Tips for a new e-bike user

[Lovemycat2023]

Hello. I have a lovely new e-bike (a Gazelle Grenoble) which I’m just getting used to. I love the comfort and style but the weight is a challenge!

Are there any tips from more experienced cyclists? I plan to use it for those mainly short journeys (1-4 miles) which I currently make by car or on foot. Thanks!

I'm not familiar with the bike you've got, but I do have an e bike. The thing I found hardest at first was finding the best combination of gears and assistance levels. At first I was so fixated on the "e" that I found I was forgetting about the "bike"! I was swapping to a higher assistance level when things got tough forgetting that I still had half a dozen gears left to use! I've heard of other people saying the same thing so I don't think it's just me. Once I got my head around the fact that it was really just a bike that could give me a bit of extra help it got easier!
Nowadays I put it in the lowest assistance level, ride it like I would a normal bike and only up the assistance on steep hills etc. That gets me the most out of my battery, though if you are only doing short rides that probably won't be an issue for you. If you are commuting and don't want to arrive sweaty you are probably better off using more assistance.
Something else I have learned is to generally up the assistance at the bottom of a steep hill, rather than when I start to struggle, much the same way as you'd drop into a lower gear at the start of a hill rather than changing down under load half way up. It gives you a much smoother and more efficient ride if you preempt things. If you do the same routes regularly you will get to know which parts you're going to need a bit of a boost for.
One thing you need to think about if you are only doing short rides is battery care. Lithium ion batteries on the whole are best kept between 20% and 80% charged, so don't put your bike on charge after every short trip. Regularly charging from, say 90% to 100% when you've only done a few miles could negatively affect the lifespan of your battery. I only charge to 100% before a long ride.
Have fun - the more you ride the better you will get to know the bike and the more confident you will become.

I have had mine for 8 years now and it’s reduced my car use and made me happier. I’ve spent more on servicing than on ordinary bikes. The brake pads on the rear of my bike don’t last as long and the chain can wear faster too. I blow my tyres up regularly as it seems vital when you’re going faster.
I have had 2 replacement batteries - one due to and accident and the other due to deterioration over 4 years. I am careful not to leave my bike plugged in.
Find out if you have power assist to walk with your bike - that’s vital if you do have a puncture. I wish there was a breakdown service.

Thanks very much both! @kiwiane I do have walk assist but it’s a bit tricky so I need to practice it more. Absolutely take your point about servicing. The chain is enclosed so I can’t even clean and lube it in the usual way. I’ll book in for an annual service in the winter I think.

@MrsAvocet the tip about the battery is great thanks and makes sense. It’s got 40 mile range but is slow to charge so I’ll just need to plan that in. I am really struggling with the gears and don’t even know how many I have. I think maybe 5. At the moment I’m struggling to change gears when I have anything other than eco assist on, and there does seem to be some slippage too. I got it through Bike to Work on mail order but I do have a brilliant very local bike shop if I need work done.

I've googled your bike @Lovemycat2023 and though there a number of variants it looks like they all have hub gears. I haven't ridden a bike with that type of system for more years than I like to admit to being alive so I am probably not the best person to advise, but I found this blog which might be helpful. It's unlikely to be about the exact same system as yours but the basics should be the same.
If your gears were slipping on a bike with a derallieur I'd say they needed to be indexed but I have no clue how that's done on hub gears so if it persists I think you'll need to get ot checked at a bike shop.
https://www.sixthreezero.com/blogs/bike-advice/how-and-when-to-shift-gears-on-a-7-speed-internal-gear-bike

Thanks very much @MrsAvocet - yes mine has a hub it seems! I found the gears much easier today (on my ride to a local meeting). I think some of the changes were just very smooth!! I’ve found on the flat I don’t need any assist, so it’s gears only, but as soon as there’s any hills I work through the assist levels quite quickly. A lovely day for cycling today!

Just to agree with both @MrsAvocet and @kiwiane. I have had mine for about 18 months. I have been surprised at how quickly the chain needs to be replaced. Buy a chain checker. I was told that once you can start to get the small bit into the chain you need a new one and if you get the bigger bit in you need a new sprocket and derailleur as well.

A chain is inexpensive the others are not. I get through a vast number of brake pads too. I only cycle 6 miles a day one section of which is up a very steep hill so I wish I had got to grips with the gear changing more quickly. I suspect that an annual service is optimistic unless you are only thing in flat ground.

I had a problem with the motor which was changed under warranty.

Get cycling sunglasses too if you don't already have them.

I absolutely love mine. It gives me so much more exercise and just makes me happy.

Thanks @GOODCAT - the chain is completely enclosed which is a bit annoying as we have a chain tool! I guess I will schedule in a service before the winter (so after 6months) to be safe. I won’t use it daily but everywhere here is up
or down gentle hills so noted re brake pads!

My home city doesn’t have many steep hills so I find that I hardly ever change gear, I just change the amount of assist that I use. I keep it in 4th gear (out of 6) and use little or no assist on the flat, more when going up a hill. I can’t say I’ve ever given it much thought.

Hello @Lovemycat2023 hope you're getting on well with your bike! Are you still finding it's slipping? If you mean the chain is slipping a bit when you want to change gear, it should be a relatively easy fix but is easier with two people. Looking at Gazelle's website, your bike probably has a Shimano Nexus hub gear - on the rear wheel at the hub, there are two little yellow lines that need to be lined up when in the middle(ish) gear. I expect the manual will have more info about where to find the magic yellow lines and what gear to be in, but this guide is quite good at explaining things: https://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/a-simple-guide-to-adjusting-a-shimano-nexus-hub-gear/
It is quite normal for the cable to stretch a little when new, so I wouldn't be at all surprised at this job needing doing on a new bike. The nexus hub needs an oil change every so often. I haven't got an e-bike but have got hub gears on our tandem - the oil gets changed by the bike shop every couple of years. Hub gears are great for being able to stop at the traffic lights and then click down a gear in order to pull off again - but I'm guessing e-bikes are good at that too!