How do I care for my Electric Bike?

All things worth cherishing and savouring require love, care, and proper maintenance - like our human body and the environment. Your ebike is no different. As much as you enjoy and relish their smooth and pollution-free rides, it is also imperative that the maintenance of your electric bike is proper so that you can have your bike in perfect shape, and keep them running at peak performance every time you take it out.

Thankfully, taking care of ebikes and their maintenance is not rocket science. With the right maintenance kit and a bit of know-how, which Evelo will be delighted to equip you with, you can take care and maintain your electric bike by yourself and all this time get to know your bike more.

Battery Maintenance

The battery is more or less the heart of an electric bike, and a healthy heart makes for a healthy body. Given the fact that the battery does not come cheap, it becomes essential that you take the required measures to sustain the battery life over a long period.

The batteries used in ebikes are mostly Lithium and Lithium-Ion. Unlike wine, the batteries do not get better with time. In fact, over time the battery’s capacity to hold charge begins to diminish, and this is an irreversible change. The most that can be done for the batteries is to reduce their rate of ageing. The good news is that the battery life of your electric bike can be improved by following a few simple habits.

Keep your battery cool (not cold) whenever possible. Temperature extremes, closed humid spaces and long exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided.
Avoid discharging your battery all the way on a regular basis and instead charge it in small increments more often. Let the charger light turn from red to green on every charge to ensure balancing of your battery. Balancing will have a huge affect on battery health. Charging should be done at room temperatures.
For storage purposes, make sure the battery is between 40-60% charged and kept at a room temperature of around 50°F (10°C) to 68°F (20°C).
Clean your battery, whenever required.

Cleaning your Electric Bike

For better service life and smooth rides, keeping your ebike clean and unsoiled is another important aspect to better maintenance of the bike. So how often should I clean my ebike? The simple answer to that is whenever it is dirty the main thing to keep in mind here is not to let dirt accumulate and get ingrained in parts of the bike. As grime accumulated over time is not only hard to remove but will impact the performance of your electric bike. Here are a few tips on cleaning your ebike –

Water is always the best agent for cleaning purposes provided you are not using a pressure valve for it. Gentle is the keyword here.
In terms of cleaning agents, there are bike specific cleaners and polishes available at bike shops. Warm water and dish soap works really well also. Denatured alcohol or orange degreaser work well for more grimy/oily needs.
Always remember to remove the battery before washing your ebike. Make sure its dry before installing the battery when done.

Taking Care of the Electric Bike Chain Or Belt

The chain or belt of your ebike takes the strain and picks up more dirt than most other parts of the bike, hence taking care of them on an everyday basis becomes important for the health and life of your ebike.

For everyday cleaning of the chain use a brush with firm hairs to remove the gathered dust and dirt. You may use some detergent or degreaser depending on the grime.
Follow the cleaning, lubricate your chain, rotating the bike pedals to make sure that the lubricant is thoroughly and uniformly applied to all parts of the chain. One important thing to remember while applying lubricant is to ensure that you keep the lubricant from contaminating the brake discs. Once done you may use a soft cloth to wipe off the excess lubricant.
Belt drive bikes do not require much cleaning. Generally a wipe down or blow out with a compressor is enough. Lubrication is generally not needed. Silicone spray can be used if you’re experiencing a bit of noise, then wiped clean to remove any residue.

Maintaining the Brakes

The brakes that usually come with the ebike are either mechanical or hydraulic disc brakes. With use, the brake pads wear out and the brakes need adjustment. Therefore, a constant check on your bike’s brake is essential not only for the overall maintenance of your bike but also to avoid getting into accidents.

The most important component of the brakes are the brake pads, the use of brakes being directly proportional to the pads wearing away. So, a regular check on your brake pads is advised, if you feel that they need a change, getting on it right away would be wise than waiting for your pads to shriek and give off screeching noises, the last gasps of the brake pads.
Mechanical brakes will require adjustments as the pads wear. These adjustments require basic tools to do and are generally doable at home.
For hydraulic disc brakes, a bleed kit and mineral oil are required for maintenance. Most brake brands recommend a yearly bleed to ensure proper functionality. Sluggish brake feel or a lack of lever pressure are signs you need a brake bleed regardless of time.
If you require some professional expertise regarding brake issues on your electric bike, please do feel free to reach us anytime through our website - evelo.com.

Servicing your Electric Bike

When it comes to servicing your ebike, it depends on the regularity of the bike’s use. For regular users, a yearly tune up will be enough. For high mileage bikes, more frequent tune ups are needed. Your local bike shop should be able to do a tune up on your EVELO despite it being electric. The parts that need servicing are the common bike parts like wheels and brakes, the shop wont need to work on anything electric.

Lastly..

To summarise, here are the basic pointers when it comes to ebike maintenance that you need to follow to take care of your bike to ensure that it remains in top shape, silent and smooth over a long period.

Keep your battery away from extreme temperatures and charged/stored properly.
Use the right charger to charge the battery of your ebike.
In case you require your ebike to be transported in another vehicle, remember to take out the battery.
Keep your ebike clean on an everyday basis, especially after a rough ride.
Never use a high-pressure hose to clean your bike.
Clean and lubricate the drivetrain of your bike if you have a chain.
Regularly check the brake pads on your bike, do not wait for the shrieking noise before having them changed.
Keep a regular watch on all the smaller parts of the bike, which includes the essentials – the nuts and bolts.
Make sure that the tires of your bike have the right amount of air and pressure.
Lastly, love and cherish your bike.

EVELO caters to all things to do with ebikes, from bikes themselves to all accessories that go with the ride. So, if you are in the market for one, reach out and we are happy to help. https://evelo.com/