How do you store an e-bike in a garage?

How do you store an e-bike in a garage?

It has been found that making a space for storing e-bikes can sometimes be a little difficult task because of the fact that there are a considerably large number of e-bikes available for you to buy. However, you can solve the issue easily by considering the factors such as space, accessibility, and the number of e-bikes you have. By taking the above things into consideration riders can find the best storage method for them. 

 

Ways You Can Store Electric Bikes In A Garage

Methods of Storing E-bikes in a Garage 

You have several methods to store an e-bike in a garage. Wall mounts for an e-bike are one option. What you need to do is hang the electric bike on the wall using a wall mount. The other method is using a floor stand. You have to walk your e-bike into it once installed. Some e-bike riders hang their bikes on the ceiling also. There are a few ways that you can do this. One is buying a pulley system. These are available on Amazon. Or else, you can attach hooks to your ceiling and hang e-bikes there. Using hooks to hang e-bikes has a limitation. That is to lift the e-bike up to the ceiling. You may need to carry the e-bikes over your shoulder or head. Doing this with a traditional bike is really difficult. The average weight of a typical bike is between 20 to 35 lbs. 

Floor Stands

This method is very convenient when you store your bike. Take the bike’s wheel in the front into the arms of the stand. This will hold the e-bike in place. However, the majority of floor stands come in a way that you can walk only one bike. But, there are floor stands that can store more than one as well. They can hold up to five e-bikes at one time. The benefits of this method are easiness to use, some floor stands are portable and you can carry them wherever you go with the e-bikes. 

However, there are limitations too. For example, they may need a considerably big space. Storing fat-tire e-bikes on a floor stand might also be a challenge.

 

On-Wall Storage: Vertical And Horizontal

Attaching your e-bikes on hooks to the wall of the garage is what happens in this method. These hooks are in the market in various designs. They are usually very easy to attach to the wall. It depends on how much space you have on your wall. So, considering the space, you have to choose the mode of the hook: vertical or horizontal. The vertical ones save your space while the horizontal ones occupy a considerably large space. The benefits of these methods are they can store bikes of any wheel size. And also, you can use your space more efficiently with this method. 

The drawback of this method is not good for little kids because it is hard for them to deal with hanging bikes off to a wall. 

 

Storing on Ceiling 

 

If you don’t have a big space on the floor you can use this method. Secure hooks to the ceiling of your garage and hang the e-bikes. Or else, you can shift them from a pulley system. This method helps you to save space for the floor and wall. The disadvantage is you need to have a minimum of 12ft space between the ground and the ceiling. 

 

E-bike Store Ideas In Garage For Short and Long Periods of Time

If you wish to keep your e-bike for a long period in good condition, the method that you are going to choose to store it is really important. You can’t treat e-bikes like you treat regular bikes.  They contain electronic elements. Some of these elements are prone to catch fire under some risky conditions. This is the reason why you need to look them after properly irrespective of the fact that you use them on a regular basis or not. The section below is going to focus on several good methods that you can use to store your e-bike both over short and extended periods of time. 

 

Methods to Store Your E-bike Over A Short Period

  • Refrain from leaving the e-bike outside 

Parking your e-bike outside in a manner that the e-bike gets exposed to various natural and artificial elements outside is not a prudent thing to do. Not only e-bikes, but regular bikes also are not appropriate to park in that way for a long period. Don’t ignore this fact thinking that your electric bike is in water resistance standard (IP67). That fact does not mean that you can park the e-bike outside without any shelter. 

 

The reasons for this advice are twofold. One is leaving your e-bike outside can expose it to unfavorable weather conditions and damage the bike. Another reason is there is a high possibility that e-bikes to disappear when you park them outside without proper care. Some might rely just on the fact that they have purchased a waterproof cover for their e-bike. They believe that once you have a waterproof cover, you don’t need to be alarmed. 

 

This is not correct because if you let your bike stay under extreme weather conditions, your bike will be affected by it. Such an effect has the ability to damage the e-bike’s lithium-ion battery. Consequently, the battery loses its energy storing and emitting ability. So, unless 

 

your e-bike’s battery is detachable, we strongly recommend you not to leave your e-bike outside even if you have bought a cover and a lock for the bike. 

 

The best thing to do is store your e-bike indoors, either in the house or in the garage. 

 

  • Cleaning before storing the e-bike 

 

After a ride, your e-bikes catch dirt and other filthy elements. So, if you leave it like that without cleaning you might get into a problem because this can accelerate the speed of corrosion of the e-bike’s frame. In addition, this speeds up the rusting of various components of your bike. Hence, cleaning the e-bike after every ride is healthy for your bike and for your pocket as well. Because the more care you put, the less you have to spend on expensive maintenance. 

