Bikes By Outside Sports Recommended Service Intervals for e-Mountain Bikes

Like your car, your e-mountain bike has parts that are subject to wear and tear through normal use. Having a regular service and maintenance schedule will help keep your bike riding its best and help prevent potentially expensive repairs. We see some real horror stories at the Bikes By Outside Sports workshops in Wanaka and Queenstown, where people have ignored basic servicing and let their bike get into terrible shape. 

To help you avoid that scenario, we’ve put together this suggested maintenance and service schedule based on distance ridden and how many rides you go on. Having said that, you might need to compress the intervals if you’re riding over winter. Wet, muddy, and/or gritty conditions are very hard on bikes and e-mountain bikes in particular, and they tend to need closer and more frequent attention when you’re riding in those conditions – and let’s be honest, we all do 😁.  

The other thing to keep in mind is that the extra weight and power of ebikes mean that drivetrains and brake pads wear out 2-3 times faster than on much lighter analog mountain bikes. 

To keep things simple we recommend a four-stage schedule to keep your bike performing at its best. There are things you should do yourself, and others that are best to left to us in our state-of-the-art bike workshops. 

• Wipe and lube the chain. Clean off the accumulated dirt and mud and apply lube if the chain looks dry or is sounding creaky or squeaky. 

• Suspension. Carefully wipe the shock stanchions to remove dust, dirt, and grit. 

• Check the tyres. E-mountain bike tyre pressures mostly range between 20–35 PSI (1.4–2.4 bar), with 25 PSI often used as a good average. Because they’re heavier than analog bikes e-bike pressures need to be slightly higher to prevent rim strikes. Have a look at the treads and sidewalls for rips or tears that could cause a flat next time out. 

• Check the brakes to make sure they feel firm and are working properly. The extra weight means e-mountains can really chew through brake pads if you’re doing a lot of downhill riding. 

You can do this at home. If you need any guidance just drop into see us or give us a call at Wanaka or Queenstown. 

• Drivetrain clean. Thoroughly clean and degrease the chain, cassette, and derailleur pulleys. 

• Check chain wear. Chains get worn and can stretch. Replacing the chain before it wears too much prevents premature wear on the cassette and helps your gears shift sweetly. 

• Allen key check: Go around and check the tightness of the bolts on your cranks, handlebars, stem, and pedals. 

• Suspension air pressure. Use a gauge to check the pressure in your shocks, as it can drop over time, especially if the shock seals are getting worn.

If you have the skills and tools you can do this at home, otherwise bring your bike to our workshop in Queenstown or Wanaka and our experienced bike mechanics can take care of it all for you. You can book your service at Bikes By Outside Sports online. 

• Suspension service. Service the front fork lowers and the shock air can – including cleaning, and changing the seals and oil. 

• Bleed hydraulic brakes to remove air and old fluid. 

• Add new tubeless sealant to your tyres. The old stuff dries out and stops sealing. 

• Check and replace your brake pads if they have less than 1.5mm of material left. 

• Inspect all the cables for signs of rust or fraying or if gear shifting isn’t smooth or braking feels sluggish or the levers have excessive travel. 

At this interval your bike has probably earned a full service and overhaul.  

• Everything from Service Interval 1 and 2 that hasn’t already been attended to, plus: 

• Replace the chain, if you haven’t already, and replace the cassette and chainring if they show signs of shark-tooth wear. 

• Inspect and grease or replace the headset, wheel hub, and bottom bracket bearings. 

To make sure you get your slot at our workshop at the time that works best for you, use Bikes By Outside Sports handy online booking system.  

Book your bike in at Queenstown 

Book your bike in at Wanaka