While your battery might not have full capacity when you’re riding on a brisk day, your battery is safe to use, charge, and store in the cold. If temperatures are below 32F, quality e-bike chargers (like Trek and Electra e-bike chargers) will not charge the battery to avoid damage. E-bike batteries perform best at room temperature (between 60°F to 80°F) but won’t be damaged in colder temps. If you have a removable e-bike battery, store it indoors if you’re concerned about it getting too cold.
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While after market e-bike components might fit or plug into your e-bike, they aren’t designed to work or communicate with your specific e-system. Trek and Electra use e-systems from suppliers that are designed both from a hardware and software side to work together safely. If you're curious about upgrading or changing e-system parts, we always recommend contacting us directly or visiting your local Trek and Electra dealer to discuss potential options.
Just like the cold, e-bike batteries can be used when it’s warm out. Warmer temps will not hurt or damage your battery when it’s in use or charging. However, batteries have an upper usage temperature of 120°F for charging and riding, so if your e-bike is sitting in the sun outdoors, make sure to wait until your battery is cool to charge or use before taking off. Your charger also won’t charge when the battery is over 113°F to protect it from damage.
Some non-Trek e-bike batteries that aren’t can overcharge and overheat when plugged in. Trek and Electra only partner with qualified and safety compliant e-system partners (Bosch, Hyena, and TQ) to provide safe hardware that is designed to not overcharge or overheat. That also includes software solutions within the battery and charger that communicate together to avoid damage to the system.
While this used to be true on older NiCad-style batteries, that is not true for newer lithium-ion e-bike batteries. For the best long-term battery health, we recommend topping off your battery charge often to keep you riding while getting the most out of your e-bike battery.
A charge cycle is defined as a full charge from 0 to 100%. If you regularly keep your electric bike battery completely charged, it only uses a partial charge cycle. For example: If you charge 20% of your battery every day, Monday through Friday (20% x 5 days = 100%). On Friday, you would have completed one charge cycle. This is more about the number of cumulative charges that add up to a 100%, rather than each time you charge your battery.
If you plan to store your battery for more than 30 days, we recommend storing it with a 40% to 60% charge. Leaving your e-bike battery stored at 100% for more than a year can cause you to lose approximately 20% of your battery capacity.
While electric bikes can get wet, never use a power washer to clean your bike or your e-bike. The high pressure can cause water damage to sensitive electric components, bearings, and lubricated parts.
The truth: E-bike components are tested and IPX 5 rated for use in wet weather safely. While you can remove your battery if you plan to put it on a bus or car rack (the battery connectors are sealed as well), it’s not something you have to do before every trip.
Like all batteries, you’ll lose a certain amount of capacity over time. The good news is that electric bike batteries are replaceable and recyclable at your local Trek retail store. That said, if you follow the recommendations above for maximum battery life, you’ll get plenty of ride time before you notice your battery losing capacity.
Not all lithium-ion batteries are made the same. At Trek and Electra, we only use UL compliant batteries that use both software and hardware systems to control battery temperatures and avoid overheating which can lead to fires.
Explore UL Compliance and SafetyWhile you can work on the mechanical components of your e-bike like a standard bicycle, DO NOT open your electric bike’s battery, motor, or controller. Not only are these parts sealed and designed to keep the components safe, but they are not meant to be serviced with standard tools. We always recommend taking your e-bike to your local Trek or Electra retailer for your e-bike and electric bike battery maintenance needs.
Though technically, nothing is stopping you from riding your e-bike throughout winter, many people choose to call it a day for the year and wait until spring to get back out on the road.
Not only are electric bikes more susceptible to things like water damage during the winter, but bike batteries can also lose capacity in colder weather, which can limit the distance you can ride.
Here are a handful of electric bike storage tips you may want to consider:
If you can’t keep the entire bike inside during winter, you should at least remove the battery and keep it somewhere at normal room temperature.
Many e-bike batteries contain a gel which can stiffen up in colder temperatures—meaning the battery isn’t able to take as much charge, thus hampering your bike’s overall performance.
So, if you’re not going to be riding for a while, the best thing to do is remove the battery and keep it inside.
You shouldn’t let your e-bike battery completely drain down, either, even when just in storage. If batteries are left to run out, power capacity can reduce over time. So, keep an eye on your battery levels throughout winter and try to keep the charge somewhere between 30-60%.
You’ll thank yourself come spring.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website sports power storage electric bike.
Obvious it may seem, it’s easy to fall into bad cleaning habits when not riding your bike regularly. That said, you should thoroughly clean your electric bike before putting it into storage for the winter.
Start by cleaning any dirt from the frame (avoiding jet washers) and wiping it down with a cloth to dry. Then, ensure the battery contact points are also clean and dry, as long periods exposed make them susceptible to corrosion. It’s also a good idea to apply a fresh coating of lube to the chain.
Your e-bike must be completely dry before it goes into storage. Excess water anywhere on the bike will accelerate rust and give you a nasty surprise a few months down the line.
Using a cover is another good electric bike storage tip, especially if you keep your bike outside.
Electric bike covers have many benefits, but perhaps most importantly—they protect your bike from the elements (such as torrential rain, heavy snow, or harsh sunlight) and deter potential thieves.
Even if you keep your e-bike inside during winter, a cover is still a useful piece of protective equipment to have. They can prevent a build-up of dust, scratches, and scuffs from other items you may also have with them in storage.
However, if you don’t feel the need to cover the entire bike, you can also get saddle-only covers (as pictured above).
We touched on this earlier, but regulating the room temperature is particularly important when storing your e-bike battery.
Even the slightest drop (or rise) in temperature can impact the performance of your battery long-term, so keeping an eye on the thermostat during winter is key.
The ideal temperature range for an electric bike battery is normally between 10-25˚c. You should try to avoid going any higher or lower than this.
Related: Best temperatures for electric bike battery storage, usage, and charging
Yes, we know that’s not strictly an electric bike pictured above—but you get the point.
Wall mounts can be a lifesaver for electric bike storage if you aren’t particularly blessed with space where you live.
Not only do they free up valuable space where it’s already limited, but wall mounts and racks can also help protect your bike from damage on the ground.
Available for use both indoors and out, they’re a good investment for winter. If that wasn’t enough, they also look pretty smart, too.
As well as the battery, you should also remove any other gadgets you might have on your e-bike if you’re storing it outside during winter.
Lights, GPS trackers, spare parts—you name it—these additional bits and pieces are usually worth quite a lot of money, and so make your e-bike more attractive to thieves when left in storage.
The best thing to do is remove them along with the battery and store them separately—especially if you aren’t using a cover.
Again, it might also sound obvious—but your e-bike should also be locked up in storage where possible. If your e-bike is not locked, you’ll face difficulties further down the line should you need to make a claim on your insurance.
No matter how savvy you are with electric bike storage this winter, you might also want to consider electric bike insurance as another layer of protection.
Are you interested in learning more about energy storage sports equipment? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!