Riding an electric bike offers incredible freedom and convenience for daily transportation and adventure. However, like any vehicle, e-bikes require regular care and maintenance to keep them running safely and reliably.
In this comprehensive guide from ebikewise, we’ll cover all the key areas of e-bike maintenance you need to know as an owner. Consider this your go-to reference for keeping your electric bike humming for years to come.
Contents
1. Brake Maintenance
Of all the components on your e-bike, properly functioning brakes are arguably the most critical for control and safety. Keeping your brakes finely tuned should be a top priority.
Disc Brakes
Disc brakes offer superior all-weather stopping power compared to rim brakes. They come in two main varieties:
- Mechanical disc brakes use a steel cable much like the brake system on non-electric bikes. The cable connects the brake lever to the caliper mechanism that squeezes the brake pads against the rotor.
- Hydraulic disc brakes use sealed fluid lines that provide even pressure. Squeezing the lever presses the caliper pads against the rotor via hydraulic force.
In general, hydraulic disc brake systems require less routine maintenance than mechanical varieties because there is no cable to stretch or adjust over time. However, the maintenance needs for mechanical disc brakes are relatively minimal if you understand what to look for.
Signs You Need a Brake Adjustment
Over time, the brake cables on mechanical systems will stretch slightly. The caliper pads also wear down incrementally with use.
You’ll notice adjustment is needed when:
- Brake levers come closer to touching the handlebars when squeezed
- Braking power seems to fade, especially on long downhills
- Brake levers can be pulled all the way to the grip
Making Minor Brake Adjustments
Start by making quick adjustments at the brake lever:
- Turn the barrel adjuster a few clicks clockwise. This adds a bit more cable tension to compensate for stretching over time.
- Slide the cable stop further up the cable. This allows more cable to be pulled with the same brake lever movement.
Turning the barrel adjuster can help tune braking performance for several months at a time. But eventually larger adjustments will need to be made down at the caliper mechanism.
Resetting Your Brake Caliper
When spinning the barrel adjuster no longer improves brake power, it’s time to reset cable tension at the caliper. This process is called a “macro adjustment”:
- Use a 5mm hex wrench to loosen the pinch bolt that holds the brake cable in place. Be ready to hold the caliper stable since loosening the bolt releases spring tension.
- Pull more brake cable through the pinch bolt housing using your fingers. A few millimeters is usually sufficient.
- Tighten the pinch bolt while holding the new cable position. Check for rubbing pads before riding!
Pulling additional cable compensates for the stretch and wear. It brings the brake pads closer to the rotor again. But be careful not to leave them rubbing, which will wear the pads quicker.
After any brake adjustment, squeeze the lever firmly and spin the wheel to confirm it spins freely. A slight pad drag is okay, especially for powerful hydraulic disc systems. But the wheel should not lock up when you give it a spin.
Checking Brake Pads
Inspect brake pads once a month or after heavy brake use. If the pad material is wearing thin – usually down to 1-2mm or less – it’s time to replace them.
Worn out pads will start making high-pitched squealing sounds during braking. At this point braking performance is significantly degraded, so replace them promptly.
Installing new brake pads on disc brakes is straightforward:
- Remove the wheel. Spray the brake caliper area clean if needed.
- Pop out the brake pads from the caliper. There is usually a retaining pin, spring or clip to release.
- Insert the fresh pads and secure them in place per the caliper model.
- Spin the wheel and repeatedly squeeze the brake lever to center the new pads with the rotor.
And that’s it! Properly bedding in fresh brake pads helps achieve full braking power.
2. Drivetrain Maintenance
Like any bike, keeping your e-bike’s drivetrain running smoothly means occasionally indexing the derailleurs, cleaning the chain and replacing consumables when they wear out.
On mid-drive electric bikes, pay special attention when cleaning around the motor area. Excess grease and grime buildup can lead to premature wear.
Here’s what to watch out for to keep your e-bike drive system shifting cleanly and efficiently into the miles.
