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Winter activities like sledding or tubing are fun. You can also continue to ride your e-bike in the snow. However, these require special attention from you to avoid some problems resulting from wet interaction with snow and ice.
These maintenance tips that you should do after riding your e-bike over snow will give you essential information on best practices to keep your e-bike safe. They’re simple practices that can greatly impact your daily activities and provide you with more hours of fun and transportation.
Keep It Dry
The air in winter often has high levels of moisture, and most objects that are outside become wet because of this and the relatively frequent precipitation. Keeping your e-bike dry after every use will ensure that the battery and the motor stay in optimal conditions. This way, your e-bike will be ready to go whenever you need to use it. Use your garage or another dry area to protect your bike when you’re not using it. Run a cloth such as dry micro-fiber cloth all over your e-bike and store it safely inside. You may also want to remove the battery and bring it inside your home until your next use.
Use Compressed Air
An effective and simple technique is blowing compressed air on your e-bike. This will remove dirt, debris, and ice that could attach to it. You can find different models of machines that blow compressed air. Your choice will depend on how you need to clean. Cleaning your bike after every use is essential to maintain its various features.
Charge the Battery
A common question for e-bike users is: should I charge my e-bike after every ride? The answer is yes. This will keep the battery alive and extend its lifespan. Winter and cold have a negative effect on the lithium from batteries, making them drain a charge quicker. After every ride, the best thing to do is remove the battery from your bike and charge it overnight or until the battery has fully charged again.
Wash It With Soap
Most cities use salt on their streets to melt snow and prevent accidents with cars on the road, but the salt could damage your bike if you leave it unwashed. After riding your e-bike over snow, you must do more than clean your e-bike by wiping it down. Wash it gently with soap to remove salt, dust, and debris from the roads that could stick to your battery and motor. Of course, you must ensure you dry it well afterward as well.
Check Your Tires
The snow could hide possible threats like nails, rocks, or broken glass that could puncture your tires. Check the pressure of your tires, listen for possible leaks, and remove rocks that could get stuck. You can rotate your tires inside a small water pool to check for leaks or add water with soap all around to check if the soap bubbles from the air blowing into it from within the tires.
