Big Issue vendors have a wide variety of skills and experience, so we bring you the best of their knowledge each week. This week, London vendor Martin McKenzie tells us about his successful bike maintenance business. He says he has seen an increase in e-bikes on the roads and shares his top tips in case you are thinking of making the switch.
Most of the care for e-bikes is the same as for pushbikes except you have some additional maintenance to bear in mind. Such as if your tyres are soft you could bend your spokes and drain, or even ruin, your battery. You could also burn your motor out as it has to work harder. Speaking of batteries, if you’re buying an e-bike, my advice would be to avoid lead batteries – lithium is better.
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You can tighten your spokes with a small tool available from any bike store. Just remove your tyre and inner tube and there will be a rubber band covering. Remove that and it will reveal your spokes, you will clearly see where your spoke tool fits on each spoke.
Hand tighten until you feel the bite then move on to the next spoke and repeat. When your tyre’s back on and inflated to the correct pressure you will find your bike will be smoother and faster. As for the motor itself, they’re sealed units and require professional servicing as it stores power like a power transformer.
Big Issue-branded eBikes will initially be available to rent in Cambridge – the home city of Big Issue founder Lord John Bird – with the proceeds going towards supporting previously unemployed people back into work. https://t.co/ijpTj7ZeXe
— Big Issue (@BigIssue) November 10, 2020