Signs Your Derailleur Needs Adjustment
The front and rear derailleurs are responsible for moving the chain between gears. The shift cable connects to a spring-loaded mechanism that pushes the chain laterally when you click the shifter.
Over time, shifting precision suffers as cables stretch and limits get knocked out of adjustment. Symptoms include:
- Noisy drivetrain when pedaling
- The chain falling off gear teeth during shifts
- Gears seem to skip under power
First step: Try turning the derailleur barrel adjuster 1/8 to 1/4 turn to add some extra cable tension. This often improves sluggish shifting performance from cable stretch.
If that doesn’t solve the issue, the derailleur limit screws likely need adjustment.
Adjusting the Limit Screws
The limit screws control how far inboard or outboard the derailleur is allowed to move the chain. To dial them in:
- Shift to the smallest gear in front and largest gear in back.
- Turn the low limit screw on the rear derailleur clockwise until the chain stops falling off the largest cassette cog inward.
- Now shift to the large front chainring and smallest rear cog.
- Turn the high limit screw counterclockwise until the chain stops falling off the smallest cog outward.
Run through the full gear range afterwards, making minor tweaks until shifts are clean and precise throughout.
Lubricating Your Chain
Frequent chain lubrication reduces friction and drivetrain wear. Aim to lube the chain at least once a month, or every 1-200 miles if you ride frequently.
Here’s the process:
- Apply a degreasing agent and thoroughly scrub the chain, gears and derailleurs using a small brush or rag. Wipe everything clean.
- Choose a wet chain lube suitable for either wet or dry conditions depending on how and where you typically ride.
- Turn the rear wheel slowly while dripping lube across every link and roller. Thorough saturation prevents internal wear. Let it sit 5 minutes before wiping away excess.
Too much lube attracts dirt and grime leading to quicker wear. Find the Goldilocks zone of “just right” to slick the links without globs of grease flying off the chain.
When to Replace a Worn Chain
As your chain wears over hundreds of miles, it elongates slightly and no longer meshes cleanly with cassette cog teeth. Skipping gears is the most obvious symptom of a stretched chain.
Replacing a worn chain is critical because it directly accelerates cassette and chainring wear if left unchanged. Checking for chain wear takes just a minute:
- Use a chain wear gauge tool or a ruler to measure pin-to-pin length of multiple links across the chain
- Compare measurements – if links vary by more than 0.5mm, the chain is generally considered worn out
- Typical chain life is around 750-2,000 miles depending on conditions
Swap that puppy pronto to save your drivetrain! Chains are vastly cheaper than cassettes and chainrings.
While the process is involved, mastering basic e-bike drivetrain maintenance goes a long ways towards keeping repair costs down and your motor humming happily.
3. Caring for Your Battery
The battery on electric bikes is the heartbeat providing miles of motivation down the road or trail. Whether integrated into the frame or removable, batteries deserve special care and handling.
Here are pro tips for maximizing battery lifespan through proper storage, charging and discharge practices.
Charge Your Battery Correctly
Extreme ambient temperatures are the archenemy of lithium batteries. As a rule of thumb:
- Only charge between 0°C (32°F) and 30°C (85°F)
- Never charge below freezing or over ~100°F
- Bring batteries indoors for charging in very hot or cold weather
You also don’t want to leave batteries unused at full or zero charge for extended periods:
- For storage > 2-3 days, maintain charge around 50%
- Fully draining lithium batteries can lead to permanent capacity loss
- Keeping batteries perpetually at 100% accelerates internal resistance buildup
Lastly, beware of cheap or unreliable chargers that spike voltage. Use only the unit bundled with your e-bike and don’t leave charging unattended.
While lithium battery technology keeps improving, they remain extremely sensitive to proper handling. Treat your battery well for the longest lifespan.
Check Consumption Over Time
Pay attention to whether your battery range declines sooner over time. With normal cycling, you can expect approximately 500 full charge cycles before capacity fades noticeably.
If you aren’t getting anywhere close to the advertised mileage after a couple riding seasons, the battery may be on its way out sooner than expected.
