Can you safely hang up an electric bike by its front wheel?

   Electric bikes are fashionable and trendy. Demand for it has increased, leading to many brands and different qualities of bikes, leading it to high prices. When you purchase a costly electric bike, it cannot stay outdoors as its parts are costly too. With the many cases of battery stealing, you must be careful where you store your electric bike. Everyone does not own a garage or shed, so it has to go indoors.

  Keeping your electric bike inside the house can be disturbing as it would take up a lot of space. Manufacturers are designing foldable electric bikes, which you can store in a corner that won’t take up lots of space. But what can you do with the electric bike with the standard model? You can hang it up, of course.

  Hanging your electric bike on the wall will solve the problem of storing your electric bike. A regular bike is more accessible to hang on the wall than a mountain bike due to its weight. With the strong hook nailed into the wall securely, you can mount the electric bike on the wall. Depending on the type of electric bike, methods of hanging the bike vary. And every electric bike is designed differently, so knowing the best way to store it on a wall is a must before hanging it up.

 Mainly, electric bikes are designed with motors and gadgets connecting the front wheel. While hanging the front wheel on the wall, chances are the moving parts will wear or tear. It is a better option to hang it by the rear wheel.

There is no best way to hang the electric bike; you can choose to hang your electric bike by the front wheel or the rear wheel, depending on the model of the electric bike.

Reasons why hanging by the front wheel is not the right choice:

   There are electric bikes whose design lets them hang by the front wheel, rear wheel or not to be hung. Depending on the type of model, the weight, proportion of the electric bike, you can decide to hang it by the rear wheel or the front wheel. Here are the reasons why hanging an electric bike by the front wheel is not a good idea:

Difficult to hang –The front wheel is attached to the motor, handlebar, and most moving parts. The handlebar moving to and fro while the front wheel is all wobbly makes it a hard choice. The handlebar will have smacked everyone on the faces of people who tried this hanging method.

It won’t trouble you when hanging by the rear wheel as it is not connected to any moving parts. Getting hit by the handlebar on your face is not possible. 

• Moves around –

The bike’s front wheel is detached from the rear wheel and moves around. It has chances of moving around and smashing other vehicles’ parts or other objects in the vicinity. 

As opposed to the front wheel, the rear wheel is fixed and stable. It won’t turn around when you hang by it and smack other things around.

• Wearing of the parts–

The fork and the headset connect the front wheel and have small parts inside. By hanging the electric bike by the front wheel, you may damage them. 

Though the rear wheel is a solid and fixed piece, hanging by won’t affect the electric bike’s performance.

   Every electric bike’s design is different, and check with the manufacturer which wheel is the best idea to hang up your electric bike.

Situations where you can hang by the front wheel:

   From the design of the electric bike and its style, hanging by the rear wheel is the better choice. But there can be situations where you can hang by the front wheel:

• The rear wheel on the ground –

If you want to hang your electric bike by the front wheel, you can adjust the hook on the wall by lowering it so that the rear wheel is on the ground. It will be an effortless way of hanging the electric bike. All you have to do is, sweep your bike onto its rear wheel and hang it on the hook. This method of hanging saves more space and does not move around a lot shaking all over.

• Multiple bikes hanging –

If you are hanging more than one bike, you can choose to hang the front and rear wheels alternatively. This way, you can hang all the bikes closer than you would when hanging only the rear side. 

Why are hanging bikes a good idea?

   The main problem many faces after purchasing their costly electric bike is where to store it. Many don’t own a garage or shed to park them for the night. Taking it indoors is the only option for many, and this is also a problem due to space issues. You can hang the bike with the hook on the wall without taking up more ground space. In a house where all the kids own a bike, it can be of help to store without taking up the whole foyer. 

 Horizontal parking takes up more ground space, and all bikes leaning on one another can create dents on the bike. And taking a bike out of the cluster will cause other bikes to fall. Taking a bike out of the back will be tough. The floor-mounted bike rack can solve a few of these problems, but electric bikes with narrow tires will not stay fixedly on them, and electric bikes with fat tires will not fit in. This method of parking takes up more ground floor.  

The vertical parking is much better than floor mounted bike rack. Due to the storing issue, even repair shops have taken up vertical parking. It is not expensive, and in a whole rack, you can store up as many as it can hold without scratching on other bikes. You can hang the lightweight bikes on the ceiling as it is easier to carry and clear the floor space. 

If you vertical park your bikes touching the ground, as many bikes as 4 to 5 will take up the space of 1 bike’s horizontal parking space. The wall space is almost useless; by vertical parking, you are using up that space. It does not cause all the other bikes to crash on the ground if you take one or lean onto one another and scratches other bikes.

Here are a few tips for hanging your bike securely. 

