Report of my first 2000 miles on my ebike

[ebikemom]

I just hit 2000 miles on my beautiful ebike. Wow! I never thought I'd ride my ebike so much. But, I do. It's awesome!

Some things I've learned ....

• Commuting on an ebike is a lot of fun.
• I can put my chain back on when it falls off... the key is turning the bike upside down, which isn't difficult, and having it in a low gear. After that, easy peasy!
• Errands are much more enjoyable on an ebike than in a car.
• Recreational rides on an ebike? Count me in!
• Family ebike cycling vacation? Wow! What fun! Best budget family vacation ever!
• ebiking gets me more exercise than I ever wanted to get before.
• It's great having local dealer support. With four ebikes in the family, we've needed it (one bike has had more issues than the other three). Being able to get a loaner is awesome!
• Also great was finding a local bike tech who is closer by than the dealer and open-minded about ebikes. Nice to have someone within walking distance of home (I feel very lucky on that score!) for bike-related non-warranty stuff.
• My ebike is rear-heavy, which has presented no problems in riding or using the bike. However, I have learned that I need to avoid one-arm lifts of the bike's rear end. Turning the bike upside-down to do basic maintenance isn't difficult for me because that's a two-handed lift. Where I've strained my arm is in doing one-handed lifting. I can avoid that by using more "3-point" style turns when putting the bike away in the garage, for example. I also need to remember to use good lifting practices, and then I don't hurt myself.

Some things I look forward to ...

• MORE people ebiking in MORE places so we can have BETTER cycling infrastructure in our urban/suburban areas.
• Learning how to manage in rain. I don't want to give up ebiking all winter.
• Learning more technical skills related to maintaining my bike--changing/patching tires, in particular.
• Leading group rides in my area.

 

[DDBB]

Has anyone asked "is that thing fun" yet?..

 

[ebikemom]

They can tell it's fun, because this is what I look like when I'm riding it!!!

 

[Captain Slow]

You should be able to put the chain back on without turning the bike upside down. Just be careful that the controller is off.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

Wipe the chain after each ride if you can. It prevents dust and dirt from sticking to the chain. It also keeps your hand clean when putting back a dropped chain.

 

[CodyDog]

Congrats on 2,000 miles. That is fantastic.

 

[ebikemom]

You should be able to put the chain back on without turning the bike upside down. Just be careful that the controller is off.

I can't because of the chain guard. I've tried, and I've seen others do it, but I just can't get it.

 

[Captain Slow]

Ah, I can see the chain guard would make it hard.

 

[currypotter]

Congrats. Agree with all your points!

I'm at 3,475 miles (screen shot attached from cobi-bike controller for my Haibike (Bosch Performance Line) Trekking R SX.

No issues with the motor or electrics. Rode through plenty of rain storms. Maintenance items so far carried out by my local e-bike shop, not including labor cost, below:

- New chain $50, rear sprocket $56 and front chain ring ($21).
- New brake pads front and rear $50 - think I can do better on this.

For those of us with mid-drives, the chains are tortured a lot more than those with hub drives. Especially if your commute is hilly and Turbo mode is your go to solution. The chains are e-bike specific.

Two punctures fixed on the side of the road. First one, I put my bike upside down and then watched a nice video from Trek on YouTube to remind myself how to do it. Been 20 years! After the first one, I now carry latex gloves and a cover for my saddle to protect it when I turn it up side down.

Just be safe out there please:

 

[RabH]

Great post, I also recently passed 2000 miles and I only purchased my bike in April this year I just can't get enough and I'm totally addicted

 

[rannyv]

Congrats. Agree with all your points!

I'm at 3,475 miles (screen shot attached from cobi-bike controller for my Haibike (Bosch Performance Line) Trekking R SX.

No issues with the motor or electrics. Rode through plenty of rain storms. Maintenance items so far carried out by my local e-bike shop, not including labor cost, below:

- New chain $50, rear sprocket $56 and front chain ring ($21).
- New brake pads front and rear $50 - think I can do better on this.

For those of us with mid-drives, the chains are tortured a lot more than those with hub drives. Especially if your commute is hilly and Turbo mode is your go to solution. The chains are e-bike specific.

Two punctures fixed on the side of the road. First one, I put my bike upside down and then watched a nice video from Trek on YouTube to remind myself how to do it. Been 20 years! After the first one, I now carry latex gloves and a cover for my saddle to protect it when I turn it up side down.

Just be safe out there please:

The brake pads themselves can be a bit price, so $50 to install seems reasonable. And maybe the bled them too. That said, installing new pads isn't difficult. I can't speak to bleeding bike brakes since I've not attempted it.

Only 2 flats in 3500 miles is really good! I guess e-bike tires are a lot tougher than lightweight road bike tires. Or maybe it's 21st century tires are better than the ones from the 70's, 80's and 90's.

 

[ebikemom]

I have no flats in 2100 miles, but my son has two in 1000 miles ... so some of it is about LUCK, for sure! Maybe I keep my eye on the road surface a bit more carefully than he does, though--when I see sparkles, I go around them.