Remove the stress and mystery surrounding bicycle maintenance with this complete and comprehensive guide!

Electric Bicycle Maintenance Guide

An electric bike visibly differs from other vehicles in a handful of ways: it is lighter, more compact, and is environmentally conscious in that it isn’t fuelled by gas. Nonetheless, it shares one very key similarity with other modes of transportation – it requires regular upkeeping. Treating your electric bike properly is vital to its functionality, and generally does not require an awful lot of work and effort. You’ll find our top routine maintenance tips below.

In every practical sense, electric bicycles are still machines that require human power and in this manner will require customary support similar to a conventional bicycle. Maintenance interims are prescribed for different segments of your bicycle, for example, the suspension and drivetrain. A portion of these are genuinely strict and others more indulgent.

To guarantee you are not burning through cash when you don’t have to or to abstain from spending altogether more later because of disregarding maintenance needs, it is suggested to have your service done by a qualified bike shop, regardless of whether or not they specialize in electric bicycle repair and upkeep. The following are some useful hints to keep your electric bike running to the extent that this would be possible.

• Prior to Each Ride…

…check your tire pressure!

Regardless of whether you are on a thin tire or a bulky mountain bicycle, the pressure within your tires can have a significant effect on your ride and maintaining quality standards on the conveyance, itself. Delicate tires can diminish your range substantially while riding an electric bicycle; then again, overly firm tires are simply unpleasant.

Prior to each ride, check your weight and modify in like manner, either with a floor-style pump or a type of SmartGauge.

…check your bolts!

There is nothing more terrible than being miles out into your long bike ride and realizing a significant piece of your bicycle has slackened or tumbled off. Normally, this can be immediately remedied with a proficient multi-apparatus.

Be that as it may, every so often continued use with slackened bolts can cause significant harm. To abstain from having to walk home, check over all bolts just before each ride, including stem, handlebar, brakes, pedals, cranks, seat, and axles.

• After Each Ride…

…clean your bicycle!

After each ride, your bicycle ought to receive some consideration. Things like street grime or even your very own perspiration can bring destruction unto your bicycle. Salt is destructive and trickling sweat onto your bicycle could possibly cause issues. It is suggested to provide a brisk wipe down of the bike’s frame to maintain the integrity of all parts and components.

…lube your chain!

On the off chance that your electric bicycle has a conventional chain and variable-ratio transmission system, you ought to lube your chain before and after each ride or each couple of rides. Doing such after each ride enables the lube to absorb and enter into the chain.

Protect your next ride with smooth movements and a calm drivetrain. You needn’t bother with using too much, so make certain to wipe off any abundance of lube to abstain from pulling in more soil and grime.

After every 500 miles (or approximately 3 months):

Brakes– every 500 miles (or approximately 3 months)

The most vital segment on your bicycle is frequently found amongst the most disregarded. Regardless of whether you have the disc or rim brakes, guaranteeing they are effectively balanced with a lot of padding on the cushions is pivotal. Check to make sure that your cushions reach the rotor or rim in the right spot and do not come into contact with the tire.

On the off chance that your hydro-brakes feel ‘light’ or don’t clasp until the switch pulls back onto your fingers or contacts the handlebar, it is the ideal opportunity for a brake drain (brake bleeding). This process is one best left to the specialists at your neighbourhood bicycle shop. Taking your bicycle in for a brake check every 3 months to a half year, contingent upon the amount you are riding can dramatically affect your electronic bike’s performance.

Wheels– every 500 miles (or approximately 3 months).

Notwithstanding your brakes, your wheels ought to go through a thorough inspection each 3-6 months or so to guarantee they are ‘true’ and tensioned properly. At home, you can check the general soundness of your wheels by pressing the spokes to check whether or not every one of the spokes has comparative pressure.

On the off chance that you discover one that is troublesome and loose, or excessively tight, take it into your local or most trusted shop for a ‘true’. Spokes which are found to be loose will inevitably end up breaking, causing an undesirable wobble in the rim and the potential for calamitous disappointment to come. Continue to enjoy a smooth ride by having your wheels adjusted routinely.

After every 1500 miles (or approximately 6 months):

Bearings and other moving parts– every 1500 miles (or approximately 6 months).

In any event, at least once every riding season, you should have the majority of your moving parts on your electric bicycle adjusted. Inside your headset, hubs, bottom bracket, and suspension pivots (on the off chance that you have them) are bearings which do not get along with soil and muck.

These ought to be cleaned, lubed, supplanted if vital, and regularly torqued according to the appropriate specifications with the end goal to keep your bicycle running like new. You may even discover your battery’s range has improved once this administration is executed as spotless, torqued bearings will move with considerably less obstruction.

