If you have an electric mountain bike, you are doubtless looking for ways to get out on the trails with it, at least as much as you can. Sometimes the weather can be less than cooperative though, especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain.
Are electric mountain bikes waterproof? Electric mountain bikes Can be water resistant but they are not completely water proof. You can customize your bike and increase it’s water resistance. The electric mountain bike could be damaged if you ride it in extensive watery conditions.
The key is to know just how much water your electric mountain bike can handle. Never get your mountain bike more wet than that amount, and you will be good to go. Depending on the design of the electric parts, some electric mountain bikes can be more water-resistant than others, but there are some general rules that apply.
How Water-Resistant Electric Mountain Bikes Are
In a way, your electric mountain bike can be thought of in much the same way as your phone. If you spill some water on your phone, it may still work perfectly fine afterward. It depends on three factors, and it is these same three factors that also apply to your mountain bike.
These three factors are: exactly how much water comes into contact with it, if the water gets into the electric areas, and how quickly you can get the water out of it. If only a little water only touches the outside of your phone or electric mountain bike and is quickly removed, then there is nothing to worry about.
Dunking your electric mountain bike into a stream of water that is nearly to the saddle is obviously a no. Take note of where your electric parts are, and measure how high off the ground the lowest of these are. You should never go in water this deep at even a snail’s pace.
Splashing through puddles of water is going to spray some water up on your bike. One or two shallow puddles of water might be alright, but going through countless deeper puddles of water is inadvisable. The same can be said for rain.
A light drizzle might be fine, but if the rain comes down any harder, then you are in trouble. Many mountain bikes will let you know how much water they can handle. This is something that is called an IP rating, and it is something that many electrics have.
How To Read Your IP Rating For Your Electric Mountain Bike
When it comes to the different electrical parts on your mountain E-bike, your IP rating will most likely be on your battery. IP stands for ingress protection, and it tells you the degree of protection that an item has.
There are two numbers to an IP rating. The first number can range from 0 to 6 and rates how well an item can withstand solids such as dust, sticks, etc. A perfect 6 means that dust won’t enter the item until it has been exposed to the dust for over 8 hours.
A first number of 0 would mean that the inside of the electronic is so open that you can literally poke your finger in and touch the wires. This is obviously unacceptable for a mountain bike, but the second IP number is more important for wet weather.
The second number is how long it will take for water to get into the item. This second number can range from 0 to 9. A 9 would mean that you can wash your electric mountain bike with a jet of water being used to wash it.
At this point, no electric mountain bike has a rating of 9 yet. However, some of the highest quality electric mountain bikes can be rated as high as a 7. At a level 7, your mountain bike’s electrical parts can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes.
The IP rating can be very hard to find, and a level 7 moisture resistance will cost you quite a bit. Most of the bikes you will find from places like Amazon will not show this rating. Another key thing to remember is that this rating is for the battery. So, the other electric parts might not have the same IP numbers.
Protecting Your Electric Mountain Bike
Even normal, non-electric mountain bikes should be kept in your garage out of the weather, but this is even more important for electric mountain bikes. This extends to protecting your mountain bike when you are taking it on trips with you.
Whether you are heading to the nearby trailhead or going for a vacation and taking your bike with you, you will most likely be keeping your bike in the back of your truck or in a bike rack. In this situation, you should get a waterproof cover for your bike and make sure that it covers everything.
Many of the electric parts are placed pretty low down, so you need to make sure that the tarp you get covers basically your whole mountain bike. There are waterproof covers that are specifically made for bikes, but you can use tarp or plastic.
In any case, verify that no amount of wind will blow the covering up and expose the electric parts to the rain. You can do this by getting an extra-large tarp and putting weights on it on both sides of your bike. Another option is to use bungee cords or rope to attach the tarp or pin it to your bike.
If your electric mountain bike has gotten wet or damp, you should wipe it down as soon as possible. Do this with something that is as absorbing of water as possible and do a thorough job of drying it. You do not want any of the water to gradually slip down into the electric parts.
These are all things that are vital for electric mountain bikes, but which should be done for any mountain bike. After all, you do not want water getting into your bearings or chain and causing it to rust or interfering with the lubrication.
Helping Your Water Resistance
While not a lot of people going mountain biking in the rain, it can be fun to do. With fewer people on the trails, you will not need to pull over to let others by as often. This is good because you won’t find it as easy to stop if the trail gets noticeably wet, but it is also more fun.
If riding in the rain sounds appealing to you, there are a few things that you can do to help make your electric mountain bike as water-resistant as possible. For starters, consider adding some fenders to your mountain bike.
Fenders are not something that many mountain bikers use. In fact, mountain bikers are just as often completely against using fenders. However, these can help protect your electric parts from rain and will let you ride through steady rain.
The type of fender that clips on will not usually work for mountain biking. These tend to move around when you hit the bumpy parts of the trail and can rub spots on your bike, not to mention that the movement will allow the rain past and to the electric parts you are trying to protect.
You will need full guards that can handle the rough trails and which cover most of your wheels. These will help give your motor and other electric parts as much protection as possible from the rain coming down.
However, you should still try to avoid going through the puddles and splashing water up. You should also avoid staying on the trails too long in the rain to avoid giving the water a chance to seep into your electrics.
Final Thoughts
With a bit of care, your electric mountain bike can handle a bit of water. You don’t need to be afraid of splashing the smallest drop of water onto your mountain bike just because of its few electric parts. As a rule of thumb, built-in electric parts are going to be more water-resistant than a normal mountain bike with an electric mountain bike conversion kit to add on the electric parts.