The first time I e-cycled across America, I turned 55, became an American citizen, met great people, sustained no injuries, and raised $180,000 for charity during the solo, unassisted tour. The resulting documentary, Only Lazy Americans E-Bike, is now making waves on the film-festival circuit.
My e-bike didn't break down; I never encountered any crime other than someone trying to steal a towel from my hotel room; and I had no life-threatening encounters with traffic, people, aliens, or wildlife. Most importantly, I arrived in San Francisco on time to go on holiday in Maine with my wife. Overall, the e-bike tour was a remarkable success.
A Fantastic Experience
As an ultra-long-distance solo e-cyclist, I know firsthand that this type of e-cycling can be a challenging physical and mental endeavor that demands discipline, efficiency, and mental fortitude. I have now done it twice: 4,685 miles in 2022 and 7,460 miles in 2026.
This article is based on my first experience and has been updated since my 2026 ride.
During a journey across America on an electric bicycle, I knew I could encounter obstacles, including equipment failures, injuries, and extreme weather. However, with the proper preparations, risk management, and common sense, my tour was a fantastic experience.
At the Lincoln Highway Association's Headquaters in Franklin Grove, Illinois.
Cycling across America is even more meaningful—and more fun—when every mile supports a charity you care about. A charitable purpose gives the journey direction, connects you with remarkable people, inspires donors, and transforms an epic personal adventure into something that benefits others. Ready to ride for a cause?
A New Transcontinental E-Cycling Route
Very few established transcontinental cycling routes exist across America, so I designed a new route. In the 1970s, before e-bikes were common, the Adventure Cycling Association developed three transcontinental cycling routes (in blue).
Since I wanted to cycle from Washington, DC, to San Francisco, I created a new transcontinental e-bike-friendly route (in red) that includes stops for battery charging, food, and plenty of accommodation. The route crosses the Northern Tier twice and the TransAmerica cycling route once.
Fixed For the Rest of My Life
Jonathan, an avid e-bike enthusiast and practicing psychologist, once said to me that a cross-country journey on an e-bike could change my life forever. And he was right. Although I may not have needed extensive psychological repair, the tour was a transformative experience, reinvigorating my spirits and infusing me with newfound confidence and vitality.
I realized that if I can do it with my physical limitations (I suffer from peripheral neuropathy) and supervision from a medical professional, many others can embark on a life-changing journey with the right preparations, support, interest, and determination.
At the Raccoon River Valley Trail near Panora, Iowa.
My experience has taught me several valuable lessons I hope to pass on to others before I finish my guidebook on e-cycling across America. Here are some main takeaways from my cross-country e-bike tour.
Follow a Safe Cycling Route
One of the biggest challenges of e-biking across America is determining which roads and paths are safe and legal for (e-)bicycles. However, many established cycling routes are designed to avoid high-traffic areas and are e-bike-friendly nowadays. Using these routes and "connecting them" across America minimizes the risk of incidents and accidents.
Traveling safely is not the fastest way to cross America on an e-bike, but certainly the most pleasant. I mostly e-cycled on established regional and local cycling routes and on rustic rural roads. I never cycled along an interstate highway.
Sharing the road with very few cars in the desert in Utah.
With modern GPS, virtual reality, street-mapping, and route-planning software, it is possible to design an e-bike-friendly route across America. I used RideWithGPS as the online platform to plan my route. This is the same software solution used for E-bike Lovers' weekly rides.
2022 TOUR
2026 TOUR
Every mile of the journey.
E-bike Tour dashboard · March 1 – July 21, 2026
Explore the route, compare planned and recorded distance, and look inside each riding day.
Distance through the tour
Miles across the selected days
Where the miles add up
Recorded miles by group
Elevation overview
Ascent, descent and altitude are measured in feet.
Climbing by segment
Labels list all states in each segment; values reflect your selection.
Riding effort & charging
Rider power and estimated mechanical energy cover only days with recorded power and positive riding time.
