Best Practices for Ebike Tires: Keep Your Wheels in Top Shape

Electric bikes have become increasingly popular among all kinds of people. Electric bikes are available for all types of riders, whether you're looking for something to commute on or something to ride leisurely. However, since electric bikes are mechanical in nature, some may wonder how to maintain them throughout the year.

It's much easier than you might think to maintain your bike, and it all starts with your tires. By keeping your ebike tires in top condition, you will not only avoid being stranded on the side of the road, but you will also prevent accidents and avoid paying for expensive repairs in the future.
Continue reading below to find out how to maintain your ebike tires so they will provide you with fun rides all year long.

6 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR EBIKES TIRES IN SHAPE

Some bikers prefer smooth, well-paved roads, while others prefer rough terrain. No matter what kind of ride you prefer, make sure that your ebike tires are good for whatever kind of ride you take. However, no matter what surface you ride your electric bike on, your tires will wear out over time just as they do on a vehicle.

You can help keep your tires in good shape by making sure they are properly inflated, but there are several other things you can do. We'll take a look at a few more ways to maintain your tires.

1. Check Tire Pressure

Making sure your ebike tire has adequate tire pressure is one of the most important things you can do to keep it in good condition. The right tire pressure makes riding your bike easy, smooth, and prevents flat tires.

There are too many electric bike riders who go weeks without inflating their tires. Although it may seem obvious, not regularly inflating your tires can have serious consequences. If you are a frequent cyclist, it is important to pump air into your tire every time you ride, or at least every week.

The wheel may feel stuck to the ground when the air is low, which is inconvenient in itself. Additionally, riding on a tire with low tire pressure will damage the rims and make you need to buy new wheels much sooner than you would have otherwise had to.

Although the exact tire pressure will differ based on your tire preference, most road tires require 80 to 130 psi, while mountain bike tires need approximately 25 to 35 psi and hybrid tires need 40 to 70 psi. Additionally, check the sidewall of the tire for the manufacturer's minimum and maximum psi recommendations.

You can easily check whether your tires are properly inflated by pinching the sides of the wheel. Your tire should feel solid when you do this. If you want to be completely safe, you can also purchase a pump that has a gauge display that tells you exactly how much air is in the tires.

2. Inspect Tires Regularly

Over time, a tire always leaks. Even though properly mounted tubeless tires and tires that use certain tubes leak less than others, air leaks out of every tire, from as little as a few psi units a week to dramatic drops that result in a flat tire overnight. In addition, the amount of air that leaks increases with tire pressure and as a result of external factors, such as lower temperatures and weather.

The best way to ensure your tires are always in good condition is to check their pressure before every ride. Creating a habit of daily check-ups and top-offs that works for you is the key. If you don't, your tire pressure is likely to be incorrect most of the time.

3. adjust PSI for Your Style of Riding

Tire pressure isn't something you can do once and forget about. As a result of a high tire pressure, hard tires bend less on a smooth road and produce a smaller contact patch. However, there is no trail that is completely smooth, so you'll have to experiment a bit to find the right psi, not only for your bike but also for your riding style.

There are several impacts that an overinflated tire can have on a rider, including loss of speed, change in handling, contact patch, grip, and riding comfort. Taking an Aventon Ebike as an example, on new pavement, each tire may have great traction and grip at 70 psi, but on rough roads, they may provide a faster ride at 60 psi. In wet weather, you may want to deflate each tire by 10 psi for better traction and grip.

As a mountain bike rider who prefers to ride on a trail, you should also remember that while your bike rides smoothly and has better traction and grip on the road at 40 psi, the traction and grip will feel better on a trail at 30 psi.

Another thing you need to avoid is using your bike for a ride it is not designed for. The tire pressure should be matched to the type of riding you plan to do that day, as well as the type of bike you have. A road bike is designed to be lighter and more aerodynamic for easier handling on flat surfaces, which means the tire type is not ideal for use in rugged terrain.

If you ride your bike too often on rough surfaces, your wheels and rims might be damaged and dented if you go off a curb with low pressure. To extend the life of your ebike tires, it's a good idea to physically inspect them on a daily basis. Ensure that the wheels run smoothly without sticking.

4. Don’t Over-inflate Your Ebike Tires

In terms of tire pressure, as briefly mentioned, more is not necessarily better. You should almost never over-inflate your tires when inflating them. The maximum tire pressure displayed on your ebike tires is usually too high for the average rider and does not take into account most of the variables that affect your tire pressure, such as your riding style and rider size.

For those who have recently switched to larger ebike tires or fat tires or are planning a ride on a rough road, you will want to lower your tire pressure. Even though rolling resistance increases with lower tire pressure, the greatest variations in rolling resistance are not the tire pressure itself but the tire you are using.

5. Experiment with Different Tire Pressures

Obviously, tire pressure is an important factor when it comes to maintaining each ebike tire. The tire pressure you choose will be determined by several factors, such as your ebike tire and riding style. It may take some time to figure out the right tire pressure for your riding style.

You can experiment with the right tire pressure for you and your ebike by slightly deflating the front and rear tires. Then go for a ride and take note of how you feel and how your ebike feels. If it doesn't feel right, adjust the tire pressure accordingly.

