In the winter, some cyclists love the challenge of putting their biking skills to the test in extremely snowy conditions and on tough trails. Even in the spring, summer, and fall, many cyclists take to challenging conditions that test their skills as a biker. But some people simply await the warmth of summertime—or are fortunate enough to live in areas of the country that have pleasant weather all year long—so that they can partake in one of their favorite pastimes: riding bikes on the beach.
Electric beach bike riding, aside from all of the health benefits, can be a calming and enjoyable activity—there is the smell of the sea, the cool breeze off the water, the warm sunshine glazing your skin. This sets up the perfect environment for riding bikes on the beach. People hop on their electric bikes to take them to the beach for surfing, swimming and sunbathing. But what too many cyclists overlook are the challenges that they may face when electric beach bike riding. To make your next biking ride on the beach more enjoyable, both during and afterward, consider these five tips this summer.
1. Adjust Tire Pressure
The first tip for riding bikes on the beach is about adjusting your tire pressure. This tip is about increasing stability on a surface—such as sand—that can be incredibly difficult to ride on. Because sand is so soft and can be so inconsistent as a surface, it is important to prioritize anything that can increase your ability to remain balanced. This is why your tire pressure is so important. When riding on the sand at the beach, you should reduce your tire pressure. This will increase the tire surface contact, widening the stability of the e-bike. But when utilizing this strategy, remember that when riding to and from the beach on different surfaces, you may need to adjust your tire pressure multiple times to properly maintain your stability.
2. Keep Pedaling
When riding your electric bike over hard, smooth surfaces—such as paved roads or dirt riding trails—you can take advantage of your bike’s momentum to keep you moving forward, alleviating the amount of pedaling that you need to do. On the beach, however, when the tires sink into the soft sand, your bike’s momentum can quickly come to a crawl. That is one of the major disadvantages of bike riding on the beach, and so to counteract that effect you need to always remember to keep pedaling. Those using e-bikes instead of traditional bicycles can do this most easily by utilizing the pedal assist function, making it easy to ride with much less effort.
3. Clean Your E-Bike After Riding to the Beach
If you are doing most of your riding on city streets, you probably do not need to spend a ton of time cleaning your e-bike after each ride. However, when you are riding your bike on the beach, cleaning your bike after each ride becomes much more important. While on the beach, depending on where that beach is located, how close you get to the water, and how big it is, your e-bike could easily come into contact with large amounts of sand, salt, and water. Rather than allowing those elements to harm the bike over the long term, the best practice is to clean your e-bike after riding to the beach each time. Be sure to wash it with fresh water and then clean the bike with a dry cloth. But be cautious when you do. Using high-pressure water guns to clean your bike is not advised. These could damage the vital electrical components on the e-bike.
4. Keep the E-Bike Chain Lubricated
After leaving the beach, cleaning the sand and salt off of it is only the first step toward proper maintenance. The second and equally important step is to apply lubricant to the chain. The chain, after all, is one of the most important parts of the bike. Without it functioning properly, the entire bike will stop functioning properly. Lubricating your bike chain properly is not only important, but it takes a certain skill for knowing the right type of lubricant to apply in each scenario. Fortunately, we put together a complete guide to bike lubricants that will help you make the best lubricant decision for your needs.
5. Maintain Your E-Bike More Often
Properly maintaining your e-bike, regardless of where you often ride it, is an important step in extending the longevity of the machine. However, if you are going to ride your bike on the beach frequently in the summer, you need to increase the frequency of your maintenance as well. Because e-bikes have high-powered batteries and electric motors, it is best to employ a two-part maintenance system: both doing basic maintenance yourself and also employing a maintenance professional to clean things such as the power transmission system, removing the sand, salt, and dirt that may have accumulated inside. This is the best strategy to lessening the risk of damage to the electric bike in the long term.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, riding bikes on the beach in the summertime should be one of the greatest memories you enjoy. But electric beach bike riding, like everything else in life, should be done the correct way to get the most enjoyment and fulfillment out of it. That is why keeping these five tips in mind when you are planning your next biking trip on the beach will yield the most fun.
Riding on the beach, while fun, can also be tiresome and challenging—not to mention sandy—so be sure to always keep your e-bike chain lubricated, adjust your tire pressure, keep pedaling even when you have momentum, clean your e-bike after the beach ride, and put a little more dedication into continuous maintenance on your e-bike. All of these tips will keep your e-bike in the best condition and keep you having a blast on the beach.
