Winter comes with harsher conditions for both the cyclist and the e-bike, depending on where you live of course. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t commute with your e-bike! It is important to wear the right clothes, use safety reflectors and that your e-bike has the right conditions, for you to get the best cycling experience.Here are some more tips to the winter e-cyclist.
1. Wear the right clothes
The biggest mistake you can make is wearing the wrong clothes. If you freeze a bit when you walk out – you have the right clothes on. Layering and breathable clothes are keys. Good protective pants and warm gloves are also important. During the coldest of days, it is nice with a hat, balaclava or scarf under your helmet. Basically: there are no bad weathers, only bad clothes!
2. Safety first
Choose a high-visibility helmet and a reflective west. We recommend everybody who cycles in the dark to use at least one light, a white front light and a red rear light. Many e-bikes have a built-in lamp in the battery and some also come with a front light.
3. Always charge your battery indoors
The battery’s capacity deteriorates in the cold. A cold battery won’t give the same effect, which will affect the motor’s performance. Hence it’s always best for the battery to be charged indoors.
4. Oil your chain and wash your bike regularly
Your e-bike, and above all the chain, are very exposed in the winter. Gravel and salt are two of the worst enemies. If your chain is oiled it will help prevent wear and tear. Wash gravel and salt from your e-bike and oil your chain will increase your e-bike’s longevity.
5. Studded tires for the e-bike
Finally, the winter e-cyclist should invest in some good winter tires. They will help when icy on the roads and make your bike ride safer. Cornering, braking and acceleration could be a safety risk with ordinary tires.
Do you live in a city where snow and rain will turn to ice under your feet? Invest in good studded tires for your travel companion, and always make sure that your tires have enough air in them.
We hope that these tips to the winter e-cyclist will make the harsher seasons a bit more fun. Do you need assistance with changing tires or do you have other questions about winter cycling – contact our experts in our Ecoride concept stores!
Many of us have a bit of distance between home and work. An e-bike is a fast and efficient way to get between A and B – in all weathers. This article will list 5 reasons why you should commute with an e-bike
1. Longer distances feel shorter
Since the e-bike gives you an extra boost when you pedal the commute distance will go much faster than a traditional bike. Commuting with an e-bike is a comfortable way to get around where you decide how much assistance you would like your e-bike to give you. The extra help will make you arrive less tired and less sweaty.
2. Benefits your health and well being
Many of us work still-sitting jobs that do not give us much physical activity. To begin your day with a bike ride there are many health perks. Your body gets moving, which will replenish with energy for the rest of the day. The exercise will also contribute to endorphins which are known to prevent stress, boost the immune system and lower blood pressure. Getting some fresh air will also help you – not least your mental health.
Biking is one of the most efficient ways to get around, especially in the city. An e-bike will help you get away fast in the morning. You avoid the stress of miles of traffic jams, no parking spaces and buses that aren’t one time. With an e-bike, you can park for free and you yourself decide the timetable.
5. Green commuting
One of the biggest perks of commuting with an e-bike is the green aspect. An e-bike is a climate-smart choice when it comes to commuting. The e-bike has a lower carbon footprint when compared to other vehicles like cars, trains and buses. Choosing an e-bike will help with better air quality, less road wear and a noise-free environment. A tip is to charge your e-bike with solar panels or other green energy to contribute to a healthy planet.
With an e-bike your commute distance will feel shorter!
Here is how you take care of your e-bike ahead of spring.
Your new e-bike can be a faithful companion on the roads, but as with every other vehicle its performance depends on its condition. Jack Swainston, Service and Product Testing Coordinator at Ecoride, has the answers to all of your questions.
Is there a big difference between maintaining a regular bike and an e-bike?
A common question. There are two extra things that e-bikers need to do: display and battery. They need to recharge the battery and remove the display and/or battery when you park your e-bike. Both the display and battery are at high risk of being stolen and should not be left unsupervised. There are also some extra electrical components in your e-bike that your regular bike doesn’t have. If you regularly hand in your e-bike for maintenance, there should not be any problem with them.
What can I do myself to make my e-bike last in bad weather?
