A seven-hour drive north from Connecticut brought my buddy Nick and me deep into Maine’s North Woods, out near Greenville for a gravel biking weekend at the AMC Gorman Chairback Lodge. The setup was as classic Maine as it gets: off-grid lakeside cabins right on Long Pond, propane lanterns, a crackling wood stove, and not a single electrical outlet in sight. Charging up the ebikes meant relying entirely on portable Jackery power banks.
Before the main ride, we kicked off the trip by hiking Gulf Hagas—often called the “Grand Canyon of Maine”—taking in views of the gorge, Long Pond Stream, and the surrounding peaks. The weather cleared up into crisp, 50-degree fall perfection, and spirits were high.
The next morning, we set out with a guide named Alejandro and a crew of acoustic gravel cyclists to tackle the dual-track trails and logging roads winding through the forest. For the first several miles, the ride was pure New England bliss. We carved through dense green tunnels of trees, hopped over rocky culverts, and cruised rolling double-track packed with fall leaves. Riding my Monarch Tracer, the torque sensor kept up with the climbs, and the Suntour suspension seat post soaked up the rough terrain.
Then, deep into the woods, things went sideways.
The Breakdown
Roughly five miles out from camp, right as Nick and I prepared to split off to explore another cabin trail, the bike threw up an error on the display. First, the throttle cut out. Moments later, error codes (Error 10, 12, and 13) flashed across the screen, the display went crazy reading 0% battery, and the pedal assist completely vanished. To make matters worse, I had left the battery key back at the cabin, so reseating the battery on the trail wasn’t an option. A quick field reset did nothing; the bike was completely dead.
What followed was a grueling four-mile slog back to the lodge. Pedaling and pushing a heavy, unpowered e-bike up steep Maine gravel inclines—ironically flanked by regular gravel riders who made it look easy—turned into the ultimate leg day. On the steepest hills, walking was the only option, requiring multiple stops just to catch my breath.
Back at the cabin, I tried running firmware updates on both the display and controller via the mobile app. Both updates went through successfully, but the system immediately reverted to Error 12 (communication failure) before the bike went entirely dark. The weekend’s riding was officially over by 3:00 PM.
Saving the Afternoon: Packrafting Long Pond
The ride was cut short, but the trip wasn’t a total wash. We salvaged the late afternoon down by Long Pond, where one of the guides broke out a packraft setup. Seeing a full gravel bike strapped across the bow of a lightweight, four-piece-paddle inflatable boat—and watching Nick paddle it out into the choppy headwind on the pond—was the exact laugh needed after hauling a dead ebike up four miles of logging roads.
Key Takeaways from the North Woods:
- Always pack your bike key: Never leave the battery lock key behind in camp, even on a short run. If connections rattle loose, you need full access.
- Prepare for dead weight: When an e-bike fails in backcountry terrain, it instantly becomes a heavy manual bike. Know your route and elevation profiles in case assist cuts out.
- North Woods beauty never misses: Even with a bricked bike, the foliage, trails, and lakeside views made the journey worth the drive.
