How frequently are you charging your bike?

[TRobot]

Hi folks, I'm interested to hear from others what your charging strategy is in the instance that you don't completely drain the bike's battery. Thanks!

 

[Zimmerframe]

Not sure if you're also wanting verbal intercourse in the poll, but I'll stick my reasoning in as sometimes a straight yes or no doesn't give the whole picture.

For me, I normally charge after every ride. Invariably it's flat anyway, so needs charging and shouldn't be left flat. If the bikes got wet/been washed, in my mind it also helps with some drying (moisture removal) internally with the slight heat from charging.

I generally hope I'll squeeze in another ride in the next day or two, on the bike I've charged or another, which will generally be impromptu - so I won't want to wait for it to charge before I can go.

 

[Binhill1]

Take battery out now its cold in the shed. Usually wait a couple hours and charge to anything between 60 and ninety percent i am guilty of forgetting. Usually out every other day so fully charge just before going out. I think ive had 170 full charges according to mission control thats since june 2019 just under 5000 miles. According to MC battery still 100 percent. Usually come back with about 10 percent but nae iwis.

 

[Doomanic]

Depends on when I'm next riding and the current state of charge of the battery.
If I'm riding the next day it gets fully charged. If I'm not riding for a few days and the battery is under 50% it'll get charged to 60%(ish) and fully charged the night before my next ride.

 

[Semmelrocc]

Sometimes I return from a quick after-work ride with some 70-80% charge left in the battery. Then I usually don't charge the bike. Otherwise, I always fully recharge and disconnect the cable once the process is completed (trying to not leave the charger connected over night).

 

[flash]

After a ride I get my bike to around 40/60% using a timer, if required. Then I charge to full the night before the next ride. I just try not to store the bike for too long either dead flat or fully charged. The charger turns it self off at full charge so there's no need to disconnect it and I want to make sure it completes its balancing cycle.

Gordon

 

[Repsol]

After a ride I get my bike to around 40/60% using a timer, if required. Then I charge to full the night before the next ride. I just try not to store the bike for too long either dead flat or fully charged. The charger turns it self off at full charge so there's no need to disconnect it and I want to make sure it completes its balancing cycle.

Gordon

If the charger turns itself off after reaching fully charged, why use a timer?

 

[pmcdonald]

If the charger turns itself off after reaching fully charged, why use a timer?

I think the timer was used to charge to a storage level. Charging a lithium battery to full then leaving it unused shortens it's lifespan. Good practice is to charge to full before your next ride. Best practice is to only charge to 80% prior to a ride, if range allows.

This is from Grin Tech in Canada:

Though to be honest the cost of a new battery a year or two early is probably peanuts compared to a lot of mtbing expenses!

 

[flash]

If the charger turns itself off after reaching fully charged, why use a timer?

I only need the timer to get the battery to roughly 60% if I'm not riding for more than a day or two. When going to a full charge I don't use/need the timer.

My laptop allows me to set this in the laptop settings. It'll stop at 60, 80 or full charge. I wish my bike charger would allow this.

Gordon

 

[maynard]

Usually after about 50kms riding . Two round trips too work . When not working .not much . Only once battery gets under 40/50 % .

 

[InRustWeTrust]

After a ride i dont charge my battery , i often charge my battery houres before i am gonna ride.

 

[RustyIron]

in the instance that you don't completely drain the bike's battery.

"Don't completely drain the bike's battery?"
What is this thing of which you speak?

 

[The Hodge]

Full charge after every ride ..the bike lives indoors in a warm room ..
I will also do a top up charge the night before a ride as at the moment I'm only getting out at the weekend and in between rides the battery has lost some charge ..
Most rides use close to a full charge ..

 

[Mteam]

If its at <20% after a ride I'll charge it up to 50-60%, and then stop charging until the day before the next ride ride, then I'll charge it to 100%.

If its at >20% after a ride I'll just leave it as it is, and then charge it to 100% the day before the next ride.

The problem with this approach is that it requires planning ahead to know when to charge to 100% so it prevents those impromptu rides, so I might change my approach to just charge to 100% after each ride, so the bike is always ready to go. As someone else said battery costs are minimal in the grand scheme of things.

 

[B1rdie]

Usually “charging” when riding downhill and more “conservative” on the climbs.
Seriously, I use two 504 shimano batteries on an e8000 and ride each one at least once a week till the last bar then fully charge them.
The batteries now have 50 cycles each and are around 90% health after 2,5 years.

 

[Binhill1]

Battery £1200 if thats cheap whats expensive

 

[steve_sordy]

If the battery has 3 bars or more (out of 5), I'll leave it until the night before my next ride to fully charge.
If it has 2 bars, I will give it an hour's charge as soon as I get in.
If it has 1bar or less, it gets 2 hours.

The idea is to leave the battery in the 50% - 80% charge level that is supposed to be the best for battery life. It probably doesn't matter if I will be using the battery within a few days, but I'm never really sure when I will next be using the bike. Might as well get into good habits.

 

[Paul Mac]

I've started to put my bike on charge the night before a ride using a timer.
However a few days ago after travelling 79 miles to do a ride with six friends, I turned my bike on to realise it hadn't charged and I only had 2 bars. Bummer!

