 

And then, once we reach camp, there oftentimes are outlets available somewhere in the campground if not at your campsite itself. 

All of that to say, I imagine as an ebike rider, you likely have thought about the range of your battery before reading this, and are considering our rides that are within the range of your bike’s battery. Bringing an extra battery is an option though certainly a fairly heavy and expensive one.

​Also, consider that your battery will run out a little more quickly when riding with all of your camp gear strapped to it, so its a good idea to do a practice ride with the bike loaded to get an idea of how much the range of your battery is affected by the added weight. 

Hopefully this helps and if you are unsure if your e-bike will make the trip, it might be better to start with one of our shorter trips to test it out. Or you can do a “shakedown” ride by yourself or with some friends (or on one of OOFD’s Adult Day Rides) to test the distance your bike’s battery can take you with the extra weight of your camping gear on it. 

An e-bike loaded up for an OOFD overnight Photo by Emily Ling

Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources you can check out regarding e-bikes including rules, regulations, and even guidance on which ones might be a good fit for you. 
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Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road 2024

REI Blog about choosing Ebikes and breakdown of the different 3 classifications

Gotrax Blog with a quick and easy breakdown of the 3 ebike classifications 

Ride Illinois Bike Laws Overview

Forest Preserves of Cook County’s FAQ

Cardinal Greenways blog about Indiana Bike Trails Rules

ABT Blog about Chicago’s E-bike Rules and Regulations