Excessive heat is the normal culprit for reduced battery endurance. But manufacturing defects happen too – reach out to the vendor if your pack dies prematurely.
Use a Volt Meter
One handy diagnostic device is a volt meter, available for around $15-20 online. Attach the leads across the battery terminals or charging port.
A quality lithium pack will maintain a resting voltage around 3.7-3.9v per cell, or 44-50v for typical 12-cell e-bike batteries.
Watch for a resting voltage dipping closer to 3.5-3.6v under load after a ride. This signals the battery is struggling to hold a charge – replacement likely makes sense at this point.
3. Maintaining Tires & Wheels
Electric bikes place extra stress on tires and wheels compared to acoustic bikes. Heavier weight, higher speeds and torquey motors punish rims and require extra vigilance checking spoke tension.
You’ll also go through bicycle tires quicker, as the added speed and acceleration places more friction and heat stress on the rubber.
Let’s cover best practices for keeping air where it belongs and wheels rolling true.
The Importance of Proper Tire Pressure
Running tubeless seals or inner tubes? Either way, maintaining optimum tire pressure should be part of your pre-ride ritual.
Benefits include:
- Maximizes battery range
- Reduces rolling resistance
- Lessens chances of pinch flats
- Improves handling and control
For paved roads, inflate tires to the higher end of the sidewall rating. Off-road, drop pressures closer to the minimum for extra traction and impact absorption.
What Happens When Tires Are Underinflated?
Soft tires severely compromise braking distances, high-speed stability and handling accuracy. Underinflation also leads to accelerated wear and cuts battery range.
Front tires are most critical – a mushy front tire makes the entire bike feel vague and disconnected. Don’t run these under pressure or risk washing out in corners.
Rear tires have more leeway if kept above 50% capacity for commuting purposes. Just keep an eye out for bulging sidewalls exposing the casing.
Use a Portable Pump
A compact rechargeable inflator like the Topeak JoeBlow Sport III easily tops up mid-ride pressure levels. For a few bucks, these mini pumps end headache scenarios limping home on flat rubber.
To check pressure, unscrew the valve stem cap and press a gauge firmly onto the valve tip. Do this before every ride until you have a feel for weekly air loss rates.
Top up a missing 5-10 psi takes under a minute – well worth peace of mind out on the trails or roads!
The Danger of Broken Spokes
Unlike weight-weenie racers chasing every gram, e-bikers need wheels that withstand real-world abuse. A few broken spokes can quickly snowball into a taco’d wheel or dangerous front blowout.
Symptoms of loose spokes include:
- Metallic pinging when hitting bumps
- Sudden brake rub appearing
- A wobble felt when cornering hard
- Visible rim damage or deformation
Catch broken spokes early by squeezing pairs together. They should emit the same tone when plucked like a guitar string.
Replace any that sound or feel loose before additional stress damages the wheel. Wheel truing stands help simplify the process but isn’t essential for minor tweaks.
Cleaning Rotors and Pads
As simple as it sounds, dirty brake rotors are the #1 cause of annoying squeal or grinding noises. And noisy brakes lead the top complaints we see in the shop.
Over time, metallic brake pad residue, road grime and general schmutz builds up on rotors and caliper hardware. Cleaning it all with isopropyl alcohol takes just a few minutes:
- Remove wheels from the bike
- Spray down rotors and caliper thoroughly, then wipe with a rag
- Squeeze brake levers repeatedly to center fresh pads
That should eliminate any sporadic chirping or howling under braking power. Persistent noises likely indicate worn pads or rotors instead.
Staying on top of tire pressure, truing wheels and cleaning brakes keeps you rolling smoothly for thousands of miles. Don’t neglect the rubber meets road components!
4. Torquing Down Bolts
Vibration and forces from riding can work components loose over time. This occurs even more readily with the additional mass and torque loads from electric bikes.
We recommend inspecting all stem, brake, motor and accessory mounting hardware at least monthly. Tighten any loose fasteners to specified torque levels.
Neglecting this basic bolt check is asking for parts literally falling off mid-ride.
