Last Updated on May 17, 2023 by Matt
If you plan on storing your electric bike for the winter or for an extended period, it’s essential you know the proper way to store it. Improper storage can lead to reduced battery life, corrosion, and a decrease in your electric bike’s performance.
Storing an ebike isn’t as easy as storing a traditional bicycle. I’ve had to store my e-bike for long periods several times now, so I’ve created this checklist that you can follow when you want to put your ebike away for some time. It covers all the steps required to store an electric bike properly.
How To Store An Electric Bike – complete checklist
- Perform a brief maintenance check before storing your electric bike, and avoid storing it with defects.
- Before storing, clean your bike and dry it thoroughly to prevent any damage from water or dust.
- Lubricate your e-bike
- Charge the battery to around 50%. Maintain this capacity throughout the storage period to avoid complete discharge.
- Optionally, if the battery is removable, it is advisable to remove it and store it separately for easier maintenance.
- Optionally, install the needed rack, stand, or hook to hang it on.
- Find a dry room where you want to store the electric bike.
- Lock the bike using a chain lock or U-lock.
- If you still keep the original packaging of your e-bike (box and protective covers), you can use them for storage as well.
- Wrap the bike in a waterproof cover.
- Occasionally check your e-bike for any signs of damage or other issues.
Preparing your electric bike for storage
You can’t just throw your electric bike in the shed like you would with your conventional bike. To make sure your ebike is in great condition throughout the period of non-use, it’s important you follow these steps.
Do a maintenance check
Before you store an electric bike, it’s a good idea to conduct one last maintenance check to see if everything is working right. This way, when you decide to take your electric bike out of storage, it will be in perfect working condition.
Check the tire pressures of your electric bike and, if needed, inflate them to the recommended pressure.
Make sure the brakes are working right and that the bike has no physical damage that requires repairing.
Clean it thoroughly
Never store an electric bike without cleaning it first. Cleaning your electric bike will get rid of any residue dirt from your last ride. If you skip this step, the leftover dirt could enter the bike’s internal components while in storage. So, cleaning the bike will prevent damage and increase its lifespan.
To clean your bike, first, make sure the battery is off, and all ports are covered. Then, wipe down the frame with a wet rag and light soap. Don’t use any harsh scrub sponges or chemicals. You can also use a water spray to clean the bike, but be careful around the motor and other electronic components.
Avoid hosing down your bike with a pressure spray. It might cause significant damage by forcing water and dirt into the electronic components. Clean the electric bike’s tires with a soft-bristled brush, and thoroughly clean the rims.
After you’re done cleaning, wipe everything dry using a microfiber cloth. Make sure you wipe around the bolts and near the electrical connections, as those parts are the most vulnerable to corrosion.
To clean the ebike battery, remove it from its compartment and wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth. Make sure to clean any dirt around the terminals and charging port.
Lubricate the moving parts to prevent corrosion
When you store an electric bike, the mechanical parts can become dry and, therefore, susceptible to damage. It’s generally a good idea to lubricate the moving parts of your electric bike, such as the chain, pedals, brake levers, derailleur, etc.
The lubricant will serve as a protective barrier against the moisture and dirt in the atmosphere.
Applying a thin layer of lubricant on these parts will save you the costs of repairing or replacing them after you take the bike out of storage.
Don’t lubricate the brake pads, rotors, or rims because that will compromise the ebike’s braking performance and safety.
Charge the battery to around 50% and keep it at that level
When storing your electric bike for an extended period, its battery will be the component that suffers most from non-use.
When storing your battery, ensure it’s around 50% charged. Lithium-ion batteries tend to decrease in capacity even when they aren’t used. Store the battery somewhere you can regularly check its capacity. If the battery goes under 20%, charge it to avoid complete discharge.
If the battery completely discharges, its degradation speed can increase, reducing its lifespan.
If the battery is removable – remove it
If your electric bike has a removable battery, I recommend taking it off of the bike and storing it in a cool and dry place. That way, if something goes wrong with the battery, such as it catching fire, it won’t damage the rest of the bike. Also, it will be easier for you to keep an eye on it and recharge it occasionally.
Install a bike rack, stand, or hook (optional)
If you’re low on space, or you have no convenient place where you can store your e-bike in a stable manner, a bike rack or a stand or a hanging hook might be great ideas.
They are fairly cheap solutions, they are pretty easy to install and use, and they will increase your bike’s safety in storage by protecting it from falling while also potentially saving you some space.
Store it in a dry room
The ideal place to store your electric bike will be a safe, dry room at room temperature.
Secure your electric bike
Electric bike theft is a serious problem. According to the NL Times, 4,500 electric bike batteries were stolen in the Netherlands last year, which is a huge number for a rather small country such as the Netherlands.
So, if you plan to store your electric bike outside the house in a shed or garage, taking some anti-theft security measures is a good idea.
If the thief isn’t motivated enough or doesn’t have the right tools to break the locks, they’ll most likely decide the risk isn’t worth it and move on.
I have found the following measures to be pretty effective in securing my electric bike:
- A U-Lock is sturdy and difficult to cut. The lock has a U-shaped shackle that fits around the ebike’s frame with a mechanism to lock the shackle in place.
- A chain lock is a chain with locking mechanisms on both ends. The flexible chain can be used to tie your electric bike to a pole, rack, or any other cemented object.
