Essential Post-Winter Electric Bike Maintenance
Many of us park up our electric bikes in the garage over the winter. Now that the good weather is rolling around soon, here are some tips for maintenance that you can perform for your bike easily.
From battery to tires and from derailleurs to chains, many parts of your bike can drift out of alignment. After a long winter break, your bike won’t be the same as it was in late autumn.
Check the battery
According to the best practice of storing batteries in winter. Your battery should be stored indoors and charged to 50% - 60% at least one time a month. So, we suggest you connect the battery to the charger for 12 hours (keep connected even if the charger indicator turns green) before use. If nothing abnormal (not charging, battery overheating, battery swelling, etc.) during the charge, you can put it back onto the bike.
Check the tire
If you’ve left your bike in a cold shed all through winter, you’ll want to inspect the tires before you begin riding again. Inspect them for any grit and glass which may have become embedded, and remove anything you find. Also, and perhaps more importantly, look for small tears or openings in the rubber of the tire. It may be time for a fresh set if you notice them beginning to corrode. The last thing you want is a blowout when you begin riding again.
Tire pressure
Air will leak from your bicycle tires when you haven’t used your bike for a while, and the pressure also changes with the temperature even if there's no air leaking. The recommended tire pressure for our ebikes is 20-30 PSI in usual, or you can see it on the sidewall of your bike tires. A pump with a built-in gauge is always best for you to be sure of the pressure.
Check the Motor
Rest assured, the motor and other electronics of Samebike electric bikes won’t get damaged by being powered off for a long time. However, you’ll still try to engage the motor in PAS 1 with throttle and pedal-assist mode and let the motor run for 5 minutes at idle speed to inspect if the motor housing gets too hot or if there’s a noise that sounds like the grease lose effectiveness.
Check The Brakes
An important piece of bike maintenance is to ensure that both your front and back brakes are in good working order. Cables often stretch when they haven’t been used for some time. In such cases, brakes can become less effective unless they are readjusted. You may want to bring your bike to a bike mechanic if you’re unsure of how to readjust the cables manually.
The Drivetrain
Hopefully, before you packed up for the winter, you lubricated your bike well. For those who haven’t, then it’s best to give the drivetrain a solid inspection for dirt and rust.
If your drive chain hasn’t been properly lubricated or cleaned, now may be the time to perform this all-important piece of bike maintenance. Riding on it further will only lead to degradation and the unnecessary wearing of the components.
Apply some degreaser to the chain and cassette and wash it thoroughly. You may want to use a small wire brush to really get into the nooks and crannies. Once clean, you can then apply the lubrication.
Chain Tension
Chains stretch over time and it’s important to change them before they become too elongated. A stretched chain will begin to wear other components such as chainrings and cassettes. If changed regularly, however, it results in minimal wear of other components.
But if left too long, then the bill for a new chainring and cassette can quickly become very expensive. A chain wear indicator tool is your best friend here. With a simple measurement, you can quickly ascertain whether your chain needs changing by measuring the distance between links.
Stay Tight
Headsets, handlebars, quick-release skewers, and bottle cages can often rattle themselves loose. It’s essential to give them all a once-over before you begin riding again. Don’t over-tighten them, just ensure they are all torqued sufficiently. 4.5 - 5.0 Nm is usually the standard torque, but follow the manufacturer's recommendations if different.