Riding in Very Hot Weather Is Unpleasant & Harmful. Fresh Remedies

Hot temperatures are becoming increasingly frequent (unless the findings of climate scientists and the southern farmers’ complaints are just meaningless). They can seriously affect ebike riding and durability. Let’s see what’s at stake and practical remedies.

• • When does it start being hot for ebikes?
  • How heat influences ebike batteries
  • How heat influences ebike motors
  • Riding in hot weather, remedies
  • Charging in hot weather
  • Riding at the seaside
  • Scorching heat and tires
  • Staying safe in the summer heat
  • What to wear
  • Velocity and temperature
  • Avoid traffic jams

When does it start being hot for ebikes?

Both Ebike motors and batteries perform best in terms of range and delivered power and wear slower when external temperatures range between 17 Celsius or 63 F and 23 Celsius or 73 Fahrenheit. Beyond that, the hotter it gets, the more your ebike will be negatively affected. Besides that, consider that beyond 38 Celsius or 100 Fahrenheit, damages can become really considerable.

How heat influences ebike batteries

Extreme heat causes the internal resistance of the battery to increase, involving that more energy is converted into heat in the battery cells, since the hotter the temperature, the faster ions move. This energy is missing from the motor and inhibits the performance of your ebike. Moreover, extreme heat, which in the worst case can cause a short circuit, damages battery cells. Generally, heat, even if not extreme, accelerates battery wearing. Charging a hot battery can harm it, prevent charging or slow it.

How heat influences ebike motors

It damages and wears ebike motors. Several gears in the great majority of ebike motors are made of plastic. Extreme heat can dilate metals and plastic, the latter suffering even deformation. An hot motor consumes more electric energy, is slower and noisier.

Riding in hot weather, remedies

Stopping for a good 10 minutes, having parked the ebike in the shadow is always beneficial. Should you have difficulties sheltering it from the sun, you can always lay a white fabric on the battery, to shield it. Reckon that, if you want an ebike with intube battery, a white or light colored one stays fresher is the sunlight. If you’ve got a hub motor, sprinkling it with freshwater can also help. Avoid doing that with the mid-motor, most of them are not completely waterproof.

Consider that motors and batteries are cooled by airflow, which increases with speed. Therefore, a steep climb can overheat them all the more, not only because the speed is slower, but also because it demands more electric energy.

So, try to use a lower level of assistance when coping with a steep, long climb in the heat.

Very hot weather can cause sudden storms and it’s better to avoid riding when it rains cats and dogs. You can also store a plastic disposable shopping bag under your saddle and tie its handles to the lower tube of the frame so as to keep your mid motor dry.

Charging in hot weather

Be it for the weather or for intensive usage, charging a hot battery can damage it or at least shorten its life. You should let it wait at least 10 minutes in the shadow before charging it.

Storing batteries in hot places

In a vehicle parked in the sun, temperatures can easily climb beyond 50 Celsius or 122 Fahrenheit, what is utmost detrimental for batteries. Even a hot garage or room is to be avoided. Ideal storage temperatures for batteries is 10 Celsius or 50 Fahrenheit, lest you accept shortening their lifespan. Should the temperature of the place where you store your battery remain beyond 30 Celsius or 86 Fahrenheit for several weeks, I would rather store my battery in the refrigerator, where temperatures are around four Celsius or 10 Fahrenheit.

Riding at the seaside

On the shore not only temperatures are often hot, but salty air can really corrode your bike, so it’s better to wash it before storing it. The sand can sure damage your motor, gears, cassettes, chain, brakes and shifter.

Scorching heat and tires

Another issue bikers will face during the summer is how the heat affects tires, as hotter asphalt will increase the temperature of the air inside, dilating it. Their air pressure will expand the already hot rubber, wearing it much faster and making punctures much more likely.

Staying safe in the summer heat

Bikers will also be at risk due to this surge of heat, drinking water and sprinkling some on your skin is recommended as well as sunscreen to prevent the increased probability of skin diseases.

What to wear

Bright coloured outfits that let the skin breath is also a good idea (materials such as linen, hemp, silk and cotton are go-tos for this period). Couple that with some eye-protection, whether it be sunglasses, nighttime glasses/low-light glasses or even goggles and you should be good to go. Of course black and dark colored helmets and clothes keep you hotter than white and lighter colored ones.

Velocity and temperature

It is highly recommended to go cycling either early in the fresh breeze of an early morning or the coolness of an early evening.

Keep in mind that temperatures that exceed 37° will not make the air any fresher when you go biking. In fact, the higher the speed, the worse the damage, when you are hit by an air flow hotter than your body. Consequently, when you are biking, temperatures under 35° will be the more refreshing the faster you go.

Avoid traffic jams

Even if you can ride on a bike lane along the traffic road, dense car traffic is a powerful source of heat. Just reckon: a 2000 cc car engine turns on average 3000 rotations per minute, spitting out some 36,000 liters, or 36 cubic meters of 420 Celsius (788 Fahrenheit) hot air per hour of driving. Moreover, one could easily cook a beefsteak on the engine. Luckily, hot air goes up, but traffic jams are still an open air oven.