Average rider power by segment
Weighted by recorded riding minutes · watts. Labels list all states in each segment; values reflect your selection.
Days without charging electricity
Daily tour log
| Date | Segment | Departure city | State | Day type | Planned mi | Recorded mi | Difference mi | Hours | Accommodation | Ascent ft | Descent ft | Max altitude ft | Rider power W | Charging electricity | Calories burned |
|---|
Source, calculations & embedding
Source: Merkin 2026 Tour Final Spreadsheet.xlsx, Sheet1, rows 2–144. Includes all 143 dated records. The state spelling “Nv” is normalized to “NV”. Distances are treated as miles, consistent with recorded distance, minutes and average speed. Source day types are retained, including any rest days with recorded mileage.
Distance totals sum daily values; stored cumulative and percentage formulas are not used. Difference = recorded minus planned. Percentage difference = difference ÷ planned; it is unavailable when planned distance is zero. Riding hours = recorded minutes ÷ 60. Average speed uses distance and time only on days with positive recorded minutes. Filters apply to all summaries, charts and the table. Cumulative charts restart at zero for the filtered selection. Daily calories, riding hours and elevation gain averages divide selected totals by the number of selected days. Average elevation gain means ascent. Average estimated rider energy divides the covered energy total by days with numeric power and positive riding time, excluding missing power. The unit button converts displays and CSV exports using 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers and 1 foot = 0.3048 meters, preserving the selected distance threshold. No fundraising totals were supplied.
Elevation is in feet, as confirmed by the campaign owner. Total ascent and descent sum daily readings; highest altitude is the maximum daily reading. Average rider power = sum of daily average watts × minutes ÷ minutes on days with numeric power and positive riding time. Estimated rider energy = sum of watts × minutes ÷ 60,000, in kWh, for those same days. This estimates mechanical riding energy, not electricity produced or battery consumption. Missing power is excluded, never treated as zero. Cadence is weighted by positive riding minutes. The workbook column “Calories Consumed” represents calories burned, as clarified by the campaign owner. Calories burned sum the selected daily readings. “Strokes” retains the source label. Charging availability reflects the workbook’s Yes/No entry, not a measurement of battery charge.
Reservation identifiers, contact details and lodging addresses are excluded. All dashboard data, styles and scripts are contained in this file. To embed, upload this HTML beside your existing website files and use an iframe, for example:
<iframe src="ebike-tour-dashboard.html" title="2026 E-bike Tour dashboard" style="width:100%;height:1500px;border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
If your website adds iframe sandbox restrictions, allow scripts for interactive controls. CSV download also needs download permission.
With its built-in Google Street View and elevation profiles, RideWithGPS allows you to virtually cycle the entire route before leaving your house. I "cycled" the entire route across America virtually twice to design and fine-tune it. I became so familiar with the route before I left that I recognized intersections and buildings during the tour.
I gained a sense of assurance, knowing I would never wander off course and could easily determine the distance I needed to cover each day to reach my lodging and food stops. Though I carried emergency food, I never had to use it, as I encountered no unexpected setbacks.
Begin Physical Tour Preparations Well in Advance
Preparation is critical to success in ultra-long-distance solo cycling. Planning my route, packing only the necessary equipment (yes, my wooden shoes were essential), and training my body for the physical and mental demands of the journey have all been essential to my success. Unless you have supernatural powers or are indestructible, I highly recommend you train for long-distance e-cycling.
Testing the configuration of the one-person convoy in the winter. We found a better way to attach the wooden shoes to the trailer and managed to reduce weight.
If e-biking is cheating, call me Lance Armstrong because I didn't know that "cheating" could give me such a good workout! And let's be honest; there's no cheating involved when e-cycling across America. You need to use your legs to propel the bicycle, and you've got to do many physical tasks, like lugging bags and equipment to your hotel room or camping site. Plus, you've got to steer the bike with your arms, and your back and rear end are constantly in motion.
