The function check
Cleaning your bike
The best way to remove coarse dirt is with a soft brush. Hard-to-reach areas can be reached with an old toothbrush or bristle brushes, but be careful not to push the dirt further into the parts or hidden corners. For the second step, you only need lukewarm water with a degreasing detergent and a cloth or sponge. Wash your pedelec and then rub it dry with a soft cloth.
Important: Hands off high-pressure cleaners! They may be quicker, but the high pressure can cause water to penetrate where it is not wanted. Electrical contacts and mechanical bearings can be damaged.
Check tyres for damage and inflate
A good floor pump with a pressure gauge is not a luxury but essential for e-bikers - and not just for frequent riders. On the contrary: If you only get on your bike occasionally, it is essential to check and precisely determine the tyre pressure, as it determines the right balance between good riding comfort and optimum range. Lower tyre pressure (not too low, of course) provides more comfort, higher tyre pressure means less rolling resistance and therefore a greater range. A pleasant side effect of a good floor pump is that pumping is much easier.
The minimum and maximum permissible air pressure is indicated on the tyre sidewall. When inflating the tyres, always check for "intruders" such as shards, thorns, metal splinters or similar. Also check whether the rubber on the sidewalls has become brittle and whether the tread on the tyre tread is still sufficient.
Clean and lubricate the chain
To clean the chain, use a dry, absorbent cloth. Ask a helper to lift the rear wheel, grasp the lower chain strand with the cloth in your hand and then turn the crank a few turns so that the chain is pulled completely through the cloth several times. If the chain is very dirty, clean the individual links with a brush or a discarded toothbrush.
We do not recommend using chemical degreasers as they can dissolve the grease inside the links, which increases friction and wear. To lubricate the chain after cleaning, we recommend using a special chain oil (e.g. the biodegradable "Oil of Rohloff", www.rohloff.de). It is best to leave the product to work overnight and rub the chain with a cloth the next day to remove excess lubricant. If your bike has derailleur gears, you should clean and lubricate all moving parts. The rollers on the rear derailleur in particular can easily become clogged with dirt.
Check wheels for damage and knocks
Above all, check the rims for wear: on many rims, a groove or a dot-shaped indentation on the flank indicates whether there is still enough material left. If the indentation is barely visible or no longer visible at all, the rim must be replaced (however, it is usually cheaper to replace the entire wheel than to re-spoke it, which involves spoking a new rim with the existing hub).
Also check the tension of the spokes. Lateral runout can be recognised by observing the freely rotating wheels running through the brake shoes (with disc brakes you can also use the fork blades as reference points); radial runout can be recognised by looking at the rotating wheel from the side.
Check brakes including pads
Check whether the brakes can be operated smoothly and apply evenly and powerfully. Do the brake cables run with difficulty or are they hooked in the sleeves? Then first apply some penetrating oil to the opening at the end of the cable housing and apply the brake several times to distribute it. If this doesn't help, the brake cables may be frayed - then it's time to install new Bowden cables. If you have never done this before, it is better to have it done by a specialist dealer.
The brake pads also require a critical look. On rim brakes, notches in the brake pads indicate whether they still have sufficient material. If these notches are no longer visible, the brake pads urgently need to be replaced. It is also better to have the disc brakes checked by a specialist. Changing the pads is quite complex, and hydraulic brake systems can also draw air and must then be bled in the workshop.
Check & grease screw connections on stem, handlebars, seat post
It is also important for your safety on the bike to check that the screw connections of the load-bearing components - on the stem, handlebars, cranks and chainrings - are tight and to apply fresh grease if necessary. Caution: Carbon parts do not tolerate any grease, but require special assembly pastes, such as "Dynamic Assembly Paste". You can tighten loose bolts with a good multi-tool.
However, for screws on lightweight components, such as those made of carbon fibre, you should have a torque spanner to tighten screws to the exact torque required. If the screws are too loose, they can come loose; if they are too tight, the parts can be damaged and, in the worst case, break while riding. The permissible torques (specified in "Nm" for Newton metres) can be found either directly on the components or in the operating instructions for your pedelec.
Adjusting the gearstick
Shift levers or twist grips must be easy to operate, otherwise the cables need some low-viscosity oil. If this does not help, you should replace them (or have them replaced). If the chain does not run smoothly over the sprockets or if individual gears feel stiff, the cable tension may have decreased. With derailleur gears, the tension can be adjusted using the screw on the shift lever from which the cable exits. If this does not help, wear may be the cause and you will find help from a specialist dealer. There are many different mechanisms for adjusting the cable tension on hub gears. It is best to consult the operating instructions or ask your specialist dealer directly.
Battery care
Modern e-bikes use lithium-ion batteries, which are particularly easy to maintain. The dreaded "memory effect", which massively impairs performance, no longer occurs with this type of battery. Please note, however, that the charging process should take place at room temperature. The battery should also be warmer than 10° C when starting up. Also check the battery housing for damage and whether the contact points on the battery itself and in the holder on the pedelec are corroded. If this is the case, it is best to have this treated by a specialist.
