Focus Jam2 6.8 2019 battery in cold weather?

[MisterMT]

I read today a piece suggesting the whole bike would need to be kept indoors in cold weather, to allow the battery to charge.

Does this simply mean the battery won’t charge below a certain temperature, or is the battery actually ruined by being left in cold temperatures? (Ie, if left in sub zero, would it come back to life if left to warm up a bit, or does it die for good?)

I currently have my bike inside an unheated shed, and am wondering how to tackle the coming cold weather.

Thanks!

 

[Stanny_uk]

So far I've had the shitty charge issues and came to this conclusion... First time I bought charger and bike inside.. Off it went.. Second time I put charger on rad for 1/2 hour off it went... But best case is to have ya battery's warm inside winter months.. They say not to charge em below certain temps anyway

 

[MisterMT]

So far I've had the shitty charge issues and came to this conclusion... First time I bought charger and bike inside.. Off it went.. Second time I put charger on rad for 1/2 hour off it went... But best case is to have ya battery's warm inside winter months.. They say not to charge em below certain temps anyway

Thanks. What do you mean exactly by ‘off it went’? That It stopped charging?

Were the issues permanent, or does it go away after everything has warmed up again?

 

[Stanny_uk]

If its cold ya hear your charger click and charge light goes off after maybe 10secs...if warm don't happen

 

[MisterMT]

If its cold ya hear your charger click and charge light goes off after maybe 10secs...if warm don't happen

Gotcha, thanks.

But leaving the bike in the cold won't ruin it... just needs to warm up again?

 

[Stanny_uk]

Gotcha, thanks.

But leaving the bike in the cold won't ruin it... just needs to warm up again?

Don't think so..

 

[steve_sordy]

The Focus manual says that the operating temperature for charging is 0 - 40degC. That's from memory, so check it for yourself. There is no reason at all, according to Focus, why we should be having these problems. The vast majority don't have problems, just some. It is my belief that it is the charger that is the problem, not the battery. My dealer agreed, Focus ignored them, me and this Forum and just replaced my perfectly good battery. For a full understanding, read the 8 pages of stuff on the topic in the Focus forum.

 

[Minards]

I have a focus jam2 and have had no charging issues at all.
My bike is in the garage but I keep my charger in the house.
It has been fine and I have had no charging issues at all.
Maybe try that?

 

[Stanny_uk]

I think that may be trick... My chargers moved indoors too now

 

[Peaky Rider]

I have a focus jam2 and have had no charging issues at all.
My bike is in the garage but I keep my charger in the house.
It has been fine and I have had no charging issues at all.
Maybe try that?

All last winter my Focus was in my garage (integral) and my charger was in the house at around 22 degs.
After a cold ride or when around 5 degs in my garage, my bike would not charge. Had to take the bike in the house for a few hours first.
Didn't try the radiator trick though.

 

[MisterMT]

Thanks all. The good news here for me is that the worst scenario seems to be having to leave the bike to warm up a few hours inside. Comforting to know that leaving the bike in the shed won't wreck it somehow.

 

[Shy Ted]

Apologies if this link has already been posted but there’s some interesting stuff on the Focus website: Focus Bikes - HOW FAR CAN I RIDE WITH MY E-MTB?
Particularly if you go down to Temperature?
There’s a reference to charging the battery indoors and as long as you start your ride with a warm battery then it shouldn’t impact your ride distance too much (mmmmm we’ll see?!)
Not sure about others here, but I bought my bike because the battery was integrated; it’s a bit of a big bugger to drag into the house, let alone that it’s generally wet and muddy after a ride.

 

[Shy Ted]

I’m not sure if I’m being a bit thick here, but Focus are saying that this test delivered 25 miles at -5°C from the basic battery - in Boost Mode!(I’m not sure how they’ve accounted for the rider and bike weight as it looks like it’s a test lab)

 

[MisterMT]

Apologies if this link has already been posted but there’s some interesting stuff on the Focus website: Focus Bikes - HOW FAR CAN I RIDE WITH MY E-MTB?
Particularly if you go down to Temperature?
There’s a reference to charging the battery indoors and as long as you start your ride with a warm battery then it shouldn’t impact your ride distance too much (mmmmm we’ll see?!)
Not sure about others here, but I bought my bike because the battery was integrated; it’s a bit of a big bugger to drag into the house, let alone that it’s generally wet and muddy after a ride.

