It's important to regularly clean your e-bike to keep it in good working condition. Read our top 9 tips below to keeping your Mycle e-bike clean and properly maintained.
- Before you start. Secure your bike so you can access all around the bike and ensure your electronics are properly turned off. Leave your battery in place on the bike though to prevent any water entering the connecting elements. Always make sure any waterproof covers, such as charging and usb ports, are properly sealed and motor connectors are tightly done up.
- Treat your display like you would your mobile phone. Clean your display unit use a damp cloth and apply gentle pressure over the screen. Never submerge or wet your display to avoid water ingress and technical malfunctions
- Never use jet washers. Go old fashioned. Fill a bucket with warm water and add bike wash detergent of your choice. The power of jet washers can not only damage the bike cosmetically, but you are at risk of getting water in areas of the electrics that can cause more harm. Alternatively, there are waterless wash items on the market, just be careful not to get the spray into your electrics.
- Make light work of cleaning dirt with a bike specific detergent. Wet a large sponge in the bucket of water and bike detergent ringing out excess water. Start at the top of the bike to the bottom, and wipe away dust and dirt. Regularly rinse out the sponge (always remember to ring out excess water) so you don't spread dirt and grease onto clean areas.
- Pay special attention to your brakes. As you reach the lower part of the bike make sure you use a separate and clean cloth or sponge to clean your brakes. Cleaning your brakes should be done using a bicycle specific brake cleaner to dissolve and evaporate any oil or grease. Avoid getting any oil or grease on or near your brakes, including dirty water and touching the brake disc with your fingers, as even the smallest build up of oil or grease will negatively affect braking performance or lead to squeaking components.
- Don't forget to dry your bike. Use an old towel or clean cloth. This also prevents water accidently entering where it shouldn't, leaves your frame streak free and prevents rust.
- Use specific brushes for cleaning components properly, or improvise. To ensure the smooth running of your gears, make sure you thoroughly clean your cassette, derailleur and bike chain. You'll need to strip the grease from these parts, and the apply a fresh coating of lube to the chain. My favourite trick for cleaning between the teeth of your cassette is to tear strips of fabric in an old cotton t-shirt, and use them to in a left and right motion to get at the dirt between the sprockets.
- Use an e-bike chain lube. E-bike lube has been specially formulated to handle the additional strain that an eBike drivetrain has to contend with. Lubricate the chain following the instructions on the label.
- Combust that rust. Rust can really damage your bike, and coastal areas of the UK with high salt content in the air can accelerate how quickly parts might start to rust. It's important to regularly wipe down your bike to prevent rust in the first place, and a well maintained and properly stored bike shouldn't allow rust to build up. If you've brought second hand or have started to notice the build up of rust on your bike, we love this video from GCN Tech that shows how you can use household products to clean up any rust that might have built up.
We hope you enjoyed these tips, let us know how your bike cleaning goes and any other tips or tricks you've learnt along the way, in our Mycle E-bike Facebook Community Group! Read more about our Mycle pre-ride e-bike M Check.