Should you charge an electric bike after every ride? This has been a question people have been asking for years, ever since the old style batteries, where could be overcharged and become damaged, or no longer hold a maximum charge. Does that apply to electric bikes nowadays, or can you charge however much you want, whenever you want, especially after every ride?

You can, and probably should charge your bike after every ride! This will not damage your bicycle’s battery and will allow you to know you have the full range at any point in time. Much like every other battery in modern days, the bike is aware of when it has hit 100% and will stop charging, this results in a maximum charge, whenever you want or even need it.

Why should you charge your e-bike after every ride?

As we will learn throughout this article, modern e-bike batteries don’t have memories, and they won’t overcharge, and without those concerns, charging your e-bike after every ride is less about maintaining the battery, and more about convenience.

Plugging your bicycle in after every ride will result in a full charge, every time you get it out of your garage (metaphorically speaking, if you don’t have a garage). This means you can be on the go at a moment’s notice, rather than panicking, or need to remind yourself to keep a charge on the bike.

Charging after every ride also gives you a form of muscle memory. If you automatically go for the charging chord after every ride, you don’t have to worry about forgetting about it, only to find you don’t have enough charge the next day to go on your daily ride.

Why are people worried about charging their electric bicycles after every ride?

It was common back in the day, that if you overcharged, or charged a device too much (generally older cell phones, or even pagers) it could damage the battery.

This could result in it heating up, losing capacity, or even worse, catching on fire (yeah, that isn’t good). Additionally, batteries also used to have a “memory” and this is why you used to be told to always completely drain the battery, and then charge it back up before

However, as you probably are already aware with your modern smartphone, neither of these concerns is an issue any longer. Electric bicycles are no different, and they are fully aware of when they hit 100% and know that they should shut off.

E-Bike Battery

Can charging your electric bike too much wear out the battery?

Batteries generally have a maximum battery cycle count (MacBooks, electric bicycles, and most Lithium Batteries have a cycle count of around 1000 cycles). Once you reach that cycle count, you might start to see degradation in your battery. Now, this might sound like you are only going to get to plug in your e-bike 1000 times, but that isn’t technically correct.

A battery cycle is a complete cycle, so from 100% to 0% and then back to 100%. So if your electric bicycle is at 50% and you charge it back to 100%, that will only be half a cycle, and you could do that 2000 times before starting to see issues with your battery.

That said, every battery is different, and you might see more cycles or even fewer cycles for your specific bike.

Worried about damaging your battery, here are some quick tips to make that happen!

  1. Keep your e-bike inside when it is cold – Remember, if you are cold outside, so are they. That even applies to your e-bike, or at least the battery itself. Batteries do not do well in freezing temperatures, and if it gets cold enough, it can permanently damage them. Many bikes have removable batteries , and if that is the case for you, just bring that in.
  2. Leaving your bike in the sun isn’t a good idea – Just like any battery out there (think: your cell phone), if you leave it in the sun, it can overheat and cause damage. In the same way, think about your e-bike, and where you leave it for long periods. If you leave it in the sun on a hot day, it could damage it.
  3. Don’t leave your bike with an empty battery – Batteries can start to degrade if they are left for long periods (a couple of weeks or more) without a charge.

As you can see, maintaining your battery is less about how often, or when you charge it, but more about keeping the battery out of extreme situations, such as cold, hot, or running it completely dry and leaving it for a while.

Which electric bicycles do we like?

If you are on the hunt for a great electric bicycle, here are some options for you!

  • Wing Bikes Freedom 2: This electric bike has a max range of 35 miles on the highest assist level, and a top speed of 20mph. We like the styling and the versatility of the bike. Mix this with a reasonable price, and you have a winner.
  • Rad Power Bikes RadRunner 2: If you are hoping to replace your car with an electric bike, but are trying to stay on a reasonable budget, then the RadRunner 2 is an awesome option for you. It has a powerful 750W battery that can get you over 45 miles of range and has a cargo bike style build. This makes it an awesome grocery getter!

Conclusion

Electric bicycles are becoming more and more popular , as people look for ways to commute that doesn’t require sitting in traffic or just want a workout without all the effort. No matter what your reasons are for owning an electric bicycle, it is important to know how to properly take care of the battery.

While there are ways to damage a battery on your electric bike, charging it after every ride is not one of those ways. Instead, you probably should charge after every ride, so you can enjoy your bike at a moment’s notice.