Yes, the winter season can destroy your ebike if you don’t take care of it. Riders have reported that they do face issues with their ebike in winter, especially with the battery and the worst part for daily ebike commuters is this season lasts about 5-6 months in the majority of regions.

In this article, every precaution, tips and suggestions are valid till -20°C or -4°F. Why I’m saying there are multiple reasons which you will get to know after reading this blog post.

TBH, I don’t wanna waste your time and make this article straight to the point. BTW winter doesn’t mean you have to stop riding your bike. So no more excuses, let’s ride the ebike.

Is It Bad to Bike in Snow?

No, I have seen people riding their bikes in the snow, but it depends on how you ride and where you will ride. Yes, biking in snow is a bit challenging but if you do preparation in a well-mannered form then riding in snow is not bad at all.

Well, honestly I don’t prefer riding a two-wheeler in winter, for me it’s really difficult (I’m lazy 😅) to go out and do cycling at 0 degrees or near about temperature. Just to clear out the things I do ride in winter here are some pros and cons according to my experiences.

Tips to Ride E-Bike Safely in Snow

Now, if you wanna go out for biking after reading all this, here are some tips on how to ride ebike on snow.

Geared Up Properly

Wear 2-3 layers of clothes like warmers, jackets and all but remember do not overdress always wear 1 layer less than usual because while riding you will get warm and sweat after a few minutes. You just have to warm your core body that it.

After dressing, wear a helmet, gloves, and your winter shoes. There are a lot more ebike winter accessories out in the market but I don’t feel those are worth buying.

Check Tire Pressure

Lower tire pressure helps a lot to get traction and many people know this but they don’t do. I just want to say try it you will get to know the difference.

Clean your Bike

After every ride, you need to clean with water to remove slats and moisture from your ebike so it stays corrosion and rust-free. Add oil to the chains, gears and places where oil is needed.

Plan Safe Route

It is one of the important things that you should take care of. In winter whenever you plan to go outside, just check the routes on Google map plus use your local knowledge, which area will be dangerous to travel on bike on snowy days. This will save you time and decrease the chances of accidents.

Adjust Your Riding Technique

Yes, it is important to understand that there is a different style to ride an ebike on an icy surface.

• Go straight, no crossing the path
• Don’t use front brakes, use rear brakes more and stop pedalling 100m before your stop.
• Less speed and take wide turns.
• Always stay focused and hold tight to your handlebar.
• Squeeze your butt as it will help you to have more control over the bike movement.

Use Studded Tires or Fat Tires

Studded and fat tires are the best ones. Studded tires are best for icy surfaces and fat tires do well on snow. Well if you have any of these you are good to go but if you haven’t then you probably face some issues.

FAQs

Q1. Are studded tires necessary for winter e-bike riding?

Ans. No, not necessarily studded tires are required in the winter season. It just gives extra traction on the icy surface but having it is always a plus point.

Q2. Do extreme winter damage my ebike’s battery?

Ans. Yes, extreme winter may likely damage your battery as it has some chemical energy inside it but the good part with ebike battery is they don’t get affected till 0°C or 32°F. Below the freezing point, the battery starts discharging soon, not able to provide an actual range.

What are the Precautions?

• Avoid discharging the battery fully, keep 20-30% charge.
• Always Charge the battery at room temperature.
• Cover the battery with a thermal cover whenever you ride or leave your bike outside.
• Remove the battery from the bike and take it inside, if possible.

Q3. How to avoid E-Bike slipping on ice?

Ans. First of all, stop using front brakes alone though it control 75% of the braking power and using front brakes more causes the majority of accidents. Use both brakes slowly slowly, no sharp turns, try to maintain a steady straight path and gently reduce speed.

Q4. Can you ride an E-Bike in the Snow?

Ans. Yes, you can ride an ebike in snow but I personally feel it’s not a good idea to ride it in heavy snow (especially in countries like Canada & USA) as it may cause damage to your ebike and there are high chances that you gonna meet with an accident if you don’t ride properly. Rest is your choice.

Q5. How to ride on ice if I don’t have studded or fat tires?

Ans. Here is a Pro tip on how to ride an ebike that doesn’t have studded or fat tires.

Step-by-step Guide:

• Go straight (do not cross paths)
• Don’t hit brakes
• Clinch your butt
• Hold your handle tight and keep pedalling you will be able to do it.

My Opinion

In my opinion, if heavy snowfall has been done or it’s chilling weather outside then you should not go outside until and unless it’s not important. The reason behind this is that slats + melted snow (water) on the water road will cause corrosion, and your bike can slip if you don’t ride with the right technique.

Now, if you have made up your mind to ride then be careful, ride at a slow speed, dress properly & adjust your riding style. And yes, don’t forget to do the cleaning of your bike after every ride as it will long last the life span of the bike. One last thing that I want to say is groovy fat tires work great in snow and studded tires are best for icy tracks.

Overall it’s your choice, I have given my point of view plus common issues with it’s solutions. I hope you liked this article. Any suggestion would be highly appreciated.

BTW do let me know in the comments if would you prefer to go outside and ride an ebike?

Thank you!