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Can Electric Bikes be Stored Outside?

March 9, 2023 By eBike Guru Leave a Comment

Pace 500 Step Through Angle Profile

Lots of things look good in a living room: Sofas, stereos, big screen TVs, coffee tables, artwork. What doesn’t look good in a living room? An e-bike. No matter how cool an e-bike is, they don’t enhance the look of a living room. They aren’t great in most other rooms, either. So unless someone has a garage that isn’t stuffed to the doors, the e-bike is likely to be stored outside.

Maybe we should have titled this piece what to do about storing an e-bike outside, because that’s what a great many people will do for reasons of necessity. The good news is, the answer is yes. That’s the simple answer, but it does come with a few qualifications, though none are difficult, or expensive.

Here’s some tips and tricks about storing your e-bike outside from the Best Electric Bikes crew:

The Risks of and Solutions to Storing an E-Bike Outside

There are a few different, obvious threats to storing an e-bike outside. It’s not a bad move, but it’s one that must be made with some care. We take on the biggest, most common threats, all of which can be solved with ease.

Risk: Theft

The first requirement for storing an e-bike outside is making sure it is safe and secure. To do that, someone must do more than lock their e-bike. Bike thieves will make off with anything that isn’t nailed down, if you’ll pardon the cliche, though that’s pretty nearly literally true.

Solution

It’s important to lock an e-bike to something. Be it a bike rack, a railing or fence. Bike shop staff often talk about bike locks as coming in two broad classes: those that keep honest people honest, and those that are intended to foil a bike thief. The latter is what is needed if an e-bike is left outside overnight. The German lock manufacturer Abus grades their locks according to their invincibility. The words “outside” and “overnight” are all a good shop employee needs to hear to recommend the right lock.

Risk: Battery Damage

Next, after locking an e-bike up, it’s important to make sure that the battery is protected. While the connectors are made to provide adequate protection from riding the e-bike in rain or through puddles, but leaving it outside invites corrosion and long-term exposure to ultraviolet light can cause the battery case to crack.

Solution

Bring the battery indoors. The lithium-ion batteries spec’d on e-bikes are happiest when stored at room temperature. While the batteries can operate from freezing temperatures to summer scorchers, when being stored and/or charged, they are happiest at temperatures most folks warm or cool their homes to. Most people will keep the charger indoors, so taking the battery in makes sense. Also, leaving charging batteries unattended isn’t the best idea unless the charger is on a timer.

Also, some manufacturers make covers to place over the battery contacts on the e-bike. That is, a cover like the one above, fits over the contacts to protect them from damage. Bosch offers a battery terminal protector, shown above, for e-bikes using their batteries; Rad Power Bikes makes two battery terminal covers, one for external batteries and another for internal batteries.

Risk: Elements

The next most important factor in taking care of an e-bike is protecting it from all the weather may bring. Storing it on a covered patio or an overhanging roof works well, but a windy storm can still bathe an e-bike in rain water.

  • Rain: If an e-bike is left outside in a rain shower, it may need to be washed off afterward, especially in places like the South, where it might end up coated in pollen. Simply letting a hose run over the e-bike is okay; riders should take care not to direct a jet of water at the bearings or electric components. Whether the bike needs a wash or not, the chain will likely need a fresh coating of chain lube.
  • UV Radiation: Sunny days may be the stuff of great rides, but UV radiation is no kinder to e-bikes than it is to our skin. The list of issues that can arise from leaving an e-bike out in the sun are numerous. Here are the big ones: Tires can crack and go flat. The saddle can dry out and crack, same for the grips. The display’s housing can warp and/or crack. The paint can fade. Perhaps worst of all is that the shielding for the wiring can dry out and crack, which could compromise the e-bike.
  • Corrosion: Once the battery is removed from an e-bike, that leaves connectors exposed to the air. In addition to concerns for rain and wind, people who live near the coasts need to take care to prevent the salt air from corroding the electrical components.

Solution

A covered overhang, porch or patio is a good start, but it’s not enough. Many e-bike manufacturers make e-bike covers for those who store their ride outside. Motorcycle covers often can be locked to the machine and to something else, adding an extra layer of protection. Plus, they are generally more durable, as well as easier to put on because they are roomier.

Conclusion: Protection isn’t hard

Riders who need to store their e-bike outside don’t need to take difficult or expensive steps to store their e-bike outside and ensure its safety. A good lock and a cover will give most riders the security they need.

And should a nasty storm come through, the sort that flips picnic tables and puts patio furniture in the pool, pulling an e-bike inside for one night is a reasonable action.

A bit of care will keep that e-bike working for years to come.

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