Electric Bikes Conversion Kits EMTBS eRoad/Commuting What's New?

Battery life please.

Tugwell Gibson

Tugwell Gibson

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Dec 30, 2016
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Hi all as a newbie I have probably a silly question to ask. I was told by the dealer that is it best to keep my battery indoors. Fine. Also to keep it topped up. Now unlike many on here. My idea of a good ride is a couple of hours round the parks or woods. I've never used more than quarter of the battery. But by far the most common is half an hour to an hour under 5 miles.

My question is regarding posts I see that talk.about how.many recharge cycles on can expect from a battery. If I'm only using it for half an hour should I not top it up. Does topping up.mean running it down much further before topping ?
 
Fordulike

Fordulike

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Feb 26, 2010
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Tugwell Gibson said:
Hi all as a newbie I have probably a silly question to ask. I was told by the dealer that is it best to keep my battery indoors. Fine. Also to keep it topped up. Now unlike many on here. My idea of a good ride is a couple of hours round the parks or woods. I've never used more than quarter of the battery. But by far the most common is half an hour to an hour under 5 miles.

My question is regarding posts I see that talk.about how.many recharge cycles on can expect from a battery. If I'm only using it for half an hour should I not top it up. Does topping up.mean running it down much further before topping ?
Click to expand...
Keeping the battery indoors is probably a good idea. It minimizes chances of condensation lingering inside the casing.

As for charging, I put the battery on the charger after every ride. It means it's always fully ready for the next one.

When I first got into electric bikes, I was like, 'what if this and what if that', regarding battery charging. I don't bother worrying about it these days and just factor in that the battery won't last forever anyway.
 
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flecc

flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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Lithium batteries are suited to cyclic operation, so topping up after a reasonable amount of use isn't harmful. Half an hours riding using power usually takes enough out to make recharging worthwhile, and that also ensures you get the best performance on your next ride out.

Keeping the battery indoors is debatable, it could ensure better initial performance as you start a ride, but self-warming in use quickly lifts a cold battery to working temperature levels. Indoors is better than completely outdoors at well under freezing point of course.
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How you charge doesn't really effect the number of recharge cycles. 4 x 1/4 charge = 1 full charge cycle.

To get the most out of your battery:

  • Never leave it in a completely discharged state.
  • Try not to leave it on the charger for too long after it's fully charged.
  • Don't let it get frozen.
  • Don't let it get damp.
If you've only done 5 miles and you know your next ride will be similar, it's probably best not to charge your battery, but don't go nuts and try and run it right down every time.
 
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Fordulike

Fordulike

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I thought I would clarify from my post #2, that nearly every ride I do uses around 10Ah out of a 11.6Ah pack. Therefore a full charge is justified.

Dave's advice in post #4 should be followed in your case.
 
Tugwell Gibson

Tugwell Gibson

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 30, 2016
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London
Thanks guys. Got it now. Lovely

While your thier. The back of our garage is under earth by a foot or two. We also back onto woodland. It means the garage is quite damp. We find frogs in there sometimes. Not mice.lol

There's not much I can do about it. However when I take the battery off and store it indoors I'm aware that I'm exposing the connectors that would otherwise be quite well sealed.

Anything to worry about there?
 
anotherkiwi

anotherkiwi

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Jan 26, 2015
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As long as the frogs eat the mice that is OK it is when they start eating the cats you have real problems... :rolleyes:

I would be more worried about the whole bike than just the connectors! Some electric compatible hydrofuge spray on all connectors should help.
 
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flecc

flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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Definitely no worry over those battery connectors. But as AnotherKiwi says, keep an eye on the bike with regard to corrosion in that damp atmosphere and take preventative measures to prevent the corrosion taking hold.
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