What Happens When Bolts Loosen?
Imagine cruising down a hill when suddenly your brake lever flops sideways. Or heading into a corner and your handlebars spin freely in the stem.
We constantly see customers limping in with these exact scenarios from loose stem and brake bolts. It leads to loss of control crashes and damaged parts.
Other examples include:
- Kickstands disconnect and hang dangerously low to the ground when a single bolt rattles out
- Pedals loosen causing damaged crank arm threads
- Lights and accessories rotate or drop completely if the mounting bolts aren’t snugged properly
Fastener Standards
Bolt torque standards are listed in Newton Meters (Nm) or Foot Pounds (ft-lbs). Convert between units and use a calibrated torque wrench when specified.
Here’s a general table of torque specs:
| Fastener | Torque Range |
|-|-|
| Stem Bolts | 17-34 Nm (12-25 ft-lbs) |
| Brake Calipers | 8-10 Nm (6-7 ft-lbs |
| Bottom Brackets | 30-50 Nm (22-37 ft-lbs) |
| Cassette Lock Rings | 30-50 Nm (22-37 ft-lbs |
Refer to factory specs when possible – don’t overtighten small fasteners!
5. Long-Term Storage Best Practices
Will your e-bike sit untouched for weeks or months during winter? Here are pro tips for prepping electric bikes for long-term vehicle storage to prevent unnecessary wear and corrosion.
Store Batteries Properly
Depending on your climate, remove batteries from bikes before storage and maintain around 50% charge in a temperate environment.
Fully draining lithium-ion packs for months causes permanent capacity degradation. Storing perpetually at 100% also accelerates internal resistance buildup over time.
Some newer batteries feature optimized “hibernation” modes for maintaining storage charge levels. Check with your manufacturer about recommended long-term battery care.
Lubricate The Drivetrain
Clean your chain, cassette and derailleurs thoroughly before storage to prevent rust accumulation. Apply fresh waterproof grease to all external moving parts including shift cables.
Storage lubricants like Boeshield T-9 displace moisture and limit corrosion inside bearings and other hidden areas. Preventing internal drivetrain seizing saves headache and money down the road.
Maintain Air Pressure
Partially deflate tires before storage to avoid flat spots from the stationary weight. Run slightly lower pressure as well to reduce strain on rubber seals.
Inflate to 40-50% capacity and hang bikes with tires off the ground if possible. Laying rubber flat on concrete for months risks sidewall cracks.
Charge Electronics
Ensure all lights and accessories are fully charged to prevent battery pack deterioration. Solar chargers are fantastic for trickle charging phone/GPS batteries to maintain readiness for spring adventures!
Store Indoors In A Dry Location
Prevent mold, cable corrosion and battery failures by storing bikes indoors. Rustic sheds lead to oxidation and shorter component lifespan from humidity and temperature swings.
Ideally hang frames to keep tires off the ground and wheels spinning freely. Doing so reduces bearing imprint flat spots allowing everything to spin smoothly after months of sitting.
Bike hooks mounted to garage ceiling beams or sturdy stands work perfectly. The key is keeping humidity away from electrical components and off the rubber.
Moisture also accelerates cable and brake rotor corrosion leading to sluggish performance or annoying noises come spring. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way for happy rides when finally dusting off the fleet.
Before mounting after storage, degrease and lubricate all pivot points like brake levers, derailleurs and dropper posts. Rotate wheels, bounce suspension and verify everything feels smooth running through gear combinations before hitting the trails.
Lastly, consider removing seats altogether if worrying about theft. Storing indoors reduces risk already, but the final precaution prevents having to locate a perfectly molded replacement perch.
Taking an hour or two properly preparing your prized e-bike for lengthy downtime ensures max lifespan from expensive components. And who isn’t thrilled by a trouble-free maiden voyage when warm weather returns?
Follow these tips religiously to save money and keep your bike purring for years beyond the competition. Preventable damage is the ultimate heartbreak for any gear hobbyist. Store the fleet well so it’s primed for miles of momentum and freedom when adventure calls.
