Just as there are certainties in life, things like death, taxes, and Melbourne having the best coffee in Australia, there are certainties in cycling. If you use your bicycle as your main method of transportation, or just simply cycle a lot, at some point you will experience a bicycle breakdown.
Not to worry. Here at Lug & Carrie, it is our goal to make every aspect of getting on an eBike a great experience, even breakdowns (as much as we can). So we’ve put together the following 4-step guide to breakdowns that should help ready you for the day when something happens and your eBike just doesn’t want to go.
Your Breakdown Guide Quick Reference:
1. Be safe by making sure you and your bicycle are off of the road. Walk home or to your destination if you are close enough.
2. Be prepared by keeping up with maintenance. Contact Lug & Carrie if something isn’t working right, and make sure to bring your bike in when we contact you about regularly scheduled maintenance.
3. Assess the problem by doing some quick checks of your tyres, chain, and battery.
4. Call for Rider Rescue. If all else fails, Rider Rescue from The Bicycle Network can be contacted at 1800 110 201 to organise transportation home for you and your bicycle. They are available 24 hours a day.
Breakdown Guide, The Details
1. Be safe. Often when your bike stops working, it decides to do so when you are on the road. So first things first, move yourself and the bicycle to a safe spot.
If you are within walking distance of your destination, and your bike will cooperate, we recommend completing your journey on foot, or returning to the start, whichever is closer.
Once you’ve arrived and your bike is safely secured, get in touch with Lug & Carrie and we will sort out a plan for getting you and your bike back on the road.
2. Be prepared. Before you even find yourself on the road, however, prepare yourself for a breakdown by keeping your bike maintained.
Getting on top of squeaks and wobbles early is usually enough to avoid a future issue. So if you think something is not quite right, get in touch with Lug & Carrie so that we can bring your bike in to give it a checkup.
Keep in mind that regular maintenance is included with your subscription, and we will be in touch when your bike is due for a service.
So what to do then, if you are standing on the side of the road with a bike that’s not working?
3. Assess the problem. Tyre flat? Pedals not pedaling? Chain fall off? Doing a quick check of your bike you may discover the problem is something fixable.
Here are three simple checks you can do that might help to get back on the road quickly.
- If the eBike controls won’t turn on, first check to make sure your battery has a charge by pressing the button on the side of the battery. Green bars should light up to indicate the level of charge. If it doesn’t light up check the battery to ensure that it is firmly locked in place.
- If your seat is wobbly or won’t stay up, make sure the quick release lever at the bottom of the seat is tightly closed, and then you can also twist to tighten the bolt on the quick release.
- Lights not turning on? Move the switch located on your front light to the right, then hold down the + button on your bike computer for three seconds. This should turn the light on.
If all else fails…
4. Call for Rider Rescue. Your Lug & Carrie subscription includes Rider Rescue service from the Bicycle Network. Put in a call to them and they’ll organise transportation home for you and your bike. Here are the basics as to how it works:
- Rider Rescue is available 24 hours a day.
- Call them on 1800 110 201.
- Advise the operator that you are a Lug & Carrie subscriber.
- The operator will organise an Uber or taxi to get you and your bike home safely.
- Coverage includes a ride of up to $50 in value. Note that if your ride exceeds $50 in value, Lug & Carrie will charge you the difference back the next time you are billed.
The Bicycle Network put together an information sheet for our subscribers that includes a few more details on how the Rider Rescue service works. You can access it here.
You can access a video here that will show you how to lower your seat and handlebars like in the picture above, to make it easier to transport your bike.
Once you are safely home, get in touch with Lug & Carrie and we will help with getting your eBike fixed and you happily back on the road, hopefully, headed for the cafe to grab one of those coffees.
