E-Bike Maintenance Planner
Clean and lube an e-bike chain at least every 300 miles (monthly, and after rain), measure chain wear every 600 miles, and check tire pressure and brake pads monthly. Bleed DOT brakes once a year and mineral-oil brakes every two. Get a tune-up every 500–750 miles and at least every six months — sooner in rain, sand or off-road. (Riese & Müller, SRAM, Rad Power Bikes.)
No sign-up · works on your phoneUpdated 13 sources
How you ride
Your bike
Your plan
Miles a year
2,080
Tune-ups a year
4.2
every 500 mi
Yours to do
4
of 9 jobs
Tire pressure, with a gaugeYou
every month
Monthly, plus a squeeze before every ride. Stay between the minimum and maximum printed on the sidewall.
Clean and lube the chainYou
every month
At least every 300 miles (monthly), and after riding in the rain. Wipe it, lube it, wipe off the excess.
Salt air corrodes chains: rinse with fresh water and dry it first (Tern).
Check brake pad thicknessYou
every month
Monthly. Replace at 3 mm or less including the backing plate (SRAM), or 0.5 mm of pad left (Shimano, Tektro).
SRAM says check more often in sandy or dirty conditions.
SRAM support: when to replace brake pads (opens in a new tab) · Shimano dealer's manual DM-TRBR001 (opens in a new tab) · Tektro FAQ (opens in a new tab)
Check-up (minor service)Pro
every 8 weeks
Every 300 miles for a weekend warrior. Diagnostic checks and the small fixes they turn up. About 6.9× a year at your riding.
Tune-upPro
every 3 months
Every 500 miles, and at least every six months. Brakes, gears, chain, wheels and tires. Riese & Müller also want one a year even on a bike that barely gets ridden. About 4.2× a year at your riding.
Rad Power Bikes (opens in a new tab) · Riese & Müller (opens in a new tab)
Measure chain wearYou
every 3 months
Every 600 miles. Replace at Park Tool's limit for your drivetrain, before a worn chain wears out the cassette. About 3.5× a year at your riding.
OverhaulPro
every 7 months
Every 1,200 miles. A tune-up that replaces the parts that have worn out. About 1.7× a year at your riding.
Bleed the brakes with fresh fluidPro
every year
Once a year until you know the fluid (every two years if it's mineral oil). Sooner any time the lever feels spongy.
SRAM / RockShox service interval chart (opens in a new tab) · SRAM brake service guide (opens in a new tab) · Open the tool
Measure rotor thicknessPro
as noted
Every second set of brake pads. Replace at 1.5 mm (Shimano) or 1.55 mm for SRAM's 1.85 mm rotors, 1.7 mm for its 2.0 mm rotors.
Riese & Müller (opens in a new tab) · Shimano dealer's manual DM-TRBR001 (opens in a new tab) · SRAM brake service guide (opens in a new tab)
Before every ride
- Lights work and are mounted tight
- Tires hold pressure and show no damage
- Brake levers feel firm before they reach the grip, and the pads aren't worn through
- No fluid leaking from the brake hoses
- Wheels spin true
- Quick-releases and thru-axles are closed tight
From Riese & Müller’s owner’s manual.
Your conditions
- 01Salt air is the coast's version of road saltTern: rinse the bike with fresh water, dry it thoroughly, store it indoors, and have it serviced regularly — a mechanic spots corrosion you won't.
- 02Hard conditions shorten the bike's life, not just the service intervalRiese & Müller rates its e-bikes at about 20,000 miles in moderate use, and about 10,000 when regularly ridden in dirty and corrosive conditions, off pavement or heavily loaded.
How this was calculated
Every job is due at its mileage or its time limit, whichever comes first. Weeks per month = 52 ÷ 12 = 4.33.
Worked example
A weekend rider doing 40 miles a week near the beach
Chain lube: 300 mi ÷ 40 mi/wk = 7.5 weeks, but the monthly limit comes first — every 4.3 weeks. Chain wear: 600 ÷ 40 = 15 weeks. Check-up: 300 ÷ 40 = 7.5 weeks. Tune-up: 500 ÷ 40 = 13 weeks, inside the six-month limit. Overhaul: 1,200 ÷ 40 = 30 weeks. DOT brake bleed: once a year. Near the sand, SRAM says check the pads more often than monthly, and Tern says rinse the salt off with fresh water.
