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Winter & All-weather Ebiking
Welcome to the home of the winter ebiker!
This section will feature tips on ebiking in cold, icy and snowy conditions, as well as links to related resources. I use my ebike to commute to work year round, and in the Edmonton, Alberta area where I live, that means temperatures of -20 C and usually some snow.
**Please Note** Damage caused by moisture entering components and wiring WILL NOT be covered by warranty! It is the customer's responsibility to cover and seal connections, wiring entry into motor, and all components if they may be exposed to moisture in riding or storage. Plumber's putty is great for sealing the axles at the bearings, and also for the point where the wires enter the axle. Wiring connections should be well taped with electrical tape. Batteries, controller and throttle should be covered with plastic and taped up.
My favourite quick winter modification is making your own studded tire at least for the driving wheel, and optionally for both. Here's a link with detailed instructions for DIY tire studding! (after clicking, scroll to the bottom) http://www.icebike.org/Equipment/tires.htm
Icebike.org is a great site for winter cycling ideas, albeit not specifically ebiking.
Paul Bell, an ebiker in Quebec, writes about his experience with studded winter tires:
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As far as tires go I have tried the Innovas but they only last me around 1500 kms of riding. This is about 2 months worth. I then switched to Nokians and they lasted two winters (guess of 7000+ kms and they were used. Studs are still pretty good but had to retire them do to the sidewalls failing. I have a new set this year and hope to get 3-4 years out of them and 10 000 + kms but wil lhave to wait to see the results of this :) My recomendation would be the Nokians to anyone using power assist (higher speeds than normal winter riding) and doing more than 10 kms a day commuting on mostly exposed pavement. I wore out my Innovas before I had power assist as well. Don't get me wrong though, the cheap Innovas worked great on ice. They just are not meant for high milage pavement riding. On the plus side they have a re-studding kit for around $20. My tread is still great on the Innovas, only studs are worn below the rubber :)
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A great winter accessory is the most recent version of the DrainBrain, which is backlit for those long dark winter evenings and early morning commutes. The DrainBrain is a combination speedometer and multi-function electric gauge, telling you many important statistics about your battery life, watts used, and amp-hours pulled from a battery. Cost is $140.
I welcome your emailed questions and tips on winter ebiking, and I hope to post answers, photos, etc as time goes on.
Batteries: In the past few weeks of colder weather, I've learned that NiCad batteries lose a lot of hill-climbing oomph in the cold, but NiMh seem to not lose much zip. The last 2 winters I've used SLA batteries, which lose a bit of power in the cold, but not as much as NiCad's. What batteries have you found to work best in winter? Email me...
Patrice in Quebec emailed to say:
Up to now, the NiCad is OK... I put the battery into an insulated rear rack bag, like this one: 
At first I tought it could overheat, but instead it seems like it was a good idea, with winter coming in! And this bag is inside my
Rear Hardshell Carrier
so it keeps hot, when I get my ebike out of the garage..
For now the battery suits my needs, as I don't plan to bike all winter long (this may change... We'll see)
I'm very satisfied with the battery range (about 20+Kms).