 

[Mteam]

Battery £1200 if thats cheap whats expensive

hmmm, I just bought a new one for £500 (not because the old was was worn out, but because I wanted another battery for more range) . What sort of battery is that at £1200?

 

[Binhill1]

Berkshire has them on their web page at that price . its a 700 i hear you can get deal from Specialized but i dont know how much cheaper.

 

[Mteam]

Berkshire has them on their web page at that price . its a 700 i hear you can get deal from Specialized but i dont know how much cheaper.

ah - the specialized tax!

Maybe if my batteries were that expensive I might take better care of them.

 

[Binhill1]

ah - the specialized tax!

Maybe if my batteries were that expensive I might take better care of them.

Im not the best but its still saying 100 percent health so must be doing something right .

 

[pmcdonald]

The 630Wh Shimano 8036 is AU$1800 down here. That's a lot, but over the lifespan of the bike additional costs like upgrades, repairs, consumables and servicing may put it into perspective.

There's some circumstances where good battery practice may be a smart idea - high milage users, those keeping their bike for a long time or trying to ride to a budget, or just plain being a bit OCD - but for the rest of us we're unlikely to see the rewards of that good management. In that case the motto is simple: charge, ride, repeat.

Like others I charge to roughly 60-80% (bit tricky to be more accurate with the simple 5 bar display and no connectivity), then top up on the day of the ride. I'm not babying the battery, but all going well I would like to see a few years of 1-2 rides a week with limited fade.

 

[Binhill1]

The 630Wh Shimano 8036 is AU$1800 down here. That's a lot, but over the lifespan of the bike additional costs like upgrades, repairs, consumables and servicing may put it into perspective.

There's some circumstances where good battery practice may be a smart idea - high milage users, those keeping their bike for a long time or trying to ride to a budget, or just plain being a bit OCD - but for the rest of us we're unlikely to see the rewards of that good management. In that case the motto is simple: charge, ride, repeat.

Like others I charge to roughly 60-80% (bit tricky to be more accurate with the simple 5 bar display and no connectivity), then top up on the day of the ride. I'm not babying the battery, but all going well I would like to see a few years of 1-2 rides a week with limited fade.

Agree im on 3rd motor now so would definitely grudge paying that sort of money when i need one. But if it starts deteriorating it changes the options of longer rides so would probably bite the bullit .

 

[Alexbn921]

I immediately charge you battery after a ride to 50-60%. I use a phone controllable timer.

Before a ride I will charge to 100% and try to ride within a couple hours of it reaching this.

Draining the battery below 10% will significantly reduce it's lifespan.

Batteries are expensive and there is no reason that they can't last for years and years while giving you full power and range. Treat them bad and they will be crap in very short order.

 

[Binhill1]

I immediately charge you battery after a ride to 50-60%. I use a phone controllable timer.

Before a ride I will charge to 100% and try to ride within a couple hours of it reaching this.

Draining the battery below 10% will significantly reduce it's lifespan.

Batteries are expensive and there is no reason that they can't last for years and years while giving you full power and range. Treat them bad and they will be crap in very short order.

Two and a half years old mine still ok 4800 miles hopefully lasts a few years yet.

 

[EMTBSEAN]

Looks like I’ll be needing a new battery sooner rather than later then, I’ve always charged my battery from what ever it was when I finished my ride to full but I always let it rest for an hour, I followed this advice from a few different sources and saw no reason to doubt it because I was a complete novice to electric mountain biking, oh well it’s only money

 

[Binhill1]

Looks like I’ll be needing a new battery sooner rather than later then, I’ve always charged my battery from what ever it was when I finished my ride to full but I always let it rest for an hour, I followed this advice from a few different sources and saw no reason to doubt it because I was a complete novice to electric mountain biking, oh well it’s only money

Yes you hear quite a few different ways to do it . I don't know enough about batteries so pick what i think makes sense

 

[Husky430]

Been trying to follow the "Charge it up to 60ish%" after its cooled down after a ride and then fully charge it the night or morning before a ride. Bikes/battery is getting on for 3 years old with over 4000km on it now and according to the app on my phone the battery (Shimano external 504 watt hour) is at 87% health with about 70 cycles. I don't understand the cycles bit as has been charged many more times than that, range has definitely dropped a bit but did a 35km ride with minimal climbing mainly in eco and came back with 40% in the battery so can't complain.

 

[flash]

Been trying to follow the "Charge it up to 60ish%" after its cooled down after a ride and then fully charge it the night or morning before a ride. Bikes/battery is getting on for 3 years old with over 4000km on it now and according to the app on my phone the battery (Shimano external 504 watt hour) is at 87% health with about 70 cycles. I don't understand the cycles bit as has been charged many more times than that, range has definitely dropped a bit but did a 35km ride with minimal climbing mainly in eco and came back with 40% in the battery so can't complain.

A cycle is considered a 0 to 100% charge. So if you ride to 50% and then charge to full that's only half a cycle. Your battery will be rated to give either 500 or a 1000 cycles and still be able to give 60% of it's as new capacity.

I'm not so sure about how the bike measures health. I had a battery drop to 93% after about 4 rides (2 cycles) but then it stayed at 93% for a year.

Gordon