If the front wheel feels even the slightest bit squishy, add some more air. Regardless of the trail, the right tire pressure will give you a relaxed ride and a feeling of confidence.

Also remember that the ideal tire pressure can change based on the circumstances, the terrain, the weather, as well as when you change tire sizes or brands. When you discover the tire pressure that works best for you, keep a note of the number so that you can refer to it in the future.

6. Clean Tires Regularly

Ebike riders can also prolong the life of their tires by keeping them clean. You put your bike through a lot of work, whether you're a hard or casual rider. Every now and then, machinery that is responsible for a heavy workload needs to be cleaned.

You will be able to keep your tires in top shape for miles and miles if you clean them regularly. You only need a rag and a bucket of warm water. Remove all dirt particles stuck to the wheel by using a damp rag. Cleaning the rim of the wheel will help you easily find any rusty spots that might need to be lubricated. To remove mud stuck in the spokes, you can also use a wire brush. You should avoid using hoses to clean ebike tires since they can apply too much pressure, which may damage the wheel bearings. In addition, pressure washing can damage the electrical components of the ebike.

Additional Tips to Maintain Your Ebike Tires

Other elements that can cause tire damage should be considered when riding. Tires can be damaged by things like thorns, broken glass, and scrap metal.

The consistency of your brakes plays an important role in maintaining each tire. When coming to an unexpected stop, try not to skid on your tires. Your ebike tires will wear out much more quickly if you continuously stop quickly.

You might also consider using a backup gauge if you are using a floor pump to inflate your tire. There are some floor pump gauges that measure the pressure at the gauge, so they are measuring the pressure inside the pump rather than the tire, and the accuracy may be different.

HOW TO PROPERLY STORE EBIKE TIRES

When it comes to properly caring for your tires, make sure they are stored properly as well. Take a look at a few things you can do to keep each tire from degrading when they are stored.

Main Causes of Tire Degradation

When any tire is idle, and its components are not being used, the rubber slowly begins to oxidize and break down. It becomes rigid, brittle, and cracks as a result. Several other factors can also contribute to tire degradation.

An ebike's tire can be damaged by ultraviolet radiation, whether directly or indirectly.
Cold temperatures can also cause the rubber to expand. Continual expansion and contraction caused by excessively high or low temperatures can cause structural damage to tires.
Exposure to ozone also causes rubber to degrade prematurely. It can come from a variety of sources, such as electrical discharge and UV radiation.

Prepare Your Ebike Tire for Storage

To prepare your ebike for storage, start by cleaning its tires to remove any grass, dirt, or gravel that may have accumulated. Using a bucket of warm water and a rag is a great way to do this. Furthermore, while cleaning your tires, be sure to inspect them for excessive wear, cracks, or other signs of damage.

After you have cleaned your tires, make sure they are completely dry. When your ebike tires are completely dry, you can store them. To store ebike tires, the most common method is to place each one in an airtight plastic bag, such as a lawn or leaf bag, and seal it tightly with strong, durable tape.

Determine the Best Storage Location

Once the tires are ready for storage, you will need to determine where they will be kept. Tire experts and manufacturers suggest the same optimal storage conditions.

• No sunlight
• Low humidity
• In an area that is not prone to extreme heat or cold

In many cases, garages and attics are possible but will largely depend on your climate, as these areas are susceptible to potentially problematic temperatures for your ebike tires. Furthermore, if these places have any windows or vents, you might also inadvertently expose them to UV rays.

You can also store tires in the basement of your home, if possible. Make sure you keep your tires away from ozone-emitting devices such as motors, generators, furnaces, switches, pumps, and hot pipes if you choose this option.

Listed below are a few more ways to store your ebike when it is not in use.

• Stacking - It involves laying bike tires flat on their sides and separating them with cardboard pieces.
• Hanging - When ebike tires are stored in this manner, they are hung by their rims and slightly inflated to reduce tension and keep their shape.
• Re-Folding - Another method to consider at the end of the riding season is re-folding your tires. This can be accomplished by removing the rubber from the wheel, folding the rubber, and tying a rubber band or zip tie around it. You just need to figure out where you're going to store the rubber instead of the entire wheel.

One drawback of this method, however, is that some experts say that folding the rubber in this way might cause a structural breakdown of the rubber, which will in turn cause it to degrade even further over time. This option may not be appropriate if you plan to store your ebike tires for an extended period of time.

Add Protectant to All Tires

Lastly, before storing your ebike tires for the long haul, you will want to make sure they have some additional protection while in storage. Before storing your tires, you might want to consider spraying them with tire protectant. If you are planning on storing your ebike tires for an extended period of time and might not be storing them in an ideal location, then protectors are especially useful.

However, before purchasing a protectant, make sure you know what you are getting. Most experts and manufacturers recommend using protectants that don't contain hard chemicals.

Additional Storage Practices to Consider for Your Ebike

Once a week, if you have the time, give your ebike's tires a quick spin while it is in storage. Every other week is fine, too. By keeping things moving as they normally would, you prevent components from becoming stuck or rusted in place.

Additionally, when you are spinning your ebike tires, make sure they are spinning straight. It might be time to have your bike professionally inspected and serviced if you find anything strange. Even if you only do it once a year, it's worth spending the fees every now and then, so that you get the most out of your electric bike.