Let us paint a picture; you’ve been caught by the electric bike hype and just ordered one off the internet. Your package arrives, and before you can ride it, you ask yourself how to assemble an electric bike?
Trust us. You’re not alone there! A lot of people don’t understand how to assemble an electric bike. Unlike a road bike or a hybrid bike, there are few additional parts that you’ll need to install.
Bike manufacturers also aren’t much help. Instead of sending more detailed installation guides, most of them are choosing to scale back. It’s up to the cyclist to learn more about cycling maintenance and assembly.
There’s no need to worry though. We’re here to teach you everything that you need to know to learn how to assemble an electric bike.
Step-by-Step Breakdown – How to assemble an Electric bike
While it would be nice to get fully assembled electric bikes, there’s something about the installation process that’s inherently satisfying.
In comparison to a hybrid bike or mountain bike, electric bike assembly might seem complex, but a step-by-breakdown can help make understanding the process easier!
Step 1: Clear out your workspace
To get started with assembling an electric bike, the first thing you need to do is clear out a working space.
Make sure that you have enough area to move around and put your bike in different positions. If you have a bike workbench, that’s everything you need. However, it isn’t necessary.
You can assemble the bike inside your garage, out on the porch, or in your garden! Any place that provides enough space is all you’re going to need. If there’s a mechanism you can use to hang the bike upside down, that’s all the better.
Hanging the bike upside down makes it easier to do the assembly. However, even if you can’t hang the bike upside down, there are still a few things you can do to make your life easier.
Once you decide on the location of your work area, make sure that you get all your tools and place them in the area. You don’t want to have to run around looking for your tools while you’re already working on assembling the bike.
Here are the tools that you’ll need to assemble a bike;
- Hex Key
- Bike Wrench
- Drill (optional)
If you don’t have a toolbox, use a standard basket or anything to help you organize and access the tools quickly!
Step 2: Unbox everything
Arguably the most fun part of learning how to assemble an electric bike is unboxing everything. If you’re like us, then you love unboxing new products.
However, even if it’s fun, unboxing everything properly is very important. If you manage to lose anything while unboxing, then your electric bike assembly will become significantly harder.
That’s why it’s essential to take all the parts out and categorize them appropriately. Put all the screws in one place, and everything related to the handlebar should be together. By classifying all the factors like this, you’ll make installing everything much more straightforward.
You won’t have to waste your time looking for the right part if you already sort everything out properly. Arrange all the parts in the order that you’d want to install everything.
Once you have all the bike parts out of the box, look through the box again for anything you didn’t notice. You might find a warranty card or instruction manual hidden away in the corner.
Step 3: Read through instruction manual
Bike manufacturers are notorious for either not providing an instruction manual or providing instructions that don’t offer any value. However, if they provide an instruction manual, there’s still some value in reading through everything.
Even if the instructions aren’t particularly clear, an instruction manual can provide a checklist for all the parts and give you some idea of the installation guideline.
Sometimes, manufacturers will include the warranty card along with the manual. If that’s the case, you should keep the manual in a safe place as you won’t be able to claim your warranty if you end up losing it somewhere.
Many people may think of skipping over this step when learning how to assemble an electric bike, but reading the manual is essential.
Instead of shipping a manual along with the bike, some manufacturers save on paper and upload the instruction manual to their website.
If that’s the case, you’ll be able to find the link to the instruction manual somewhere around the box or on a separate sheet inside.
Step 4: Put the handlebars on
Now that all the logistical and gathering steps are over, we can move to learn about the nitty-gritty of how to assemble an electric bike.
The first part you’re going to install in your electric bike assembly is the handlebars. Most modern electric bikes feature a top-cap bolt that covers the handlebar stem.
To install the handlebar, you’ll need to remove the top-cap bolt. Once you remove the bolt, you can insert the handlebar stem into the opening.
It’s essential to ensure that you push the bike handlebars in until the end is below the lock nut. Otherwise, the handlebars won’t lock in place.
Once the handlebars are in the correct position, use the hex key to tighten the screws and fix the handlebar in place properly.
If you want to adjust the handlebar a little more, keep the stem bolt loose and align the stem with a front tire. After it aligns up perfectly, use the hex key to fix the handlebar in place!