Yeah, I am enjoying the bike, but I am somewhat regretting the inability to remove the battery. it’s turning out in practice to be a signifcant design compromise in my opinion...

 

[steve_sordy]

Yeah, I am enjoying the bike, but I am somewhat regretting the inability to remove the battery. it’s turning out in practice to be a signifcant design compromise in my opinion...

But it is a thing of beauty though.
As long as you don't go away overnight a lot, it will be fine.

Sadly, if you are in the habit of doing long rides with loads of climbing, then unless you bought a TEC pack, you bought the wrong bike.

 

[steve_sordy]

I’m not sure if I’m being a bit thick here, but Focus are saying that this test delivered 25 miles at -5°C from the basic battery - in Boost Mode!(I’m not sure how they’ve accounted for the rider and bike weight as it looks like it’s a test lab)
View attachment 22170

Focus are having a laugh! From new, when I switched the bike on with a fully charged battery it said 44m in Eco, 33m in Trail, 22m in Boost. And that is before it "knows" how heavy I am, what I'll be riding, or how I intend to ride. Those are Focus figures. There is no way that I would get 31.5m in Boost (50.4km). I typically get 22 miles with one bar left using a mix of Eco and Trail with very occasional Boost. My riding weight is 14.5 stone (92kg/203lbs) on a Jam2 carbon 29er with soft 2.5" tyres (17F/20R).

To get those distances in the Focus table, the bike must have been clamped onto a rolling road with no wind resistance and very hard tyres.

 

[MisterMT]

But it is a thing of beauty though.
As long as you don't go away overnight a lot, it will be fine.

Sadly, if you are in the habit of doing long rides with loads of climbing, then unless you bought a TEC pack, you bought the wrong bike.

honestly, it’s almost perfectly suited to my riding. Just the issue of convenience. My wife can’t stand me wheeling that mucky thing indoors!

 

[Shy Ted]

Focus are having a laugh! From new, when I switched the bike on with a fully charged battery it said 44m in Eco, 33m in Trail, 22m in Boost. And that is before it "knows" how heavy I am, what I'll be riding, or how I intend to ride. Those are Focus figures. There is no way that I would get 31.5m in Boost (50.4km). I typically get 22 miles with one bar left using a mix of Eco and Trail with very occasional Boost. My riding weight is 14.5 stone (92kg/203lbs) on a Jam2 carbon 29er with soft 2.5" tyres (17F/20R).

To get those distances in the Focus table, the bike must have been clamped onto a rolling road with no wind resistance and very hard tyres.

It’s the Focus version of dieselgate!
I’ve yet to try charging it in a warm environment; I’m not sure how warm the battery is 5 minutes after a ride because it’s on charge by then. After charging mine always shows the 44/33/22 so I assume it’s fully charged but the past 4 or5 rides I’m lucky to get 16 miles, all modes set to medium, hardly use boost, and at least one mile down hills switched off. The bike is three months old.
Rutland re-educated me on battery charging with a link to Battery University. I think the bike is great but I’m sorely disappointed by the range in the colder months. Even if I had a Tec Pack I’d only be getting what the Focus website suggests I’d get on the basic battery model.

 

[steve_sordy]

honestly, it’s almost perfectly suited to my riding. Just the issue of convenience. My wife can’t stand me wheeling that mucky thing indoors!

Is the need to bring the bike indoors for charging a security thing, or does your shed/garage have no power? If the latter then have you thought about an extension lead? If the shed/garage is too far away for even a 60' extension lead, then I'd be concerned about security.

 

[steve_sordy]

.......... After charging mine always shows the 44/33/22 so I assume it’s fully charged but the past 4 or5 rides I’m lucky to get 16 miles, all modes set to medium, hardly use boost, and at least one mile down hills switched off. The bike is three months old.
...........

A couple of points Ted:
If your riding weight is high, then expect reduced range. If your tyres are wide, soft and sticky, expect reduced range. If you storm up all hills as fast as you can , then expect reduced range. If you are riding through mud, soft sand and /or grass, then expect reduced range.

In October I went to Nant Yr Arian, a Welsh trail centre near Aberystwyth. It is steep and with lots of climbing. There is a long 1.5m - 2m climb that has to rise by at least 700' (trying not to exaggerate, it felt loads higher than that!). I took the TEC pack as I fully expected to use up the frame battery on the 15 mile trail. In fact I still had two bars left and didn't use the TEC pack at all. I was astonished but after thinking about it, I came up with the following:

• The trail surface was mostly rock or armoured trail, some mud but not much.
• No battery use when descending.
• When climbing, I was keeping pace with my 12-year old grandson on his clockwork hardtail. So I was going really slowly in a high gear.

