In our community, we have had several e-bike shops close and longstanding shops stop selling e-bikes. The lone remaining shop does sell Haibike and Stromer - great bikes, but the shop recommends servicing them every 100 miles. If this shop also goes belly-up, I can't imagine driving the bike great distances for so frequent service. Have any members gotten stuck with being unable to get LBS service?
Electric Bike Shops Come and Go
- Thread starter Dean
- Start date
Ann M.
Well-Known Member
Its a challenge to keep a specialty ebike shop going with the economy soft and gas prices all over the place. The every 100 mile servicing seems excessive by my shop's standards and I've been doing this for 14 years. What most shops recommend is a checkup/tune-up after the first 100 miles to see if brakes/derailleurs/cables and all the other basics are snug and set. This also lets the shop check spoke tension on hub motors, tweak any ebike specific settings and see that your battery is outputting at the correct voltage. Then the sharp minded tech guy chats with you, the ebike owner, to determine a realistic maintenance program based on where and how far you ride. Folks who ride 100+ miles a week on a regular basis will benefit from a little more frequent service schedule than the weekend casual rider. Much of what the shop is doing is basic bike maintenance that you can do if you want to learn to. Don't let that one shop's words spook you! A well built EBike is durable. I've seen Haibikes come in just off the trail from a hard ride by big guys, covered in mud and really all they needed was some TLC. Keep on Ridin'!
Yeah it's unfortunate but it seems like the failure rate of eBike shops is very high. Which creates great buying opportunities!
Checkup every 100 mile is completely out of line, unless you're dirt biking every weekend or abusing it in some way.
On my Stromer i brought it in after 100 miles to fix a problem, they did a tune up and that was 2400 miles ago. Took care of the adjustments, brake pad replacements and lubrication myself.
All the routine bike maintenance you should be able to handle yourself no problem.
I can give you list if you want.
Create a bike project binder and include the manual and all the receipts as you accumulate them.
Write down or photograph the serial number of the frame and fork and motor.. If stolen it will come in handy.
Print out and read the manual. no kidding!
Find the American distributor phone # of your ebike and register it (don't take the LBS salesman word that he'll take care of it).
If you have a problem you can always call them back.. Has worked for me on several occassions, and they remember who you are.
During the 200 mile tune up ask all the questions you have... you may not see them again! Make sure they check the tightness of all the important bolting and spoke tension.
Before each ride or once a week check the tire pressure.. Max pressure in rear, 20% less in front.
Cleanliness is important to me.. I clean my bike with a Showroom spray that is teflon, repels dirt... And I dont use water.. If you spray with a hose be VERY careful to use the mist setting..
If you have mechanical disc brakes you will need to adjust the pad clearance at least once a month.
Every 300 miles you should be cleaning your chain and recoating.. I use Boeshield T9, which is paraffin based and doesn't accumulate grit. Repalce the chain if it starts slipping.
Every 5oo miles or so you should check tightness on all the important bolting on your bike.. This will take a while the first time.. Hand tighten with your allen wrench and sockets set, or use a small torque wrench and chart if you're really nuts about tightness... just remember you're dealing with aluminum that can easily be stripped. Depending on what you find you may not need to do this again for awhile.
Every 500 miles pull the brake pads and check for wear.. If they are squealing you can sand the pads and the discs then wipe clean.. Rebed the pads by breaking very hard 5x in a row on each brakes. Depending on what you find you many not have to do this again for awhile. Replace the pads if they are less than 25%.. They are cheap on eBay.
Check the tires for rot and wear once a year... If they look at all marginal replace them.. You should get at least 3000 miles from them less if a mountain bike.
If you ride in cold weather or store in cold weather condensation can be a problem.. Try storing the bike in a warm room to drive out the moisture from the connections...
Heres a pretty good general instruction: http://www.electric-bicycle-guide.com/bicycle-maintenance.html
Write down or photograph the serial number of the frame and fork and motor.. If stolen it will come in handy.