You will be burning serious calories, as you cannot "throttle across America" because no e-bike has the range to sustain the distance without pedaling.
You really should train before the tour and consult your doctor, or risk injuries, burnout, and other issues.
Invest in Quality Gear
For e-bike camping, I choose lightweight, reliable gear that keeps me safe, dry, and comfortable without making the bicycle difficult to handle. Pro Tip: Always respect the e-bike’s weight limit and consider a cargo trailer for bulkier loads.
When I Started Training
I started my "training program" some 18 months before my departure. I would e-bike 2 to 3 times a week, gradually increasing my distance with more weight and equipment on the e-bike. I started cycling with my entire setup three months before my tour to fine-tune and test the equipment and further condition my body.
At the intersection of Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway in Joliet, Illinois.
I simulated situations like flat tires (I never had one during the tour) and unexpected stops on steep inclines. I trained in horrendous rainstorms and practiced camping during freezing nights. As a result, I was prepared for most scenarios.
My first day of cycling on tour was similar to many other days during my training program. I knew what to expect, and I was fully prepared for the unlikely situation that I had to tackle unknown scenarios and problems.
Use High-Quality Equipment
Part of the preparations is procuring high-quality equipment, including a reliable touring e-bike. Do not expect to e-bike across America with a $500 e-bike, as you will be in for many surprises.
The upgraded Riese and Muller Super Charger 2 touring e-bike.
The Riese & Muller Super Charger 2 HS is equipped with the Rohloff 500/14 and Gates belt. It was customized with a heavy-duty front suspension fork, a new suspension seat post, and a suspension handlebar stem. You may also consider using high-strength spokes. Check for rim cracks if you use an e-bike with already some distance on the odometer.
A MIK adaptor plate was attached to the front rack for the drone case. I also upgraded to puncture-resistant liners and Schwalbe e-bike cargo tires for extra puncture resistance and weight-bearing capacity, and added a third 625 Wh battery and a second Bosch battery charger.
I changed the handlebar grips and added a Suzu brushed-copper bell and a water bladder to the frame, since R&M water bottles are not practical for long-distance cycling. I also added a Brooks B17 saddle and high-quality mirrors. I also changed the pedals during the tour.
A Computer on Two Wheels
The Riese & Muller e-bike performed extremely well, as there is no better electric touring bike brand on the market with an integrated dual Bosch 625 battery system (and nowadays even higher-capacity batteries), a Rohloff electronic drive system, and a belt drive. However, configuring the factory-built e-bike for a cross-country or cross-continent tour required some rebuilding and fine-tuning.
This e-bike is like a computer on two wheels. It is essential to have access to an authorized Bosch and Rohloff dealer in case of serious problems on your long-distance route. We didn't have any.
I only experienced a broken belt after around 6,200 miles on the bike when I was already back in Washington DC.
Unexpected roadblocks on the trail. This is at the Cedar Valley Nature Trail in Iowa.
E-bike Lovers has an article on what to look for if you are interested in a quality e-bike. This article is not about prepping an e-bike for long-stance e-cycling but highlights the importance of e-bike safety, durability, and quality.
Energy Management and Pacing
By creating a pacing plan, I could optimize my energy expenditure and finish my daily journeys with the right amount of energy left in my legs and e-bike batteries. As I knew every day how far I needed to cycle and how steep the roads would be, I was perfectly in control of my energy management.
At the Indiana Dunes National Park.
I paced myself during my ultra-long-distance cycling tour to avoid burnout and exhaustion. I ensured I would eat enough and stop frequently to snack, rest, converse with people and livestock (especially curious cows and horses), and take in nature. I also avoided cycling every day, as active recovery and sometimes full rest days were built into the tour.
It is unnatural for humans to sit for some 4,700 miles in a saddle and propel a bicycle, so I had rest days to explore and recover.
