Winter for us cyclists is not a good time!
Personally, I do not prefer this time of the year because it often prevents me from riding my electric bike continuously.
let me tell you that I searched for a question: Are electric bikes Water Proof a lot in forums and websites and came to a conclusion on this topic?
In this post, I will share with you what I have reached, as well as what are the steps that you should follow before riding an electric bike in the rain.
Are e-bikes Waterproof?
In order to know if any device is waterproof or not, you should check its IP rating
IP rating means: Ingress Protection which has classification from IP65 up to IP68
IP 65: the device is protected against water projection
IP66: the device is protected against extreme jets of water
IP67: the device can be soaked in water for 30 MIN
IP68: means you can use the device underwater continuously.
with this being said,
As a general rule, electric bikes are not waterproof, although there are some parts in an electric bike that are water-resistant such as the motors which have an IP rating of 65, and battery, which have an IP rating from IP 65 up to IP 66 (based on the manufacturer)
What About taking a closer look at the IP rating for other ebike parts?
LCDs: Has no official IP rating however some LCDs like KT-LCD8H has good sealing which makes them much protected than old LCDs like KT-LCD3
Ebike Controllers connectors: electric bike controller has no IP rating & it’s not waterproof or water-resistant.
Throttle, brakes, chain: all these parts are not waterproof or water-resistant.
Ebike cables: most ebike cables are not waterproof but we can consider them as water-resistant because most manufacturing using high-quality cables which help in rainy weather.
But is this mean that you can’t ride your electric bike in the rain? No, definitely you can ride your ebike in rains however you need to take into consideration some points in order to keep your electric bike protected & to have a nice time with your ebike!
How To Protect your ebike In Rain?
To ride your bike in the rain you have to take some precautions before using your ebike. These precautions include protecting ebike parts that are not designed to be waterproof.
In the next part, we will discuss how to protect each part of the electric bike before riding in the rain.
1 – LCDs Protection.
As we mentioned previously, the LCD of the electric bike is not waterproofing, and based on this, protecting the screen from rain (especially if it is heavy rain) is important because this LCD is connected to all parts of the ebike.
this means that any power outage on it can cause the motor to stop and you will have to ride the bike using a paddle For a long time in the rain
To protect your ebike LCD from rain Place a transparent plastic bag around the screen and tie it well to prevent water from reaching the screen.
Check out our recommended ebike LCD screen protector on Amazon from here
2- Handle Bar Switch Protection.
The handlebar switch is not waterproof so you can cover it also with the same method as the LCD.
3-Using Rain Protection
The use of rain protection is a final solution to protect the entire front part of the electric bike and will also protect you personally from getting wet.
But what is wrong with this solution is the accumulation of water droplets on the front part of the rain protection, which leads to a little obstruction.
Also, the shape may not be to everyone’s liking.
Check out our recommended ebike rain shield on Amazon from here
4- Controller Connectors Protection
controller connectors are very important parts in your ebike as it’s not only not waterproof but also very critical parts that may cause a complete stop to your ebike if it has water inside.
based on my research on how to protect these parts I found two ways that can be considered as the most efficient.
High-quality Heat Shrink.
using a heat shrink can be a double-edged sword because if you used a low-quality one this could lead that the water can trap inside it and it will not have any way to get out which will completely damage the connector.
however, if you used a high-quality heat shrink that has a double wall it will help you to avoid water trapping.
Check out our recommended High-quality Heat Shrink on Amazon From Here
Use a waterproof connector.
The waterproof connectors can be considered the most effective way to avoid trapping water inside the controller connectors you can have a waterproof connector by changing the original connectors on any ebike shop or you can have it already if your controller come with them.
5- Ebike Battery Protection
As we mentioned earlier, the electric bike battery is not waterproof, but it can withstand some drops of water without being affected, but for more protection, you can buy a waterproof cover for the battery.
One good thing that is out there in the market is the battery case which will be more efficient when it comes to protecting your ebike battery.
Check out this ROCK BROS Bike Frame Bag Waterproof Bike On Amazon
6- Avoid riding on an extremely rainy day.
Prevention is better than cure right!?
If there it was a very rainy day, it is not preferable to ride your electric bike, because even if you take all precautions to maintain your bike, there will still be a percentage of water reaching the inner parts of the bike, and perhaps the most damaged parts on a very rainy day are the motor!
As we mentioned earlier, the motor has an IP rating of 65, which means that there is a possibility of water leaking inside it, If this happens, it will cause rust forming inside the motor, and subsequently, it will severely affect the motor.
What You Should Do after Riding On A Rainy Day?
Now that you have protected your electric ebike, you should know that there are other steps to ensure that no damage occurs to your electric bike after riding in the rain.
Don’t leave your ebike dirty.
The first tip for you is not to leave your bike dirty after returning from riding a bike in the rain because this will lead to rusting in some areas.
Now here are some tips that you should do.
1- Turn off your bike and remove the battery.
once you reach home the best thing to do is to remove the battery & wipe it well then take it into the house. after this start wiping the battery connectors to make sure there are no water drops on them.
2-Wipe the motor.
the second thing you need to do is to wipe the motor well from both sides to make sure that there are no water drops that reached the magnates as any water in this area will affect the hall sensor. Also, make sure that all the motor cables are wiped
3-Wipe LCD Screen.
once you wipe the battery & the motor it’s important to wipe the LCD to make sure that the LCD is not affected by any water drops. then you can wipe the cables in the handlebar.
4-Cleaning ebike chain
wiping your ebike chain is an important step after riding on a rainy day to avoid rust forming.
Check this article out to remove rust from your ebike chain from here
5-Store your ebike in a dry place
After returning from riding a bike on a rainy day and cleaning your bike, it is very important to store the bike in a dry place to ensure that no rust forms.
It is also preferable not to charge the battery immediately after returning from riding.
Useful Resources
How to clean your ebike using WD40
Conclusion
The electric bike is not waterproof but it can withstand heavy rainwater so you can ride your bike in the rain.
Some precautions must be taken when planning to ride an ebike in the rain, including covering the bike screen with a plastic bag and also covering the battery with a waterproof cover.
On the other hand, after returning from riding the bike, you must wipe the bike and make sure that water does not reach the screen, the motor, or the battery.
