How to build a hunting cargo mountain bike that can fly in checked luggage

Cancertable

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What would be the cheapest acceptable build for a hunting ebike that can travel through mountainous terrain on Forrest roads but also be able to travel through checked luggage? (Under 50lbs with case, packable into a compact case)

Also needs to be able to carry me (120lbs) my hunting/camping gear (20ish lbs with rifle/bow) and up to 200lbs of elk meat. Full suspension and comfort would be a nice-to-have. Disc brakes for stopping. 29er wheels would probably be too hard to pack. 20mph would probably be the fastest I’d need to go. Looking to be around the $3000 range.

I’d probably use those a bunch of those 100w batteries to get through tsa.

Is this even possible?
 
Cancertable said:
Is this even possible?
Maybe. Tall order. In your favor: your low body weight. Need some more info from you.
So far have:
  • Packable (folding?), max weight 50lb.
    Commercial airline acceptable.
    Max. GVW 400 lbs.
    20 MPH.
    Trail worthy.

Range? At what speed? Hills? Ambient temperatures?
Are you able to pedal? How much?


Cancertable said:
I’d probably use those a bunch of those 100w batteries to get through tsa.
What batteries are those?
 
99t4 said:
Range? At what speed? Hills? Ambient temperatures?
Are you able to pedal? How much?

At least 20mi. Yes to hills mostly just need help on these. From 80F down to slightly below freezing. I can pedal about 140 watts all day. I was considering using a lightweight trailer for the meat.

99t4 said:
Cancertable said:
I’d probably use those a bunch of those 100w batteries to get through tsa.
What batteries are those?

Grin 100w batteries
https://ebikes.ca/product-info/grin-products/ligo-batteries.html
 
Go for cop meat. It's better sport.
 
Possible, but not flying the battery there. You'd need ten people to carry in ten of those batteries. And to pack out an elk, you'd need about 4000 wh of battery. Thats 40 people.

Might be better off to just buy a wheelbarrow at your destination. Change elk to deer and you might be ok with 2000wh of battery, not carrying all of it at one time.

Most places you hunt elk on public land, if you do get one, flag down one of the multitudes of people out there in their side by sides. You might have to wait a half hour to have one go by. On private land, retrieval is part of what you spent that ten grand on.

You could ship a battery to a place near the airport, then fly an 80 pound bike ( including about 20 pounds of battery) that can carry you on the hunt. Something like a sturdy dual suspension MTB, one with massive shock travel intended for huge hucks on downhill runs. Put a mid drive on it. Of course, if you do ground ship a battery, you could ship the bike as well.
 
In other words, not practical.

Gasoline motor can at least be fully drained to ship by air.
 
Flying an ebike becomes problematic. Better to ship the battery separately but then you have to deal with dangerous goods shipping requirements. Can you fly a commercial ebike in checked baggage? Its very difficult to extract the battery from many of those bikes.

Its difficult enough to fly a regular bicycle these days. I can't imagine dealing with the airlines for a heavy, oversized, dangerous goods package.
 
There are specialised "unaccompanied luggage" airline shipping firms at airports.

If one also has the HazMat lithium certification

maybe they could get it there around the same time as you.

But I bet that service costs a lot more than getting a single human there.

Ground shipping might be only $400-600 depending on the distance
 
dogman dan said:
Possible, but not flying the battery there. You'd need ten people to carry in ten of those batteries. And to pack out an elk, you'd need about 4000 wh of battery. Thats 40 people.

Iirc you can carry as many 100wh batteries as you want on a plane. I think they claimed that some people have gotten 12 on a plane or something. I don’t really think I’ll have much of a problem getting like 5-10 on the plane but am unsure. But I’m probably not getting 40 through tsa haha
 
Cancertable said:
Iirc you can carry as many 100wh batteries as you want on a plane. I think they claimed that some people have gotten 12 on a plane or something. I don’t really think I’ll have much of a problem getting like 5-10 on the plane but am unsure. But I’m probably not getting 40 through tsa haha
Definitely not as many as you want.

The total is up to the TSA staff on duty that day.

Including zero if that's what they say.

Have a Plan B in place.

 
Cancertable said:
dogman dan said:
Possible, but not flying the battery there. You'd need ten people to carry in ten of those batteries. And to pack out an elk, you'd need about 4000 wh of battery. Thats 40 people.

Iirc you can carry as many 100wh batteries as you want on a plane. I think they claimed that some people have gotten 12 on a plane or something. I don’t really think I’ll have much of a problem getting like 5-10 on the plane but am unsure. But I’m probably not getting 40 through tsa haha

Well there is no legal limit to the number of 100wh batteries you can take as carry on, but the airline might have other ideas.
I have no idea what you would need to pack out an elk, but I think it would be a lot. Maybe not 4000wh, but a lot.
 
john61ct said:
The total is up to the TSA staff on duty that day.

Including zero if that's what they say.

Have a Plan B in place.

Definitely would have to have a plan b in place. Probably some kind of shipping thing with the airport that was talked about in another comment

dogman dan said:
Might be better off to just buy a wheelbarrow at your destination. Change elk to deer and you might be ok with 2000wh of battery, not carrying all of it at one time.

Wheelbarrow would be pretty good but less than idea as I’d want the bike primarily for mobility and being able to get further than on foot. Maybe I could have both and just wheelbarrow when on the rare chance that I get to pack one out :)
 
john61ct said:
In other words, not practical.

Gasoline motor can at least be fully drained to ship by air.

Really good point. I should look into this kind of gas solution for packing meat out and possibly another ev solution for getting around to different areas quietly
 
Again, if you are in good Elk hunting grounds, there will be hundreds of others out there, with all kinds of gas quads, side by sides, and big 4x4's around you can get to help with the pack out.

You just need to think more in terms of just you and the gun or bow, getting in and out. Get one, leave the bike, and walk out with the tagged head and horns. It will attract the guys that will help you with the meat. Do bring cash of course.

One trick I learned with deer, carry a scrap of carpet and some rope. Makes it easy to drag out meat over sharp rocks without ruining the meat. You can drag twice the weight you can carry.

If you want to hunt 15 miles into a wilderness, then you need to bring a crew with you. When you get one, tell em they have to stop drinking the free beer you brought, and earn the trip. Three guys, two trips, will get an elk out.
 
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