How skilled are you in fixing your ebike ?

[fooferdoggie]

This job is probably one of the few that i have to go to the bike shop for.

They got me good last time (70$ for both brakes and had to pay them also 50$ for 2 pads) . I had pads at home bought @15$/pair ,they insisted that they could not do the bleed properly w/o new pads. I still don't know if that was true or not ?! Total 120$ but i had the ebike ready in 2hours. If i had done it myself it would have been a huge mess...and a 4-5hour job ?

And it was also the first time in 9k miles that i had the bleed done. They were working okay, now they stop on a dime.

I had just had my bike serviced and the mechanic did not think they needed it yet well another 200 miles but after 1000 they were getting al little weak. it was not that bad really some cardboard under the brake will take care it.

 

[fooferdoggie]

What is the general rule of thumb on how long hydraulic brakes last before they need to be repaired, bled, new pads etc assuming you drive normally no excess brake usage?

pads depends on so many things same with bleeding, like this bike was 6000+ miles. our tandem the rear needed it at about 1400 miles but the front was fine. I think heat is a bit one so if you use the brake for longer periods downhill it will be harder on them.

 

[JRA]

I dream up, build frame up and maintain my own bikes to suit my needs and component curiosity.Good thing because the closest eBike/bike shop is 100miles away. Parts drop shipping is mandatory also as well as knowing what parts to buy.

 

[FlatSix911]

Flat911 do you do most of your own maintenance or do you use the LBS. And by the way, what is your fave Ebike?

I do most of my own maintenance and enjoy the satisfaction of mechanical work... a bit of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Never had to touch the motor on any of my Ebikes. Both the Shimano and Yamaha drives have been bulletproof so far... knock on wood.

I like the long-range of the Bianchi with the Shimano drive on the road... and the power & torque of the BH with the Yamaha drive off-road.
My overall favorite would have to be the BH Lynx with the PW-X motor... that thing climbs like a mountain goat and never gives up the fight.

PS. Having the right tools for the job makes the task easy.

 

[arcom]

I am very skilled at fixing my ebike. If it’s not broken, I will fix it until it is!

 

[BigNerd]

I am such a newb to bike maintenance.

I can change out parts like handlebars, seats, etc but the only things I’ve learned since being here (about 5 months now?) is how to lube a chain, how to fix a flat and how to slime tires.

Beyond that, I’m going to the LBS.

 

[AHicks]

I am such a newb to bike maintenance.

I can change out parts like handlebars, seats, etc but the only things I’ve learned since being here (about 5 months now?) is how to lube a chain, how to fix a flat and how to slime tires.

Beyond that, I’m going to the LBS.

Suggest you toss necessary repairs out for discussion with a post here. You may be surprised at the support you get, and/or how simple most problems can be!

 

[BigNerd]

Suggest you toss necessary repairs out for discussion with a post here. You may be surprised at the support you get, and/or how simple most problems can be!

I know that's true and many members here have experience with these things but there comes a point where, while capable, the desire, time or effort may not be there. For example, I can change the flush valve on my toilet... I've done it twice... but now I'd rather just call a plumber in to do it.

 

[AHicks]

Yes, I get it. It can be a matter of priorities for sure. Been a DIY'er so long I forget that on occasion. -Al

 

[Sierratim]

What is the general rule of thumb on how long hydraulic brakes last before they need to be repaired, bled, new pads etc assuming you drive normally no excess brake usage?

My Vado 5 went through its first set of pads in 500 miles. They were Shimano organic pads. My rides were all in our local very hilly terrain so YRMV. I happened to notice the worn out front pads when I was checking the rotor for fit of a larger diam. Glad I checked!

The replacement 'semi-metallic' pads are still going strong after 1,000 miles. They also have impressive cooling fins so I'm not getting getting any fade on some on the long descents I've done this last summer.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I know that's true and many members here have experience with these things but there comes a point where, while capable, the desire, time or effort may not be there. For example, I can change the flush valve on my toilet... I've done it twice... but now I'd rather just call a plumber in to do it.

but with the pandemic you could be waiting awhile so you may need to do some wrenching. when I had to Mobleys shop come out my brakes were not quite ready for bleeding. he greased the hubs and trued the wheels and such. I don't like trying wheels and I don't know if I want to grease hubs in a woodworking shop (G) but bleeding the brakes was not hard. I also put a new shifter cable in as shifting was getting a bit glitchy after 6000 miles and lots of rain.

