7 things you should know about eBike maintenance

[@LucasH567]

I appreciate your commitment to the customers that purchase bikes directly from you. These bikes are expensive items, and knowing the store is dedicated to you (the customer), is a great reason to buy it locally.

[@lafamillecarrington]

My wife has just bought a Gazelle Avignon with Enviolo hub gears and Gates belt drive. I'm a reasonably competent mechanic for non-e-bikes, but I admit that I'm a little worried about the possibility of having to fix a rear wheel puncture whilst we are out on a ride. I'd love a video to walk me through the process.

[@teufelhund53]

Nice video. Just got an ebike and have been browsing youtube for maintenance. Everyone explains the same core principles, but little extra bits of knowledge are picked up over many videos, and I really like the way you explained everything. Thanks!

[@andrewfyip]

I think maintenance of an ebike and it's costs is always one of the issues people bring up when considering ebikes. This is a good video that talks about how it's really just a normal bike. The motor and battery doesn't need much if any maintenance. It probably will last the lifetime of the bike frame itself. The battery even if you do somehow ride it until it's dead, you can always replace especially with bikes that have a Bosch system (since they'll likely stay around for a long time).

[@nemure]

sadly you are very wrong. Battery life last a lot less , it's the weakest and worst part of the e-bike today

[@nonegone7170]

@@nemure You could buy a new battery every year (not that one needs to) and still be below cost of any other transportation form except walking and normal bikes.

[@nemure]

@@nonegone7170 agree but doesn't change the fact battery life it's the main bottle neck of ebike

[@jaywagner3111]

Great topic for a video. I have a Shimano Steps E6000 motor and I am approaching 8000 miles. The performance of the motor and the drive train (Shimano SLX 10 speed) has been trouble free. I can bring my bike to a local dealer for routine drive train cleaning and lubrication, brake maintenance. For those types of maintenance it has been my experience that most local bike shops will be glad to accommodate . The problem with Shimano is that there are much fewer shops qualified or certified to work on the motor/electronics compared to Bosch. There are 2 Bosch certified shops within a half hour drive but I have to drive 90 miles one way to get to the nearest Shimano Service Center. After I purchased my bike, I learned that the dealer that sold it to me was not able to service the motor. That was very disappointing. I feel that it is a major issue for e-bikes that a dealer can be certified to sell a particular brand but be unable to repair the motor or electronics. I would advise new buyers to be sure the bike can be fully serviced by the dealer. And if not, how far would one have to travel to get motor service. I feel you should be commended for providing the full service experience.

[@northerngiant2915]

Looking forward to that video on biking in the rain. So many that I see are like “I did it once and I’m fine.” Hope yours will be more in-depth.

[@smallhatshatethetruth7933]

I highly recommend using dielectric or silicone grease on all electrical contacts, especially if you are riding in the rain. Put some in a blunt syringe to get to hard to reach areas.

[@Propelbikes]

👍👍

[@tomshahriari6602]

Would you recommend it for the charging port? Mine has a dubious rubber seal that I’m not sure it’s completely water tight. Being just above the crank so it’s near the ground. Thanks.

[@smallhatshatethetruth7933]

@@tomshahriari6602 I don't see why not, they use it in cars on the battery terminal connectors too.

[@badabing8884]

The shop where I bought my e-bike from has set my service interval to every 1000 miles. I bust that in 3 months. So this is a very relevant video for me.

[@philstone5195]

I enjoy your candid approach, and envy your bi-coastal operations. When I can afford to purchase an ebike, I will.

[@bflgroupieninja4370]

Love your videos! You have a calm, professional demeanor in delivering substantive information. I wish I could be a customer but I don’t live near your shop. Thank you for providing anyone who is interested a great resource to go to for common questions regarding ebikes.

[@Nohandlebarshere]

I'd missed this one earlier, absolutely spot on advice. I think brake issues are the most common unnecessary shop related visit, doing hubs and pads, of you can change a tyre, it's really no issue

[@arnehusby1420]

I am from Norway and have Bike repair kit and Torx kit.I use a lot of Cleaning liquid and take out the Battery when i clean my bike. A bike stand is also good to have.

[@HarryLovesRuth]

If you are going to wash your bike (or your car) with a hose, please be mindful of your run off. Fishies and frogies don't like soapy water in their streams. If you need to wash in a place where the wastewater won't travel through a treatment plant before reaching the streams, try to do it on a permeable surface so that the soil can filter the dirt and surfactants and the microbes can biodegrade your biodegradable soap.

[@Sampardhanani]

Lovely. Thanks for that information. Now I shall spread it from my side .

