Transporting integrated battery ebike with or without the battery?

[KathyVL]

Hi - I'm torn as what to do. New to ebiking, my bike is a Gazelle Medeo T10 with an integrated battery on the bottom of the front upright. The manual that comes with it is more for all Gazelle bikes but it says you should always remove the battery for transport on a hitch rack. My bike guy (although he and most are pretty new to ebikes) says he doesn't think I should ever remove the battery unless I have to - assuming he means that I can create wear and tear on the connection. If I do remove the battery it leaves the bike connection totally open to dust, sand and water from the road coming up into the cavity in the bike and the electrical. Bosch motor and battery btw.
What do you guys with the integrated batteries do when transporting - or any other time for that matter? Should I not be removing the battery unless absolutely necessary?

 

[theemartymac]

If your hitch rack has tons of capacity - don't sweat leaving it in for transport. If you are anywhere near the weight limit of the rack, definitely remove it and just wrap a plastic bag around the bracket if it's overly wet out.

Even if you transport with the battery in, I think you should periodically (couple times a year) remove the battery, make sure it's clean and dry in there, and lube and exercise the keyway and latch once in a while to prevent it from seizing up over time. Dirt and moisture can migrate in there over time and then it won't work when you do need to service it.

 

[AHicks]

If there is any chance of rain on your trip, that battery would be removed and placed inside the car to keep it dry - guaranteed - if it were mine. Makes no difference here what anyone says. NOBODY will be willing to step up to the plate and replace it if it's damaged....

 

[Tars Tarkas]

I'm not familiar with your bike but it seems like significant factors are weight on the rack, as mentioned, and related to that is how much the weight of the battery will add to the force of the bouncing on the rack as you go down the road. Does the weight matter much to you when you're mounting the bike on the rack? How easy is it to remove and replace the battery? My feeling is that I would rather have the battery removed. It's safer and at least a little less tempting to a would be thief with the battery removed. Also, I'm one of those people who tend to think that the people who work at Gazelle and write the manuals probabaly aren't paid by the word and they don't make stuff up for the fun of it. I'm sure there are exceptions and it might be nice if they'd explain themselves, but if they say to remove the battery for transportation they probably have a good reason. In other words, I'd tend to go with the manual over your bike guy who is pretty new to ebikes.

TT

 

[Mr. Coffee]

My $0.02:

It is reasonable when transporting an ebike to remove the battery, largely because of concerns about catastrophic fire if you are in an accident when the bike is on the rear rack. A secondary reason is to reduce the weight of the bike on the rear rack.

However, in most cases, by removing the battery you likely make the bike less weatherproof and will likely need to wrap the battery mount area in plastic to keep water and road debris from contaminating that area.

If you have purchased an ebike which is not rainproof when the battery is mounted you have wasted your money on the purchase of a useless and ridiculous bike. Bicycles are usually operated outdoors, where it at least sometimes rains.

 

[archerlc]

I keep my battery on the bike. I also keep a Velcro strap around the battery tube at all times. Never trust the latch. I am not leaving the open hole for dirt and rain to get in the cavity. My LBS says keep the battery in. They are a long established shop and sell lots of eBikes. Trek says take it out. You must decide.
if rain, dust, dirt, and snow get in the cavity is Trek going to stand behind the repairs, or cleaning.
But in any case don’t trust the latch to hold the battery in while riding or transporting.

 

[PedalUma]

@KathyVL, This is one reason I like external batteries. You might practice removing the battery and replacing it several times so that it becomes routine. Then it will not be a big deal when you need to transport the bike. You should always remove the battery before putting it inside a car or van or on a car's bike rack. You could use a few wraps of Saran with some blue painter's tape if you will be driving in wet conditions. Off topic, nice bike! It could use a moustache bar for added comfort.

Amazon.com : UPANBIKE Bike Handlebar Urban Road Bike Retro Handlebar Moustache Shape Extra Wide Dutch M Shape (25.4mm 600mm) : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : UPANBIKE Bike Handlebar Urban Road Bike Retro Handlebar Moustache Shape Extra Wide Dutch M Shape (25.4mm 600mm) : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[Jim Conboy]

I always remove my battery when transporting my Giant Explore ebike. It reduces the weight when lifting the bike on an off my bike rack and avoids the possibility of fire if I am rear ended. I bought a cover from Giant to protect the connector area on the bike. Photo of the cover is attached.

 

[6zfshdb]

There are several reasons to remove the battery during storage or when transporting on a rack exposed to the elements.
1 - Less weight on the rack
2 - Easier to lift the bike up onto the rack
3 - The battery case may not be waterproof
4 - It's also a bit of a theft deterrent. A thief may be less likely to steal a bike without a battery.
5 - The battery itself could also be stolen if there is no locking mechanism.
6 - Makes it easier to store & charge the battery indoors.

As mentioned above, keep the latching mechanism clean & lubed and go easy when installing & removing it.

With the battery removed, I wrap the exposed down tube with plastic cling wrap and cover with an ace bandage to keep it from blowing off. It's an ounce of prevention that takes about 30 seconds.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your new ride!!

