The Best Tips for Storing An Electric Bike

Many people get to enjoy riding their e-bikes, whether it’s casually riding around the town or going for a more extreme ride through woods at top speeds. Or perhaps using an e-bike to get to work quickly.

Whatever the primary purpose of your electric bike is, finding a proper storage place for it – and preparing the bike for storage – is very important.

E-bikes, if not stored correctly, can endure some permanent damage. However, when I started keeping my e-bike with the correct solution for my situation, my bike maintained its pristine condition. 

So, how can you properly store your electric bike?

As a general rule, electric bicycles are best stored in a dry and cool environment, away from weather changes or any moisture. Store your electric bike between 0 and 20 degrees Celsius. Store the battery of your e-bike separately from the bike itself - only with half a charge.

Now that we covered general guidelines for storing an e-bike, you might still wonder what storage method is best for your electric bike and its battery. Keep reading to find out!

Just like most expensive gadgets, electric bikes should be stored away from the elements, in a cool and dry environment. The details for storing your bike can vary based on the climate in which you live, the type of your e-bike as well as its weight.

E-bikes can last very long if correctly maintained and stored. Electric bikes may only remain in their working condition for only couple of years if you neglect the basic rules of maintenance and storage.

Keeping your e-bike clean and safe while storing it will require some planning. Incorrectly storing your bike can damage the battery, the motor, or the frame over time. Damage to any of these components can cost quite a bit in repairs or replacements.

Some things to take into consideration before you store your electric bike for any amount of time:

• Weather exposure

• E-bike weight

• Cleanliness of the storage environment

• Battery level

Storing An Electric Bike In A Garage

There are four ways to store your e-bike in your garage: 

• On a floor rack

• With a waterproof cover

• On a wall mount 

• With a ceiling pulley

The method you select will depend on how spacious your garage is and the conditions within your garage.

Floor Rack

There’s probably enough room to store your e-bike on the ground using a floor rack if you have a one-car garage. If you want to use a floor rack in your garage, make sure nothing obstructs your floor rack in the surrounding area, so you can come and go with your electric bike. 

When long-term storing your e-bike in your garage using a floor rack, ensure nothing dangerous could fall onto your bike.

Waterproof Cover

If you work with wood or any materials that can cause an excess of debris, it’s in your best interest to get a cover for your e-bike to protect it from any particles that can enter its components. Other than that, a garage should keep your bike safe and dry from any inclement weather. 

Hanging

If you have a two-car garage, you might want to hang your bike either utilizing a wall mount or a ceiling pulley. Sometimes, space in a two-car garage can get rather tight, especially if you park both cars inside. To save you some of that floor space, you should consider keeping your e-bike off the floor.

If your e-bike is between 60 and 100 pounds, it’s probably best to use a ceiling pulley, as long as it doesn’t hang over your car. You should also take the type of garage you have into consideration. For instance, if you have a tilt-up retractable garage, there’s a chance you won’t have enough space on the ceiling for your electric bicycle.

If you can’t hang your bike from the ceiling, a wall mount is a great choice, too. You’ll want to ensure that you can still move about the garage with your e-bike mounted, as it’ll protrude around four feet from the wall.

Storing An Electric Bike In An Apartment

There are a few ways to store your electric bike in your apartment: 

Storing An Electric Bike In A Shed

There are two ways to store an electric bike in a shed: on the ground or vertically. The method you select to store your e-bike in a shed will be based on how much space you have in the shed and the material of your shed.

Storing An E-Bike On The Shed’s Floor

If your e-bike is the only thing you’re storing in your shed, it’s perfectly safe to leave it free-standing. So long as your shed is leak-proof and you double-check that the door of the shed is properly shut when you close it, your bike will be safe.

However, if you are storing several bikes in your shed, it would be in your best interest to get a floor rack. A floor rack will guarantee that each bike is stable in its position so you won’t have to worry about a domino effect.

Vertically Storing An E-Bike In A Shed

There are two ways to vertically store your e-bike in a shed: with a wall mount or a ceiling pulley.

If you choose a wall mount as a way to store your bike in your shed, there are a few things you should be aware of first. Wall mounts can’t be used for electric ikes weighing over 65 pounds, because that’s the weight limit on the majority of wall mounts. 

Also, before buying a wall mount to hang your e-bike in your shed, consider the material out of which your shed is constructed.

The types of materials for sheds best suited for hanging your bike with a wall mount are:

• Wooden

• Brick

• Metal

These materials are the best since you can easily attach the wall mount and are strong enough to ensure your electric bicycle won’t fall off the mount.

On the other hand, ceiling pulleys can be used to store e-bikes that weigh up to 100 pounds. However, depending on the shed’s height, you should consider the minimal risk that your e-bike may fall. 

Even though it’s nearly guaranteed by ceiling pulley companies that your electric bike won’t fall, you should always be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Therefore, focus on the stuff that will be below your hanging e-bike.

How Should You Store E-Bike Battery

E-bike batteries should always be stored separately from the bike itself. This is done to ensure that the battery is safe from dirt or wetness. For instance, if you store your e-bike outside with a waterproof cover or in a shed, and the weather outside is going to be cold while you store your bike, you need to disconnect the battery from your bike.

It’s important to store your e-bike battery with some charge, but never fully charged and you should never store it while charging. Storing the battery at 100% charge, 0% charge, or on the charger for an extended period of time can harm the battery causing it to not keep a charge for as long as it should. 

In addition, you should store your electric bike battery indoors at room temperature to ensure that dirt, debris, or moisture don’t travel into the battery’s mechanisms.

Cleaning Your Electric Bike Before Storage

The dirt and debris your e-bike pick up during a ride can ruin the mechanics and components, if not correctly handled. Are you storing your e-bike for the season, or for a longer period of time? Either way, you should give it a thorough wash (and dry) before storing it away.

When you clean your electric bike, take your time and be thorough. Grease your bike’s chain and polish all of the chrome. Next time you pull your electric bike out of storage, you will be glad that you cleaned it up.