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Photo credits: William Graham
If you own an electric bicycle, you are quite fortunate. Having assistance for pedaling allows you to have more exciting rides with less effort. But if you use it for city commuting, you can also have some fun while you go from one point to another. You’re even more fortunate if you live in one of those parts of the world where the sun always shines. But even if your area is rainy or winter brings more snow than you expect, you can still ride your electric bike. You just need to make some preparations.
Warm Weather: Enjoy Your e-Bike to the Fullest
The majority of electric bicycles are designed to perform optimally during summer. The tires that originally come with an e-bike are usually for summer rides, for example. Thus you can enjoy your rides to the fullest in hot weather. However, pay attention to those days in which heat is extremely high. The battery is sensitive to high temperatures. As a consequence, your vehicle may not perform adequately.
Lithium-ion batteries for electric bikes perform best between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5-26.6 Celsius). Below 40° F (4.4° C), the battery performance begins to degrade significantly. Likewise, battery performance degrades above 115° F (46° C).
Thus, during the hottest summer days, you should keep your e-bike away from direct sunlight. This will keep the battery cool, thereby delivering the best performance. Don’t store the battery inside a car. On the hottest days, the temperature inside of a car can reach up to 170° F (76.6 °C). Go ride it, the season is here!
Rainy Weather: Can I Ride My e-Bike in the Rain?
Riding your electric bicycle in the rain will be more challenging than doing it while the sun shines. Low visibility and slippery roads are some of the additional difficulties in such weather. However, with proper preparation, you’ll be able to tour the countryside or commute without any problems. Consider the following tips.
Equip Your e-Bike with Fenders
Most electric bikes are resistant to rain. In most cases, water splashes and raindrops won’t make the battery fail. However, the use of fenders will prevent unnecessary water splashes over the different parts of your vehicle. The road is full of sand and debris, which can deteriorate some e-bike components over time. Fenders will also prevent splashes from reaching you, thereby making your ride more pleasant. If you own a Delfast Top 3.0, you should not worry. This two-wheeler comes with fenders specifically designed to stop splashes in rainy conditions.
Turn Your Lights On
Low visibility is one of the biggest challenges for riding in the rain. It is equally challenging for people driving cars and trucks. Therefore, lights are a must to ensure you are more easily seen by other people that share the road with you. Depending on your location, it may be even a legal requirement to have your lights on while you ride your electric bike in the rain.
You need a white front light that can be seen from a distance of at least 500 feet (150 meters) away. Also, your e-bike must have a red tail light that is bright enough to be seen from 600 feet (180 meters). To be on the safe side, consider wearing a blinking light on your helmet or fixing it somewhere on your vehicle.
Lower Tire Pressure
Experienced cyclists recommend lowering tire pressure in rainy conditions. This advice applies to electric bicycles also. When the pressure is lower, a wider area of the tire comes into contact with the road. This improves traction. Thus, instead of 100 psi, you should ride your e-bike with the tires at 90 psi.
Clean and Dry Your eBike Thoroughly
When you get to your destination after riding in the rain, clean and dry your electric bike thoroughly. Just a few minutes of maintenance will help to protect your investment. Even if your e-bike is built with high-quality components, moisture and debris may eventually take a toll. Basic maintenance after each wet ride will increase the longevity of your vehicle significantly.
Like most enthusiasts, you surely won’t resist the urge to go for a ride even if it is extremely cold outside. Thus, to be fully prepared to ride, you have to take care of the following aspects:
Keeping your e-bike battery is critical for a good performance during wintertime. Ideally, the battery should have room temperature before you charge it. However, don’t heat the battery up so quickly. Some people make the mistake of putting the battery in front of a heater. Don’t do it. It can damage the battery. Instead, let the battery warm up slowly by simply taking it inside.
Hence, you should not leave your e-bike battery outside of your house. If you use your e-bike to commute, a good idea will be to bring your charger with you. Alternatively, purchase a second charger to have at home. In this way, you’ll be able to recharge your battery (if needed) to go back home. If you own a Top 3.0, remember that you must always use a Delfast original charger. Using a different charger can lead to permanent battery damage.
This is another important aspect to take into account during winter. You need winter tires to ensure better traction on slippery surfaces such as snow and ice. Tires for these surfaces have special treads for maximum contact. Also, special winter tires prevent puncturing. Water and snow often wash debris onto tracks and roads. Hence, the probability of riding on a sharp item is higher. More resistant tires are therefore used for winter rides.
Delfast Top 3.0 offers three different tire alternatives. By default, this e-bike comes with motorcycle tires. You can upgrade them for other tires that better suit winter conditions.
Winter creates harsh environmental conditions for your electric bicycle. Riding in snow is usually not a problem. However, riding on slush can be hard. This watery snow contains salt, sand, and grits, which can splash into some parts of your vehicle. Such particles may rust and degrade the inner parts of your two-wheeler.
Thus, after a ride, you have to clean your e-bike thoroughly. If possible, you can protect the metallic parts by spraying some anti-rust material. You can find such products at home (yeah, you never know what's hidden in your garage) or automotive supply shops.
The weather conditions during winter can be very unpredictable. For safety, you should avoid riding your electric bike in the most difficult conditions such as black ice and blizzards. If you must ride even in extreme weather, make sure your e-bike is equipped with proper lights. Use reflective gear on your clothes and vehicle. Most importantly, never forget to wear your helmet.
The Delfast Top 3.0 has been designed to perform well in all weather conditions. With a powerful 3000 W motor, this electric bike won’t ever let you down. The battery is a 72V 48Ah 20S15P Panasonic 3200mAh + Bluetooth smart BMS. While it is recommended not to expose it to extreme cold, its tremendous capacity can provide an acceptable range even in extreme weather.
Moreover, the Top 3.0 is equipped with motorcycle tires. However, you can upgrade them to meet any riding conditions. You can easily mount winter tires on it. It has reliable and bright lights for those rainy or dark winter days. Hence, with this electric bike, you can enjoy riding all year around. Consider the care tips given in this article and your e-bike won’t give you any trouble whatever the weather outside is.