- Electric bike lock alarms have sensors to detect tampering with the lock. The sensors trigger an alarm that will not only alert you but may also chase the thief away and raise attention from people around.
- An ebike battery GPS tracker is a solid backup plan if your ebike gets stolen with the battery still attached. It’s how the police found my friend’s stolen electric bike.
No locks are completely foolproof, so it’s always smart to use multiple locks to secure your electric bike.
Use the original covers and packaging (optional)
If you still keep the original box the scooter arrived in, use it for storage. The same applies to other protective layers and materials from the packaging such as nylons or styrofoam. Those materials have been designed to protect the scooter during transport, and they’ll do a great job of protecting it during storage as well.
Use a waterproof cover
No matter where you store an electric bike, you won’t be able to escape the dust. Dust accumulation anywhere near the internal components can damage them. So a waterproof cover is your best bet.
Not only will it protect your bike from dust, but it will also prevent any of the atmosphere’s moisture from reaching the bike.
Occasionally check your e-bike for damages
It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your electric bike even while in storage. Humidity or debris might still find their way to it and cause irreparable damage.
Where to store your electric bike?
Preferably, store your electric bike in a clean and dry place in your house at room temperature. This can be a storage closet, garage, or any other room in the house. You’ll be able to check on the bike whenever you want, and it’s the safest option against thefts.
If you can’t store your electric bike indoors, you can try an outdoor shed (if you have one). However, storing the bike in a shed has its own disadvantages. A shed is an easy target for thieves, so you’ll need to double up on the locks for both the bike and the shed.
If you live somewhere with frequent rain, it’s easy for a shed to become humid, which is the ultimate nightmare for an ebike owner. In extreme weather conditions, the shed won’t do much to protect your bike from damage.
Damp-proofing your shed and using a dehumidifier can help mitigate these problems.
If you have no space in your house, you could always rent a storage space to store your electric bike. However, this is the least recommended option because you won’t have easy access to your bike. Making regular trips to the storage location to check on your bike and paying storage rent won’t be fun either.
Still, some kind of roof is better than none.
Ebike storage solutions
One of the main reasons you might consider storing an electric bike in a shed or rented space is if you have no room in your house or apartment. If you have just one electric bike, I’m sure you can make some space for it in your home using these storage solutions:
- An e-bike storage rack is great for storing your bike in a garage. A horizontal rack may not do much for saving space, but vertical racks and ceiling racks will definitely do the trick.
- Wall-mounted hooks are another way to hang your electric bike to save space and work best for apartments and condos. These hooks can be mounted to any wall or ceiling in your home to hang your bike vertically or horizontally, whichever takes less space.
- Electric bike lifts can be awesome if you really want to get creative with your bike’s storage. It looks pretty cool and usually involves a pulley to hang your electric bike.
Can you store an electric bike outside?
Storing your electric bike outside without any kind of roof can’t really work for long-term storage. The bike may not look the best with your living room decor, but it’s too risky to store it outside.
For starters, storing your bike outside will make it visible for everyone to see. This includes children and teens that might find the bike cool and may try to get a closer look, let alone actors with worse intentions.
If you don’t use a proper cover for the electric bike, dust and debris will accumulate in the internal components leading to a maintenance nightmare and expensive repair costs.
The bike won’t be safe from extreme weather conditions either and will suffer damage from being subjected to UV radiation, storms, snow, etc.
One of the major risks with this setup will be vandals and thieves. I left my bike outside the grocery store once and returned to find that its frame had been keyed. No matter how many security measures you take, an electric bike kept outside will never be fully secure.
How to store an electric bike for the winter?
Most riders put their bikes away for the winter to avoid accidents from the slippery roads. The way to store your electric bike for the winter is similar to how you’d store it for any other extended period. The only major factor to consider is the temperature.
The best place to store your electric bike in the winter is indoors, where you can control the temperature with a thermostat. An extremely low temperature can decrease the lifespan of the electrical components of your bike.
However, if you can’t store the whole bike in your house/apartment, at least save the battery by removing it from the bike and storing it indoors. Most electric bikes come with lithium-ion batteries, which should be stored between the temperature range of -4°F and 140°F (−20 °C and 60 °C). Storing them in any temperature outside of this range can cause irreversible damage.
Regular checks during storage
Once you’ve stored your electric bike away, the work doesn’t end there. Regularly check your bike for any issues that may have arisen during the storage. If you store your bike properly, the chances of finding a major problem are slim. The check won’t take too long, either.
However, if you do find something like corrosion, low tire pressure, low battery, etc., catching the problem early will save you from major damage in the long run.
How to take your electric bike out of storage?
When you can’t go on anymore without riding your bike, take it out of storage and follow these steps:
- Check the ebike battery’s capacity and charge it completely.
- Go through all the bike’s buttons and lights to make sure they work.
- Inspect the bike’s electrical and mechanical components for any signs of physical damage, corrosion, or rust.
- Tires can lose pressure when they are stored for an extended period. Check if your bike’s tires have the recommended pressure and inflate them if needed.
- Lubricate the moving parts of your electric bike, e.g., the chain, pedals, derailleurs, etc., so your ride goes smoothly.
- Check if the brakes work correctly before riding the electric bike to avoid any mishaps.
- After thoroughly inspecting the bike, test drive it to judge its overall performance. If you feel a significant decrease in performance compared to when you stored the bike, get it checked by a professional.
If you store it right, your e-bike will likely pass every check, and you’ll have it back on the road in no time.
