Blood, sweat and beers: 7 lessons I learned when building my first electric bike

How difficult is it to ride an electric bike at home? I recently found out when a rather large box arrived at my apartment containing the Tenways CGO600 Pro, a $1,700 single-speed electric bike that features 53 miles of range, carbon belt drive, hydraulic disc brakes, and a sleek design. relatively light (37 pounds).

I consider myself quite mechanical. As an avid cyclist, I often perform routine maintenance on my own bikes, from tire changes to cleaning chains and changing worn brake pads. I’ve even ridden a single speed (analog) bike from the box, with just a little professional intervention.

Admittedly, though, the prospect of riding an e-bike out of the box made me a little nervous. In my experience, bikes often take a beating in transit and sometimes arrive with wheels that aren’t right (they wobble when turning, kind of like a round Pringle), which is not something I feel comfortable fixing, nor nor the bent pieces. or hydraulic brake line assemblies.

However, with the support of TG’s resident e-bike expert (and my boss), Mike Prospero, I pulled out my tool kit, put on my “safety glasses” (oversized sunglasses), climbed the list of playing 80’s punk rock and got to work unpacking and assembling the Tenways CGO600 Pro electric bike on the balcony of my apartment.

In the end, it took me just four hours to put everything together, although one of those hours was spent trying to address an early, demoralizing obstacle, which you can read about after the jump (lesson #3). During that time, blood was spilled, sweat was dripped, and a couple of cold drinks were enjoyed.

With the somewhat tumultuous experience behind me, a shiny new e-bike at my side, and my sore/cut hands starting to heal, here are the seven most important lessons I learned from building my first e-bike at home.

1. Start your build early in the day and take breaks.

I began the construction process around 4:30 pm, confident that I would have everything set up and ready to go well before sunset at 7:30 pm. I was wrong. In retrospect, I should have started the assembly in the morning and taken more breaks throughout the process.

Regarding the latter, it’s easy to get tunnel vision when you’re overwhelmed by something like a faulty bolt or slightly complicated instructions, which can lead to errors. My advice is: don’t get too caught up in the construction. More importantly, walk away when you’re not having fun. The bike will be there when you return.

2. Make sure you have enough space to work

With limited indoor space to work with, I opted to build the Tenways electric bike on my balcony, which is wide enough to fit in the five-foot-long box it was shipped in. You’ll want at least a five by ten. Foot room, ideally with a wall to support the bike while you build it.

It’s also a good idea to throw down some towels or mats to protect both your bike and your work surface from scratches. Cardboard works too. Lighting is another consideration. I chose to work outdoors (mostly) in the sunlight.

If you choose to build an electric bike indoors, make sure you have enough lighting. There are many small details to take into account, both in the directions and on the bike itself. TO quality headlamp It can be your friend here.

3. Do not overtighten or force the included hardware.

I can’t stress this enough, don’t do it. under any circumstances, force stubborn screws or bolts. The first bolt I tried to install ended up breaking when I tightened it, leaving me with a headless bulge. This was while I was putting the rear fender on, and I’m not sure if the problem was a bad bolt or a loose thread in the bike frame, but I spent a whole hour trying to get the damn thing off.

I did not succeed. Fortunately, the fender arms are adjustable (something I wish I had realized sooner) and I was able to extend each arm a little further to attach them to a different mounting point.

By the way, Tenways did not include additional hardware. Fortunately, some of the mounting points on the frame for additional accessories have a bolt that you can borrow in a pinch if you lose or break one.

4. Wear gloves

I broke my hands pretty good putting this bad boy together. At one point, while attempting to dislodge the aforementioned bolt, a small cut began spurting large amounts of blood all over the bike’s frame, requiring a momentary pause in work and the use of several Band-Aids. Protect your paws. Wear gloves.

5. Invest in a bicycle pump and the necessary tools before

The Tenways CGO600 Pro came with a small, rudimentary bicycle pump for initial inflation, which I quickly set aside. Reaching the recommended PSI with a puny trip pump is not a good idea for anyone. Unless, of course, you’re Arnold and it’s arm day.

Along with a solid bike helmet and one of the best bike locks, a decent bike guard should top your list of must-have e-bike accessories and, ideally, get it before your new bike arrives. You can expect to spend between $50 and $100 for one that will last a long time.

Similarly, research what tools you will need and have them ready to go. With Tenways, all the necessary tools were included in the box and, unlike the pump, they are of sufficient quality to get the job done.

6. A second pair of hands (or a repair stand) is helpful

I built the Tenways electric bike with just the company of my 20 pound dog, who wasn’t much help. While the build was clearly doable on my own, there were a couple of times where a second set of hands would have been helpful. Alternatively, a bike repair shop, something I currently don’t have. but you can invest inwould probably work too.

7. You may still have to stop by a bike shop.

When all is said and done, there’s still a good chance that you’ll need to stop by a bike shop to diagnose and/or fix small problems you encounter while riding your new electric bike.

For example, my maiden ride with the Tenways CGO600 Pro electric bike went smoothly: it handles well, the brakes work great, the ride is smooth, and everything feels premium.

However, I have noticed a small clicking noise while pedaling. It’s not very worrying, but I also can’t figure out what’s causing it. So before I go on big bike rides, I’ll definitely stop by my neighborhood store to get my eyes and ears on the subject.

Building my first electric bike – final thoughts

There you have it, the seven most important lessons I learned while building the Tenways CGO600 Pro electric bike. Would I do it again? Probably not anytime soon. That said, I now feel a little more confident in my e-bike building capabilities, even if all I did was tighten bolts and screws.

I’m also very impressed with Tenways’ packaging work: the CGO600 Pro arrived with wheels in order, brake lines fully assembled, and no visible damage to any parts. Sure, the build had its hiccups, the instructions could have been better quality, and additional hardware would have been nice, but in the end, assembly of the e-bike was doable.

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