Electric Bike Service - Eskute UK

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Regular maintenance is one of the most crucial tasks every bike owner must undergo. Electric bikes are more prone to wear and tear than traditional bicycles because of their weight and design. Technical components like the display, battery and motor experience constant breakdown if not properly maintained.

For this reason, servicing your e-bike is one of the best ways to ensure you get the best value for your vehicle and extend its lifespan. Today, we'll discuss the most effective practices for servicing an electric bike and give you a hint into how much it costs. You'll also learn how often you should service your bike, continue reading to get all the answers.

Best Practice to Service your Electric Bike

Effectively servicing an e-bike involves crucial practices such as cleaning the bike, inspecting the bike and taking the bike to a qualified repairer for a tune-up. We'll discuss these practices in further detail below.

Regularly clean the bike

Keeping your electric bike clean is one of the most important practices to ensure the bike's proper function. Note that the chain, brakes, and tyres wear more than other parts. As a result, riders need to be more cautious when biking across town.

We don't recommend riding in wet conditions because moisture may damage some of the bike's parts. It doesn't mean you must never ride your e-bike in soggy weather, but it's best to avoid doing so. However, if you live in a wet climate —to be fair, most of the UK has soggy weather— you can ride your bikes in these conditions.

Just ensure you wipe it thoroughly once you get home. Wipe and dry the bike's chains, brakes, frame and other parts. You don't need to dry the tyres. The tyre's rubber is water resistant.

It is also important to deep clean the bike every few weeks. Thoroughly clean the electric bike's wheels and bike chains. Also, lubricate the wheels, so they keep rolling smoothly. Take your time and ensure the bike's frame glistens after the wipe-down. In addition, check the bike's tyres for any punctures and verify they're in top condition.

Don't forget the bike's battery. If you regularly disconnect your bike's battery, inspect and clean the battery with a cloth or brush and ensure the terminals are correctly connected. An electric bike's battery is one of the most important components, so it's essential to care for and charge the battery and ensure it lasts long.

Inspect the bike

It is crucial to pay attention to how your bike performs while riding it. A well-kept e-bike should sound relatively quiet. You may hear the motor humming gently or the chains gently rattling. However, these sounds shouldn't bother you too much so long as the bike sounds normal.

Pay attention to any sounds that are out of place. If the bike becomes louder or makes any grinding noise, ensure you inspect it immediately and get it checked out at a repair shop. We also recommend regularly inspecting your bike's brakes for safety reasons. Examine the front and rear brakes every 3-4 weeks to ensure no signs of excessive wear.

Riders can also squeeze both brake levers to ensure they grip properly. If you notice excessive wear, then you need to get the bike's brakes replaced immediately. Bikers should also closely inspect the drivetrain and ensure it stays free of dirt and debris.

If you discover dirt on the bike's drivetrain, refer to the first servicing practice we discussed and clean it thoroughly. A clean and unclogged drivetrain will help the bike switch gears quicker and prevent rapid wear on the machine. Additionally, inspect your tyre pressure with a gauge to prevent flats during rides. We recommend checking your tyre pressure every week.

Furthermore, most e-bike system manufacturers release software and app updates. Software updates introduce new functionalities to the bike's operating system, allowing riders access to new features and fixing bugs in the previous software version. So, ensure you update your bike's OS regularly so your bike receives new features.

Perform periodic servicing

It is also essential to take your bike to the repair shop for periodic servicing regardless of how often you clean the bike. All major systems should be adjusted and inspected during a basic tune-up. The repairer should adjust the gear cables, thoroughly inspect the chains, cassette, brake pads and rotors and replace the parts where necessary.

How much does it cost to service a bike in the UK?

Servicing an electric bike can cost anywhere from £30 and £150. The cost mainly depends on the bike's model, manufacturer, current condition, and required service level.

Overall, carrying out repairs yourself is cheaper than visiting a service shop. Thankfully, most servicing, for example, changing brake pads or lubing a chain on an ebike, can easily be done.

How often should you service your electric bike?

As a rule of thumb, you should service your bike every six months or roughly after 1,000 miles of riding. However, you may discover that your e-bike requires servicing early on. Ultimately, the servicing interval depends on how often you ride the bike.

Regular repair-up at a reputable repair shop will generally include chains, derailleurs, hubs, rims, wheels, tyres, and brakes. If you haven't serviced your electric bike in a while, you can request an overhaul to replace any damaged parts. However, this may cost you more money.

If you're an intense rider and regularly ride to work, go on biking adventures in the hills, carrying cargo and driving through harsh conditions. We recommend inspecting the parts after 100 miles of biking and performing regular tune-up after 300 miles.

Comparatively, if you're a regular rider and don't bike as regularly as intense riders, you should inspect your bike after 150 miles and perform a tune-up after 300 miles. Lastly, suppose you occasionally ride your bike, mostly with limited cargo that puts less strain on your bike. In that case, your bike may not require regular servicing, so inspecting the bike's parts after 200 miles and performing tune-ups after 300 miles should be adequate.

Conclusion

As you probably know, servicing your e-bike is crucial if you want the machine to last for years. Electric bikes generally last for three to five years, and with proper and regular maintenance, you may even use the bike for longer. Remember, pay attention while you ride and periodically inspect your bike's parts. We recommend reaching out if you notice something wrong with your electric bike. Alternatively, you can consult any experienced repairer near you.