electric bicycle weight

[pocruadhlaoich]

Hi,
I recently bought a Raleigh Motus and have been using and enjoying it greatly. At the weekend I cleaned it and had a complete nightmare trying to remove and replace the rear wheel for cleaning. Given the weight of the bicycle (20+ kg), are there any good techniques for wheel changes? Trying to hold such a weight up with one hand while pulling on the rear derailleur with the other hand and trying to somehow attach or detach the wheel was very difficult. Should I try to raise the bicycle up somehow? Is there such a thing as a portable bicycle stand for lifting the rear wheel for maintenance?
Thanks for any help!

 

[pgwyse]

Hi,
You could try turning the bike upside-down

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[LeighPing]

Is there such a thing as a portable bicycle stand for lifting the rear wheel for maintenance?
Thanks for any help!

I don't have one myself..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bicycle-Maintenance-Mechanic-Professional-Workstand/dp/B00TTYLIYU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503879663&sr=8-1&keywords=Portable+Home+Bike+Repair+Stand+Adjustable+Height+Bicycle+Stand

 

[Trevormonty]

Hi,
You could try turning the bike upside-down

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Have to be careful of display and assist buttons. I remove display and use block of wood on assist button side.

 

[Benjahmin]

I have a stand like LP linked to. Wheel removal can still be tricky, though easier. Can't use it with the wife's step through though, just can't find the balance point.

 

[Tabs]

Have to be careful of display and assist buttons. I remove display and use block of wood on assist button side.

A set of bar ends are useful in this situation

 

[tommie]

I don't have one myself..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bicycle-Maintenance-Mechanic-Professional-Workstand/dp/B00TTYLIYU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503879663&sr=8-1&keywords=Portable+Home+Bike+Repair+Stand+Adjustable+Height+Bicycle+Stand

These would do your job just fine, Lidl were selling them recently and they`re always on Ebay
Also your fellow countryman Danidl has a Motus, maybe he could chime in

 

[TedG]

Bought a bike stand from Dirty Pro Tools via Amazon. For £28 it is astonishingly good value to support a heavy e-bike.
Solid rubber faced clamp in the right place for balance and widely spayed tripod legs make working on any part of our bikes so easy.
This is not a feeble wibbly wobbly affair, I can't work out why it is so cheap. Check out the 600+ positive reviews.
Recommended - and I am not easily impressed! Look it up.

MAJOR EDIT!!
It has four legs, not tripod. Sorry folk, senior moment.

 

[LeighPing]

Look it up.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-BICYCLE-MECHANICS-MOUNTAIN-PROFESSIONAL/dp/B0080R1CBG

 

[TedG]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-BICYCLE-MECHANICS-MOUNTAIN-PROFESSIONAL/dp/B0080R1CBG

Thanks LP, that's the one and trust me it really is the business.
I say again, how is it only £28???
I have used it many times and the quick release clamp, joints and legs are as good as new.
The fold up operation including the flat feet is a work of art. Very clever.

 

[pocruadhlaoich]

Hi all, thanks for the replies so far! I will check out the maintenance bike stand idea, that sounds great. I guess I was thinking more about the scenario where you are out on the road, get a flat on the rear wheel and then need to lift and hold 20+ kg, pull the derailleur and somehow jiggle the wheel out and later put it back in again.
pgwyse, I was recommended to not place the bicycle upside down. Confusing :S

 

[LeighPing]

I was recommended to not place the bicycle upside down.

Sometimes you've no other option.

 

[Danidl]

These would do your job just fine, Lidl were selling them recently and they`re always on Ebay
Also your fellow countryman Danidl has a Motus, maybe he could chime in

Nice of you to remember me.
Just remove the intuvia display and turn the bike upside down on grass.. that is the green stuff not the special tobacco. The brake handles are solid enough and the assist control is robust. The only part I would worry about is scratching the face of the display on gravel or concrete. . the wheels come off in a jiffy with those quick release thingies.

. Because the bike is heavy, I would put it on its side and then rotate. On a lighter bike, I would have just rotated it over the back wheel,. But that would damage the mudguards
.
You would want to be Houdini if you are trying to hold a bike in one hand and insert a rear wheel with the other, while using yet another hand to move the dereilliur back...

If removing the front wheel , make sure you disconnect the dynamo lead first and when replacing make sure you tighten the wheel before reconnecting the dynamo. .. if the wheel axle rotates it will damage the flimsy connector.
Tyres may need to be deflated to get past the brake pads. Incidentally I see that the newer model seems to have gone to disk brakes, rather than the rim brakes on my model.

 

[Danidl]

Sometimes you've no other option.

View attachment 20994

.. oh no is that one of those cursed hub motor jobbies .... We were talking quality here......!!!!

 

[Danidl]

Hi all, thanks for the replies so far! I will check out the maintenance bike stand idea, that sounds great. I guess I was thinking more about the scenario where you are out on the road, get a flat on the rear wheel and then need to lift and hold 20+ kg, pull the derailleur and somehow jiggle the wheel out and later put it back in again.
pgwyse, I was recommended to not place the bicycle upside down. Confusing :S

I would strongly recommend replacing your two tubes with those slime filled tubes available from Halfords and elsewhere. Then you can at your leisure fit them at home and enjoy many miles of puncture free riding.

 

[LeighPing]

.. oh no is that one of those cursed hub motor jobbies .... We were talking quality here......!!!!

It is quality.

 

[TedG]

I would strongly recommend replacing your two tubes with those slime filled tubes available from Halfords and elsewhere. Then you can at your leisure fit them at home and enjoy many miles of puncture free riding.

I was going to ask if it was a good idea to fill my current tubes with Slime to prevent punctures. Some say it should be used to repair a flat at the roadside and others say it should be installed to prevent possible punctures.
Anyone with any experience?
For 60+ years I have been a sticky patch person but if this is a new product to eliminate the hassle then I am all for it.

 

[flecc]

If the Slime works, fine. But when it doesn't and that can often happen, the resultant mess ousing out makes it impossible to effect a patch repair on the road. It hasn't worked for me when i've tried it more than once, so never again, patching's easy and reliable.
.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I've never used slime. Since I've been using puncture resistant tyres, I've never had a puncture, so I've never felt the need for it. That's about 6000 miles.

 

[flecc]

I've never used slime. Since I've been using puncture resistant tyres, I've never had a puncture, so I've never felt the need for it. That's about 6000 miles.

Best course on bikes. A year and a half on puncture resistant Kendas and no punctures, followed by all the years since with Marathon Plus and just one slow puncture. Don't know how many thousands of miles altogether across three e-bikes.

It was a different story on the trailer with 16" nondescript Chinese tyres though, punctures galore, and different brands of slime didn't help at all, just made matters worse.
.