Storing ebikes and their electronics?

[peterjd]

I enjoy keeping an eye on these forums on the basis that they are a mine of experience which I may be able to use to solve my own current and future problems on my much modified pedelec set ups. One area that seems to come up regularly at this time of year is that out of season ebike storage causing difficult to diagnose faults. So although I haven't had that problem to date it would, I think, be useful for me and others if those who are knowledgeable on such matters could summarise the best way of storing an ebike and/or its battery and electronics during (relatively) inactive months, particularly during the winter.

Personally I continue to use my non-folding bike during the winter but I am lucky that I am able to easily remove the controller/display from the quick release junction mount and the separately located battery, for storage indoors. Although doing that will probably cause wear to the contacts in time, the physical action I think minimises the possibility of poor connections due to damp getting in.

Peter

 

[Nealh]

Simply shutting the bike away in cold damp shed appears to be one particular issue , electronics and cold /damp just don't go well together. Unseen condensation in internal parts are a nightmare and cause all sorts of shorting and tracking issues resulting in abnormal operation.

Displays are at particular risk to condensation as are moulded connectors.
One often heard of action is the bike was ok last time it was used but sometimes that last ride was in the rain and the bike is then just dumped in a cold shed or storage place, some even admit to just hiding the bike under a cover outdoors.

For outside storage a dry frost free area is needed idealy an attached garage or other type of part heated out building. Any storage needs to be completly dry and kept at 1- 5 degrees to keep frost away.

Secondly after that I would say bikes being knocked or simply used as a leaning post for other items may lead to unseen issues causing damage .

The battery by most gets little thought until they are left with a fault of the non working or charging battery. Again it needs storing imv off the bike in a dry frost free area , if not used for several weeks or months then leave it at 60 - 80% charged and check on it once or twice a month. Simply plug the charger in and place on charge for 10 mins only to confirm all is well and ok . With out a battery the bike is useless unless one likes to ride without power and batteries aren't cheap to replace or try and have repaired but a lot of people treat pedelecs poorly.

Don't store near a very hot heat source though one pedelcer admits ot keeping his in the airing cupboard.

When charging insure the battery is at an ambient air temp well above freezing and only ever use the correct voltage and current rate charger, typically most battery cells are best suited to along slow current charge at 2amps.

Take a few simple factors in to account and take care/ look after the bike and it should offer up few issues. They can be temperamental and one abused they start costing money to put right.

Owners of the general public who have little or no knowledge of these forums or of EAPC's and treat them exactly the same as normal push bike without thinking.

I have a neighbour/acquaintance who has no idea how to treat or look after a push bike let alone even think of him owning an EAPC. His treatment of a bike is shocking and he is often whatupping me on the phone about his bikes issues.

 

[Nealh]

For propriatary EAPC bikes with Canbus systems then one for a while has warranty to fall back on if the bike is stored /looked after.
For branded non Canbus type bikes from reputable vendors then one has their CS which is often very good.
For other brands with poor after service and diy bike then one needs to learn new skills to carry out good fault diagnosis. The worst fault diagnosis is that of the guesser/chancer who simply buys new components to know avail, there have been a couple of posters who have done that and still not been any the wiser after buying almost a complete new bikes worth.

 

[Nealh]

For those who have no storage or dry frost free place for an EAPC , I would say find a space indoors and opt for a folding ebike which takes up less space.

 

[Waspy]

For those who have no storage or dry frost free place for an EAPC , I would say find a space indoors and opt for a folding ebike which takes up less space.

A folder is a good idea.

I have been giving this subject some thought lately.

I converted my mountain bike in the summer when everything was warm and lovely.

Come November, I started to worry about the bike being in my very cold, very damp shed. The winter sun never reaches my shed it seems and it never gets any warmth.

My non-electric Giant Hybrid lives there and the fork stanchions have gone rusty just by living in that miserable shed.

So, I took the plunge and rented a small unit in a self-storage place a mile from my house.

It's a very small unit but I squeezed it in there. Now it is safe and warm and I can pull it out on sunny winter days (like today).

I am thinking that next winter I may buy a paraffin greenhouse heater from Screwfix.

 

[Nealh]

What's needed is a nice dry water tight over sized shed and then line everywhere inside with 100mm PIR board even the roof & floor and then overboard that. Tape all the joints with aluminium tape . Then one could stick a very low wattage heater in there on a temp sensor to stay at 3c or so.

I use a couple of greenhouse tube heaters in an old fridge, coupled to a stc1000 with sensor to warm my stored honey before jarring it up.
One could so similar with a tube heater and stc1000 in a well insulated sealed shed.

I worked out it cost me £1.60 for 48hrs to heat my small fridge to a constant av of 39.5c , according to my watt metre the heaters are only on for 50% of the total time and the temp drop allowance is 3c.

 

[Az.]

Removing electric parts like controller, battery, wheel with hub motor and display and taking them home might be a good solution if bike is not used during winter.

To be honest I keep only batteries at home. Bikes are in the shed. So far I was lucky and all is OK, but I might regret being lazy at some point.

I was thinking of putting few silica bags on controller and wrapping it with cling film and then bubble wrap, but thinking was as far as I got lol