E-Bike Maintenance to Consider
If you own an (electric bicycle) e-bike in Calgary, then you have made a good 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 components to consider, but it is also one of the easiest things to overlook. That is especially the point if you are a casual cyclist. It is quite easy to simply park the electric bicycle and forget about it! Generally speaking, electric bicycles need a bit more attention than a standard bike does, due to the additional electrical parts they have. But that does not mean you need to be a professional bicycle repair engineer in order to know your way around the proper care and maintenance of an e-bike.
Top Performing Electric Bicycles
Let’s take a look through some of the highly recommended items you can, and should, be doing to ensure your electric bike is always in top-performing shape. We understand that all makes and models differ slightly, so we are offering general guidelines. For specific information, get in touch with the provider of your bicycle or read the manual that came with your e-bike purchase.
E-Bike Maintenance for Batteries
The battery of an e-bike is one of the most crucial items. Without the battery, you wouldn’t have enough power to run the motor. Therefore, there would be no pedalling assistance whatsoever. Fortunately, electric bicycle batteries are designed to be extra tough and are very protected for this very reason.
There are a few key care and maintenance processes you can do in order to maintain your battery running for a long time. To start, you should be charging your battery after every ride. This will ensure the battery’s cells are fresh and new, which in turn will prolong the battery’s entire life. You should also make sure that you never let the battery empty completely. This can damage the lifespan quite a bit. Each e-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 a time when you are not using your electric bike, make sure to charge your battery at least once per month. If the charge of the battery drains and stays empty, your battery can die completely. Replacing a battery is not an inexpensive fix – so you want to do proper care and maintenance on this expensive part of your electric bike.
Storing your battery is also another area that needs to be looked at. Whether it is for storing your e-bike during the night or storing the e-bike during the off-season, you need to avoid keeping it in extremely hot or extremely cold temperatures. Either of these extremes can significantly lower the life of the battery.
Motor Tips
The care and maintenance of the motor on your bike is another item that may cause some worry. Most of us don’t have experience fixing motors. But don’t fret! The great thing is that you shouldn’t really have to worry about the motor on your electric bicycle. The motor is a completely sealed component and should run without any problems without you ever needing to worry about it.
As a basic care and maintenance tip, we would suggest that you keep the housing 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 can’t see without looking under the frame/casing. If you tend to ride your electric bicycle in wet weather or have been on dirt roads or rough terrain, we would suggest checking to make sure that this area is cleaned after each ride as well. If you do happen to run into motor problems, it’s best to reach out to a local professional to review and provide the service your e-bike needs.
Professional Servicing and E-Bike Maintenance
Every now and then, there can be problems with your e-bike that you either don’t know how to solve or simply do not want to take on. For these circumstances, it’s better if you contact a professional bicycle repair technician to help you out. This is very much the case if repairs is required on any of the electrical components of your e-bike. Also go through your owner’s manual, as there may be certain parts that are covered under a warranty. All makes and models come with various warranties or the possibility of an extended warranty – so make sure you are aware of what might be covered.
Other Cleaning Habits
The rest of your electric bike can follow standard bicycle care and maintenance procedures. One of the most important points 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 bicycle and will prevent any rust from forming. Your bicycle will look like it is brand new for a long time!
The chain is just as important to keep clean. Nobody wants to have a chain issue in the middle of 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 sorry. This will keep you from ever having to walk your bicycle home.
In this blog article, we have given you some simple guidelines for the care and maintenance of your bicycle. From basic cleaning ideas to how to prolong the life of your battery – all of these are important to the life of your bike. We really hope you get out and enjoy riding your electric bike regularly in Calgary and keep your e-bike in wonderful shape. If you are looking for any electric bicycle gear – browse our online shop for hats, shirts, and so much more!