It’s also the perfect time to adjust the positioning of the gears and brakes on the handlebar. You should be able to comfortably reach the brake and the gears without completely releasing your grip on the handlebar.
Step 5: Install the seat
Arguably the easiest step in learning how to assemble an electric bike is installing the seat. As is the case with the handlebars, you’ll have to remove the bolt-cap covering the seat opening before installing the seat.
After removing the bolt-cap, unscrew the brackets responsible for holding the seat in place and insert the stem. Keep pushing the stem inside until you manage to reach the locking mechanism.
Before you try to make any minor adjustments, screw the seat in place and see if it can handle weight by placing your hand on top. If the seat shakes, then you’ll need to screw it in a little tighter.
Once it’s at the point where you can adjust the seat without shaking it around all over the place, you can make minor adjustments.
Lock the seat in position once you’re sure it’s at the ideal height!
Step 6: Put the front wheel on
Typically, electric bikes ship with a pre-installed rear wheel, so you don’t need to worry about installing that. However, installing the front wheel is an essential part of learning how to assemble an electric bike!
Here’s where being able to hang the bike upside down becomes useful. You’ll be able to ease the tire into position much more easily with the bike upside down.
However, before installing the front wheel on the bike, you’ll need to install the fender. To install the fender, remove all the screws and the lower fender bolts. After that, slide the fender through the fork and reinstall all the screws.
With the fender in place, you’re ready to attach the front wheel to your bike. Take a closer look at the axle on the front wheel, and you’ll notice an outer bolt, an inner bolt, and a quick-release trigger.
Loosen up the outer bolt to ensure that there’s enough space between the inner bold and the quick-release lever. Once you’re done, line up the fork with the axle at the center of the wheel.
Make sure that you don’t keep the quick release side on the same side as the brakes. It’ll help ensure that the brakes don’t come in contact with the lever and cause any issues.
The wheels should fit in perfectly with the bolts on the front fork. Tighten the axle lock nuts properly and finish everything off properly with a wrench.
While you’re tightening the screws, hold one screw and tighten the other side, it’ll make it much easier to lock the tires in place. With the wheels in place, make sure you check both front and rear brakes to see if everything is properly connected.
You can check the alignment by seeing if there’s an equal distance between the wheel and the fork on both sides. Another way to check the alignment is by spinning the wheel and listening for any sort of noise. If there’s no noise, then you’re good to go!
Step 7: Install the Pedals
Your bike is almost ready to go! All that’s left is the final step in how to assemble an electric bike. The only thing your bike is missing at this point is pedals.
Installing the pedals is a lot easier than most people make it out to be! All you need to do is hold the crank arm vertically and use your fingers to screw the pedal in place.
Once the pedal is in position, use the bike wrench to tighten everything properly and give it a test. If you’re satisfied with the first pedal, you can move on to installing the next one.
An important tip to remember when installing pedals onto your bike is that the screws don’t follow the typical “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey” fashion. To tighten the screws, always remember to thread towards the front of the bike.
Essentially that means the right pedal will thread to the right, and the left pedal will thread to the left.
These are the steps you need to know to learn how to assemble an electric bike! Geared with this knowledge, nothing will discourage you from ordering that fancy new electric bicycle.
Are bikes easy to assemble?
Before they start trying to assemble bikes for themselves, many people ask whether they’re easy to set up or not.
Generally, most bikes are fairly easy to assemble, and anyone can easily work out where everything goes. However, the first time can be daunting for newcomers. By keeping everything simple and breaking the process down into simple steps, you’ll be able to assemble your first bike.
Once you get the first bike properly assembled and running, you’ll gain more confidence in your skills. With more confidence in your skills, you’ll be able to do a better job of assembling the next bike.
Developing an understanding of how to assemble a bike can also benefit the cyclist’s general maintenance capabilities. It’s essential for all cycling enthusiasts to learn stuff like how to use a bike pump and other basic maintenance requirements.
Wrapping Up
Learning how to assemble an electric bike is very important before you confirm a purchase. By breaking down the whole process into easily manageable steps, you’ll have your bike ready in no time at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