Sun, wind and water (to quote a famous Swedish song) are things you should protect your e-bike from. If the bike stands in the sun for long periods of time, the UV rays can make some surfaces and components fade. Wind, if strong enough, can trip your bike over. Rain can make parts of the e-bike rusty. When possible – park your e-bike under a roof, especially when parked for a longer time. During everyday use it might be hard to protect your e-bike from bad weather, but that is not the end of the world. The e-bike is robust and can handle bad weather.
How do I take care of the battery?
The battery is the core of your e-bike and should be looked after. We recommend you bring your battery with you if you tend to leave your bike unsupervised, if only for a minute. Batteries are at high risk of being stolen. We on Ecoride have two different types of batteries. We recommend that you charge them horizontally on a flat surface. That will prevent the battery from falling and being damaged. If your battery doesn’t come off smoothly when you try to take it off the bike, we recommend Oxide clean or light oil spray on the battery pin. Sometimes a damaged battery pin is the problem and needs to be replaced. We can help you with this in our workshops. If you plan on not using your battery for a long time, for example during winter, we recommend that you keep your battery charged at 60-80%. This will increase longevity.
How warm does it have to be before I can store my e-bike outside?
When possible, always keep your e-bike parked under a roof. That will keep your e-bike safe, clean and in good condition. If you are unable to do that – no panic! Just remember to bring your battery and display with you to prevent theft. The e-bike is robust and can handle bad weather conditions, even extreme cold. The worst thing that could happen is that the shift cable freezes, but it is easily remedied by blowing water out of the shift housing and replacing the shift cable.
Where do I go to get help with maintenance and how often do I have to do it?
For maintenance we recommend you visit one of our retailers, which we have listed on our webpage. On the question of how often, see the replay down below.
How often do I have to maintain my e-bike and what do I have to do?
The answer to the question of how often your e-bike should be maintained depends on how often and how long distances you usually ride. There are two types of maintenance, the ones you can do by yourself and maintenance that you need to visit a workshop. Upkeeping you can do yourself includes regularly oiling the chain and keeping your tires pumped up. A good rule is to check your chain and tires once a month. If you are a winter cyclist, you might need to check on your chain more often because of moisture and salt in the streets. When it comes to professional maintenance in one of our workshops, we recommend the regular commuter a visit from time to time for smaller upkeep and every sixth month for a bigger one. If you don’t bike that often we recommend maintenance once a year.
How important is it to keep your chain oiled during the winter?
You always, even if you usually don’t ride your bike in the winter, need to keep an eye on the chain – even an ear! If your chain looks dry, squeaks or sounds more than usual, it’s time for you to oil. Visually your chain is not supposed to look dry, rusty or too dirty. If you have had your beloved bike stored during the winter, it’s always a must to oil the chain and pump the tires before you start biking again.
What type of oil can I use?
A good question that we often get. There are plenty of different chain oils on the market today for different seasons and weather conditions. ‘Dry lube’-oils are great oils for the summer since they are cleaner and help keep dirt away from the chain. Cons with dry oils are that they don’t last long and you need to oil your chain more often. ‘Wet oils’ work all year around, but the con is that it is not as great at keeping dirt away. With wet oil you need to clean your chain with a cloth from time to time. Avoid using different types of multi sprays, like WD40 and X4, since those will strip your chain from oil and fats. Multi-sprays can be used to clean away old oil from your chain before you apply new. For the best result: use a multi-spray to clean away old oil and fat, use a cloth to get rid of dirt and apply new. Don’t forget to clean away excess oil with a cloth!
My e-bike has started to ride “heavy”, what is causing this and what can I do about it?
So your bike doesn’t feel quite right? Stay calm, this is something that will happen to every person who uses their bike often. The first thing you can do is to see if there is anything stuck between the wheel and the fender. What are the conditions on the chain and tires? Is there enough air in the tires? 4bar/60PSI is usually enough. How does the chain look? Is it oiled or is it dry? Okay so everything looks good, but the motor is not working? See if the motor cable is plugged in and if the display is correctly connected. On the tip of the cables are arrows which need to be in line when connected. If you have checked all these things but are still facing issues, or have a problem with the gears or brakes, it’s time to visit your local bike mechanic.
