How do I care for my Electric Bike?

All things worth cherishing and savouring require love, care, and proper maintenance - like our human body, the environment. Your Electric Bike 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 like it’s new every single time you take it out.

Thankfully, taking care of Electric Bikes 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 Electric Bikes are mostly Lithium, Lithium-Ion, and Sealed Lead Acid batteries, the popular ones being the former two, as they are most cost-effective and rate higher in performance. However, the common denominator among all three batteries is that, 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 whenever possible. Temperature extremes, closed humid spaces and long exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided.
The charging percentages are another aspect to keep in mind. It is advised not to fully charge your battery to a 100% charge every time. Your first charge to 100% should do for the battery’s lifetime. According to the experts, the ideal charge percentage range should be between 30% to 60%, depending on your ride distance.
For storage purposes, the ideal temperature for storing your battery is 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 Electric Bike clean and unsoiled is another important aspect to better maintenance of the bike. So how often should I clean my E-Bike? 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 electric bike –

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, the use of shampoos and other cleaning products from stores specialising in them is highly recommended. Here at EVELO, we have a range of cleaning products just for the purpose. You can reach our team through our website evelo.com, anytime.
Always remember to remove the battery and displays before washing your electric bike. For some bikes that come with permanent displays, you can use a cloth or a plastic sheet to cover them before getting on with the cleaning.

Taking Care of the Electric Bike Chain Or Belt

The chain or belt of your electric bike 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 electric bike.

For everyday cleaning of the chain or belt, or after every ride, 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 lubrication or grease, and only require a light wash to remove dirt and grime. 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 electric bike are either mechanical or hydraulic brakes. With use over time, the brakes naturally start to give up on their effectiveness. 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 or running down a pedestrian.

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.
In comparison to hydraulic brakes, mechanical brakes are far easier to maintain. If your electric bike is equipped with mechanical brakes, you can easily fix the brake problems by just tightening the brake cables.
For hydraulic disc brakes, it is more about the hydraulic fluid and knowing when to replace them. The signs that the hydraulic fluid gives off when it is nearing its lifespan and needs replacing is that it begins to give you a thick feeling about the liquid, a kind of squishy and spongy feeling. The feel means that you have to bleed out your old hydraulic fluid and replace it with a new one.
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 electric bike, it depends on the regularity of the bike’s use. For regular users, a full service once a year should do it in addition to other services, such as electrical, brakes etc., as and when they are required.

Lastly..

To summarise, here are the basic pointers when it comes to electric bike 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 moderately charged for longer battery life.
Use the right charger to charge the battery of your electric bike.
In case you require your electric bike to be transported in another vehicle, remember to take out the battery.
Keep your electric bike clean on an everyday basis, especially after a rough ride.
Never use a high-pressure hose to clean your bike.
Clean and lubricate the chain of your electric bike after every ride.
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 types of your bike have the right amount of air and pressure.
Lastly, love and cherish your bike.

This likely seems to be most of what is required for taking good care and well-being of your electrical bike. The world that we have made for ourselves, with all the depleting ice-caps, the smoke burdened skies, the depleting ozone layer, climate change, and extinction, the obligation is on us to be the change that we want to see, and choosing an electric bike over a bike that runs on petrol or some other fossil fuel could be a good way to start.

EVELO caters to all things to do with electrical bikes, from bikes themselves to all accessories that go with the ride. So, if you are looking to get one for yourself, EVELO is best placed to serve and help you get the best value for your money when it comes to shopping for an Electric Bike.