Owning An eBike

This is a guide on how to look after your ebike - helping you save money, time and keep riding

Ebike owners ride their bikes on average three times further and three times as often as normal bikes. The heath benefits and savings over using a car are considerable - but all this fun and fitness comes with a need to stay on top of maintenance. The extra forces of the ebike motor, coupled with more use, means parts can wear out quicker on ebikes than on normal bikes. But if you have a simple plan, ebikes don't need to cost more per mile than normal bikes. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Fit a long-lasting drivetrain - like Shimano CUES with Link Glide technnology - a new CUES drivetrain is between £200 - £350 depending on options + roughly £100 for fitting and testing. So for £300 - £450, you upgrade your ebike drivetrain to last much longer and be cheaper to repair in future. 

2. Use a proven chain lube, like SILCA SYNERGETIC - £32/bottle, lasts years

3. Use a reliable CHAIN CHECKER - like a Shimano TL-CN42 - £31

THE EBIKE INDUSTRY'S DIRTY SECRET:  ebikes use drivetrains that were never designed to handle the additional stresses and wear that ebike motors add. That's why they wear out quicker and cost a lot of money to keep shifting well.

• Shimano's new CUES drivetrain was designed to last 3 times longer than normal drivetrains, be much cheaper to maintain and shift easier/quieter. I can advise and upgrade your existing or worn-out drivetrain to CUES. 

YOU DON'T NEED 12 OR 13 SPEEDS:  because ebikes have motor assist, you don't need to have the 'perfect' gear to match the best cadence for how tired you feel. 'More gears' on an ebike are pointless, expensive and make the riding experience worse, as you spend more time changing gear. 11 speeds is plenty, even for extreme off-road riding.  What matters is the gear range - e.g. for riding in hilly areas, or for towing a trailer / child's bike, you will want a bigger gear at the back, like a large 50-tooth cassette. 

• I can assist with advice and upgrading your bike to a lower gear for hilly rides or towing. 

YOU NEED TO KEEP ON TOP OF MAINTENANCE: because of the additional forces involved, and because ebike riders use their bikes to ride further and more often, it is critical you keep your chain clean, well-lubed and replace it when it's worn out. If you keep riding a chain once it's worn out, it will badly damage the other far-more-expensive components very quickly - then you'll need to replace them all at once. 

• I can advise you on the right lubricant to use, and how and when to apply it. Start saving money now, with the right lube applied correctly.

• I can teach you how to use a chain checker, so you can keep on top of your chain wear with confidence you aren't needlessly damaging your drivetrain

YOUR SUSPENSION IS THE MOST-EXPENSIVE PART OF YOUR BIKE: That bouncy fork (and shock if your bike is full-suspension), is likely the most-expensive part of your bike. On a £5000 eMTB, they would cost about £1000-1500 to replace.  Even on a cheaper bike, the fork is still worth around £400.  The fork needs servicing every 50 or so hours riding, the shock every 200hrs riding. The 50hr fork 'lowers service' costs about £100, and will keep your fork running sweet.  The 200hr rear shock service is around £150. 

So if you have a full-suspension eMTB, budget around £3 per hour riding, for servicing.  Yes, you can just 'keep riding' - which is what most people do. This is a false economy - every hour ridden beyond a service interval starts to wear out the fork, degrading its performance and doing irreperable damage. 

• I can perform all suspension servicing, from forks to rear shocks

Owning an ebike is huge fun - and doesn't need to hurt your wallet. Talk to me today about the best plan to keep moving, cost-effectively.