THAT last point is the key I believe to my low battery use.

 

[Shy Ted]

Is the need to bring the bike indoors for charging a security thing, or does your shed/garage have no power? If the latter then have you thought about an extension lead? If the shed/garage is too far away for even a 60' extension lead, then I'd be concerned about security.

Rutland have suggested bringing it indoors as it’s normally charged in my garage as I’d reported the issue to them when the bike wouldn’t start after a cold night - temp down to around zero but not below. In the warmer months I was getting up to 28 miles on the same terrain.

 

[Shy Ted]

A couple of points Ted:
If your riding weight is high, then expect reduced range. If your tyres are wide, soft and sticky, expect reduced range. If you storm up all hills as fast as you can , then expect reduced range. If you are riding through mud, soft sand and /or grass, then expect reduced range.

In October I went to Nant Yr Arian, a Welsh trail centre near Aberystwyth. It is steep and with lots of climbing. There is a long 1.5m - 2m climb that has to rise by at least 700' (trying not to exaggerate, it felt loads higher than that!). I took the TEC pack as I fully expected to use up the frame battery on the 15 mile trail. In fact I still had two bars left and didn't use the TEC pack at all. I was astonished but after thinking about it, I came up with the following:

• The trail surface was mostly rock or armoured trail, some mud but not much.
• No battery use when descending.
• When climbing, I was keeping pace with my 12-year old grandson on his clockwork hardtail. So I was going really slowly in a high gear.

THAT last point is the key I believe to my low battery use.

The trouble is, it’s not in my nature to ride slowly, I’m 85kg plus all the kit and caboodle probably takes me up to 90kg. All my rides are over rough pennine tracks, mud and rocks and pretty serious climbing regularly 2,000 ft. My friend on a trek firefly was very surprised when I said ‘well that’s in then, 2 miles left in the tank’, she’d still got 60% battery left! (500W battery I believe)

 

[BackHol3]

I've been riding my Focus Jam2 9.6 Plus 2019 in here Finland. At the moment It is about - 10C, snow and dark as in depths of hell(I mean day and night) "? . The bike has been working great in a winter conditions. I charge it in my heated garage (varies 0-10c depending how cold it is outside), no charging issues.

The bike has Terrene Cake Eater 2.8 studded tires(230 studs per tyre) and about 1.7bar tyre pressures. I'm fat and weight with my winter clothes on about 108kg. Riding distance at - 10c, little bit of snow, studded tyres and pretty low tyre pressure I'll get about 28-30km distance covered at full charge (80%boost, 20% trail). It's not ideal, but it is enough for me, because riding several hours in - 10c temperatures aren't actual that much fun.

EDIT: it is pretty flat in here where I live so no climbing.

 

[steve_sordy]

I've been riding my Focus Jam2 9.6 Plus 2019 in here Finland. At the moment It is about - 10C, snow and dark as in depths of hell(I mean day and night) "? . The bike has been working great in a winter conditions. I charge it in my heated garage (varies 0-10c depending how cold it is outside), no charging issues.

The bike has Terrene Cake Eater 2.8 studded tires(230 studs per tyre) and about 1.7bar tyre pressures. I'm fat and weight with my winter clothes on about 108kg. Riding distance at - 10c, little bit of snow, studded tyres and pretty low tyre pressure I'll get about 28-30km distance covered at full charge (80%boost, 20% trail). It's not ideal, but it is enough for me, because riding several hours in - 10c temperatures aren't actual that much fun.

EDIT: it is pretty flat in here where I live so no climbing.

Kerrist! I thought I had something to complain about!

 

[steve_acp]

I read today a piece suggesting the whole bike would need to be kept indoors in cold weather, to allow the battery to charge.

Does this simply mean the battery won’t charge below a certain temperature, or is the battery actually ruined by being left in cold temperatures? (Ie, if left in sub zero, would it come back to life if left to warm up a bit, or does it die for good?)

I currently have my bike inside an unheated shed, and am wondering how to tackle the coming cold weather.

Thanks!

Lithium batteries deliver less power the colder they get. I have a tec pac, and charge indoors, so no prob, but I am going to get an electric blanket to drape over the bike frame to keep the internal battery warm. They take little power and are cheap... abou 15 quid at Wilco, or ask yer granny, she will have one in the cupboard.