 

[Aushiker]

Bumping this thread as I have a related question: Transporting a couple of Bosch PowerTubes 625 Wh in the car when travelling with the bike on a rack. I do intend to remove the batteries when I transport the bike on the car and will fit either Bosch Pin Covers or Battery Transport Covers on the bike.

My question is in relation to suitable bags to put the batteries in whilst transporting them (will not be used for charging). Any suggestions?

 

[6zfshdb]

Without knowing the battery dimensions, it's difficult to recommend a specific product.

I use padded bags, sized to fit my various batteries. There are many available to fit most any battery

I've seen several cases where batteries were damaged during transport by placing them loosely in a vehicle. A sudden stop or collision can send them flying, increasing the risk of damage or even a fire.

I take it a step further and carry the battery & bag inside a hard shell protective case such as those made by Pelican or Nanuk:

I also use the padded bags when carrying a spare battery in a pannier.


There are also products that combine the two ideas such as this padded hard shell case:

Ebike Battery Case Large Hard Shell Waterproof Ebike Battery Bag Safe Bag | eBay

Lightweight and Convenient: This ebike battery bag has a lightweight and widened design that can accommodate most ebike batteries. The high-quality material ensures the durability and stability of the bag.

www.ebay.com

The trick is to find a product that closely fits the size & shape of the battery. If you post your battery dimensions, you might get a more specific response.

 

[PCeBiker]

I've got an old camcorder case from the 90's.
My two batteries just happen to fit perfectly inside.

The case and batteries weigh 29 pounds.
I would try to strap the box down with a seat belt if it was ever in a vehicle.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I recently purchased a rear hitch rack for my bike fleet. Not to flog this dead horse but this very topic came up with the guy who sold me the rack. He was emphatic that it was going to be better to carry the battery on the bike while the bike was on the rack. His reasoning (and he follows it himself when he uses that very same rack to haul e-bikes) was that the connectors were going to be far more weatherproof with the battery properly installed than they would be with any improvised covering and the battery off the bike.

He did agree that wrapping the display and saddle were a Good Idea, and also agreed that if you did a very good job of wrapping the battery mount area with multiple wraps of saran wrap if would probably be okay.

Also, for battery bags, if you want to go no compromise I'd recommend something like this:

https://brimstonefireprotection.com...y-explosion-fire-containment-bag-large-laptop

Or this:

Battery Fire Containment Bag - Large (Laptop) - Preventer™ Edition- 50Wh Tested

We Are The Best Value Fire Containment Bag On The Market! SAFETY ORANGE, 4 LAYERS WITH VELCRO CLOSURE, AND 1 PAIR FIRE RESISTANT GLOVES (IN

brimstonefireprotection.com

 

[Aushiker]

I've got an old camcorder case from the 90's.
My two batteries just happen to fit perfectly inside.

View attachment 168537View attachment 168538

The case and batteries weigh 29 pounds.
I would try to strap the box down with a seat belt if it was ever in a vehicle.

Nice setup.

 

[Aushiker]

I recently purchased a rear hitch rack for my bike fleet. Not to flog this dead horse but this very topic came up with the guy who sold me the rack. He was emphatic that it was going to be better to carry the battery on the bike while the bike was on the rack. His reasoning (and he follows it himself when he uses that very same rack to haul e-bikes) was that the connectors were going to be far more weatherproof with the battery properly installed than they would be with any improvised covering and the battery off the bike.

He did agree that wrapping the display and saddle were a Good Idea, and also agreed that if you did a very good job of wrapping the battery mount area with multiple wraps of saran wrap if would probably be okay.

Also, for battery bags, if you want to go no compromise I'd recommend something like this:

https://brimstonefireprotection.com...y-explosion-fire-containment-bag-large-laptop

Or this:

Battery Fire Containment Bag - Large (Laptop) - Preventer™ Edition- 50Wh Tested

We Are The Best Value Fire Containment Bag On The Market! SAFETY ORANGE, 4 LAYERS WITH VELCRO CLOSURE, AND 1 PAIR FIRE RESISTANT GLOVES (IN

brimstonefireprotection.com

Risese and Muller sell a Transport Battery Cover, which would, I assume, address the concerns of the seller. The display pops off anyway (acts as a lock if you pay for a subscription), and I have always covered my saddles (which comes from my habit of riding Brook's leather saddles).

That suggested case is no comprise for sure ... even coming with gloves

I am not worried about fire. Rather just want them easily carried and hopefully not subject to any damage when in the car.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

... The display pops off anyway (acts as a lock if you pay for a subscription), and I have always covered my saddles (which comes from my habit of riding Brook's leather saddles).

Um, the catch with removing the display is that the connectors are very much not weatherproof. So you still need to wrap that endpoint whether you remove the display or not. Do not ask me how I know.

 

[Aushiker]

Um, the catch with removing the display is that the connectors are very much not weatherproof. So you still need to wrap that endpoint whether you remove the display or not. Do not ask me how I know.

Thanks for the heads-up. EBB make/sell a protective cover for when the display is removed.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Thanks for the heads-up. EBB make/sell a protective cover for when the display is removed.

I doubt it will be needed. at most you would need some electrical cleaner for the terminals. it's more of an issue the way the nyon comes loose after 8000 miles. I finally had to use some cleaner on mine as it was being finicky. but I ride a ton in the rain too.