How to Change The Tyres on an Electric Bike

Electric bikes are fantastic for getting us from A to B – but what happens when you have a problem with the tyres? Is it just as easy to remove and replace the tyres on an electric bike as it is with a standard bicycle?

Whether you are finding your tyres to be a bad fit or you have noticed a flat or two along the way, it’s worth swotting up on what to do to get them replaced. Keep reading for our step by step guide.

What you need to know

When it comes to changing your electric bike tyres, a lot relies on the type of bike you’re running.

If it’s built with a pedal-assist motor system, you won’t have any complex wiring on the rear wheel unit to deal with. That normally means you can just simply disconnect and replace your tyres as you’d expect with a standard bike.

If you’re running a hub motor on your electric bike, you’ll find that there is a direct connection with the rear wheel. That makes things a little bit different to what you’d expect with a traditional push bike!

So, it’s important to take the right steps to change the tyre on the rear wheel of your e-bike so that you don’t cause any damage. Here’s the breakdown.

Step one: gear up

Before you do anything at all with your wheel to the rear of your bike, make sure you crank up to the highest gear. This makes sure that your chain is out of the way and you’re ready to move the wheel off.

Step two: set your bike up properly

Next, you’ll need to make sure to secure your bike so that you can carefully access the rear wheel and tyre. Be sure to fix it in place or turn it upside down, removing any gadgetry you may have connected.

Step three: unplug the cabling

You will normally find that the electric cabling for the rear wheel is underneath the guard for the chain. It’s simple enough to just disconnect at either the battery or the motor end. Regardless, you will need two hands for this job!

Step four: make way for the wheel

Now, it’s safe for you to take the wheel off. In some cases, you will need to unsheathe a bolt, or may even need to unscrew a brake unit. This can depend on the type of e-bike you’re running.

Essentially, there are two main fixings to expect. You may need a spanner to loosen an axle bolt. Or, if you’re lucky, you may need to unscrew by hand. Alternatively, it’s worth holding the bike in place and unscrewing at the other end.

It’s also worth taking into account the original positions of any bolts and washers along the way. You’ll need to know these as you will need to put them all back in the right place!

Step five: take the wheel off

Upon loosening up these above fittings, make sure to carefully take the wheel off with the tyre. This may not move as cleanly as you expect, so be very gentle. You might need to give things a little extra encouragement.

Be sure to check the initial tyre in place, too. Is it at the right pressure? Are there any foreign bodies in the tyre that might be causing problems? Check the rim bed before you replace, as you may need extra tape to keep your new tyre from causing issues.

Step six: replace the tyre

If you’ve ever replaced a simple bike tyre before, this is the easy part. As you would with a general bicycle tyre, make sure you have tyre levers or removers to gently prise it off the bike. Then, replace the tyre, fix in place, and follow the above procedure in reverse. Remember where everything fit together? Great – you’ll need to do things in ‘mirror’ mode.

Replacing the tyres on an e-bike doesn’t have to be a hassle. In fact, if you already have experience replacing ordinary tyres on your bike, you likely have nothing to worry about. It’s just a case of making sure you take into account a motor that might be hanging around near the back wheel. Get that clear, and you’re on easy street.

Electric bikes are much less hassle to run and repair than many people would have you believe. Your own e-bike may differ in terms of the process here – but this is the basic outline!