 

Even though your plan is to store the e-bike just for a very brief time period, it is always wise to clean it up and store it. You don’t need any new or expensive things to do this. That is the good part of this. What you need is a bucket of water, a smooth cloth, and lube. However, remember that there are parts on an e-bike that you should not expose to water, ever. For example, the motor of the bike, brake pads, the battery pack of the e-bike, etc can be given. And also, make sure that you don’t let water get into the frame of the bike through openings that are in the frame. 

 

In addition to all these things, all the other parts of an e-bike are cleanable either with a piece of a wet cloth or else you can spray by using a low-pressure nozzle. Remember to add some oil or similar ingredients like the lube to the drivetrain. Apply them after washing the drivetrain and letting it dry. It is better if you can refrain from using a high-pressure washer because e-bikes are not resistant to that much pressure. 

 

Methods to Store Your E-bike Over A Long Period

 

If you don’t intend to take your e-bike for a ride for five to six months, there are several things that you need to do, in addition to the things that were in the above sections. 

 

  • Storing the battery of the e-bike at room temperature

As you know now, lithium-ion batteries won’t function properly if they are exposed to extreme temperatures. If you store your e-bike in a cold place,  this will accelerate the battery’s internal resistance. The final outcome of this effect of bad temperature is it affects the battery’s ability to hold a charge. Moreover, it can result in an overall subsiding of the capacity of the battery. On the other hand, extreme heat can increase the lithium-ion battery’s chemical reaction. Even though it has the ability to boost the battery’s performance it increases the speed of the battery’s natural degradation. So, neither the extreme coldness nor the extreme heat would be the ideal temperature. 

 

The best temperature hence is the room temperature to store your e-bike. If the battery is non-detachable, you have to keep the entire bike in a room or a garage where the temperature does not exceed 20oC. And also, the temperature of the room where you intend to store the e-bike should not be below 5oC. 

 

  • Charging the e-bike before storing it. 

You can’t store your e-bike without considering its charge level. Wherever you store it, either in a garage or any other place, make sure the battery level is at a certain level. You can find this range in the manuals of some manufacturers. If the manual you have does not specify which temperature it should be, follow the generally accepted level. It is between 30%-80%. 

 

Is It Fine to Hang an E-bike Upside Down? 

There is not any issue in hanging an e-bike upside down. However, there is an exception to this. They are e-bikes that have hydraulic disc brakes. When you turn an e-bike that has hydraulic disc brakes upside down, air bubbles start to float inside that hydraulic system. These bubbles might float through the entire system and consequently damage it. For example, let’s assume that air bubbles got into the levers. Then, you have to squeeze them several times prior to the system beginning to operate normally again. If this happens while you are riding down a steep slope, what happens next would not be very pleasant even to imagine. 

 

The Way To Store Your E-Bike Vertically

 

A common issue encountered by a lot of riders of e-bikes is that they don’t have a big space to fit their e-bikes. One of the best solutions for this problem is vertical racks. They are efficient as well. The capacity that one of these vertical racks has is up to five bikes. And, the space that needs for one of these racks is still less than the space that you need for a floor stand. You can purchase these hangers in various designs for an affordable price. 

 

If you are good at crafting, you don’t even need to spend money on a hanger. Make one by yourself! It is easier than you think. All you need is heavy-duty hooks, a piece of wood (this has to be long), and some screws. These are available in hardware shops. All you need to consider is their ability to hold something heavy like an e-bike.   

 

Storing An Electric Bike During The Winter Season 

It is always good to store your e-bikes indoors in cold weather. As we have mentioned in the above section, extreme temperature conditions can affect the battery of an e-bike. So, you need to store the e-bike at room temperature in the winter season as well. This is a must-do if you want to protect the battery of your e-bike from extremely cold weather. And also, make sure that the bike’s frame and other parts are devoid of mud, salt, water, etc. It is really important to consider this if you have ridden the e-bike under humid conditions in the winter. Moreover, don’t forget that it is really important to oil your bike chain after the cleaning process. 

 

Hanging an E-bike From The Garage Ceiling 

 

 

If you are thinking to hang your e-bike from the ceiling, you have got several options in this regard. The best out of them is to hang your e-bike using a pulley system. This is one of the most practical methods of hanging an e-bike from the ceiling. You have the choice to drill hooks that can hang bikes into the ceiling and then hang the bikes. Or else, you can buy an overhead rack for bikes. The sole problem with this method is that you need to raise the bike all by yourself up to the ceiling all the time you need to keep it away. Hope you know that an e-bike weighs up to 75 pounds. 

 

Final Words

There are a lot of methods to store your e-bike in a garage. The first thing that you need to understand is the capacity of space you have got to store your e-bike. Understanding it will give you the ideal storage solution. If your garage is more than enough to store up to five to six e-bikes, your best option could be a floor rack. The good part of a floor rack is it is easily accessible even for little children. 

 

However, the case is different when you have got only a very limited space in your garage. Then the most optimal method that you can go for is either hanging your e-bike on the garage wall or dangling it from the ceiling. True that these methods require extra effort from you. But, you need to store e-bikes carefully to keep them healthy for a longer period.