Where to put it

A bike that is not being used is best kept in the garage or cellar - preferably in dry conditions. If the bike has to survive the winter outdoors, a tarpaulin is recommended as a minimum. A bike that is left unprotected in the wind and weather suffers from constant exposure to UV light, for example, and tires become brittle as a result.

Cleaning

Sponge, toothbrush, water and suitable cleaning agents: The start of the season is certainly even more fun if the bike doesn't still have dried cow pats and mud from the last session stuck to it. So cleaning the bike thoroughly before winterizing is half the battle for a successful start to the season. Defects are often only discovered once the mud has been washed off. In the event of a defect: See below.

Lubricate

After cleaning, allow the bike to dry thoroughly, then keep the chain and moving parts on the gears in good condition with suitable lubricants.

Room temperature

It is advisable to remove the display and battery from the e-mountain bike and store it dry at a room temperature of around 20 degrees, 10 to 20 degrees is also fine. It is important that the battery has a charge level of between 30 and 60 percent. Other e-bike whisperers speak of a charge level of 50 to 80 percent, which is ideal so that the battery has suffered little loss of capacity or even a deep discharge when it is put back into operation.

Always remember this

Disc brakes are equipped with seals. If the brake is not used for months, there is a risk that these seals will dry out and leak. It is therefore advisable to pull the brake lever on the left and right at least once a month. This gets the brake fluid, i.e. mineral oil or dot, flowing and the seals are moistened with oil and remain supple. This also keeps the pressure point of the brake as it should be in spring: crisp.

Staying supple

With the seals drying out when not in use, this is a similar issue with suspension elements as with the brakes. It is therefore advisable to compress the fork and damper every few weeks. This keeps the suspension elements nice and supple in spring. There is even a tip to turn the bike upside down briefly so that the oil in the suspension elements can move and reach dry areas.

Make pressure

Tubes lose air - and tubeless systems are unfortunately even better in this discipline. It is therefore highly advisable to give the tires a good gulp of air up to the maximum pressure indicated on the tire sidewall before winterizing and to check the air pressure at least once a month and adjust it if necessary. A flat tire that sits like this for months can lose radial run-out and "run" annoyingly at the start of the season.

Service now

If you have noticed during the season that the fork is losing air or bouncing hard, if the rear wheel has a considerable figure of eight, the gears are chopping or the drivetrain is completely worn out: Then winter is exactly the right time for a service. Because bike stores are much less busy - and therefore waiting times are much shorter. Bike stores often also offer winter flat rates, making the service a good deal cheaper than in spring.