What can an electric bike owner do to ensure their E-bike lasts as long as possible?
Clean it as Often as Possible
Electric bikes are still bikes, so keeping them clean is important.
Dust and grime not only makes your investment look dirty, it can also compromise performance. Thankfully, all you need to keep the bike looking as good as new is to get a cloth, and some degreaser to wipe your bike clean.
Preparation:
Remove the battery before cleaning. Avoid using a jet wash system. You really don’t want to wash away axle and motor grease. It would be labour saving if you picked up a kit which included brushes, cloths and cleaning solutions made for bike cleaning.
Degrease your chain
- Avoid applying degreaser around the battery terminals and the motor
- Spray a moderate amount of degreaser onto the piece of cloth
- Wrap the cloth around the chain. Then use your other hand to pedal backwards
- Use another piece of cloth to polish the chain. To do so, repeat steps 1–2, only this time, use your other hand to pedal backwards and forward.
Lubricate the Chain
Aside from keeping the chain clean, you will have to lubricate it regularly. Just make sure you choose the one appropriate to the season. For winter, for instance, you will need a heavy-duty lubrication. For summer, a dry lube will be fine.
Check Your Brakes
Brakes are your safety net when you ride your e-bike, so it is imperative that you maintain them properly. When cleaning the bike is complete, use a specific brake disc cleaner.
Whatever kind of brake your e-bike has, make sure you replace the bike pads every once in while. The key, here, is not letting them get too worn out, as this will increase the stopping distance. If you are unsure how to do this yourself, take your e-bike to a bike shop to get them changed.
Keep Your Battery Indoors
When not in use, it is best to keep your bike’s battery indoors, where the temperature is controlled and constant. This is especially important during winter and summer. Very low or high temperatures can adversely affect the performance of your battery causing it to drain faster. Additionally, try not to let it go flat and recharge while there is still 10–20% of battery life.
Keep your E-Bike Sheltered
Invest in a Plastic Cover Or A Bike Shed
Your e-bike should be stored in a dry place, and not outside where it is exposed to the weather. Wet weather will cause your bike to rust, and increase the likelihood of damage. A good investment is a bike shed or a plastic cover. Depending on your space and budget, you could get a shed with just enough room to store the bike, or big enough so you can comfortably move about while doing maintenance work on your bike such as cleaning the chain.