Three Questions for your Bike Mechanic

Oct 14, 2016
Three Questions for your Bike Mechanic

Bike Auckland

Tim Welch runs Rode, an independent bike shop in Ponsonby that bills itself as ‘not your ordinary bike shop’. Think niche brands like Surly and Breezer, steel frames, touring bikes and custom builds. Oh, and lots of electric bikes. We asked Tim three questions.

timwelchrode
Rode’s Tim Welch. When it comes to electric bikes, he suggests looking for quality and knowing how many recharge cycles the battery is rated for.

I’m shopping for an electric bike. What questions should I ask when I’m in the bike shop?

Definitely look at, and ask about, the overall quality of the e-bike rather than just focusing on the size of the battery and the power of the motor. Just because a bike has more powerful motor does not make it a better bike.

Also ask, are there parts available locally for repairs should anything go wrong? Electric bikes are considerably more complex than an ordinary bike yet it amazes me how many folk are willing to buy an e-bike off TradeMe that has zero support if parts fail.

An important question that most buyers aren’t aware of is the number of recharge cycles the battery is rated for. This will give an indication of how many years you can expect the battery to hold a full charge, and this can range greatly between 200 and 1200 recharge cycles.

Is there an electric bike that doesn’t require me to pedal at all?

The short answer is no.

Under New Zealand law electric bikes must be designed to be “primarily propelled by the muscular energy of the rider” but can be “power assisted by an auxiliary electric motor with a maximum power not exceeding 300W”.

So while you may be able to purchase a bicycle with an electric motor that doesn’t require pedaling, this is essentially a motorbike and requires vehicle registration.

What’s the secret to fitting a really stubborn tyre onto a bike wheel?

Most rims are deeper in the centre of them as opposed to where the bead of the tyre will seat up against the side. Make sure when you are fitting the tyre to get the bead to sit in this deeper centre as you work your way around.

Work away from the valve – but once you get to about 10cm left to seat, go back to the valve and push it upwards and into the tyre so that the tube is not holding the tyre from seating. Then you should be able to roll that last 10cm of bead over the edge of the rim with the palms of your hands.

Try to avoid using tyre levers to refit tyres; you’ll only pinch the tube, causing you more grief.

There are some tyre and rim combinations which work poorly together and there isn’t a lot you can do about this other than purchase new tyres. Tyres with wire beads are generally cheaper than folding or Kevlar bead types, but are heavier and more rigid, making them much harder to fit. If you struggle to refit your tyres after repairing a puncture, then do yourself a favour and invest in a better quality folding tyre.

Rode

23 Williamson Avenue, Ponsonby, Auckland

(09) 950-3198

www.rode.co.nz

Hey, bike mechanics: are there questions you wish people would ask – or do you have great answers to frequently asked questions? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line!

Join us

Bike Auckland is the non-profit organisation working to improve things for people on bikes. We’re a people-powered movement for a better region. We speak up for you – and the more of us there are, the stronger our voice!

Suggest a new ride