Plan For Active Recovery Days
Plan regular active-recovery days rather than expecting to maintain full mileage every day. An active-recovery day may include a short, easy ride, stretching, walking, proper meals, hydration, laundry, bicycle maintenance, battery care, and additional sleep.
These lighter days allow the body and mind to recover without bringing the journey to a complete stop, reducing the risk of exhaustion, injury, and poor decisions later in the tour.
At the state border with Nevada, entering California.
It Takes Longer Than You May Think
A cycling route planned on a computer is almost always shorter than the distance ridden in reality. Detours, road closures, wrong turns, bridge access, construction, trips to accommodations, grocery stores, restaurants, charging locations, and bicycle shop visits all add unexpected miles.
As a practical planning guideline, multiply the computer-generated tour distance by 1.4. A route shown as 1,000 miles should therefore be expected to require approximately 1,400 actual riding miles, although the final distance will depend on the route and circumstances.
Cycling through the night In the deserts of Nevada on the Loneliest Highway in America - Route 50.
Watch the Documentary
Yes, this is a shameless plug, but it may also help you prepare for your own adventure.
Watch Only Lazy Americans E-Bike, the award-winning documentary about my cross-country tour, to experience the challenges, unexpected encounters, humor, and human stories behind the journey—and to see how an independently organized e-bike adventure can raise awareness, inspire others, and generate meaningful support for charity.
Taking Saddle Sores and Hygiene Seriously
Saddle sores can end a long-distance tour, but disciplined hygiene, dryness, and reduced friction helped me avoid them during my 4,685-mile e-bike journey across America. I showered before and after each ride, used antiseptic wipes when necessary, wore thin moisture-wicking liners under loose, breathable hiking pants, and rode on a properly fitted Brooks B17 leather saddle.
In my experience, heavily padded cycling shorts can trap heat and moisture during ultra-long rides, potentially increasing irritation. Persistent, painful, infected, or worsening sores should never be ignored and may require treatment by a healthcare professional.
Consider the Costs of Touring
A cross-country e-bike tour also requires a realistic financial plan. Lodging alone can become a major expense: 140 nights at $60 per night—if you are lucky enough to find that rate—costs $8,400.
Add the extra food needed to fuel daily riding, campground fees, laundry, repairs, transportation back home, insurance, and the initial investment in a dependable e-bike and high-quality touring equipment, and the total rises quickly.
In the Rocky Mountains.
Conclusions
The tour opened my eyes to the possibilities that come with the right amount of preparation, interest, and determination, even with my physical limitations (I have peripheral neuropathy). It showed me that anyone could embark on a life-changing journey.
The drone case was mounted on the front rack with a MIK plate.
The ultra-long distance solo e-cycling tour has taught me valuable lessons about perseverance, goal setting, and overcoming obstacles that I can apply to other areas of my life. Planning is critical to success.
E-biking across America was a positive, life-changing experience.
Begin your journey toward achieving incredible things today! Don't be afraid to start small. Join E-bike Lovers' events in the DMV area for a short ride or enjoy e-biking with another group.
Watch Only Lazy Americans E-Bike, the documentary about my cross-country tour, for inspiration and to support my outreach programs. Before you know it, it can lead you to unexpected adventures and new destinations.
Gregory discovered e-biking after 20 years of overseas work as a project manager for the World Bank and USAID. He writes about e-mobility and e-biking in the DMV area, loves the outdoors (white water kayaking, hiking, and biking), and is an award-winning documentary filmmaker.
He lives with his wife, Janet, and Queenie the cat in Washington, DC.
He e-biked 4,685+ miles across America and raised $180,000 for a charity in 2022. He e-biked 7,460 miles across the United States in 2026 in support of the Johns Hopkins Merkin Center for Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration.
Favorite e-bike: Riese & Muller Super Charger Class 3 touring e-bike.
Dr. Gregory F. Maassen
FOUNDER E-BIKE LOVERS