Print out and read the manual. no kidding!
Find the American distributor phone # of your ebike and register it (don't take the LBS salesman word that he'll take care of it).
If you have a problem you can always call them back.. Has worked for me on several occassions, and they remember who you are.
During the 200 mile tune up ask all the questions you have... you may not see them again! Make sure they check the tightness of all the important bolting and spoke tension.
Before each ride or once a week check the tire pressure.. Max pressure in rear, 20% less in front.
Cleanliness is important to me.. I clean my bike with a Showroom spray that is teflon, repels dirt... And I dont use water.. If you spray with a hose be VERY careful to use the mist setting..
If you have mechanical disc brakes you will need to adjust the pad clearance at least once a month.
Every 300 miles you should be cleaning your chain and recoating.. I use Boeshield T9, which is paraffin based and doesn't accumulate grit. Repalce the chain if it starts slipping.
Every 5oo miles or so you should check tightness on all the important bolting on your bike.. This will take a while the first time.. Hand tighten with your allen wrench and sockets set, or use a small torque wrench and chart if you're really nuts about tightness... just remember you're dealing with aluminum that can easily be stripped. Depending on what you find you may not need to do this again for awhile.
Every 500 miles pull the brake pads and check for wear.. If they are squealing you can sand the pads and the discs then wipe clean.. Rebed the pads by breaking very hard 5x in a row on each brakes. Depending on what you find you many not have to do this again for awhile. Replace the pads if they are less than 25%.. They are cheap on eBay.
Check the tires for rot and wear once a year... If they look at all marginal replace them.. You should get at least 3000 miles from them less if a mountain bike.
If you ride in cold weather or store in cold weather condensation can be a problem.. Try storing the bike in a warm room to drive out the moisture from the connections...
Heres a pretty good general instruction: http://www.electric-bicycle-guide.com/bicycle-maintenance.html
Ann M.
Well-Known Member
Not at all, @Dean its really more like conventional bike maintenance ! Don't ignore instructions in the owner's manual about charging and care. Winter weather will affect your battery's range and performance and has been suggested above, keep the battery indoors for charging. You don't have to be fearful about ebike maintenance, just consistent like a typical bike, just remember, tire pressure (which directly affects range) and battery charging will be more important for you to monitor on an ebike; not much to worry about
I am so grateful for the feedback from all of you experienced with ebikes. In light of your thoughts, I am inclined to look to buy a simpler bike, avoiding the "bells and whistles" that can go wrong, and force me to a repair shop.
My goal for this bike is that it will allow me to turn some of my work commutes into work outs. But the distance (13 miles) and hills makes that unrealistic for my time and fitness on a manual bike. So I am now looking for less gears (only a back derailleur?), quick release wheels (so I can change a flat), basically the most reliable bike to get me from home to work and back. Does that make sense?
Thanks in advance.
My goal for this bike is that it will allow me to turn some of my work commutes into work outs. But the distance (13 miles) and hills makes that unrealistic for my time and fitness on a manual bike. So I am now looking for less gears (only a back derailleur?), quick release wheels (so I can change a flat), basically the most reliable bike to get me from home to work and back. Does that make sense?
Thanks in advance.
Reseg
Member
I'm similar to you as far as commuting. I'm a data guy and #'s are my life. I tracked my power output with multiple power meters, heart rate, and speed/distance via multiple GPS apps over the past couple of years. I've had to force myself to back off and not be obsessed lol. I only mention the data stuff, in reference to knowing exactly what I was looking for/needed. But anyways, I recently moved to North Austin and my new commute is easily over 40 miles a day, the short way (still testing routes for efficiency and safety).
Even though I'm a high power rider that does many 50+ mile solo rides on a road bike at 22-23 MPH ave, riding on a heavy commuter, carrying clothes, food, and laptop through the city was pretty rough. I was pulling 15-16mph ave speeds suddenly, and taking over 1.5 hrs each way, with stoplights and signs. This wasn't sustainable... 3 hrs daily on my bike and a full day of work, with kids at home wanting to see me.
