You may not think of any questions about your e-bike until you start to ride it. At that time, concerns about the bicycle's operation may come to mind. If you already own an electric bike or want one, read through these questions and answers to ease your mind.
1. How Do You Charge an Electric Bike?
E-bikes have lithium batteries, similar to the one in your laptop. To charge these batteries, plug in the battery with a compatible charger and wait for a few hours until charging finishes.
2. How Long Does Charging an E-Bike Take? Can You Reduce the Time?
The length of time required to charge an electric bike battery depends on the battery's power capacity, measured in amps, and how quickly the charger sends power into the battery.
A standard charger sends two amps of power each hour to the battery. For a 13-amp battery, this standard charger will require 5.2 hours to charge the battery from 10 to 90%.
To find this number, take the amp rating for the battery and multiply it by 0.8, because you likely only put 80% of the battery's power back into it if you charge it from 20% to full power or from 10 to 90%. In the example, 80% of 13 amps is 10.4, because 13 x 0.8 = 10.4 amps.
Take this value and divide it by two if you have a standard charger. The answer is how many hours you need to get the battery charged 80% from where it started. Using this formula, we arrive at 10.4/2 = 5.2 hours.
You can reduce the charging time by upgrading to a faster charger. Fast chargers can send seven amps of power to the battery each hour. For a 13-amp battery, this shrinks charging time from 10% to 90% from 5.2 hours to 1.5 hours.
3. Can You Ride E-Bikes in the Rain?
E-bikes can withstand light rain. Keep in mind that they are water-resistant, not waterproof. You should protect your bike parts, so the bike continues to operate at its full capacity. Before you head out for a bike ride, check the forecast and use your best judgment if bad weather is headed your way. It's best to avoid heavy rainstorms to protect your electric bike.
4. Can You Still Ride an Electric Bike If the Battery Dies?
Since electric bikes have a standard bicycle as the core of their designs, if your battery dies, you can still travel. Pedal the bike as you would usually, but without the battery to run the motor, you will not get the benefit of motorized assistance until you recharge the battery.
5. How Can You Increase Your Bike's Range?
The range your bike gets with its motor depends on the battery and the motor's power. For example, the CrossCurrent X attains a range of 67 miles when you ride with the motor at medium speed. You can get more than 70 miles to a charge if you use the motor judiciously. However, the range drops to 33 miles when you keep the motor running to attain the fastest speed.
To increase the range you get, do not use the motor more than you need to make it up hills or to help you recover when you tire of pedaling. The less you rely on the motor, the more distance you get from each charge.
6. What kind of maintenance should I expect?
The majority of electric bike maintenance consists ofpre-ride checks on your wheels. You should tighten any loose spokes and ensure the tire PSI is correct. Also, make sure you perform routine maintenance checks. You can expect to buy tire tubes and maybe swap out the battery.
Read more: Electric Bike Maintenance Made Simple
7. How Should I Store My E-Bike?
Ideally indoors. Your bike should be away from the humidity to keep up its high performance