Can You Ride an E-Bike in the Winter?
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- By Myebike
- Posted in Fat tyres, Ipanema sunmono, NCM aspen, NCM bikes, Sunmono bikes
How To Prepare Your E-Bike for the Winter?
Battery Care & Storage, Ride Maintenance, Winter Tyres.
If you're planning to bike down in a flurry of snow, make sure you think about the tyres as well. Fat tyres work great for both; snowy and dry conditions because you can bike with them at low pressures. You should lower this pressure down to 5-20 PSI and expect a seamless riding experience.
Can You Ride an E-Bike in the Winter?
The end of June is near, which means winter would soon be knocking at our doors. For some, that's an excuse for snuggling in their blankies and befriending the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. For others, on the other hand, the chills and dryness don't prove to be a deterrent in adventuring around in their new electric bicycle.
Yes, you heard that right! E-biking is very much possible in the winter months, even if you experience snow in your area. You'll just need to take care of a few things to ensure a safe and smooth experience. Today, we'll take you through these key considerations and give a complete 101 to riding e-bikes in the winter.
How To Prepare Your E-Bike for the Winter?
Battery Care & Storage
Taking care of your ride's battery is perhaps your most important responsibility as an e-bike owner. While it's safe to expose an electric bicycle's battery to freezing conditions as well, you should ensure it is a bit warm before you charge it.
The best way forward is to bring your ride indoors after each biking session. This would ensure the battery temps are high enough for a safe charge. Speaking of bringing your ride indoors, you must never leave your electric bike outdoors during the winter months. Consistent exposure to low temps can degrade your battery's life.
If you're planning to store your e-bike for the entire length of winter, make sure you keep the charge at about 50% capacity. You see, with time, your e-bike will self-discharge. However, to ensure the battery doesn't flat out, you should periodically check its capacity and charge it back up to 50%.
Ride Maintenance
One thing you'll notice when bringing your e-bike indoors after frolicking around in the cold outdoors is the moisture building up on its frame. We've got condensation to thank for that. While such minimal exposure to moisture won't hurt your bike or lead to rusting, you should still pat the frame down with a dry cloth. Prevention is always better than cure, no?
Furthermore, if you'll be biking in snowy conditions, you must also think about salt exposure. Salt is added to roads to melt the snow and provide grip. However, consistent exposure to road salt can rust out your e-bike's components. Once again, the tip here is to wipe down your ride's frame with a dry piece of cloth.
Winter Tyres
If you're planning to bike down in a flurry of snow, make sure you think about the tyres as well. Fat tyres work great for both; snowy and dry conditions because you can bike with them at low pressures. You should lower this pressure down to 5-20 PSI and expect a seamless riding experience.
So, consider something like the MONO IPANEMA 48V15AH 500W FAT TIRE EBIKE or NCM Aspen if you're in the market for a new e-bike that is equally good for riding in all seasons. If you already own a set of wheels, make sure you swap its tyres out for fat ones. These 4-inch tyres from Minion FBF are particularly great for winter riding.
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