Just like your car or traditional bicycle, ebikes need tender loving care in order to best preserve the life of the parts and battery. We recommend basic checks before each ride and regular maintenance for optimal performance of your ebike. It’s important to remember that your ebike is a complex machine that needs to be properly looked after to keep you riding smoothly.

Below you’ll find some basic things to keep in mind when it comes to electric bike maintenance:

  1. Find a bicycle shop that specializes in ebikes and bring them in for regular tune-ups. Ebikes should be tuned up every few hundred miles by an experienced bike shop.
  2. Frequently charge the battery and conserve the battery power when you’re able to.
  3. Make sure the tires are properly inflated to the appropriate tire pressure.
  4. Check your brakes before each ride. With the extra power of the motor, you’ll want to make sure that the brakes are equipped for extra stopping power.
  5. Regularly clean, lube, and inspect your chain. The added torque from the motor asks a lot from the chain. To reduce a chain slip or breakage, make sure to maintain it correctly.

1. Find an Experienced Bike Shop

If you’re local to Madison, WI, Crazy Lenny’s Service Center offers regular maintenance and repairs for all the ebikes that we sell and some additional brands as well. Feel free to give us a call before you stop by to ensure we are available to tend to your electric bike maintenance needs.

For customers that are not local to Madison, WI, check with your local bike shops to ensure they are equipped to service your ebike. Some mechanics do not have the tools necessary to service the extra components that are found in ebikes.

When you have found a service center, it’s important to get on a regular maintenance schedule. We recommend bringing your ebike in every 500-1000 miles (or once a year) for tune-ups where we will go over the entire bike, make basic adjustments to the brakes and shifting, and ensure no parts are needing to be replaced.

2. Maximize the Life of the Battery

There are a few simple steps that you can take to preserve the life of the battery on your ebike. To ensure that you maximize the battery’s life, you must pay attention to the way you charge the battery, the storage of the battery, and the way you ride the ebike.

Charging: Batteries should be charged frequently and as often as you’re able. Feel free to throw your battery on the charger whenever an outlet is nearby. This will not affect the life of the battery and actually helps to preserve it. Try not to run your battery completely down to zero in-between charges.

Storing: When storing your ebike for longer durations, remove the battery and keep it out of extremely warm or cold temperatures. Manufacturers also recommend storing batteries at around 50% charge. Every few weeks, check the battery level and give it a quick zap up to 50% to increase the life of the battery. Batteries are the most expensive component of the ebike so it is important to extend their life as long as possible. With proper care, an ebike battery will last you a number of years.

Riding: Riding your ebike at a lower assist level will allow you to extend the range of the ebike and promote a healthier battery. The same holds true for engaging a throttle; the more throttle that is used, the more it will drain the battery.

For additional steps to take to preserve your battery see: Proper eBike Battery Care

3. Properly Inflate the Tires

Be sure to frequently check the tire pressure of your ebike. You will find the proper level to inflate your tires on the side of the tires near the valve. If this number is a range, we recommend inflating them to somewhere in the middle of the range, but ultimately this is up to rider preference. Higher pressure will give you a more rigid feel and less pressure will be more gentle feeling.

Fixing a flat is important knowledge to have for any type of ebiker. Consult your owner’s manual for information on how to do so. Keep in mind, fixing a flat on mid-drive ebikes is similar to a traditional bike, but on a hub-drive ebike you will need to disconnect electrical components.

4. Check Your Brakes Often

Before each ride, you should check your brakes and adjust them if necessary so that you are safe on each ride. Take note of any excessive brake pad or rotor wear and loose components. If you’re feeling reduced brake performance, consider taking your ebike to a service center to inspect and diagnose any issues. Just like a car, brakes and rotors should be replaced when necessary.

5. Look After Your Chain

The chain of your ebike is what keeps you moving and it’s only natural for it to experience normal wear and tear. Because ebikes have a motor that provides torque on the chain, they have additional weight, and faster speeds than traditional bikes, chains on ebikes are under added stress. Chains can only be built to a certain level of durability, so be sure to properly maintain them.

To reduce the risk the chain breakage, clean your chain often and keep it well lubricated. Keep as much of the lube inside of the chain to minimize dirt and crud from building up on the outside of the chain. Wipe the chain off with a cloth and apply small amounts of lube to the chain. Wipe off excessive amounts of lube which could attract more dirt.

If you have any questions about ebike maintenance, give us a call.