E-Bike care - JUST DO IT !

[Deleted member 4210]

Ok, this is a topic that nearly everyone avoids, especially ebike OEM's, but mostly people who buy ebike. I'm talking about taking routine care of the bike components on your ebike.

Most calls I get about problems result not from ebike defects but serious lack of basic care, and understanding the need for it.

If you haven't ridden a bike for a long time, prior to getting an ebike, or just rode it and never did any taking care of it (things like chain cleaning, lubrication, inspection of brake pads and rotors before every ride, cable inspection, or checking of tire pressure) then this is for you.

I would also add that when buyers ask 'what is the maintenance' 9 out of 10 people literally whince or look at you like you're an alien when you answer their question about basic care.

So here it is in black and white. Don't argue with it, just do it ! If you don't you will regret it.

1) clean and lubricate your chain frequently. How often ? Well you know what a clean chain looks like,and what a dirty one looks like. It's that simple. Everyone around my city keeps their cars shiny clean,despite salt,rain, bird droppings etc. Do the same with your chain,and gears. But do not HOSE it or use water.

2) inspect your brake pads for wear,and make sure when you squeeze the levers that pads are grabbing the rotors, and no metal is touching. Don't ask me how long your brake pads will last. It's not relevant, bc everyone weighs a different amount, everyone brakes a different amount, everyone goes at different speeds, rides on different roads and trails and with varying levels of dirt. If you wait to call your shop, and say hey my rotors are locking up, and I have to keep getting off my ebike to free up the wheel, then it's way too late,and you are not doing basic care. (Yes I've gotten those calls)
3) tire pressure - get a gauge, put it in a pack on your bike, and check pressure before every ride. Fill the tires ! Period. Yes they leak, and no one can forecast how long they will stay at the right pressure. This is BASIC care.
4) inspect cables - if hydraulic brakes then check for leaks or abrasions, primarily where it connects. If mechanical (meaning metal/wire cables) for brakes and or gears, check for stretching frayed ends, looseness, and overall smooth operation. You can put slight amount of white lithium grease at each end into the ferrules.
5) spokes. Look for the obvious. Broken spokes. (And yes I know of people who ride with broken or missing spokes) don't do it ! Then check for snugness, at the nipples. Depending if you commute everyday, I'd check at least once a week.
6) stem bolts and seat clamps - are they tight. Does anything move ? Check every ride. It only takes one time, to cause an accident you'll regret if something as important as steering and your seatpost slip. Same thing on pedals and their tightness at the crank.

7) shifting- make sure all gears shift smooth. If not, take it to your bike shop right away, or go on YouTube and learn how to adjust and index gears.

Now for the 'E' part of the ebike:

A) check all wire connections regularly ( oh my throttle stopped working. Or my display stopped working. Or my brake cut out stopped working. )

B) don't get water in the battery compartment where the battery sits in the downtube. Seems obvious, but the controller usually sits inside that frame, and below the battery. Can I go in the rain ? Well have you ever heard of Accueweather or the Weather Channel or any number of apps ? Sounds like I'm being a 'smart xss' but believe me you will get zero sympathy from any ebike oem, or dealer, when you hosed the ebike or rode in the rain or left it out in the rain. Ebikes are not waterproof. Connections are water resistant but huge difference between that and waterproof. When I transport behind my car,should I cover up the critical areas ? Yes. Period.


There are other things that people can add, BUT the above is the most fundamental BASIC care.

Again, 90% of calls I get related to problems, or when people actually bring their bikes in for a tune up, they haven't been doing basic care. An annual tune up, does NOT suffice for basic care.

(Note : I intentionally did not confuse maintenance with basic care. Two entirely different topics which have differing and potentially complex meanings for everyone.)

You will not regret doing basic care.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Great post!

I'd add just a handful of other thoughts.

With very little practice, you can judge tire pressure (especially in the fatter tires that most e-bikes use) pretty quickly and easily by squeezing the tire between your thumb and forefinger. Make this a habit and do it to both tires before you start riding.

Develop a "pre-flight" procedure you do before every ride (I follow the "ABC" -- Air, Brakes, Chain). Make it a habit and soon you will do it without thinking.

I'm riding a Bosch-equipped e-bike and have found that the whole rig is quite weatherproof. I do inspect the seals pretty frequently (every other month or so). One thing is that the bike is quite waterproof as long as the display and battery are on the bike, if you remove them the exposed connectors aren't going to be happy in the rain.

Salt water is death to bikes, much less e-bikes. If you ride on the beach or even near the beach I'd recommend hosing down your bike with clean fresh water frequently. What sand does to the delicate parts in a bike's drivetrain makes any good bike mechanic shudder.

Similarly, after a seriously mucky ride make sure you hose your bike off. A spritzer bottle with a water-vinegar mix or water and a very mild soap and an automotive wheel brush are great for demucking your bike after that muddy ride.

Always lubricate your chain after washing your bike. If it was dirty enough to wash the chain almost certainly needs some love too.

 

[Alex M]

Electrical connectors - those that you don't disconnect often - will benefit from a silicon dielectric grease. It won't waterproof them, but will repel water and minimize corrosion. Smear metal on both parts and click it in.

 

[City Commuter]

In between washings I use a feather duster on my bike, it's fast, makes the next washing easy, and gets inside the spokes too. Otherwise I use a can of bike wash with a buffing towel, and wash everything ( otherwise called "wershing" for some .

 

[ebikemom]

Um, I have to ride in the rain.... or not ride at all for months and months ....

 

[indianajo]

I ride in the rain a lot. My home built battery enclosure design sheds water, not pool it at the connections. The connections are hung out in the open from the handlebar. Dorman .157" bullet connectors, crimped on 12 ga wire. The battery is wrapped in foam & pvc, with the bottom open to let the water fall out, even condensate. The controller is hung under the seat with the wire loops down to make them drip before it gets in the the controller. The 2nd converter kit I bought, I bought the one with out display. The first display was not waterproof, the second display was not even purchased. The throttle shorts out in the rain sometimes, so I have to pedal home under my own power. Dries out in a couple of days. If I'm not riding I put the bike under a PVC sheet from HD to keep rain off the throttle.
I lubricate chain, ends of cables, control pivots, pivots of shifters, derailleur idler sprockets, at least monthly, with a pump oiler and non-detergent 5w oil. It drips off. Whoops. I use a binder clip on my pants to keep cuff out of the oil. The chain & sprockets pick up grass stems & seeds from johnson grass, I use a screwdriver to pry those out occasionally when I'm out at my summer camp.
I use the squeeze method on the 2 inch tires. Pushing in the schrader valve with a gauge makes them leak sometimes. The gauge is useful for training your fingers for max pressure without blowing up tires. A good tire can go 3 months without refill.
I torque stem & seat posts to just below stripping level. Had a store installed stem on a new bike rotate in a pothole, it only took 4 stitches at the e-room on my arm.
I ring test spokes 4 x per year, they should all ping at the same pitch. If not tighten the loose ones.
Brakes are getting their 1st new pads at 2500 miles and 18 months. With mechanical disks the handle force gets too high if the brakes are adjusted in too much.
Broke the first shifter cable at same distance/time, head end came off so no PM routine for this. Glad to have electricity to get me home today stuck in 6th gear.

 

[Alex M]

Looping the wire at the entry is a good tip.
Display and controller can be made waterproof, well - almost. A bead of sealant around the screen and around the casing seams will look ugly but it works.
My environment is humid rather than rainy. If it rains most of the time, you might consider dielectric grease on the outside of connectors too. Just be careful with clothes.