Water proof ebike recommendations?
Posted by thicc_Distribution@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 27 comments
so i live in florida and right now its the rainy season, which i love but also have come to hate since ive had 2 ebikes now ruined because as im riding them to work or a friends place it just starts storming and it ruins the power systems making them start accelerating without my input or just turn off at random, its really annoying and has led to me getting hit by two cars already, so please like if you have any recommendations for good waterproof ebikes please let me know
phaebuhny@reddit
Vvolt's are designed in the PNW
the1uhave2hate@reddit
Skeri EDB00 is good with water and I've been getting it to top out at 42-45 with no changes of parts
EquivalentGarage0@reddit
Any ebike with a Bosch system should be able to handle rain just fine. Tern, Gazelle, Trek, Cannondale, etc. Real bike companies, not Amazon specials.
Soltea@reddit
Constant rain, slush, snow, salt. Year round here in Norway. No problem. Shimano, Yamaha, Bosch.
bigizz20@reddit
Velotric has good water resistance.
gzSimulator@reddit
Just took my velotric summit through a crazy freak rainstorm + hailstorm ride after letting it sit outside in the pouring Oregon coast rain for 4 days on vacation, chain got rusty but that was a quick fix
bigizz20@reddit
There’s a video of a guy submerging it for lik 30 minutes. Take it out, and it ends up working no issues
sckuzzle@reddit
Rust isn't something that happens in 30 minutes. It takes time. It's also far worse when it's not just water, but other things like salt mixed in.
You also aren't going to be able to tell that it is "working no issues", because it causes things like increased wear rates.
MLG_HerobrineYT@reddit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcBp2S5lA08
Is this the video you mentioned?
boncros@reddit
velotric, like others have said. the battery is basically waterproof. ipx7 I believe. mokwheel also states ipx7 batteries
MLG_HerobrineYT@reddit
I would look for a bike with a good IP rating, like IPX6 or IPX7. Not sure how many there are out there with that rating though.
Tomj_Oad@reddit
Velotric bikes have IP6 and the batteries are IP7
stargirlspilledmilk@reddit
Man that sounds rough, def check out the rad power rides, heard they hold up well in the rain
squash-n-flop@reddit
It’s not rough lol ipx7 means it can be submerged under water for up to 30 minutes with no problem at all.
MLG_HerobrineYT@reddit
See this thread
https://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/comments/1l61ijd/can_anyone_recommend_a_fully_waterproof_ebike/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Ok-Carpenter-8455@reddit
No such thing.
CG_Ops@reddit
Submersible? Maybe***
So, for "Waterproof" in OP's use case (using the reasonable assumption that they mean "rain-proof", not "traversing-rivers-proof") there's absolutely rain-proof/resistant eBikes.
My Bulls Adventure Evo AM is IP56 rated:
As it's now a 5 year old model, Bulls has archived/removed the bike's product page, however, based on the EBR review that initially spurred my purchase:
***And it's only a "Maybe" rather than "That's nonsense" because, in this word of crazy product variety, it wouldn't surprise me if some nutty niche brand DID offer a submersible eBike. But, I digress... Per OP:
Ok-Carpenter-8455@reddit
Yeah... But you need to worry about other parts of the bike that are metal or prone to rust. That's why I said.. No such thing.
CG_Ops@reddit
Then that's true for ALL bikes, not just eBikes, also, the question wasn't about rust, it was specifically about electronics that won't get damaged by rainy commutes.
Rust can be made a minimal, if not non-issue with a bit of effort - keep parts well cleaned and protected by some form of hydrophobic coating like Boeshield T9. Also, when rain is likely, simply toss an electric can of air to blow it dry and a couple rags to wipe dry in a backpack or bike-mounted carrier
Ok-Carpenter-8455@reddit
Yup.. Like I said no such thing lol
Soltea@reddit
It's absolutely hilarious that there exists ebikes so shit that they can't handle rain.
Go to your LBS and see what they have.
weefees@reddit
You still have a functioning bike after being hit by a car... twice?
trtsmb@reddit
Sounds like OP should not be riding the bike if he's getting hit multiple times.
trtsmb@reddit
It sounds like you must have substandard e-bikes if they get destroyed in the rain.
I'm in FL and mine does fine but I went with a Trek FX+ 2. I also see a lot of Velotrics and Aventons that seem to do fine.
Chris-8521@reddit
I can highly recommend Velotric. My Nomad 2X is a freakin’ tank and handles the Florida weather without any issues.
_haha_oh_wow_@reddit
There is no e-bike that is truly waterproof, you can only get e-bikes that are water resistant and even when they have listed ratings, expect the e-bike company to try and pull some sort of bullshit if their rating isn't up to snuff.
If you really want something waterproof, look at an unpowered belt bike.
If you really want to keep riding an e-bike, start taking extra precautions against water ingress (for example, I put shower cap covers over my display and throttle to keep water out, even though the manual claims they're water resistant).
TheTarragonFarmer@reddit
Check the controller and battery housing, it is usually simple to waterproof them with silicone sealant. The holes for the wires are usually the most critical.
It would have been simpler to waterproof them with mass produced grommets and gaskets in the factory, but the fractions of the cents they saved by not doing that is pure profit!