[@japbartlett]

I’ve had my eBike (Giant) for 2 years, very few issues with the motor or battery. However, the additional strain on the drive train, due to the motor, has caused additional chain wear. This has lead to rear wheel cassette changes and the drive wheel. My shop has recommended I check my chain wear regularly to potentially change the chain before it causes additional wear on the rest of the drive train

[@anthonylavelle7229]

Well explained, thank you... Maybe show different scenarios to change flat tires, back and front, tube or patch, with and without removing the wheel, etc... Recommend a full compact tool kit with patches and all...

[@umfilmmaker8253]

I called my local bike stores to find out what they sell and what they would work on or be willing to assemble BEFORE I purchased. It’s a really good point that you brought up. I found most shops wouldn’t work on an ebike. The ones that would only work on specific mid drives. I ultimately purchased from an ebike specific store that’s over an hour away but it gives me a resource semi-locally for maintenance and repairs. I also think it’s important to be able to ride a bike before you purchase. Or in my case, I rode several at different stores.

[@Certago]

Good point, I tried doing test rides and it was pretty silly, I had to put down a 25% deposit, leave my ID, bank card and of course my own bicycle there while I went out on a test ride. This industry is too young (in the UK) and needs to mature and get a bit more customer focused.

[@macdontcare]

The other important distinction to make is how much sooner maintenance may be required compared to pedal bicycles. Many drive trains are identical to their slower pedaling counterparts. I commented recently on someone's gripe page regarding issues with a Nireeka Prime. You might have seen the indiegogo or whatever fund-up they used. Flashy carbon frame with a 1000w motor and low end wheels/drive train. Many low-end bike parts don't last long on ebikes. The issue the gripe page had was chewed up drive train to the point of useless till fixed. Proprietary ebike drive trains, perhaps comparable to Gates belt drive and internally geared hubs (or gear boxes) would certainly remedy this, but those come at significant cost. The market is flooded with capable machines with incapable bike parts.

[@billwelch8667]

Chris, Great intro video. I am doing my own maintenance on my R&M Superdelite Rohloff. Can you do a video on setting the correct tension on the belt? -

[@holyfox94]

That would be great. Ordered a Supercharger Rohloff and I’m kinda scared to do easy repairs if needed. Bill, are you happy with your Riese& Müller?

[@billwelch8667]

@@holyfox94 I am completely happy with my R&M Superdelite. I have put 8,000km on the bike since April 2020 and have loved every minute on the bike. A majority of the repairs are the same as any other non eBike. For example replacement of brake pads is the same as any bike and the parts are easily available. The only unique items are the gates belt and the Rohloff hub. The Rohloff hub requires an annual replacement of the oil which is simple (kit available online). There is no other maintenance needed on the hub. The gates belt requires no maintenance beyond making sure the tension is correct. No special cleaning is required - just use water to remove dirt. Unfortunately, I did need to replace the gates belt recently due to it breaking (belt appeared to be in good condition but I think I put too much force/torque on it going up a hill in a high gear and e-MTB mode). Once I got the belt, installation was easy. In order to do maintenance, you will need some ‘basic’ tools (small torque wrench with metric and torx heads, set of metric Allen keys and torx keys). There are also many helpful videos online (not necessarily R&M specific).

[@willgo7898]

A decent quality bike stand is indispensable if you're maintaining your own bike

[@Propelbikes]

Excellent point!

[@jimstruve3602]

An easy way to clean the electrical contacts on the computers and mounts is to use an eraser! Once they have been polished with the eraser, you could add a film of "dielectric grease". Any auto parts store should have it available in a small tube. I have a trike with a Shimano STEPS 6100 and I perform this on the computer as part of my annual maintenance. I generally remove the battery for charging, so the friction from removal and attaching the battery seems to keep those contacts clean. There are electrical contact cleaner sprays available, but I would be cautious with them, as they can be rather harsh.

[@pierreperrault2150]

Thank you! As always very interesting and informative video :)

[@josephf5036]

One of the things that I find tricky is changing the back tyre on a Load 60 with vario especially on the side of the road. Unfortunately there aren't many videos on the internet about changing a tyre on a full suspension cargo bike.

[@conorhanley9009]

Would love to know how to do this

[@Sampardhanani]

Thanks Chris. I have a question , now that the Bosch gen 4 motor is out does it make sense to buy gen 3 equipped bikes or we should look only for gen 4 . Other than the torque and size difference between them is there any difference in the ride experience. Pls look towards this. And how much tork motor is needed for the urban commute?

