Batteries and Frosty Rides

[D C]

Since the colder weather I've been keeping and charging my battery indoors in the porch which is the coolest part of the house but always well above freezing as there are water pipes in there.
I realise batteries should not be allowed to freeze but am wondering if it's acceptable to go for a ride when the temperature is below freezing, is the battery OK whilst it's being used?
There have been a few -4 days already which won't put me off but is it sensible to go out on the electric bike or should I stick to pedal power?
I know that the range and power is down a bit in colder weather compared to warm days but I don't want to harm the battery which is a Pannier rack 36V/10Ah Lithium-Ion.
any advice much appreciated.

 

[peerjay56]

Since the colder weather I've been keeping and charging my battery indoors in the porch which is the coolest part of the house but always well above freezing as there are water pipes in there.
I realise batteries should not be allowed to freeze but am wondering if it's acceptable to go for a ride when the temperature is below freezing, is the battery OK whilst it's being used?
There have been a few -4 days already which won't put me off but is it sensible to go out on the electric bike or should I stick to pedal power?
I know that the range and power is down a bit in colder weather compared to warm days but I don't want to harm the battery which is a Pannier rack 36V/10Ah Lithium-Ion.
any advice much appreciated.

Dave,
It should be ok - the process of supplying energy actually generates a little warmth that will mitigate the effects of the cold. You could try an insulated jacket of some sort around the battery, just to keep that warmth in

 

[flecc]

No problem in our climate, the battery will not get below zero internally to any harmful extent and it regulates itself at low temperatures by not giving up as much current, noticeable at times as loss of performance.

However, it's best not to charge at too low a temperature and certainly not at below zero which can damage the cells. If the weather gets exceptionally cold during any particular winter period and you don't commence charging immediately after riding, it could be a good idea to give the battery a couple of hours or so indoors to warm up a bit before charging in the porch.

 

[mountainsport]

No problem in our climate, the battery will not get below zero internally to any harmful extent and it regulates itself at low temperatures by not giving up as much current, noticeable at times as loss of performance.

However, it's best not to charge at too low a temperature and certainly not at below zero which can damage the cells. If the weather gets exceptionally cold during any particular winter period and you don't commence charging immediately after riding, it could be a good idea to give the battery a couple of hours or so indoors to warm up a bit before charging in the porch.

Good knowledge, I never knew that about recharging at certain temperature levels.

MS.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

If you can, charge the battery in the warm, and only put in on your bike when you're about to use it. That way, you get a bit more power. Once you're using it, it'll keep itself warm. You could, of course, knit a nice muff to keep it warm like Lynda's Tonaro motor muff. Muffs can be very useful.

 

[peerjay56]

Muffs can be very useful.

Muff said It can be very nice to slip into a warm one

 

[D C]

Thanks for all the helpful advice which I'll certainly take on board. What a great new turn this thread has taken, should we leave the original question behind as this sounds like far more fun

 

[flecc]

Surely almost all of us are already cycling in mufti?

(Dated armed forces reference )

 

[neptune]

I believe that "mufti" meaning civilian clothes as opposed to a uniform, is a word which dates back to the time of the British in India. It was a word used in the Cadet Force when I was a member in 1960,. Other examples of words borrowed from India, are Char Walla, a tea boy, and bungalow.

I stand corrected. According to Wikipedia, the word is of Middle Eastern or Arabic Origin. First recorded use was in 1816.

 

[flecc]

According to Wikipedia it has Sunni Muslim origins from Arabia, which could still have had Indian connections of course since a large number of Indians at the time of the Raj were Muslim. Both links refer:

Mufti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mufti as clothes
.

 

[D C]

No problem in our climate, the battery will not get below zero internally to any harmful extent and it regulates itself at low temperatures by not giving up as much current, noticeable at times as loss of performance.

However, it's best not to charge at too low a temperature and certainly not at below zero which can damage the cells. If the weather gets exceptionally cold during any particular winter period and you don't commence charging immediately after riding, it could be a good idea to give the battery a couple of hours or so indoors to warm up a bit before charging in the porch.

This is a great piece of advice which I took on board for my last couple of charges.
Also, prior to my trip I placed the fully charged battery in a warm room for a couple of hours till it didn't feel cold to the touch.
Result was without doubt a more lively battery which held it's charge for much longer than on previous close to freezing rides.
All this without recourse to a muff!
Our cat who is about the same size as the battery can now relax

 

[RobF]

The bars on my Bosch battery have been dropping a bit faster in the cold weather, although using dongle power will have something to do with it.

No worries, as I don't ride so far when it's cold, but I suspect my range would be 30+ miles instead of 40+ in warmer weather.

 

[eHomer]

Yes, very useful to know these things, especially for improving the life of this part of electric bikes, probably the most expensive ongoing cost.

It's certainly got me thinking. I have a pair of 36v 10ah Lithium Ion packs in the aluminum carrier cases with the integral rear light on the back.

Up to now, I use a convenient height small shelf in the garage with the charger alongside. Both batteries are used on two different bikes, so I don't leave them on between rides.

The garage is brick and attached to the house, but not heated. The Winter temperature in there is around 10c and the lowest is about 5c when below freezing outside.

Do you think I should set the charger up indoors and store the batteries indoors in the Winter ? Or is 10c down to 5c, less of a problem than a garden shed dropping to zero c ?

 

[flecc]

Less of a problem eHomer, but I think it would be a good idea to charge immediately after riding when the battery has some internal warmth from it's usage.

I never advise anyone to keep a lithium battery indoors since they have been known to catch fire. That risk is extremely small, but naturally I won't take the risk for others, it has to be their decision.

 

[eHomer]

Less of a problem eHomer, but I think it would be a good idea to charge immediately after riding when the battery has some internal warmth from it's usage.

I never advise anyone to keep a lithium battery indoors since they have been known to catch fire. That risk is extremely small, but naturally I won't take the risk for others, it has to be their decision.

Thanks Flecc, that's ok then, I've always recharged immediately after returning from rides anyway, as per other advice I'd heard somewhere.

An interesting quandary there though about the low explosion risk. To keep them in a wooden shed with paint tins etc., or in the house !

 

[flecc]

The shed is easier to replace, s*d the Dulux!

 

[D C]

My shed hits -10 in winter

 

[Croxden]

My shed hits -10 in winter

Are you bragging or complaining?

 

[eHomer]

My shed's got more than Dulux in it though....

more damn bikes.... (so she says)

 

[EddiePJ]

This certainly explains why my 4.0ah 18v cordless drill batteries wouldn't charge in the early part of this year when we had snow, yet charged with no problem when I got back home.

Thanks.