Reference
Service intervals, from the makers
Whichever comes first — the miles or the time. Makers give these as the longest you should go.
| Job | Interval | Who | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| First inspection, new bike | Once, at about 6 weeks or 300 miles | Pro | Riese & Müller |
| Tire pressure, with a gauge | Monthly; a squeeze before every ride | You | Riese & Müller |
| Clean and lube the chain | At least every 300 miles; after rain | You | Riese & Müller |
| Measure chain wear | Every 600 miles | You | Riese & Müller |
| Inspect a belt drive | Every 300 miles | You | Riese & Müller |
| Check brake pads | Monthly — replace at 3 mm with backing plate (SRAM), 0.5 mm of pad (Shimano, Tektro) | You | SRAM support: when to replace brake pads; Shimano dealer's manual DM-TRBR001; Tektro FAQ |
| Measure rotors | Every second set of pads — replace at 1.5 mm (Shimano), 1.55 or 1.7 mm (SRAM) | Pro | Riese & Müller; Shimano dealer's manual DM-TRBR001; SRAM brake service guide |
| Bleed DOT brakes | Once a year, or when the lever goes spongy | Pro | SRAM / RockShox service interval chart |
| Bleed mineral oil brakes | Once every two years, or when spongy | Pro | SRAM / RockShox service interval chart |
| Tubeless sealant | Every 2 to 7 months | You | Stan's |
| RockShox fork | Lower legs every 50 riding hours; damper and spring 100 or 200 | Pro | RockShox support: how often to service |
| Fox fork or shock | Full service every 125 hours or yearly | Pro | Fox Factory service portal |
| SR Suntour fork | Every 50 hours; full service at 100 hours or yearly | Pro | SR Suntour general suspension fork manual |
| Check-up | Every 300 / 300 / 500 miles (commuter / weekend / casual) | Pro | Rad Power Bikes |
| Tune-up | Every 500 / 500 / 750 miles, and at least every six months | Pro | Rad Power Bikes |
| Overhaul | Every 1,000 / 1,200 / 1,500 miles | Pro | Rad Power Bikes |
| Dealer inspection | At least once a year, however little you ride | Pro | Riese & Müller |
How to use it
In 4 steps
- 1Enter your miles a week — the display's odometer divided by the weeks you've owned the bike is close enough.
- 2Pick the rider type closest to you, and where you ride.
- 3Tell it about the bike: chain or belt, which brakes, tubeless or not, and the suspension fork's brand.
- 4Read the plan soonest-first, and add the reminders to your phone's calendar in one tap.
Why miles and months both count
Some parts wear with distance — chains, pads, rotors, tires. Others age with time whether the bike moves or not: DOT brake fluid absorbs water, tubeless sealant dries out, suspension oil breaks down. That’s why every maker interval here is “whichever comes first,” and why a bike that sits in the garage still needs Riese & Müller’s once-a-year inspection.
Riding style moves the numbers. Rad Power Bikes’ commuter — every day, hills, cargo — gets a tune-up every 500 miles and an overhaul every 1,000; the casual rider on flat paved paths goes 750 and 1,500. Riese & Müller builds its schedule around moderate use of about 300 miles a month and says to shorten it for rain, snow or off-road.
On the coast, salt air and sand are the extra wear. Tern calls salt corrosion a coastal problem and says to rinse with fresh water and dry the bike; SRAM says to check brake pads more often in sand; and Riese & Müller rates its e-bikes at about 20,000 miles in moderate use but about 10,000 when regularly ridden in dirty, corrosive conditions.
FAQ
Maintenance plan: questions
How often should an e-bike be serviced?
Rad Power Bikes recommends a basic tune-up at least every six months or 750–1,250 miles, and by mileage for heavier use: every 500 miles for commuters and weekend riders, 750 for casual riders. Riese & Müller wants a dealer inspection at least once a year even on a bike that's barely ridden.
How often should I lube my e-bike chain?
