Maintain Your E-Bike to Become an ACE E-biker

You spent a lot of effort to find the right e-bike and to protect it against theft. Now you need to think about how to maintain your e-bike to get the most enjoyment from it.

To help you, I developed a simple and easy to remember acronym – ACE. It will help you keep your new e-bike running longer and with fewer problems. Also included in this post are helpful how-to videos to keep your bike in great condition.

What is ACE?

It is a simple way to maintain your e-bike based on following a few simple maintenance tips. You don’t need to be a bike mechanic nor particularly handy to follow the tips provided. Just a willingness to follow a simple, regular maintenance routine.

ACE stands for:

1. Adjust
2. Clean
3. Examine

Simple, straightforward and easy to remember.

Adjust

Your e-bike has several parts that need periodic adjustment after use. It is important to check them on a regular basis to ensure your safety while riding.

1. Tires – all tires lose air and need to be pumped up on a regular basis. Use the recommended pressure on the side of the tire or in your owner’s manual. Tires that are too soft make pedaling more difficult and will reduce the range of your battery. If they are too hard, you risk them popping if you hit a curb.

It is a worthwhile investment to have a pressure guage and a pump at home that you can use to add air as needed. It is more convenient than trying to find a gas bar with an air pump which is becoming more difficult. As well, it is too easy to overfill your tire with these air pumps.

2. Wheel nuts can come loose, particularly for quick release wheels. Before starting a ride, ensure these are tight so that your wheel doesn’t come loose while riding.

3. Tighten any nuts or bolts that might loosen from riding or when carried on your bike carrier. Pay particular attention to the nuts on your handlebars, bike seat, racks and pedals.

4. Check and adjust your brakes. Make minor adjustments on your brake levers or more significant adjustments as required. The following short video provides some useful tips.

Clean

A clean bike not only looks better but will perform better. There are two key areas to focus on when cleaning your bike:

1. Bike frame, wheels and gears. If you ride in mud or where there is lots of dust, remove these after a ride. This will ensure no dirt or mud works its way into moving parts of the bike.

You can rinse your bike with a hose or hand wash with soap and water. You will find there is a difference of opinion on the use of a pressure washer. I prefer not to use one as the high pressure can apply excess water to your electrical components or motor.

You can buy specialized bike detergents or use your favorite dish soap.

It is also wise to wipe your bike off after riding in the rain or snow. My son-in-law’s new Fat E-bike had rust on the gears and chain from riding in snow. The bike shop he bought it from suggested a protective spray to remove the rust and protect them from rust.

2. Clean and lubricate the bike chain regularly. It is a critical component which requires cleaning to remove grit and dirt. It is easy to clean and should be done at least once a month or more often if you are riding a lot where dirt or mud can build up on the chain.

After cleaning the chain, it is important to oil it to keep it operating smoothly. Lightly oil the chain and ensure no excess lubricant gets on your derailleur or gears. This video provides a good demonstrates on how to clean and oil your chain.

Examine

Through regular inspection, you can maintain your e-bike so it is both safe and performs well. There are a few key components to keep an eye on to prevent unexpected issues while riding.

1. Regularly check your tires, wheels and spokes. This will reduce the chance of unexpected flats, unbalanced wheels or damaged spokes.

2. Gears and derailleurs are important for the smooth operation of your chain. When bent or out of alignment, you will hear it when changing gears. If damaged, have them repaired at your local bike shop.

3. If you have a light on your e-bike, regularly check it to ensure it is working. As well, over time your headlight may need to be realigned.

This video does a nice job of covering the main points above.

Battery maintenance

Without the battery, your e-bike is an overweight regular bike. It is the most expensive part of your bike and perhaps the most important. As such, it warrants a little TLC as well. Basic battery care will extend the life of the battery which is key to maintaining your e-bike.

1. Extend battery life by keeping your battery charged between 60% to 80% when not in use.

2. There are different views on what the maximum charge you should have on your battery. One recommendation is to only charge the battery to 90% rather than 100% every time to minimize stress.

3. Charge batteries at room temperature when possible.

4. Batteries don’t like extreme temperatures – hot or cold. Avoid storing your battery in extreme temperature conditions for long periods of time, especially in your vehicle.

5. Remove your battery when carrying your bike on a bike carrier. This eliminates the chance of it falling off the bike and being severely damaged.

The reality is your e-bike battery will eventually need replacement. However, taking care of your battery will extend its life and put off this major cost. For more tips on e-bike battery maintenance, I recommend checking out this article.

Or if you prefer, this short video on e-bike battery maintenance offers some great tips as well.

By following the tips outlined above, you will become an ACE in maintaining your e-bike. And this will only add to your enjoyment.

If you aren’t able nor are interested in doing your own maintenance, get to know your local e-bike shop to help keep it in great operating condition.

If you have any other tips or suggestions on maintaining your e-bike, pass these along so I can share with others.

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