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While E-Bikes are different to standard bicycles since they have a battery and motor, they’re just like every other bike in that to keep them working properly they require regular checks and maintenance when needed.
You can always take your bike to your local Ridgeback dealer when it needs a service, but below is a list of things to keep and eye on and think about if you want your bike to perform as well as possible for as long as possible.
Motor
The motor system of your E-Bike is a sealed unit which means it doesn’t require maintenance, and if you do try and access it you’ll invalidate the warranty on the bike. If something goes wrong, you need to take the bike to your nearest E-Bike dealer and let a qualified mechanic make an assessment.
Battery
The battery is what powers your E-Bike. There are various things you can do to make sure that your battery lasts as long as possible and we have a page about battery care and maintenance here.
Brakes
As with all bikes, it’s important to regularly check your bike’s brakes and inspect them before every ride. Brake pads wear down over time and you should make sure that they’re not worn past the wear indicator that every pad has.
With hydraulic disc brakes, they operate as a closed system and as such shouldn’t need maintenance very often but any bike shop will be able to give your bike a service and check that the brakes are working properly.
If you’re running cable-actuated brakes, the brakes will need adjustment over time as the cable will stretch.
Tyres and tyre pressure
You should check tyre pressure before every ride. All tyres have a suggested pressure range in PSI printed on the side and you should make sure that your tyres are inflated to within that range.
It’s also a good idea to regularly check the surface of your tyres or wear and tear, and especially to remove anything that may have embedded itself in the tyre (like glass or small stones). Doing that will reduce your chance of puncturing and make sure your tyres last as long as they can.
Gears
On a bike with cable-actuated gears, your gearing system will need to be adjusted over time as the cables stretch. If you’re running Di2 (electronic shifting) this won’t happen.
With both types of gear shifting, any knocks to the rear derailleur can cause the gears to come out of alignment. With the rear derailleur, it can also be the derailleur hanger (the part that attaches the derailleur to the frame) that gets knocked out of alignment. If you think this may have happened, ask your local bike shop to service the bike and they will be able to diagnose and fix the problem.
Cleaning
Keeping any bike clean and dirt-free is very important to make sure that it keeps working properly over time. Make sure that you clean the drivetrain (cranks, derailleurs, chain and cassette) regularly and lubricate the chain. The best way to clean the motor and battery is to wipe them over with a damp cloth with the battery attached to the bike.
DO NOT push anything into the terminals of the battery! Doing so could result in a very bad shock or death.
Do not use a pressure washer to clean a bike. The power of pressure washers mean that they can force water in between seals, etc, that are built to keep things water tight. Your E-Bike is built to withstand even heavy rain, but pressure washers are far more powerful and will cause water ingress.