Southwind Cycle and Outdoor

We love e-bikes, and believe they’re for anyone who wants to ride farther and faster! Ebikes let you enjoy more gravel roads, or more laps at the bike trail, or even going along with riding buddies who used to have to wait up for you! Like “acoustic” bikes, there’s a big range of quality, reliability and safety for ebikes, and to have a great time riding, we think you deserve the good stuff. Kona, Marin, Haro, Giant, Liv and Momentum all make awesome ebikes that tick the boxes we look for (below). If you’ve already got an ebike and you’re having a problem, don’t worry, we repair other brands, we just recommend the stuff we like to ride! Schedule a service on our homepage.

Batteries: ebikes have lithium-ion battery packs, and the good ones have refined electronics to keep temperature ranges safe during charging and discharging and high-quality battery cells. For best performance of your battery, keep it charged between 20-80% during periods where you’re not using it, charge when you’re around to keep an eye on it, and take it off the charger with it’s charged. Store your battery in a dry place between 40-90 degrees fahrenheit (freezing temperatures can dramatically shorten the life of the battery cells, especially bargain-priced batteries).

Brakes: ebikes weigh a little more, but more importantly, you’re probably going to find yourself riding close to 20 mph (for class 1), or 28 mph (for class 3) a lot more than on an acoustic bike, which comes with more use of your brakes! Think of it like moving from a 4-cylinder economy car to a V8. Make sure to always check brakes before a ride, and expect to change out brake pads more often than you’re used to. High-quality ebikes will come equipped with name-brand hydraulic disc brakes for best performance and longevity.

Replacement parts: everything eventually breaks, and while most of the parts on a quality ebike are identical to acoustic bikes, there are a few pieces that are ebike-specific. Shimano, Bosch and Yamaha ebike systems are *very* reliable, and if there’s ever a reason you need a new controller, extra battery, or even a motor, OEM parts are easy to install, compatible, and easy to source. We work closely with Shimano, Bosch and Yamaha to get the right stuff on your bike for best performance.