A few weeks ago I picked up the Focus Impulse S10, as it seemed to be one of the few bikes that had the range (mid drive efficiency), with the power to do 28mph, and good dependability ratings, though mostly foreign reviews I had to translate.
The result? Well, last week I commuted 4 days and WFH the other. I commuted, with all my gear in a saddle bag:
173.7miles with 6,444ft of climbing in 7hrs 51mins (22.13mph ave speed)
This week will be around the same distance, once I commute home (at work now), but so far:
151.4miles with 5,676ft of climbing in 6hrs 46mins (22.36mph ave speed)
This morning I had a 15mph+ headwind, ran it at max assist and did a 20.8mile route with a 21mph ave speed and 4 miles remaining on the estimated range. If I back off the assist level, the range jumps a good amount, but I'm pretty tough on this thing, and it's taking it.
With the bike at 400 miles on it now (<2.5 weeks old), the only problem I had was a flat tire I swapped (quick release). The bike has been GREAT.
I still get a great workout for the 1 hour each way. I suppose I could just light pedal and still average 18+ mph, but I'd prefer to get the workout and faster commute. I compared all the pros and cons with mid-drive vs. hub both geared and gearless, and learned my own additional pros and cons after testing. I still stand by a mid-drive as the best option for me, and probably the majority of people out there.
It holds 28mph on flats (/w ~200W from me), and 26-28 on <3% hills (/w ~400W+ from me). I usually get it up to ~35mph (no motor assist) on a couple of downhill spots, that going the other way, have me doing 21-24mph with a decent effort (also, I'm 205lbs).
Even though I'm a high power rider that does many 50+ mile solo rides on a road bike at 22-23 MPH ave, riding on a heavy commuter, carrying clothes, food, and laptop through the city was pretty rough. I was pulling 15-16mph ave speeds suddenly, and taking over 1.5 hrs each way, with stoplights and signs. This wasn't sustainable... 3 hrs daily on my bike and a full day of work, with kids at home wanting to see me.
A few weeks ago I picked up the Focus Impulse S10, as it seemed to be one of the few bikes that had the range (mid drive efficiency), with the power to do 28mph, and good dependability ratings, though mostly foreign reviews I had to translate.
The result? Well, last week I commuted 4 days and WFH the other. I commuted, with all my gear in a saddle bag:
173.7miles with 6,444ft of climbing in 7hrs 51mins (22.13mph ave speed)
This week will be around the same distance, once I commute home (at work now), but so far:
151.4miles with 5,676ft of climbing in 6hrs 46mins (22.36mph ave speed)
This morning I had a 15mph+ headwind, ran it at max assist and did a 20.8mile route with a 21mph ave speed and 4 miles remaining on the estimated range. If I back off the assist level, the range jumps a good amount, but I'm pretty tough on this thing, and it's taking it.
With the bike at 400 miles on it now (<2.5 weeks old), the only problem I had was a flat tire I swapped (quick release). The bike has been GREAT.
I still get a great workout for the 1 hour each way. I suppose I could just light pedal and still average 18+ mph, but I'd prefer to get the workout and faster commute. I compared all the pros and cons with mid-drive vs. hub both geared and gearless, and learned my own additional pros and cons after testing. I still stand by a mid-drive as the best option for me, and probably the majority of people out there.
It holds 28mph on flats (/w ~200W from me), and 26-28 on <3% hills (/w ~400W+ from me). I usually get it up to ~35mph (no motor assist) on a couple of downhill spots, that going the other way, have me doing 21-24mph with a decent effort (also, I'm 205lbs).
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Reseg
Member
I shouldn't have worded it as if they were my own unique pros and cons I discovered, but just things I never really noticed in reviews, or expected to the degree, as they were casually mentioned. The things like acceleration and shifting, especially up hill. The difference shifting quickly and efficiently(double/triple shift), and keeping it in the cadence power band really makes a difference in performance vs. a hub motor option. I will often come to a stop and start from 2nd and even 3rd gear of on a bit of a decline. Even though it's not an optimal gear ratio for the motor, from a stop, the lag you get from having to shift <2 seconds in and the motor letting off, slows the acceleration.
