Hi, the Fiido X I'm interested in has a rating of IP54, which can cope with splashing of water. I've read a review that said it can't be ridden in heavy rain. Is that true? Do other e-bikes have better waterproofing?
Help! Can I ride e-bikes in heavy rain?
- Thread starter pudding835
- Start date
There probably won't be a clear answer to this. When does rain go from 'water spray from any direction' to 'water jets...'?
Does this review say what failed? Or was it simply repeating advice from Fiido? If the latter, what do Fiido say?
I ride my Shimano e5000 midmotor equipped bike in whatever nature throws at me, but I do not blast through puddles and standing water, I slow down to a crawl if I can't see how deep something is, and having looked closely at the very few wires involved in the system, and opened up a spare battery case, I can see how much care Shimano have taken to keep water out.
You have the option for most aspects of the system to add waterproofness quite simply, although not always highly aesthetically, using covers and deflectors to control and direct water from above, below and in front. For most rain conditions I think you should be able to find a workable solution.
If I get caught in the rain (a rarity for a leisure cyclist) I wear a cape. This extends over the handle bars and so protects the display, throttle and brake switches. Battery is rack mount so partially covered and the motor is a hub, so pretty rain proof providing the cable exits the spindle downwards to form a drip loop.
IIRC, Fiido's general advice is similar to most: Don't use a pressure washer to clean the bike, and don't wade in water where the motor could be submerged... although the X does have that electronic keypad lock behind the seat-post which might be more susceptible to heavy rain / water ingress?
Didn't we have a member fairly recently who asked advice about smoke coming out of his battery... and only later did he confess he'd actually ridden the bike into and then fished his e-bike out of a canal. I'd avoid doing that if I were you!
Didn't we have a member fairly recently who asked advice about smoke coming out of his battery... and only later did he confess he'd actually ridden the bike into and then fished his e-bike out of a canal. I'd avoid doing that if I were you!
I did email Fiido who only quoted its IP54 rating, without answering my question on can it be ridden in heavy rain. The user manual doesn't mention IP rating or riding in rain.
I'll ask again, see if I can get a better reply
I'll ask again, see if I can get a better reply
Consumer law has made it impossible for sellers to give truly useful advice on this. It's why the old term "waterproof" is no longer used for fear of the legal consequences, replaced now by "Water resistant", which guarantees nothing.
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There's a plastic cover but i doubt it's got a rubber seal. Would've preferred a lock with a key.
So would I, as other makers do on a regular seat-post clamp. I checked Fiido's website; they used to have a FAQ page which gave the "wet use" advice I mentioned above... but I see that page is now gone.
Does the Fiido X have mudguards? I sometimes find myself cycling in many hours of sustained heavy rain. I confess I was worried about rain killing off my BBS01B, but after covering all the connectors with 4:1 self-adhesive marine heatshrink plus self-amalgamating rubber tape, making a rain cover for the display using clear plastic and gaffa tape, covering the battery and mount with two waterproof rucksack covers (one is simply not waterproof enough for hours in the rain) and applying heat-resistant silicone on the motor seams... I no longer worry. After a submersion incident when a pond appeared on the road after a sudden thunderstorm, I've doubled the self-amalgamating tape, despite the complete submersion of the motor (water level was above both pedals 
) not causing any damage.
) not causing any damage.
