Considering that you intend to use your e-bike regularly, it is vital to ensure that it is always in good shape. Bike maintenance is something that even regular bike owners do, and it has its benefits which are very valuable to your safety. In this read up, we will look at some of the most essential maintenance services that you should offer your electronic bike. Note that not everyone is handy enough to tackle e-bike maintenance. If you are searching for a person, you need not worry since there are plenty of e-bike repairs and services around. Nevertheless, you can always find someone who knows the job to handle it on your behalf.
How to Service Your E-Bike
The first thing you will need to get done once you get a new e-bike is making sure that all the parts are well fitted. This is usually done for you if you opt to get your bike from the stores as after-sale service. Over some time, these parts will become loose due to regular riding, and the situation gets more complicated if you have a folding electric bike with more jointed parts. For example, you may notice that the headset is no longer stable after a vigorous ride, and the same can go for any other part that has been joined.
As a way of servicing your bike, you need to ensure that you have the right tools to tighten up any lost parts. Otherwise, you will need to go to the repair shops to get your bike fixed. The only disadvantage of relying on bike repair shops to service your bike is that the service may not be available for you as per your request, more so if you need to take a long ride that you didn’t schedule for.
Other than dealing with losing parts, you need to be extra keen about the following parts and always check them up if they need maintenance or repair
1. The Chain
Having an electric pedal bike does not mean that the chain is protected from hard work. Remember that bike chains are made of small jointed parts, and each part responds differently to tension. That is why only a part of the chain usually snaps, and if your chain is of bad quality, you will get tired of repairing it all the time. If you have an e-bike that has a mid-drive motor, it is highly recommended that you always carry around the necessary tools for fixing the chain. The motor type is known to exert excess pressure on the chain since more power runs through the train derailleur
.
2. Tires
Whether you have a fat tire electric bike or one with regular-sized tires, it is imperative to make sure that your tires are ready for the road. You can always check your tires for punchers or damages that expose them to conceding punctures. On top of that, you need to make sure that the tires have enough pressure that is well balanced to avoid them from bursting. maintenance and repair should also solve issues like slow punctures immediately if you need to keep enjoying using your bike. Still, on tires, you should ensure that the rims are in perfect shape since they tend to fold when carrying too much weight or after a rough ride down the terrain.
3. Brakes
The braking system of your electric road bike is the most important safety precaution that you will ever find. Your braking system should be perfect to avoid accidents and breaking the law since riding an electric bike or even a regular bike without brakes can send you to court. Besides ensuring your safety, brakes make it easy for you to stop without any complication; plus, they can also be used to regulate your speed. Before setting out to ride your e-bike on public roads, always test the brakes and confirm that they are in good condition. Electric bikes have different braking systems, and unless you are conversant with them, you should have them checked regularly by an expert.
4. Motor & Battery
Electric bikes are not so electric without motors. Like any other motor, you need to ensure that your e-bike motor is well serviced all the time. The only problem with e-bike motors is that there is hardly any room for running maintenance. That is because they are fully enclosed; therefore, if your motor breaks down, and the best solution is to get it replaced if an expert cannot repair it. The same applies to batteries. However, you can always prolong the life of your battery as well as of your motor. For example, making sure that your battery power is always topped up will go a long way to ensure that the lithium cells survive for longer. Also, you may want to avoid overworking your motor by using manual peddling when riding on roads that are not inclined or too rough.
5. Keep Your Bike Clean
Whether you are riding an electric street bike or a simple e-bike, cleanliness will be mandatory. By cleaning your bike regularly, you will be able to get rid of dirt without cleaning can accumulate and begin to cause problems. For example, dirt can accumulate on the chain, and this is easy because the chains depend on oil to keep them lubricated. The problem is, oil can attract and retain dirt, and as a result, the chain may not be able to move freely as expected. Once your chain is stuck, your e-bike becomes useless, even if it has a throttle. That is because you will need to recharge the batteries.
When To Take Your Bike For Repairs
Once you own an e-bike, you are required to learn basic repair and maintenance skills. The skills will only be helpful if you have the right tools for the job. There are some simple issues that you will best solve on your own. For example, if your chain snaps, getting it fixed should not be a problem as it is not complicated but requires the right tools for the job. The same goes for replacing the tires and so on. However, if you are experiencing issues with the motor and the batteries, it may not be a good idea to try and fix this by yourself only if you possess the right knowledge and skills of dealing with e-bike motors and batteries. The same can apply if the suspension system is broken.
If you get involved in a bad accident, and your bike is completely disfigured, your only option is to take it to the repair shop to fix any broken or folded parts. Trying to straighten such a kind of bike will leave you with results that are not impressive. To make it worse, you can never restore the bike to its original state.
Bottom Line
Taking good care of your e-bike means it will serve you for a longer time. As the owner, it is very important that you read about properly maintaining the motor and battery as these are the two most important parts of your electronic bike. It is also helpful to know that there are so many resources to learn about how to fix and maintain your e-bike online. Taking advantage of these resources will give you an upper hand in servicing and maintaining your bike to give it a longer life.