I really like the level of assist you get. But I have some safe, long wide open stretches I wish it went over 28mph, even if it dropped to a sub-eco assist to help with the extra weight and poor aero. Once that motor kicks off, you're suddenly responsible for the missing 350+ watts, in addition to the power you've already been putting out, and given it's a heavy, non-aero bike, it takes WAY more effort to get it from 28 to 30mph+ vs. my road bike lol. Definitely not complaining though, it's been a blast and great help to sustaining this long commute.
One of the screen views has a mode to show the current level of assist the motor is giving. Not an actual value, but in bars. Even in ECO mode I can max the 350W motor out for 1min+ spurts, which sounds about right, as I hold ~860watts for 1 min on my road bike, according to my Quarq. It's still a great ride in eco, I'm just trying to keep my commute to as close to an hour as possible (it's under an hour moving time, over an hour with stoplights) so I like running it in max assist. If it were any more powerful, I might back it off to get a better workout. With me being 205, the bike ~53, carrying close to another 50lbs, and not being aero, it still works me a bit, especially on the hills and when I take it above 28mph.
It has 4 settings. The range prediction is based off my riding, which adjusted itself to:
power sport (26 miles)
power (31 miles)
sport (41 miles)
eco (61 miles)
And they seem to be pretty accurate for me, with aggressive riding and carrying gear.
I really like the level of assist you get. But I have some safe, long wide open stretches I wish it went over 28mph, even if it dropped to a sub-eco assist to help with the extra weight and poor aero. Once that motor kicks off, you're suddenly responsible for the missing 350+ watts, in addition to the power you've already been putting out, and given it's a heavy, non-aero bike, it takes WAY more effort to get it from 28 to 30mph+ vs. my road bike lol. Definitely not complaining though, it's been a blast and great help to sustaining this long commute.
One of the screen views has a mode to show the current level of assist the motor is giving. Not an actual value, but in bars. Even in ECO mode I can max the 350W motor out for 1min+ spurts, which sounds about right, as I hold ~860watts for 1 min on my road bike, according to my Quarq. It's still a great ride in eco, I'm just trying to keep my commute to as close to an hour as possible (it's under an hour moving time, over an hour with stoplights) so I like running it in max assist. If it were any more powerful, I might back it off to get a better workout. With me being 205, the bike ~53, carrying close to another 50lbs, and not being aero, it still works me a bit, especially on the hills and when I take it above 28mph.
It has 4 settings. The range prediction is based off my riding, which adjusted itself to:
power sport (26 miles)
power (31 miles)
sport (41 miles)
eco (61 miles)
And they seem to be pretty accurate for me, with aggressive riding and carrying gear.
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I appreciate the info. I was able to test ride a couple ebikes over the weekend (Haibike Trekking (Bosch system) and Izip Dash and paid closer attention to the hills and shifting. I am afraid that I am so blown away by the power of both that it is hard to concentrate on the differences between them. The Bosch motor cuts out at 20 mph, so I certainly liked being able to keep the Dash going and didn't get it to its 28 mph limit.
I am leaning toward the Haibike. I like logic of the mid-drive system and the Bosch motor cut-out when shifting, believing I will appreciate this on my hill climbs in the future, even though the subtle differences were lost on my Saturday rides. I don't really think I need the 27 speeds, but then can imagine being in a spot where having the option of the big gear change from the internal hub shifter could be helpful. I want the workout, so don't think I will miss a throttle. I also decided that with my <13 mile commute, I don't need to go above 20 mph (and my wife will be less anxious if I am going a bit slower). This also happens to be one of the bikes my local shop sells.
I would appreciate any thoughts, concerns or suggestions any of you have for this newbie.