[@xanadu11]

Would Propel ever consider offering paid workshops on properly removing the rear wheel for flat repair to its customers? I’m riding tubeless but still get flats but would happily return to tubes to avoid trips to the shop for a simple flat repair.

[@jagarrsemla5537]

Hi, I enjoy your channel a lot. I have two e-bikes. A Kalkhoff Include 8 and a R&M Supercharger2. I'm curious to learn what you think the life-cycle of an e-bike would/could be. I'm working on selling my Kalkhoff but I wonder if bikeshops will ever start doing trade-in programs or re-selling used bikes in the same way car dealers do.

[@holyfox94]

Awesome Idea, because reselling a EBike on EBay or any platform is a real hassle. How should the seller or buyer know in which state the battery is? I want to sell my EBike, but I don’t know for what price. Don’t want to rip someone off, or sell him a maybe dying motor and of course I don’t want to sell it for way too less money.

[@SmokeyTreats]

Maybe you'll mention it in part two, but could you touch on the importance of checking the spokes for being loose. Do you torque those? Do you recommend using some strength of locktite on some things but not others?

[@michaelGreen-x6r]

Did Chris ever do a vidio on error codes explained, especially kiox and bosch Motors, ref performance line cx

[@continuousimprovement4528]

Can someone please tell me the name/model of the bike featured at 1:14

[@DRLOVEWELL]

No oil based lube on the chain which catches all the dirt and stuff off the road. Wire brush the chain under and over and on the sides, wipe clean while spinning and apply ‘squirt’ or similar wax lube to both sides(not top or bottom)while spinning. Lasts long time without crap build-up.

[@MrKeyboardCommando]

Hey, I'm the first‼️ Admittedly, I haven't yet watched the video, but I'm about to start. Please stay tuned for further updates‼️🤣🤣🤣 Breaking news on Chris' new video‼️ This video tackles a problem I hadn't even thought of. Of course people are going to be wary of new technology, and much kudos to you Chris for realising this, and addressing it. You are providing genuine and detailed explanations of questions people require answering if they are going to embrace and use electric bikes. They don't want a load of patronising platitudes, they want factual analysis, and that, Chris, is what you are providing.👍👍👍

[@MrKeyboardCommando]

@@lomate1963 Of course you care. People who watch Chris' videos always care.👍👍👍

[@Jd-Mco-jfk]

highly recommend the torque wrench. one that covers the lower end and one the covers the higher end of the spectrums. it give me the confidence that i'm over torque the bolts. in addition to grease, grip paste.

[@ElisaH_DarklyiShine]

off topic question what brand of sneakers are the ones being shown with the cushioning on top and different color line down the side ?

[@MsLori62]

Storage: how long is an “extended period of time”? Over the winter?

[@olguiq1013]

Thanks for the info. How about if you have a conversion MTB bike to Ebike with Bosch midrive would you service if needed?

[@obeese_monkey6921]

If I bought 3 batteries to cycle through, and kept them at at least 87% charge, and no less than 20% left on the batteries, how long could those batteries ideally last for me?

[@nemure]

I'd like to get a road e-bike but are expensive. If I end having one I'll put it tannus tires, screw air wheels xD

[@robjackson4597]

Chris. Great video! Does my 2019 R&M Supercharger need a software/firmware update?

[@gbiker86]

Great info ! however audio level could be much louder.

[@octoberclaudius3861]

oh hi !! found you randomly lookng up errors codes lol

[@conorhanley9009]

Would love to see rear wheel removal and refitting on a r and m load 75 with vario ✌️🇮🇪✌️

[@rdkuless]

I wish the ebike manufacturers would upgrade to a Sunlight Readable TFT display.. Most offer Standard TFT but you cannot see them under direct sunlight. Yes..there is a huge difference between being able to see the information and being completely unreadable in the Sun.... Isn't that where we ride our bikes..?

[@fendermon]

Yes, your average Garmin is even easier to read when the sun is shining on it.

[@rdkuless]

@@fendermon Amen.. couldn't agree more.. They are pretty in the dark.. but, we don't usually ride in the dark.. LOL

[@fendermon]

@@rdkuless Yes sir :)

[@dks13827]

Show how to multimeter a bike battery with, say, 4 slots to test.

[@grindergaming9556]

Good video

[@eduki]

Coming soon...How to have breakfast, where to buy a coffee, how to walk, step by step...

[@Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

A helpful video overall, but the Bosch exclusivity bullshit in the middle was almost enough to make me suspect that you are opening a BMW dealership. Thumbs up anyway.

[@AustinPetDetective]

Your voice puts me to sleep.

[@JagdishFarshanJanta]

Very calming, do some ASMR