At least every 300 miles, and after riding in the rain (Riese & Müller). Measure chain wear every 600 miles and replace the chain at Park Tool's limit before it wears out the cassette.
When should e-bike brake pads be replaced?
SRAM: when the backing plate and pad together measure 3 mm or less. Shimano and Tektro: when 0.5 mm of pad is left. SRAM says to check them monthly, and more often in sandy or dirty conditions.
How often do hydraulic bike brakes need bleeding?
SRAM's schedule is once a year for DOT brakes and once every two years for mineral oil brakes, or whenever the lever feels spongy.
How often should tubeless sealant be topped up?
Stan's says every 2 to 7 months for its Original sealant, depending on temperature and humidity.
Does a new e-bike need a first service?
Yes. Riese & Müller says to bring a new e-bike back after about 6 weeks or 300 miles, because bolts, shift cables and spokes settle and need readjusting.
How often should an e-bike suspension fork be serviced?
RockShox: a lower-leg service every 50 riding hours. Fox: a full service every 125 hours or yearly, whichever comes first — and sooner on an e-mountain bike. SR Suntour: every 50 hours, with a full service at 100 hours or once a year.
Something not answered here? Just ask — I’d rather talk it through than have you guess.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- [1]Riese & Müller, Owner's Manual E-Bikes North America (09/2019) (opens in a new tab)Initial inspection after about 6 weeks or 300 miles; dealer inspection at least once a year; clean and lube the chain at least every 300 miles and after rain; chain wear every 600 miles; tire pressure monthly with a gauge; rotors after every second set of pads; shorter intervals for rain, snow or off-road.
- [2]Rad Power Bikes, "How Often Does My Ebike Need Maintenance?" (2023) (opens in a new tab)A basic tune-up at least every six months or 750–1,250 miles; check-up, tune-up and overhaul mileages for commuter, weekend and casual riders.
- [3]SRAM / RockShox service interval chart (Rev H) (opens in a new tab)RockShox forks: lower-leg service every 50 hours, damper and spring 100 or 200 hours by model. SRAM brakes: DOT bleed once a year, mineral oil once every two years, or as needed.
- [4]SRAM support: when to replace brake pads (opens in a new tab)Replace at 3 mm or less, backing plate and pad together; inspect monthly, more often in sandy or dirty conditions.
- [5]SRAM brake service guide (opens in a new tab)Rotors: replace below 1.55 mm (1.85 mm rotors) or 1.7 mm (2.0 mm rotors). Bleed DOT brakes at least once a year, mineral oil once every two years.
- [6]Shimano dealer's manual DM-TRBR001, hydraulic disc brake (opens in a new tab)Replace pads at 0.5 mm or less; stop and replace rotors worn to 1.5 mm or less.
- [7]Tektro FAQ (opens in a new tab)Replace pads when the pad material is 0.5 mm or less.
- [8]Stan's, Tubeless Guide (opens in a new tab)Top off Original sealant every 2–7 months, depending on temperature and humidity.
- [9]RockShox support: how often to service (opens in a new tab)Forks: 50 ride hours lower-leg service; 100 or 200 hours lower leg, spring and damper, by model year.
- [10]Fox Factory service portal (opens in a new tab)Full factory service every 125 hours or yearly, whichever comes first; sooner for e-mountain bikes and wet, muddy or dusty riding.
- [11]SR Suntour general suspension fork manual (opens in a new tab)Dealer maintenance every 50 hours; full maintenance every 100 hours or once a year.
- [12]Tern, "How to prevent salt corrosion on your bike" (opens in a new tab)Salt corrosion is worst on coasts: rinse with fresh water, dry it, store indoors, service regularly.
- [13]Tern, "How to care for your Bosch e-bike battery" (opens in a new tab)Store at 30–60% charge, around 68 °F, never below 32 °F or above 104 °F; check it regularly.
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Related tools
- Chain Wear CheckerMeasure with a ruler or a checker tool; see how worn it is and what waiting will cost.
- Brake Fluid FinderThe brand on your brake lever tells you the fluid. Mix them up and the brake is ruined.
- E-Bike Tire Pressure CalculatorFront and rear pressure for the weight an e-bike actually carries, from road to fat tires.
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