Even though Pedego electric bikes are designed to handle most Canadian weather, there are those who’d prefer not to Prepare an Electric Bike For Winter Riding and would rather put it into storage from December to March.

If you fall into this category please note there are certain things you need to do in order to prepare your bike for winter storage. It’s not enough to just put it in the shed or garage and forget about it for four months as this’ll eventually cause unnecessary wear on your frame and your battery.

Here are three tips for winter storage.:

#1. Clean Your Bike Before Putting It Away

It’s important to regularly clean your electric bike by following the steps laid out in our How to Clean Your Electric Bike blog. This is especially true when preparing your electric bike for winter storage because any residue salt and/or water can cause metal parts to corrode.

Take a damp cloth and wipe down the frame, dry the chain and gear components and lube the chain with a bicycle-specific lubricant as this’ll prevent rust. Don’t use WD-40 or another household lubricant as they tend to attract dirt and grit.

Likewise, if you plan on storing your bike in an outside shed, it’s a good idea to spray a rust preventative such as Rust Check on the spoke nipples, where the spokes meet the wheel, as well as on exposed metal.

#2. Store Your Battery Partially Charged

As with any other time of year, it’s important to take care of your battery in winter. According to the tips outlined in our 3 Ways to Prolong the Life of Your Battery, the ideal storage charge for the battery is somewhere between about 80 and 40 per cent. Some chargers have a lower ‘storage’ voltage setting, so just switch to this before charging it for storage.

An easy alternative is to take the bike for a ride after you’ve charged it fully and before storing. Do not to put your battery away flat, as it may not be recoverable in spring or at 100 per cent because it will reduce the life of the battery.

You should check your battery every couple of months over winter. If you notice that the battery indicator has dropped too low, you can give it a quick charge to bring it back to the ideal storage voltage. This is unlikely to be needed if the battery was at 40 per cent or above. If you don’t have a battery indicator, it’s probably a good idea to charge the battery for half an hour every few months.

#2. Store Your Battery In Optimal Temperatures

It’s especially important to keep your battery at temperatures between 10 and 20°C as high heat or extreme cold will lessen its lifespan. The worst conditions for your battery would be keeping it fully charged at elevated temperatures – in a hot car or next to a portable heater. It is also important to guard against cold with your ebike battery. Ensure your battery is above freezing before charging, otherwise you could harm the cells. This is because lithium ions in the e-bike batteries float in a liquid electrolyte which can freeze.

#4. Store Your Electric Bike in a Dry Place

Although your Pedego electric bike is weather-proof, it’s a good idea to store it in a dry place such as a basement, garage or shed so it’s out of the elements.