what does it cost to maintain an ebike

[Grannyjones]

If you take out the crash damage (wheels,mud guards,seatpost),and the upgrades (tyre inserts,brakes) , that's probably not an unreasonable maintenance cost for 5000 miles, about on the high side ,but not unreasonable.

I've actually forgotten a few things and updated the list accordingly so that it now totals £2570.

I'm sure EMBN did a video breakdown of how EMTB costs £3000 a year if you're high usage (taking depreciation into account) and I don't think they even took crash damage or suspension servicing into account so I'm probably not doing too bad realistically.

I don't think I've spent money recklessly. I don't insure my Turbo Levo, I have never upgraded the suspension, I do not ride it much during the Winter and I rarely pay for delivery for componants by ensuring that I get free delivery wherever possible. The low quality of a day out on it through most of Winter just doesn't justify the running costs. I'm not buying rediculously expensive cassettes like SRAM GX or above. I only pay £30 for suspension servicing unless new seals are required. Many bike shops charge a lot more than that. It's costs a lot when bikes have overpriced componants made out of cheese, unless you ride very tame mellow stuff all the time!!!

 

[Gary]

EMBN only exists to sell you shit you don't need and a large chunk of their content is bullshit.

 

[TheBikePilot]

EMBN only exists to sell you shit you don't need and a large chunk of their content is bullshit.

Did you not gain anything from their how to use a dropper post video??

 

[Gary]

Did you not gain anything from their how to use a dropper post video??

I actually like some of GMBN and GCN's less nooby content.. EMBN seems pretty much all geared towards noobs and too biased.

 

[1oldfart]

Chains SRAM X1 - 6 X £30 = £180
Rear Wheels – 2 X £250 = £500 (replacements due to strike damage to the rims)
Cassettes SRAM NX – 2X £90 = £180
Chain rings – 2X £30 = £60
Brake Pads – 10 X £8 = £80 (some pads were replaced due to contamination)
Rock Guards – 2 X £60 = £120 (replacements due to strike damage)
Suspension servicing:
Fork lower leg service by mechanic £30 x 5 = £150
Shock air can service by mechanic £30 x 5 = £150
Added cost when new seals have been required in the fork and shock respectively – 2 x £40 = £80
Brake Bleeds by mechanic – 4x £15 = £60
New Headset bearings - £30
Dropper Post repairs after I damaged it trying to service it myself - £80
Dropper service by mechanic - £30
Foam inserts for wheels – 2x £15 - £30
Tubes and Sealant – say £40 total
Pedals - £45
Rear tyre replacements – 3x £45 = £130
Front tyre replacements – 1x £45
Replacement of outer gear cable by mechanic - £30
Say £80 for inner cables, cleaning materials, chain degreaser, replacement grips, mudguards and few other things
£90 upgrading the brakes to Shimano Z's minus the sale of crash damaged SRAM Guide RE
£80 for SRAM NX mech after striking the original GX mech
£130 for new SRAM GX Rear Mech after the clutch on the previous NX Mech failed
£120 for replacement pivot bearings and labour
£50 for replacing 2 bent disc rotors

Total - £2570

All maintenance done by myself apart from where I have said "By Mechanic" then I have included the price of labour.
Then I'm sure I've missed somethings.

In addition, I've claimed two motors, chainstays and various cables from warranty. Probably worth another £2K ?

This is after a year and half of use, and 8000km.

What motor is that?

 

[maynard]

3 chains 120$. on third cassette500$. 2nd wasn't done yet but changed to axs . One freehub200$ . New axs dropper1000$ . New wheels 1000$ chainring 60$ new motor 100$ rotor 100$ axs 12spd upgrade 800$ grips saddle 150$ tryes 200$ mud guards 100$ lights 800$

 

[Grannyjones]

Is crash damage classed as maintenance ?

What motor is that?

