Selecting a battery for your electric bike is one of the most important components to pay attention when you’re in the market for a new ride.
A good battery effectively determines the efficiency and distance you can cover on a single ride, but also impacts the charge time, bicycle weight and total battery life.
If you already own an electric bike or plan to buy one, you can prolong the life of your battery by keeping it in good condition.
Here’s a few basic but important tips you can follow:
Charge and Store at Room Temperatures
The battery's optimal operating temperature is room temperature, so it’s best to store the batteries indoors in cool weather and avoid storing them in direct sunlight.
High temperatures and frost are two of the easiest ways for your battery to degrade overtime. If you live and/or tend to ride in a range of temperatures, you can purchase a protective battery cover or purchase a bike with an integrated battery.
In general, you can remember that high temperatures are hard on batteries, reducing their longevity while low temperatures reduce performance.
Avoid Overcharging
Batteries will damage if they are regularly overcharged or over discharged. First, ensure that you have the right charger and that it works correctly.
Next, plug your battery into the charger and let it charge up to 80 or 90% to get the maximum cycle life. (RIDEL bikes typically take between 2-3 hours to charge).
Your charger will indicate once your battery has been fully charged, and it’s best to disconnect immediately.
Use a timer to remind you to take the battery off of the charger. Repeatedly leaving your e-bike charging for long periods of time can speed up the battery wear.
Plan for Long-Term Storage
Don’t just leave your electric bike battery charging for long periods of time — if you do, the battery will discharge at around 95% capacity.
A cycle of minor discharges, then topping off, creates poor charging cycles.
If you don’t plan to ride your bike for a while, then it’s good to take additional precautions to protect your battery.
You can store your bike at about 80% charge to reduce the loss of capacity over time in a cool, safe space. If possible, you can further protect your battery by giving it a short charge every 5-10 weeks.
Wait Before Charging
The battery should cool down before charging, so if possible, avoid charging the battery immediately after riding.
If you charge a heated battery, it might not be able to cool down, leading to degradation overtime.
Winter Battery Care
It’s quite easy to store the battery during winter — simply switch off the battery and leave the charge at 50-80% in a cool place. It’s best to store the battery outside of the e-bike to prevent unwanted activation.
The battery of an electric bike is typically 1/3 the value of the entire bike — so it’s important to find the right one for you and take care of it.
