9 Tips to Extend the Battery Life of Your Electric Bike
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If you want to go on an extended bike trip, you should first make sure that your e-bike has enough battery power. You may not be able to double its range, but with a few tips, you can significantly improve overall performance. This blog post offers 9 tips to help you maximize the range of your e-bike battery.
1. THE RIGHT PEDALING FREQUENCY
Battery consumption depends on the speed at which you ride. For example, if you ride in the highest or most difficult gear, you are very likely to be faster and thus use up more battery power. So make sure you ride at the right pedaling frequency - this saves you battery and lets you ride for longer periods. A steady pedaling frequency of 70-75 revolutions per minute is a good choice for efficient use of the electric motor. By the way: a higher pedaling frequency also prevents knee problems. Do your battery and body a favor by keeping an eye on your pedaling frequency.
2. ADJUST THE ASSISTANCE LEVELS
It doesn’t always have to be full speed ahead. Most e-bikes have different assistance levels, which you can select as required. The higher levels are ideal for mountainous terrain or if you want to move faster. Generally speaking, however, the middle setting is sufficient, and helps protect your battery. Even on flat surfaces, you usually only need a little assistance. The lowest level may even be perfectly sufficient. Of course, this also depends on how hard you pedal – the more you pedal, the less power the motor needs. Nevertheless, one rule of thumb still applies: the less assistance you need, the more battery power you have.
3. LOW TEMPERATURES
A temperature of between 10 and 20 degrees C is usually ideal for an e-bike battery. Conversely, this means that the battery suffers more in colder weather. This is usually no more than a few percent, but you should bear this in mind when planning the range of your tour. If you are out and about in winter, we therefore also recommend parking your e-bike in a garage.
4. LESS STOP-AND-GO
The more often you have to stop and start again, the more battery power you will use. This is because the motor switches back on again each time you start and thus consumes more power. In a way, the situation is similar to that of a car’s fuel consumption, which also rises in stop-and-go situations. So if it’s possible, you should try to stop less. For example, coast towards a traffic light slowly or try to avoid abrupt speed changes.
5. LOOK AFTER YOUR E-BIKE
A well-maintained e-bike is an efficient e-bike. So make sure you take good care of your bike and bring it to the workshop if necessary. A non-oiled chain or worn brake pads can compromise both your safety and its range. We therefore recommend that you keep your e-bike in perfect working order.
6. THE RIGHT TIRE PRESSURE
While caring for your e-bike is more of a maintenance issue that can be carried out at longer intervals, checking the tire pressure is more of a daily matter. Touring pros check it before every ride, and we also recommend that you check your tire pressure before any longer tour. This is because an e-bike tire only develops its full rolling characteristics with the right tire pressure. The correct tire pressure depends on various factors, such as the system weight (rider plus e-bike), the tire model and the surface on which you are riding.
7. SECOND BATTERY
Why ride with only one full tank when you could have double the capacity? There are plenty of motorists who would love this. Although this is not possible with a car, it does work with an e-bike. On a longer tour, you can simply pack a fully charged spare battery in your bike backpack, so you can swap the flat battery for a new one when you’re out and about. Admittedly, this may not be the most convenient solution, but it does achieve its goal.
8. KEEP A CHARGER AT WORK
This suggestion, on the other hand, is much more convenient for commuters: simply leave a charger at your destination, for example at work. This means you can easily recharge your e-bike at half-time and significantly increase your range. Of course, this suggestion is only practical if you regularly cover the same distance and have a long enough break en route to recharge your e-bike battery.
9. CHOOSE THE RIGHT ROUTE
Do you want to get the most out of your e-bike battery? You can also make a big difference by choosing the right route. Firstly, you can avoid unnecessary detours, which cost you time and kilometers. And secondly, by choosing a suitable route, you may be able to bypass steep inclines with easier slopes. This is because e-bike motors require a lot of energy on very steep mountains, for example with gradients in the double-digit range. A detour of one or two kilometers may often be the better option in this case. By the way, choosing the right route also includes looking for charging stations. A number of maps and even e-bike apps now show you charging stations for your e-bike. Perfect for taking a breather and replenishing your body’s energy and that of your pedelec.