   Now that we know the right way to hang your electric bike is by the rear wheel and the front wheel, if you can adjust accordingly, we can move on to ways to securely store it in the wall. You may still be doing it wrong with the rear side hanging. And by hanging it without care, you may damage the electric bike and its parts. It is essential to know the safe way of hanging, and here are some tips for hanging your bike securely:

• Strong hook installment –

When you fix the hook, ensure it is fixed securely into the wall. Or, if the hook is dangling, make sure the object the hook is hanging is strong enough to hold your electric bike.

If you do not fix the hook securely, or the solid object the hook is hanging is not firm, your electric bike will crash onto the ground. No matter which wheel you choose, always ensure the hook is fitted firmly onto the wall or the object every time you hang your electric bike.

• Gently hang the bike –

After confirming the attached hook is strong enough to bear the weight of your electric bike, you can hang the bike on the hook. Be gentle when hanging the electric bike, as it might create a dent or bend the rims. 

You may break tiny parts inside the bike if you are not gentle. 

• Tighten the axle –

The axle on the wheel of your electric bike may sometimes loosen. It is a safety measure to check it now and then and tighten it. When the bike is hanging, you can check for any loose axle and tighten it if you find any. 

With the loose axle not checked and tightened, the wheel may detach from the electric bike and cause trouble. Or worse, it might detach when you are riding the electric bike. And so, tightening your bike’s axle is essential.

• Rubber coated hook –

Hanging your electric bike by the metal hook might create a dent on the wheel while hanging. When purchasing, ask for a metal hook coated with rubber, as it won’t create any scratches on your wheel. 

You can use a cloth to reduce the wearing of the hook by wrapping the hook with the cloth and creating a thick layer. 

Types of bikes you should not hang.

   Hanging the electric bike solves the problem of storage in a limited space. Not all bikes can be hanged, as their frame is not designed to be hanged, and the bike’s weight is not distributed evenly. Here are the types of electric bikes you should not hang for a long time, or better avoid them altogether.

• Hydraulic disc brakes –

In the hydraulic disc brake tube, tiny air bubbles get trapped. The air bubbles move when the bike is hanging by the front or rear wheel. The air bubbles might enter the calipers, which will cause the brake to lose its grip and damage it. 

When riding the electric bike, if you feel your brake does not have a good grip on it, know that this might be the case. Replace the brake as soon as you can. 

• Excessive weighing of bikes –

Many bikes are too heavy for hooks as hooks can only bear limited weight. If your electric bike is heavier than the limited amount, do not hang it. 

If you hang the excess weight bike, the hook might come undone with the chunk of the wall and crash on the floor. It is big trouble if you find your bike crashed down and broken parts around your foyer in the garage. 

You can purchase a stronger hook that can bear the weight of your electric bike. Or adjust the hook lower so the rear wheel is standing on the ground, by this way, you are saving the ground space and not damaging your electric bike. 

• Warnings from the manufacturer –

Electric bikes can have the same model as traditional bikes, but they are heavier. Due to the motor and the battery, it adds up on the bike. And this weight is not in proportion with the wheel. It is not suitable for hanging.

If your electric bikes come with the sign “DO NOT HANG,” do not hang them. If it breaks, it will cost you more to repair. 

   Some electric bikes’ design does not allow them to be hung. If you are not sure whether you can hang your electric bike or not, do some quick checking on the internet about it. Or better yet, check it up with your electric bike manufacturer.

Conclusion

  You can solve the problem of storing your bike using the vertical parking method. It also gives more space in the ground area and takes up the wall space that is not used up. But you might wonder which wheel is the right to hang on the wall. 

You can use the rear wheel to hang your electric bike on the wall and the front wheel. Due to reasons, the front wheel moves around a lot, and it carries the motor and the battery, so if you hang by the front wheel, it can damage the parts of your electric bike. So in this situation, you can hang your electric bike by the rear wheel.  

 You can adjust the hook down the wall so that the rear wheel touches the ground, and you can use the front wheel of your electric bike to hang it up. It is easy to hang up the electric bike by the front wheel. And also, when you are hanging up multiple bikes, you can switch sides to hang up on either bike. 

 It would be best if you were gentle with whatever wheel you use to hang your electric bike. Use a rubber-coated hook to avoid denting it or wearing off the wheel’s rim. Check the hook when you are hanging the bike and confirm it is strong enough to bear the weight of your electric bike. And make sure to tighten the wheel’s axle, or the wheel will detach from the other part of the bike. 

 Make sure you can hang your electric bike because some bikes are not designed to be hanged. Hanging bikes that are not designed to be hung will damage the bike and your wall. If your electric bike is too heavy for the hook, do not hang on it. Buy one that could bear the weight of your bike. If your bike has a hydraulic brake, it is advisable not to hang up on the wall, as it might damage the brake’s proficiency. Always make sure your bike is hangable by the manufacturer. If your electric bike manufacturer says you cannot hang your electric bike, do not hang it. 

There is no correct way of hanging an electric bike, and you can hang them by the front or rear wheel. It depends on the nature of your electric bike. Though some bikes you should not hang.