The more TLC you show your electric bike, the longer it will last.
Every bike needs professional maintenance from time to time but there’s also plenty you can do to maintain the bike yourself. Most DIY maintenance is pretty easy and the tools and products you need are inexpensive.
These tips will help you keep your electric bike in good shape between professional services. You’ll be a home mechanic before you know it!
Chain maintenance
The chain is one of the most important parts of your electric bike to look after.
Chain neglect leads to rough pedalling, poor shifting, and damage to other parts of the bike. Clean and lubricate it frequently to slow the rate of chain wear.
- Spray links with bike cleaner and brush links with a firm brush to clean
- Relubricate the links from time to time with a chain lubricant
- Make sure you wipe off excess lubricant with a clean rag. Too much lubricant will attract new dirt.
You’ll also need to regularly check the chain wear. As they wear, chains become longer - this is called stretch.
The simplest and most accurate way to check chain stretch is to use a tool like the Park Tool Chain Checker CC-3.2.
Replacing your chain more frequently will be cheaper than replacing the other parts of the bike like the cassette, gears, and sprockets that can be damaged by a worn chain.
You’ll need:
Tyre pressure
Soft tyres put unnecessary strain on your bike battery and can be unsafe out there on the road.
Check your tyre pressure before each ride - consider your weight and the distance of your journey. Pressure should remain within the maximum and minimum inflation recommendations marked on the tyre sidewall.
You’ll need: Bike tyre pump and tyre pressure gauge.
Brakes
Regularly check your brake pads for wear and tear - they should be 0.5mm or more.
If noise occurs when you apply the brakes, it’s likely they’ve worn down to the usable limit but preferably you want to change the brakes before this point.
Keep the pads and the braking surface clean from dirt and oil as dirty pads wear out much quicker.
Pads are inexpensive and it's really easy to change them out yourself. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials to help a novice out.
You’ll need: Allen keys and new brake pads.
Check the nuts and bolts
Nuts and bolts come loose on your electric bike in a few main areas - keep an eye on the derailleur, chainring, suspension linkage, and the bolts on the headset.
Every couple of rides, go over the nuts and bolts in those areas and tighten (but not overtighten) any coming loose. You should also do a complete check of the whole bike regularly.
You’ll need: Allen keys
Suspension
Dirt is the enemy of suspension so keep it clean to make sure you’re maximising your bikes performance.
After every ride make it a habit to wipe down the seal area and stanchions of your fork and shock. Use a horizontal motion to wipe, not vertical, to avoid pushing debris towards the seal. You can also use a protective spray to clean and shine the area.
You’ll need: A soft, damp cloth, suspension cleaner and protective bike spray.
Battery
Prolong the life of your electric bike battery with a few easy maintenance tips.
Avoid charging the battery to 100% where possible and don’t let your battery deplete to 0% either. Charging fully and discharging fully ruins the battery life.
Keep your battery out of extreme temperatures when riding and charging.
Use the right charger for your battery pack. Using the wrong one can shorten the battery life span.
Extra Pro tips
- Remove battery and displays before cleaning or cover with a cloth or film, if necessary.
- Never use a high pressure or steam cleaner to wash the bike.
- Make sure no lubricant gets onto the disk brake when lubing the drive chain.
- Do a quick function check after washing to make sure everything is working properly.
Professional service
Just like regular bikes, eBikes will need professional service from time to time.
If you commute with your electric bike on a daily basis or take it off-road regularly then a service a couple of times a year will keep your bike in top condition.
However, if you only ride occasionally then you can probably get away with an annual service.
A professional service can cover maintenance including:
- Frame alignment
- Gear and brake adjustment
- Tyre check and replacement
- Software update and eBike diagnostics check
- Full disassembly and clean of suspension components
Generally, a professional service in a bike shop can range between $90 - $200 depending on the level of maintenance provided. Some parts will be in addition to this cost.
Need assistance with eBike servicing? At Crooze we have certified and experienced eBike technicians on hand to offer you specialist support!
Call 1300 936 399, email hello@crooze.com.au or reach us on Facebook.