The most important settings
Does your back, bum or knees pinch? Then perhaps the pedelec is not correctly adjusted to your body proportions. With just a few simple adjustments, you can make the cockpit and seating position on the bike much more comfortable and efficient.
1 Saddle angle & tilt
You can easily align normal bicycle saddles horizontally using a spirit level. If the shape of your saddle is slightly curved upwards at the back, place the spirit level a little further forwards - from the area where your sit bones are. An exactly horizontal alignment of the saddle is the optimum position for the vast majority of cyclists. If you still feel uncomfortable pressure on your sit bones, tilt the saddle slightly backwards.
If you have pain in the perineal area, tilt the saddle slightly forwards (and "slightly" means: we are talking about adjustments of a few millimetres here). If none of this helps, you may need a different saddle. They come in a wide variety of widths, shapes and degrees of firmness, depending on your sit bone distance, personal preference and bike type, i.e. riding position. Good specialist dealers will help you make the right choice and also allow you to test ride different saddles.
2 Adjusting the seat height and saddle position
You can determine the seat height by sitting straight on the saddle (have an assistant hold the bike so that you can place both feet on the pedals). The saddle should be positioned so that your outstretched leg just touches the pedal with your heel at the lowest crank position. Starting from this seat height, position the cranks horizontally and place the ball of one foot on the front pedal.
Move the saddle forwards or backwards until your kneecap is in an imaginary vertical line with the pedal axis. This is a good standard or starting position for many cyclists, from which you can make individual adjustments. Make sure that the saddle is clamped within the marked area. Otherwise you run the risk of the linkage breaking due to excessive bending.
3 Adjusting the handlebars and brake lever
In principle, your handlebars should be about as wide as your shoulders. If it is too wide, you are putting unnecessary strain on your arms and shoulders. If it is narrower, this is at the expense of riding control. Most handlebars have a bend - also known as a crank - which makes gripping more ergonomically favourable because the wrists meet the handlebar grips in a natural position in relation to the forearm. However, too much cranking can also force the wrists into an unnatural position.
The brake levers should be adjusted horizontally so that the wrist remains straight when braking and does not bend - i.e. they usually point downwards at an angle. Levers that are too high can cause pain and reduce hand force. Make sure that your arms are slightly bent and that your hands are in line with your arms, i.e. do not bend them. Stretched arms are a sign that either the handlebars are too wide or the stem is too long.
The right tool
You don't need much for the most important adjustment and maintenance work. But: make sure you use high-quality tools - the investment will pay off in the long term. If the tool - for example a hexagon socket - does not fit the screw head exactly, there is a risk that the screw head will soon be turned round. The screw connection can then no longer be loosened or tightened correctly.
Hexagon socket spanner (torque spanner)
Almost all screw connections on bicycles today are fitted with hexagon socket heads. You should therefore treat yourself to a high-quality set of these spanners. A high-quality torque spanner for bikes should cover the range from 3 to 20 or 25 Newton metres and contain a complete bit set for the various tool holders. A good hexagon socket spanner set is the "PH-1" from Parktool for around 60 euros. We recommend the torque spanner shown in the photo above from Rose Bikes, including hexagon socket bits. There are also products from Syntace that are worth recommending.
Screwdriver
Every household should have one slotted and one Phillips screwdriver - such as the Wiha "Softfinish" tools (approx. 10 euros each).
Tyre lever
They are essential for changing tyres or inner tubes: lightweight, inexpensive tyre levers made of plastic, also for on the go (e.g. set of two from xtreme for €3.50).
Open-end spanner
Only a few screws still need spanners these days, but some do: for example on the pedals (15 mm) or - more rarely - on the wheels. The manufacturer Carolus, for example, offers a good quality set for around 30 euros.
Multitool
The all-rounders, especially for travelling: Even smaller models such as the "Mini 10" from Topeak are sufficient to carry out the most common jobs on the go (approx. 18 euros).
Air pump
If you are regularly out and about on your pedelec, it is worth buying a floor pump. It is much easier to use than a frame pump and helps you to find the right tyre pressure thanks to the pressure gauge. The "racing compressor", the classic from SKS, is often available for less than 40 euros. For travelling, there are a variety of well-functioning mini pumps that you can pack in your rucksack or saddle bag or attach to your frame (e.g. Lezyne "Alloydrive", approx. 33 euros via www.bike24.de or the Brooks "P1 Hand Pump" with pressure gauge for approx. 60 euros).
Fats & Oils
Greases and oils are a broad field. As an occasional or everyday cyclist, however, you can usually get by with a universal lubricant - for example with "1 Step" from Finish Line (from €8.95/120 ml). These products lubricate the chain, restore corroded components, loosen stubborn dirt and preserve bike frames & co.