These are, likewise, the annoying squeaks and screeches can be found. Normal upkeep implies you won’t need to turn up the volume on your earphones in hopes of overwhelming the calls of assistance from your ignored bicycle.

Suspension– every 1500 miles (or approximately 6 months).

On the off chance that your bicycle is equipped with suspension, either front or full, you ought to consider taking it in for suspension adjustments at least once per season. If left unhindered, the muck and grime will solidify and conceivably cause harm to the suspension’s internal operations. Keep your bicycle delivering luxurious journeys by addressing your suspension maintenance needs routinely.

Apparatuses of the Trade

With the end goal to stay aware of general support on your new bike and to get you out of any potential future dilemmas in regards to electric bike maintenance, there is a bevy of tools that you ought to have with you. Essentially, you will need to have the capacity to fix any bolt, fix or supplant a tire tube, and air up the tube.

Here are some tools which you may require:

• Multi-tool with 2,2.5,3,4,5,6,8 size allen keys
• t25 torx driver bit
• phillips head
• chain breaker
• spoke wrench
• siphon
• C02 inflator or portable pumping device
• Tire Levers
• extra tube
• patching kit

Battery Maintenance:

An electric bicycle battery is a comparative sort (Lithium Ion) of the battery which is in your laptop, phone, and many other electronic devices. The only difference is a much greater amount of power generated. Comprised of cells which have around 1000 charge cycles (contingent upon the nature of the cells) that implies 1000 full charges and depletes before they begin to bite the dust – like all batteries in the long run will.

They battery likewise has a battery management framework that controls the charging and energy yield of the cells. As every cell is utilized, the battery moves onto the following ones in the arrangement. So, in the event that you want to go for a ride and utilize just the initial 10 cells in your battery, then wholly recharge and go for another ride and utilize just the initial 10 cells once more and recharge, you have still only used the first ten cells of your battery charge.

This implies the rest of the cells are still brand new and you have not utilized any of their 1000 charge cycles as of yet. It is suggested to get the most life from your battery, one ought to charge their battery after each ride to keep however many cells as would be prudent, in a new and unused condition. This will guarantee that you get a long life from your electric bicycle battery.

Cruising to the Conclusion…

Much the same as any normal cycle, your electric bike will require routine support; it is crucial that you are not put off by the electrical aspect of electric bike maintenance, as for the most part, it will require little upkeep.

Numerous traditional bikers are sure electric bicycles are loaded with support issues, yet this is just false. On the off chance that you, the rider, follow the appropriate steps to keep your bicycle running it won’t require significantly more than a typical bicycle. All things considered, as long as you treat your electric bicycle, well it will treat you well in return.

Most merchants will give a full set up on the bicycle, which is vital as an electric bike should be set up accurately to work well. A few merchants will additionally offer another free electric bike maintenance service once the bike has been broken in. This is helpful and well worth exploiting as it can take a couple of miles for new bolts to set, links to extend, and so forth.

By taking it back after the breaking in period, you can have everything re-adjusted, and the brakes and riggings checked and so on. This is additionally a decent time to change an uncomfortable seat, position the bars marginally, and roll out some other little improvements to give a more agreeable ride.

Final Tips:

To get the longest life conceivable out of your electric bike, you can find a way to keep up with maintenance yourself, without ordinary excursions to the bike shop. Here are some tips to help you along –

– Keep your electric bike clean. In the event that it is conceivable, clean it after each ride with bicycle-explicit cleaners.

– Don’t utilize a power wash or anything of the sort, as this can push out oil greasing up the bearings. It will likewise pack water into the internals which thus will erode basic segments.

– If utilizing a powerful hose be mindful so as to not stream water excessively near the center bottom brakets, hubs, headset or anyplace else that is regularly lubed throughout.

– Some bicycle shining items can leave a protective layer over the paintwork, helping keep your electric bike looking like new for much longer. Be mindful so as not to get this stuff near any braking components, however!

– Use a quality oil to keep the chain greased subsequent to cleaning, and ensure it isn’t left dry. Use wet lube in the winter and dry lube in the late spring. (Wet lube remains wet, dry lube, well…  dries).

– You can lube the links with light splash oil, ideally, one that dries and leaves a PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene, or non-stick) layer. On the chance that you are utilizing grease that stays wet, on your next excursion residue can adhere to this causing more issues and can make links seize. (With PTFE it will dry, yet leave a greased up layer).

– When the bicycle isn’t being used, attempt to keep it in a dry place away from exposure to weather.

– Keep the tires inflated appropriately. This will avoid uneven tire wear, and will likewise make your life less demanding as the bicycle will move with less opposition. Thusly, the engine will be working less and the range will be broadened. This can have to a greater degree of an effect than you may might suspect. (Tire weights can always be found imprinted on the side of your tire).