Brose 2.0 or whatever it is

 

[2WheelsNot4]

the number of folk doing multiple cassette and chain changes has me flummoxed a bit. Do folk not know that if you change your chain on a very regular basis, you get considerably more life out the cassette. Chains are like the expendable part of any drivetrain and running them for so long that the break or ends up sloppy will mean its then married to the cassette and will need both replaced.
Chainrings last considerably longer than anything because of the amount of chain that wraps around it. If the system is slipping its down to the chain or chain and cassette and if you've changed the chain on that regular basis any problems can be linked(pun) back to the chain and not both or the cassette.
OK cassettes do wear and if its been a couple of years then that could mean it need a new one. But swopping both out every six or seven months you are throwing money away.

Tip -Never listen to them that work/own the bike shoppe. They'll happily tell you to change this that and t'other and happily ring it up on their till.
Take advice from forums, where theres no emphasis to sell you something

 

[maynard]

Take advice from forums, where theres no emphasis to sell you something
[/QUOTE]
Hmmmmm . Isn't the point of this forum to sell everything eeb related.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

Hmmmmm . Isn't the point of this forum to sell everything eeb related.

I just checked the shop, seems to be just hats and t shirts, so i'd say no to that.
Forum is about folk on ebikes enjoying riding and telling tales of woe and laughter.

 

[Phil3]

Coming from a total newbie to ebikes, from a road bike background… the numbers seen here seem ridiculous! Maintenance costs of 5x or 10x that of say a car… and surely things like ‘crash damage’ can’t be seen as ‘maintenance cost?!’ Surely a bit of care and attention to your bikes after each ride out, or each few, well greatly extent the life of many components

…but anyway, we’ll see in a few weeks or months of riding my own

 

[Tubby G]

Coming from a total newbie to ebikes, from a road bike background… the numbers seen here seem ridiculous! Maintenance costs of 5x or 10x that of say a car… and surely things like ‘crash damage’ can’t be seen as ‘maintenance cost?!’ Surely a bit of care and attention to your bikes after each ride out, or each few, well greatly extent the life of many components

…but anyway, we’ll see in a few weeks or months of riding my own

Ok crash damage isn’t strictly ‘maintenance’ but it’s certainly part of the running costs of owning an MTB . By its very nature mtb’ing is a dangerous sport and if you’re pushing yourself to your limits you’re going to be crashing a lot, unless you’re very lucky

 

[Phil3]

Ok crash damage isn’t strictly ‘maintenance’ but it’s certainly part of the running costs of owning an MTB . By its very nature mtb’ing is a dangerous sport and if you’re pushing yourself to your limits you’re going to be crashing a lot, unless you’re very lucky

Hopefully I can stay off the floor for just a little while and keep everything in one piece

 

[Mteam]

Hopefully I can stay off the floor for just a little while and keep everything in one piece

You don't have to actually crash to cause damage!

Rims and tyres are the obvious things right in the firing line, next is pedals and crank arms, then derailleurs.

 

[Grannyjones]

Might look at Sunrace cassettes, they seem to be not very expensive.

SRAM are too much. NX is about £100 and GX is a sickener at £150.

Also going to look at alternative chains to the expensive SRAM X1's.

You're always going to get crash damage and wreck rims, tyres and rear mechs without even crashing! Unless you ride very mellow stuff all the time!!!

 

[Gary]

Might look at Sunrace cassettes, they seem to be not very expensive.

Many shit things are

and

You're always going to get crash damage and wreck rims, tyres and rear mechs without even crashing! Unless you ride very mellow stuff all the time!!! If you ride too low pressure tyres for your level of finesse.

 

[maynard]

3 chains 120$. on third cassette500$. 2nd wasn't done yet but changed to axs . One freehub200$ . New axs dropper1000$ . New wheels 1000$ chainring 60$ new motor 100$ rotor 100$ axs 12spd upgrade 800$ grips saddle 150$ tryes 200$ mud guards 100$ lights 800$

Most of this stuff wasn't necessary. I just went a bit spend crazy .

 

[Grannyjones]

If you ride too low pressure tyres for your level of finesse.

One of the two broken wheels may have been damaged by that! That's the more typical way they get wacked.

