In April 2022, HOVSCO E-Bikes US released a new article on how to clean electric bicycles. The article details the cleaning methods and precautions for electric bicycles.Electric bikes can and will get dirty any time of year. By contrast, e-bikes can be dirtier than usual during the colder, wetter, and duller months of the year. During this time, people may look at e-bikes and think: “Need a good cleaning.”. But can riders wash e-bikes? If yes, how often should it be cleaned? Even without this extra seasonal dirt, it’s always a good idea to keep the e-bike clean. By keeping an e-bike clean, it not only looks good wherever go, but it also ensures the longevity of its working parts, which are free of dust and debris, and keeps itself safe.
So follow this foolproof guide on how to properly clean an e-bike to ensure riders stay on top of e-bike cleanliness.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD ONE CLEAN E-BIKES?
Learning how to clean an e-bike and keeping it clean is a necessary part of owning an e-bike properly. Obviously, the frequency of cleaning an e-bike depends on usage. Do riders ride e-bikes every day? Then a person might want to clean the electric bike weekly. If people are just riding an e-bike on weekends, it really only needs to be cleaned once a month.
How often people clean their e-bike depends not only on how it’s being used, but also the prevailing conditions in which it’s being used. For example, if a rider has just spent a weekend afternoon on a dirt trail full of puddles, he might want to consider cleaning the e-bike as soon as possible. However, a week later, riders can ride the trail all weekend and the e-bike still looks brand new. It all depends on the conditions at the time.
In the end, the weather and conditions of the trails people ride will determine how often people should get to that bottle of degreaser. Whether it’s riding an e-bike on a long mountain trail, or just five minutes on an urban road, it affects how often and how thoroughly people perform general cleaning and maintenance. When people follow a maintenance and cleaning schedule, this will help ensure that the e-bike delivers peak performance on every ride.
No matter how often people wash their e-bikes, they should always be wiped clean after every ride. Doing so prevents dirt build-up, helps extend the life of the e-bike and its moving parts, and makes it easier to clean when people are sitting down and doing it properly.
SETUP AND SUPPLIES
One note before getting into the details: it’s best not to clean an e-bike directly after use, especially if the rider’s trip is wet or muddy. While one might want to remove dirt from an e-bike as soon as they get home, it’s actually best to wait for the bike and dirt to dry before cleaning the e-bike. Allowing grime and dirty water to dry makes them easier to remove, yes this sounds a bit contradictory to the general washing and cleaning advice people have received in the past, but it’s true!
First of all, people should leave the battery inside when cleaning the electric bike. If people have a stand they use while working on the e-bike, it can also be used to facilitate cleaning the e-bike; just make sure there is enough space to walk around and work on the e-bike.
If people don’t have a stand, they should lean the e-bike against a wall or fence so there’s plenty of room to work around it. People can also drop the bracket if that works best for them. Needless to say, this should be done outside in a space that can be screwed up.
From here, one will need to inspect the e-bike to make sure everything is securely in place. Take care to check components such as the drivetrain and battery to ensure they are properly seated and secured.
Soap is not needed to clean an e-bike, but if people do want to use it, they can use a small amount of dish soap in the water; just make sure it’s not a heavy degreaser like car wash.
For cleaning supplies, one needs a sponge or rag (for wiping the frame), a soft brush (for cleaning tires), and a dry cloth for wiping down everything afterwards. If one is considering whether to use a sponge or a rag for cleaning, a rag is much more flexible than a sponge.
As far as water is concerned, people will want to use a pair of buckets, one to wash with a little soapy water, one to rinse with, or, if they prefer, a garden hose, but only use it on a shower or sprinkler setup to keep the water flowing. The pressure is very light.
Finally, one will need some chain lube to lubricate the chain after cleaning the e-bike to prevent rust.
SUPPLIES NOT TO USE
Do not use a pressure washer to clean electric bikes. Electric bikes cannot withstand high pressure water jets. Use the pressure washer at full power as this can damage parts and potentially push excess water, dirt and debris where they shouldn’t be and wreak havoc on the work of the e-bike.
Special car cleaners and soaps should also not be used on e-bikes, as most car soaps contain waxes that are not suitable for e-bikes.
COMPONENTS & PARTS NOT TO CLEAN DOWN
Before describing what to clean and how to clean an e-bike, it’s worth discussing what should not be washed with water, as e-bikes have some sensitive equipment after all. Often, the best way to clean e-bike accessories is to wipe them with a dry rag. Avoid getting water or soap on:
- The hub bearing (that’s the center of the wheel)
- The bottom bracket (where the pedals connect together through the frame)
- The headset bearing (where the handlebars connect to the frame)
- Seat post (where the seat connects into the frame)
- The brake pads and rotor, or discs
- Chains and gears
When cleaning an e-bike with water, people should avoid these areas of the e-bike so that water does not get into the motor or the frame of the e-bike. Brake pads and rotors need to be avoided so any soap that might be used doesn’t affect their function, contaminate them and make them squeak! Staying away from the aforementioned areas of the frame will mean that these connections won’t creak in the future, and no water will get into the frame.
CLEANING THE EBIKE
It boils down to how the first step in cleaning an electric bike is that people want to use a brush to clean the dirt on the dirtiest parts of an electric bike, the rims and tires of the bike. Since these are the parts closest to the surface when riding, they can get very dirty very quickly. Be careful here to avoid hub bearings and brake pads and rotors. Also scrub the pedals at this time.
After that, grab a damp rag or sponge and wipe down the frame of e-bike. Make sure it reach the bottom of the frame where dirt is most likely to collect. Here, make sure to avoid wiping the bottom bracket, headset bearing, and seatpost.
After cleaning e-bike thoroughly, need to rinse off all dirty soap and water. For this, one can use a garden hose, or a light sprinkler or a damp rag. After removing dirty soap residue from e-bike, can dry the bike with a clean dry rag. When doing this, start at the top, paying special attention to the headset bearings and seatpost (they almost inevitably get wet, so it’s a good habit to make sure dry them). Do the rims last as these may still have some dirt particles hanging on them and a dry rag will remove them.
Once the bike is dry, the chain will need to be lubricated to keep it from rusting. To do this, take the chain and wipe off any water stuck to it with a clean dry rag. Next, apply chain lube slowly but steadily to the inside of the chain as turn the crank until the lube touches the entire chain.
Last but not least, the battery needs to be removed and a fresh dry rag to clean the contacts on the battery and frame, the space where the battery is located, and the bottom of the battery that is in contact with the battery. frame. Electric bike parts should be relatively clean, but it’s always a good idea to give them a check. Water should not be used on these parts of the e-bike. The e-bike is now ready to be stored and everything is clean and ready to use!
About HOVSCO E-Bikes US
HOVSCO E-Bikes US is a well-known innovative manufacturer and retailer of high-end and mid-range outdoor sports equipment. Their line of e-bikes are powerful and of great quality. Excellent customer support, high quality, fast delivery and competitive prices are reasons to choose Hovsco.
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