AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - July 2023 - 44

BRIEFING
PRODUCTS /
JackRabbit Micro ebike
Makes getting around easy, but will it fit in your aircraft?
BY ALYSSA COBB
USABILITY, WEIGHT, PORTABILITY, AND RIDEABILITY are the four top categories
when I evaluate bicycles that I plan to take with me in a general aviation airplane
to explore areas around airports. The JackRabbit Micro e-bike ranks high in three
of the four categories.
After lifting the JackRabbit straight from its box, I simply needed to turn the
front wheel 180 degrees, lock it in place, slide the handlebars into place and lock
them, check the tire pressure, and plug in the battery to see if it had a full charge.
That is the simplest bike I have unboxed to find immediately ready to ride. And riding
is easy-it operates like an electric balance bike. And if a 3-year-old can master
a balance bike, we can safely ride an adult version. I give this a plus for usability.
The JackRabbit weighs 24 pounds, is well balanced, and is easy to carry and lift
into an airplane. Thumbs-up for weight.
The bike would fit well in the baggage area of a piston twin, turboprop, or jet, but
it isn't compact enough to be portable in most small GA airplanes. With the handlebar
in place, the bike is 39 inches tall; detaching it and securing it to the front wheel
strut shortens the height to 30 inches. The front wheel rotates back 180 degrees,
which shortens the bike's length from 4 feet to 45 inches. It is also just 7 inches
wide when the front wheel is rotated back, and the handlebars are removed and
attached to the wheel.
The rear seat of my Cessna 170B had to be removed so that I could load the bike.
It won't fit in the baggage area of a Cessna 172 or 182, Piper Archer, or most traditional
two- and four-place aircraft. However, if you fly an aircraft with a removable
rear seat, the bike will fit easily. I even tried it in the baggage area of a Piper Lance,
44
AOPA PILOT / July 2023
Bikes for Pilots
The Maine Aeronautics Association
offers a Bikes for Pilots program,
staging bicycles at airports across
the state for pilots to use to ride into
town or visit other nearby attractions.
" Pilots love to fly to any destination,
but it is more enticing when there are
opportunities to do further exploring
upon arrival, " the Maine Aeronautics
Association's website says. The
bikes are available for pilots and their
passengers to use between May 1
and the end of October.
Bikes are offered at a handful of
Maine airports: Brunswick Executive
Airport (BXM), Bethel Regional
Airport (0B1), Charles A. Chase Jr.
Memorial Field (44B), Presque Isle
International Airport (KPQI), and
Sugarloaf Regional Airport (B21).
maineaeronautics.org
Off the grid
If you enjoy grass strips, backcountry
flying, and biking in more remote
areas, check out the Recreational
Aviation Foundation's Airfield Guide,
" a repository for information about
out-of-the-way airports and places
that most pilots don't know about. "
You can filter the airports for areas
that are suitable for bike riding by
clicking on the bicycle symbol in the
amenity's menu. Once you select a
field, more information is available
through a series of tabs, including
runway information and special
considerations. Amenities are listed
with notes. For example, Albert Lea
Municipal Airport (AEL) in Albert Lea,
Minnesota, has a 5-mile bike trail that
runs next to the airport and around
the lake in town.
airfield.guide

http://www.maineaeronautics.org

AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - July 2023