But the other was due to the rim directly striking an awkwardly shaped pointy rock! Never before have I experienced this. The wheel was only a few months old as well. It wasn't completely necessary to replace it as it still worked with tubes. Just couldn't hold tubeless.

 

[Gary]

TBF they were both damaged by lack of finesse.

 

[aarfeldt]

Sorry, I'm in France .. What is this "Maintain" word you use ?

It's the same as all French Cars use.....(nothing).
New French car > broken > throw away > new french car > broken > throw away > repeat untill out of money.
Then order a non-french car.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

You don't have to actually crash to cause damage!

Rims and tyres are the obvious things right in the firing line, next is pedals and crank arms, then derailleurs.

I dont know about anyone else but when i fall off(not so much these days) I seem to favour falling to the right, where obviously the expensive bits are fitted.
I think its a bit like toast in that respect.

 

[Doomanic]

I'm not sure my tyres can be pumped up hard enough to compensate for my lack of finesse...

 

[steve_sordy]

I dont know about anyone else but when i fall off(not so much these days) I seem to favour falling to the right, where obviously the expensive bits are fitted.
I think its a bit like toast in that respect.

So true! I always fell to the right. Until the damage to my shoulder got large enough that I started to favour the left. at least I'm now balanced!

 

[Gary]

Your preferred side to fall to is often dictated by which foot forward you ride. But self preservation also comes into it. Especially if you're carrying an injury or disability.

 

[steve_sordy]

Your preferred side to fall to is often dictated by which foot forward you ride. But self preservation also comes into it. Especially if you're carrying an injury or disability.

Interesting, I never thought about the impact of which foot was forward.
Right now, I can't even think which one it might be. But as I'm right-handed it will probably be my right foot, which is why I fell to the right all the time. I wonder if all I had to do to start falling to the left was to start riding left foot forward?? Or even, while I was favouring falling to the left, I automatically rode left foot forward?

 

[Gary]

as I'm right-handed it will probably be my right foot,

That's not how it works.

why I fell to the right all the time.

Everyone falls to one side more often than the other. And everyone corners better to one side than the other.
There are various reasons for this but part of it is that as you ridr stood pedals level your hips and pelvis are rotated and slightly misaligned.
Your rearward foot also does a slightly different jod to your forward foot.
Ever notice how much more tired your rear leg is on a DH uplift day where there's minimum pedalling but lots of braking and negotiating rough steep terrain ?

 

[2WheelsNot4]

Interesting, I never thought about the impact of which foot was forward.
Right now, I can't even think which one it might be. But as I'm right-handed it will probably be my right foot, which is why I fell to the right all the time. I wonder if all I had to do to start falling to the left was to start riding left foot forward?? Or even, while I was favouring falling to the left, I automatically rode left foot forward?

Interesting im left handed. So maybe thats the factor. If you're a righty to fall off to the right, and if you're one of Gods special chosen people you fall off on the left.

 

[Mteam]

Interesting im left handed. So maybe thats the factor. If you're a righty to fall off to the right, and if you're one of Gods special chosen people you fall off on the left.

Don't think it has anything to do with right or left handed, I'm right handed,but ride with left foot forward (same as I do on a snowboard)

It probably has more to do with the same reasons that govern how you prefer to snowboard,skate or surf, ie regular or goofy

 

[Tubby G]

Don't think it has anything to do with right or left handed, I'm right handed,but ride with left foot forward (same as I do on a snowboard)

It probably has more to do with the same reasons that govern how you prefer to snowboard,skate or surf, ie regular or goofy

I skate left foot forward, ride MTB right foot forward. No idea what side I crash on as it happens so quick that I’m concentrating more on the getting out of the tangled mess of legs, bike frame, ferns & brambles!

 

[Phoenix]

Is this the same test done for wake/snowboarding ?
Stand with feet together and have someone push you forward (not too hard!) from behind, dominant foot is the one you instinctively move forward > front foot on board. Obviously the instinctive survival options then become more restricted when your feet are strapped onto a board!