When people hear the word “Electric”, they get all worked up about the complicated maintenance they thought they would have to go through. Proper electric bicycle maintenance is really not much of a difference than the maintenance needed for any other conventional bicycle. 

However, it is true that electric bikes require more care since they will usually be ridden farther and faster than a conventional bicycle. There are a few factors that would lead to the battery forcing itself to work even harder than it’s supposed to which leads to the importance of maintaining your Electric Bicycle. 

If you follow these 4 tips religiously, then it would make you realise that it is definitely not much of a difference than maintaining regular bicycles.

Fully Charge Before Each Ride

Most Electric Bicycles in Singapore require about 4 – 6 hours charging time, depending on the model of E-Bike you have. Just like any other battery-powered devices, an E-Bike performs the best when the battery is full. The lesser the battery percentage, the performance does down too.

When we say “Fully Charge”, please do not mistake it as “Charge As Long As You Can”. Charging for longer hours than it’s supposed to could deteriorate the battery quality and in the long run could eventually lead to misfortune accidents like explosions. There has been an increasing number of battery explosions due to overcharging cases. Please don’t be too careless and monitor your charges.

Pump Tyres Regularly

E-Bikes are generally heavier than a Regular Bike. The heaviest we have currently that is LTA-approved is probably the new Ji-Move MC E-Bike, weighing at 20kg! Imagine this plus your weight being put upon the tyres. Logically, it would be faster for the air to run out.

Also, riding with a flat tyre could be dangerous as well! With the speed you are travelling with an E-Bike, it’s very important to have well-inflated tyres to achieve better control of your E-Bikes.

Monthly Checks

No, we do not just mean, have a quick 5 seconds check on your E-Bike. We meant, actually zooming into every detail of an E-Bike that could cause the performance to deteriorate. Here are a few to diligently check and why:

Brake Screws

Check whether the screws that put your brakes together are loose.

If they are loose, you are going to have even more trouble stopping your E-Bike on time or quickly. Brakes to an E-Bike is a very important feature in ensuring safety

Brake Pads / Callipers 

Check whether the brake pads or brake Callipers are worn off. 

The Brake Pads or Callipers of an E-Bike are important as well. Similar to the Brake screws, if this part is not doing it’s best, you might face trouble trying to stop in time if you need to.

Handlebars and Stem

Check whether your Handlebars and Stem are loose.

These parts of your E-Bikes are critical when it comes to controlling your ride. Let’s say when you are trying to avoid hitting a tree but you are not able to swerve in time because the handlebar is loose.

The reason why these parts of an E-Bike tend to be loose or wear out quickly is because of the speed the E-Bike is travelling. The maximum speed an E-Bike in Singapore is able to travel is 25km/h. While travelling at this fast speed, the vibrations experienced will cause the Brake screws and Handlebars to loosen itself. It will also put in more friction on the Brake Pads to stop the E-Bike which eventually makes them wear out faster.

Clean and Lube

The Chain and Derailleur of an E-Bike are 3 of the most intricate parts of an ebike. Dirt and grime caught on these parts can easily derail your ability to shift gears which can be very dangerous at times.

You Can watch this video by our partner store, motosg if you want a detailed guide on cleaning your E-Bikes!

Electric Bicycles can come in handy in your life but they can only perform their best for very long if you know how to maintain them! By following these tips that we have introduced to you regularly, you will definitely start to realise that there won’t be any need to get your E-Bikes repaired at one point!