Thanks in advance.
I am leaning toward the Haibike. I like logic of the mid-drive system and the Bosch motor cut-out when shifting, believing I will appreciate this on my hill climbs in the future, even though the subtle differences were lost on my Saturday rides. I don't really think I need the 27 speeds, but then can imagine being in a spot where having the option of the big gear change from the internal hub shifter could be helpful. I want the workout, so don't think I will miss a throttle. I also decided that with my <13 mile commute, I don't need to go above 20 mph (and my wife will be less anxious if I am going a bit slower). This also happens to be one of the bikes my local shop sells.
I would appreciate any thoughts, concerns or suggestions any of you have for this newbie.
Thanks in advance.
Ann M.
Well-Known Member
Hi @Dean , We've all talked about some great bikes here; however, other than mentioning a <13 mile commute, it would help us help you if we know a little more about your daily trek. The Dash & the Haibike Trekking are both amazing bikes; however, the Haibike with the Bosch middrive will give a bit more torque on hills since it can utilize the bike's gears. There is a slight moment of hesitation before the Bosch motor engages which the Hub motor on the Dash will not have. Unless you are just climbing all sorts of varied terrain, multiple gears in the front are generally overkill. That's the beauty of the electric bike-- you have the power in a pinch or a long climb without having to do a bunch of shifts to get to a gear that can help. Its super simple, elegant and very functional.
BTW, in throttle only (power on demand mode) the Dash is limited to 20mph to keep it street legal everywhere. In pedal assist mode, you have to provide part of the power; its not a scooter! Maybe that will keep the peace at home
BTW, in throttle only (power on demand mode) the Dash is limited to 20mph to keep it street legal everywhere. In pedal assist mode, you have to provide part of the power; its not a scooter! Maybe that will keep the peace at home
http://electricbikereview.com/easy-motion/evo-27-5/
Buying from a LBS is a smart move.. Do they carry the EVO? This one looks like a very attractive commuter, is fairly light and costs $3k.
And I will tell you from years of commuting that your total commute time won't be affected much by a top speed of 20 mph or 28 mph.. And a lower top speed will increase your range... Faster is more fun though!
Thank you, all. This helps me so much. I am 6' tall, weighing 180 and 60 years old. The commute path I envision using is on a hilly winding road that winds along foothills in Southern California - my goal being to take the hit of the hills to reduce riding in traffic. In my state of conditioning, I would have to resort to walking some of those hills if I was on a standard bike. My shop has offered to let me use one or two bikes to try out my preferred commute path. I will certainly take advantage of this.
Regarding my plan to require a quick release to allow fixing a flat on the road, I was encouraged to be willing to tolerate a hub drive without quick release, being prepared to remove and patch a flat without removing the wheel, then changing the tube at home or at the shop. I suppose I could do that.
My shop does carry Easy Motion, so I will check out the Evo 27.5 and the evo-cross. They also carry eflow, Haibike, iZip, Pedego, Prodeco and Yuba. They say they are considering adding the Grace line. I am so intrigued by the NuVinci N360 hub. For my fear of losing a local bike shop, these seem likely to reduce the need for maintenance. They seem bullet proof! (However, I am told the MX II Urban is sold out in the US and the new line won't be available for 3-4 months.)
Regarding my plan to require a quick release to allow fixing a flat on the road, I was encouraged to be willing to tolerate a hub drive without quick release, being prepared to remove and patch a flat without removing the wheel, then changing the tube at home or at the shop. I suppose I could do that.
My shop does carry Easy Motion, so I will check out the Evo 27.5 and the evo-cross. They also carry eflow, Haibike, iZip, Pedego, Prodeco and Yuba. They say they are considering adding the Grace line. I am so intrigued by the NuVinci N360 hub. For my fear of losing a local bike shop, these seem likely to reduce the need for maintenance. They seem bullet proof! (However, I am told the MX II Urban is sold out in the US and the new line won't be available for 3-4 months.)
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