Electric bikes are a great way to take your ordinary bike rides to the next level. However, for all the great new features that eBikes add to your riding experience, they share one unfortunately common issue: flat tires. Replacing a flat tire can be a very time-consuming and frustrating affair (and potentially a costly one if you need new tires entirely), so it's in your best interest to take care of your tires as best as possible. To help you keep your tires in tip-top shape, we'll be going over 5 essential tips to avoid flats on your electric bike so you can enjoy your ride in confidence.
1. Maintaining Proper Tire Pressure
We'll start with the easiest and simplest rule to follow: keeping the proper PSI in your tires at all times. To do so, you'll need to find the recommended PSI on the sidewall of your tire and inflate the tire to the proper number. We recommend using a bike pump with a gauge on it to get accurate PSI readings. Always check tire pressure before you ride, as this will help you avoid either under-inflated or over-inflated tires. Under-inflating your tire can lead to pinches and pops, since the tire tube won't be able to absorb as much impact. On the other hand, over-inflated tires are under unnecessary stress from the additional air in the tire tube.
2. Check and Clean Your Tires Periodically
Before and after each ride, double check to ensure there are no obstructions in the tread or punctures in the tire or tire tube. This can happen on occasion, especially with off-road eBike rides like fat tire eBikes and eMTBs, but it's important to take care anything lodged in the tread; if you leave debris on your tire, it may eventually cause your tire to tear or your inner tube to deflate. You can use a small prying tool and damp cloth to clean/clear your tires of any obstructions that may be affecting the performance of your eBike.
3. Avoid Hazards and Rough Surfaces
While you'd definitely expect to encounter rough patches in the road on an all-terrain eBike, many commuter eBike and folding eBike riders also encounter less than favorable conditions on their urban rides. One way to avoid flats during trips through the city is to fully avoid possible hazards on your commute. Leaving designated bike lanes, riding through construction zones, and detouring through poorly maintained roads can all increase your risk of running over something that may damage your tires. That being said, you can't always avoid such hazards. If you have to ride through rougher roads, the best thing to do is slow down and maneuver carefully, or even get off your bike to walk around any hazards.
4. Learn Proper Tube Installation
Proper tube installation is key; installing your tire tube incorrectly can lead to problems for the entire lifespan of your tire tube and affect the performance of your eBike. To properly install a tube, you want to make sure the tube is place and aligned with the tire and rim. Then, ensure the air valve stem is fed properly through the rim and not pinched. Often times, a pinched valve stem or improper tube placement will inevitably lead to the tire deflating.
5. Carry Essential Repair Tools
Even if you follow all of the above rules, events outside of your control may cause you to experience a flat anyway. You could swap to solid tires to avoid flats altogether, but these tires are far less comfortable to ride on and provide much less traction than air-filled tires. If you plan on keeping air-filled tires, be sure to bring a repair kit with you on your rides. This usually includes a patch kit, a spare tire tube, and possibly tire slime. You can build your own kit with all kinds of useful tools and resources for accidents and emergencies you might encounter during your rides, but these three items are a good starting point.
While flat tires are sometimes inevitable, following these guidelines should help you care for your tires and extend their life for as long as possible. If you're looking for more tips and tricks for maintaining your ride, be sure to check out our eBike maintenance guide. No matter where or what you ride, just remember to stay safe, follow the rules of the road, and always wear a helmet
