E-Bike Maintenance to Consider
If you own an (electric bicycle) e-bike in San Diego, then you have made a wonderful investment. There are all kinds of manuals and videos to watch in order to learn how to use various e-bikes, but seeing that you are here, you are most likely searching for how to provide e-bike maintenance and care.
The proper care and maintenance for an e-bike is one of the most important items to think about, but it is also one of the easiest things to overlook. That is especially the case if you are a casual cyclist. It is quite easy to simply park the electric bicycle and forget about it! Generally speaking, electric bikes need a bit more attention than a standard bicycle does, due to the additional electrical components they have. But that does not mean you need to be a professional electric bicycle repair professional in order to know your way around the proper care and maintenance of an e-bike.
Top Performing Electric Bikes
Let’s take a look through some of the highly recommended points you can, and should, be doing to ensure your bike is always in great shape. We understand that all makes and models differ slightly, so we are offering general guidelines. For specific information, call the provider of your e-bike or read the manual that came with your bike purchase.
E-Bike Maintenance for Batteries
The battery of an e-bike is one of the most critical components. Without the battery, you wouldn’t have enough power to run the motor. Therefore, there would be no pedalling assistance at all. Fortunately, electric bike batteries are designed to be extra tough and are very protected for this very point.
There are a few key care and maintenance processes you can do in order to keep your battery running for as long as possible. Starting off, you should be charging your battery after every excursion. This will ensure the battery’s cells are fresh and new, which in turn will extend the battery’s entire lifespan. You should also make sure that you never let the battery empty completely. This can decrease the lifespan by a fair amount. Each bike can be a little different, so make sure to read the owner’s manual to search out the specifications on the battery that is in the bicycle you own.
If there happens to be times when you are not using your bike, make sure to charge your battery at least once per month. If the charge of the battery depletes and stays depleted, your battery can die completely. Replacing a battery is not an inexpensive fix – so you want to do proper care and maintenance on this valuable component of your bike.
Storing your battery is also another area that needs to be considered. Whether it is for storing your e-bike overnight or storing the e-bike during the off-season, you should avoid keeping it in extremely hot or extremely cold temperatures. Either of these extremes can significantly reduce the life of the battery.
Motor Tips
The care and maintenance of the motor on your electric bike is another part that may cause some concern. Most of us do not have experience maintaining motors. But don’t worry! The great thing is that you don’t really have to worry about the motor on your bicycle. The motor is a completely sealed system and should run with no problems without you ever needing to worry about it.
As a general care and maintenance tip, we would suggest that you keep the area around the motor free of dirt and debris. On some models, there are cables under the plastic/metal frame of the e-bike that you cannot see without going under the frame/casing. If you tend to ride your electric bike in wet weather or have been on dirt roads or rough terrain, we would suggest checking to ensure that this area is cleaned after each ride as well. If you do happen to run into motor issues, it’s best to call a local professional to inspect and provide the service your e-bike needs.
Professional Servicing and E-Bike Maintenance
Every now and then, there can be issues with your electric bicycle that you either don’t know how to deal with or simply do not want to take on. For these situations, it’s better if you contact a professional bicycle repair technician to help you out. This is very much so the case if servicing is required on any of the electrical items of your electric bicycle. Also refer to your owner’s manual, as there probably are certain items that are covered under a warranty. All makes and models come with different warranties or the possibility of an extended warranty – so make sure you are aware of what could be covered.
Other Cleaning Habits
The rest of your bicycle can follow regular e-bike care and maintenance procedures. One of the most important factors is keeping your bike’s frame clean. Depending on where you ride, this may need to happen quite a bit. If you keep the frame clean this will extend the life of the paint on your bike and will prevent any rust from starting. Your electric bike will appear like it is brand new for years!
The chain is just as important to keep clean. Nobody wants to have a chain problem during a ride. It is really important to keep the bike’s chain clean and lubricated, even if you don’t consider it is very dirty. It is better to be safe than to be sorry. This will keep you from ever having to walk your e-bike to your desired destination.
In this blog article, we have shown some clear guidelines for the care and maintenance of your electric bicycle. From simple cleaning ideas to how to prolong the life of your battery – all of these are important to the life of your electric bike. We really hope you get out and enjoy riding your bike on a regular basis in San Diego and keep your electric bicycle in perfect condition. If you are looking for any electric bike gear – go to our online shop for hats, shirts, and so much more!