Before you visit the workshop there are a few things to do to help the mechanic. Firstly the display. Star the display – does it work as usual or not? This will help your mechanic determine if the problem is caused by the battery or the motor. And most important: does your display show any error codes? This information can help us a lot! Secondly, does your bike make sounds when you pedal? Does it stop when you stop? Where does the sound come from? The e-bike’s front or rear end? The middle part? Lastly, does your motor work when you use the walking assistant? You would be surprised if you knew how much this information help us with the repair process
Ride + Life – The stories between A and B.
Ecoride develops electric bikes that make life easier and the planet more sustainable. You can get quickly and easily from work, to training, to the grocery store, to dinner, to the sea, to pick-up kids, to the party, to the forest, to the Friday cuddle and back to work. With Ecoride, it becomes so obvious and lovely to cycle through everyday life. That is what we call Ride + Life.
Ecoride + AVS = Moveability Moveability. You might find the word unnecessary and quirky. But we really like it. For us it is all about electric bicycle transport. To easily move around on your electric bike and also bring all the stuff you need for life. Thanks to smart accessories. That’s why we collaborate with Swedish Atran Velo, which with a well-thought-out AVS system, creates completely modular loading possibilities in the form of about 30 baskets and bags.
So that you easily can load the bags from the grocery store, the yoga mat, the padel racket, the picnic basket or the dog. A small dog anyway.
That’s why we like to talk about moveability.
AVS click system – Modern cargo transportation with basket and bags.
Wouldn’t it be nice to pack the bike for work one day and for training the next?
Or why not both?Maybe it sounds a bit like a dream, but now we can announce that it is complete facts. We have integrated the modular AVP system, from Swedish Atran Velo to all our models. Some have AVS platforms at the rear and front, others only at the rear and finally there are some with only rear platforms. Regardless, this creates opportunities as you can now mount various types of transport accessories, such as bags and baskets, on our e-bikes with the use of a click system.
With about 30 differentaccessories, the AVS system covers most needs, and to name a few, there are side bags, top bags, open baskets, closed baskets, crates, even a special basket for pets.In combination with our e-bikes, we call this moveability. In other words, to be able to easily move around with your e-bike and at the same time be able to carry life with you.
Cycle away 15 days’ worth of traffic jams
What passes and passes but never comes back? What do we have a limited amount of, but all want as much of as possible? Time. Fortunately, there are tricks you can use to make your everyday life more efficient in terms of time.
If you’re someone who takes the car to work every day, you’ve probably spent a lot of time in traffic jams. If so, you’re also familiar with the irritating feeling of being stuck in a place where you can’t do much other than twiddle your thumbs and watch time pass. Minutes that turn into hours, that in today’s – and finally even weeks!
Two weeks’ worth of traffic jams In 2016, Stockholmers were stuck in traffic jams for an average of 126 hours, which is the equivalent of 15 working days a year. Congestion means that Stockholm travel times are increased by 30%. And is it better on the west coast? Not really – in Gothenburg, the same figure is 13 days sitting in your car. For some road users, the distance to where they work is so long that the only alternative is car or public transport. But for many people, it’s actually possible to simply roll past the traffic jams on an e-bike.
Public transport isn’t always quickest But what about public transport? It’s true – taking the bus, tram or Metro is better than taking the car in many ways, but perhaps not the best choice if you want to save time. In addition to frequent delays, having to change bus or train makes commuting take longer than it actually should do. Instead of standing at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere for quarter an hour waiting for your connecting bus to come, you can use an e-bike to take you the shortest route from door to door – with no stops.
Other benefits of e-bikes As well as time, you can also save money when you pedal to work. Fuel, congestion charges and parking fees are just a few things you won’t have to cough up for. You also get everyday exercise into the bargain, and you have to count that as a benefit, because cycling regularly is good for both body and soul. According to research by the Karolinska Institutet (2018), the risk of cardiovascular disease reduces drastically if you exercise every day. And a few more years of life gives you even more time! Not to mention the great feeling when you know that your everyday routines are good for the environment – in Sweden, 30% of all carbon dioxide emissions come from the petrol cars on the roads. Would you like to cycle away 15 days worth of traffic jams too? If so, pop into one of our shops and we’ll help you find the right e-bike for you.
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