 

[FlatSix911]

I have a full tripod stand for heavy maintenance and now use a moto stand for quick work.

 

[vincent]

Cool stand, what is the name of it

 

[FlatSix911]

Cool stand, what is the name of it

Amazon.com

 

[epetgreen]

Yes, this damn Wuhan Virus has put the 'damper' on a lot of things.
One good thing is (Satire here) I have Never seen Anything from China, Last So damn Long..............

Brilliant.The best laugh I've had for ages.

 

[epetgreen]

The new members may not have seen this ...

Nothing Has Changed For The Last 120 Years (Jerome K. Jerome)

We all are shopping online, don't we. We listen to our Forum correspondents. We buy widgets, don't we. All of them are revolutionary, patented, breath-taking, aren't they. Maybe. 120 years ago, in 1900, the English author Jerome K. (Klapka) Jerome published his second most successful book...

electricbikereview.com

Trully, nothing has really changed. Electric stuff just adds more possible complications. Rider or Overhauler, you decide.

At least we get there before we die.

 

[penserv]

I think the biggest obstacle to bike maintenance is all the specialized tools you have to acquire before you can start. All the tools you spent a lifetime accumulating to fix cars are pretty much useless for a bike. I cannibalized my socket sets to get a full set of 1/4" drive stuff, but I'd never heard of a pedal remover tool or a bottom bracket tool and I didn't even know what a star nut was. That's about the only tool I don't have now and I've found that if you use a big enough hammer, you can get any star nut more or less straight in the steering tube. I never take my hands off the handlebars, so I don't get too concerned about a little bit of wobble here and there. Building my current and very first Ebike from the frame up, I figure I can do just about anything on the side of a road, if I have to, but I'd rather just call home for a ride back to the shop in my garage. I always carry a set of tools that will allow me to tighten parts, but unless it's so major that I can't ride without a repair, I'll try to get home and repair it on a proper bike stand.

 

[Handlebars]

I know that's true and many members here have experience with these things but there comes a point where, while capable, the desire, time or effort may not be there. For example, I can change the flush valve on my toilet... I've done it twice... but now I'd rather just call a plumber in to do it.

Many times that's the right thing to do, but once you learn how, DIY becomes a thing where you know it's done right and no steps skipped.

Dilbert's Scott Adams has a plumbing story that defines his incompetence.
He has a very expensive hot water system and it has a knob in the shower which he never knew the purpose of, but he was scared of it for years. A new girlfriend turned it and all hell broke loose.
He called the plumber and things quickly got very expensive. They whacked a bolt on the water heater to show him it was rusted and it snapped off. Not repairable, they said. New water heater install.
"Boy", thought Scott "I sure am lucky they checked that."
They finished up the multi-thousand $ job and turned the water back on. Immediately a pipe broke.
"Boy" thought Scott "I sure am lucky the plumbers were here. What are the odds that a pipe would break right when the repair people were here?"


I've learned how to deal with the hydraulic disk brakes after mishaps with a cheap bleed/refill kit and many adjustments. I'm not looking forward to my first tire repair or replace on my rear hub motor wheel because it sounds troublesome.

 

[K PierreR]

In 65 years I have never hired anything done. Fixing things has always been intuitively obvious to me. The problem is that I am getting to an age where I may have to start hiring some things done. That scares me because I haven't the foggiest idea of the ins and outs or the costs associated with hiring something done.

 

[Gionnirocket]

In 65 years I have never hired anything done. Fixing things has always been intuitively obvious to me. The problem is that I am getting to an age where I may have to start hiring some things done. That scares me because I haven't the foggiest idea of the ins and outs or the costs associated with hiring something done.

Perhaps... and I know finding one is easier said than done... You can take a youngster under your wing and pay/teach them bike repair.
Also a good way to start giving away some tools if you don't think you'll be getting much more use out of them.