Wow, that's impressive. I had a similar incident where my BBS01B was totally submerged while running for about 5 secs or so while misjudging the depth a pool on a track after a downpour (in hindsight should of jumped off the bike and got knee deep in muddy water and pushed it out). I did remove the final drive cover when I got home, there was a little moisture in there, I think it got in through the crank spindle rubber seal, no surprise really. Anyway, cleaned it out, replaced the final drive grease (Aeroshell 22) and a year has passed since (and a couple of thousand miles) with no issueDoes the Fiido X have mudguards? I sometimes find myself cycling in many hours of sustained heavy rain. I confess I was worried about rain killing off my BBS01B, but after covering all the connectors with 4:1 self-adhesive marine heatshrink plus self-amalgamating rubber tape, making a rain cover for the display using clear plastic and gaffa tape, covering the battery and mount with two waterproof rucksack covers (one is simply not waterproof enough for hours in the rain) and applying heat-resistant silicone on the motor seams... I no longer worry. After a submersion incident when a pond appeared on the road after a sudden thunderstorm, I've doubled the self-amalgamating tape, despite the complete submersion of the motor (water level was above both pedals
That shock pool-like puddle took me completely by surprise - I was doing about 10mph around a bend and suddenly I was in it.... I had a bit of momentum after the rapid slowing after splashing in, and knowing that route, had already geared down in preparation for the long queue at the lights beyond the bend... so standing on the pedals (first time I'd done that on my Dahon, bit awkward on a folding bike)(there were cars behind me), managed to power through about 13 seconds of complete motor submersion. The bike created a bow wave. I was close to home, so when I got back noticed water dripping out from somewhere near the bottom of the motor. Despite it all still working, I resolved to add further waterproofing to the max. It would have taken longer to wade the bike out. Glad this shocking pool didn't give me an electric shock!
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And yet I have, in the past, used mains connection boxes for outside wiring, rated at IP56. Going back to them some years later for fault finding purposes have found them full of a whole array of insects and their detritus. Effectively the box was full of damp soil - hence the problem.
The contributions in this thread do go to show that with some basic tools and careful observation of potential weakspots, the water resistant integrity of an installation can be improved.
- On my TSDZ2 mid-mount I have added Red Rubber Grease to the existing motor casing 'O' seal and additional sealant around the cable egress points.
- I have a bottle battery and have taped around the joins in the casing where the top and botom assemblies attach to the main body plus in the base of the battery holder I have drilled some holes to let any water out that would otherwise accumulate and possibley short out the connection terminals.
- What I have yet to do is figure out how to 'waterproof' the battery on/off switch which is just a cheap rocker switch. At the moment I just stick tape over it if I suspect I might be out in the rain.
- Cable connections - the Speedo connector has a two plugs: one for the speedo (which is used for the OSF/dongle side of life) and one for lighting control (which I don't use), thus I've 'blobbed' silicon sealant over the exposed end (there was a post on this forum where a rider experienced problems from water immersion on this connection). Other connectors (display and battery/motor) are taped and concealed in a long piece of black plastic conduit that sits neatly between the rear mudguard and seat tube.
- The handlebar display is the simple VLCD6 whose seals have had RRG applied too but annoyingly the display does occasionally steam up even after repeated attempts to dry the insides out with a heat gun.
- So there's always room for improvements - more investigation needed.
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My battery also has a round rocker switch - before opting to use two waterproof rucksack covers to protect both battery and mount, I found this silicone cover for rocker switches, which might be easy to fit? (If your rocker switch isn't glued in. If they've used hot glue, maybe soften with a hot air gun?)
Round Rocker Switch Silicone Cover
Silicone waterproof cover suitable for protecting round rocker switches from dust and splashing water.Covers is fitted by pushing over the top of the switchFits round switches with a 20mm cut-outSwitch can easily be operated with the cover fittedDimensions: 8.4 x 27.8mm (Height x Diameter)
www.switchelectronics.co.uk
Also available on ebay (with purchase of a £2.30 rocker switch)
On/Off Round Rectangle Rocker Switch + Waterproof Cover Car Dash Boat SPST 12V | eBay
The switches are designed for snap-in mounting and suitable for a wide range of applications. Rectangle switch panel cut-out: 19 x 12mm. Optional waterproof cover. Round switch panel cut-out: 20mm.
www.ebay.co.uk
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@Bikes4two - I was going to fit one of those silicone covers, but the rocker switch on my battery was secured by rather a lot of hot glue. At the time, I didn't have a hot air gun... plus it looked like a messy job which could have required soldering in a new rocker switch, and at the time I had no soldering skills. Simply covering the battery was a easy, fast and effective solution - at a quick glance (which is all observers will have time for) also obscures the fact that I'm riding a electric bike, which is better when riding through certain neighbourhoods. The top waterproof cover on my rear rack mounted battery is hi-viz.
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