Winterizing your e-bike: the complete 2026 checklist

Lithium-ion batteries hate overwintering both fully charged and empty. The ideal storage level is 40 to 60 percent. A battery left full for three months permanently loses capacity. An empty battery can enter deep discharge, ruining the cells.

Remove the battery from the bike and store it indoors at 10 to 20 degrees Celsius. An unheated shed or garage is rarely suitable: nighttime temperatures often drop below freezing, and lithium-ion cells degrade quickly under 0 degrees. A dry utility cupboard or mudroom is ideal.

Check the charge level every four weeks and top it up to 50 percent if needed. An original Bosch or Shimano charger displays this precisely. Cheap universal chargers often do not and should be avoided.

In winter, lower pressure means better grip. Drop your tire pressure by about 0.5 to 1 bar compared with your summer setting. A slightly softer tire enlarges the contact patch and gives noticeably more traction on wet leaves and frozen puddles.

Do you live outside town or ride long distances through woods and polders? Consider genuine studded winter tires such as the Schwalbe Marathon Winter Plus. The 240 tungsten-carbide studs per tire are the difference between falling and riding on through on black ice. Expect 65 to 85 euros per tire; fit them in November and swap them off in March.

Check pressure at least monthly. Cold air shrinks: a tire set to 4 bar in September can easily sit at 3.2 bar in January. Pressure that is too low significantly raises the risk of snakebite punctures at curbs.

The dry summer oil you have used since May is useless in a Dutch winter. Drizzle washes dry lube away within a single ride, and what remains becomes a grey paste of salt, grit and steel particles. Switch to a wet lube in October, such as Finish Line Wet or Muc-Off C3 Wet.

Wet lube is thicker, clings better to the chain links and lasts longer in rainy conditions. The downside: it attracts more dirt. That shortens the interval: re-lube every 150 to 200 kilometers and deep-clean the chain every 300 kilometers with degreaser and a chain machine.

Do not forget the other moving parts either: derailleur pivots, brake lever pivots and the pedal axles all get a drop of wet lube. A complete winter lube job takes ten minutes and saves you an expensive workshop bill in spring.

Between 1 November and 1 March a missing or broken bike light in the Netherlands costs you a 55-euro fine per lamp. That is 110 euros if both front and rear are out. More importantly: in December dusk sets in at half past four in the afternoon. Good lighting is not a luxury in winter, it is survival.

A white headlight of at least 40 lux and a red rear lamp with good side visibility are legally required. For country roads we recommend 80 lux or more, such as the Busch & Müller IQ-X. Add reflective spoke strips or a full Lumos Ultra smart helmet for maximum visibility in blind spots.

Do not forget your clothing either: a reflective rain jacket such as the AGU Essential Prime is just as important to Dutch commuters as the lights themselves. Also read our guide bike lights for the darkest months.

Dutch municipalities spread road salt generously when paths get slippery, and that salt eats away at frames, bolts and brake parts. Without protection you will see orange-brown patches on the fork, under the bottom bracket and around every bolt eye by March.

Before the first night frost, spray a thin layer of frame-protector (such as Muc-Off Bike Protect or ACF-50) over the entire frame, except on brake surfaces and tires. Treat the chain with wax or Squirt Chain Lube for extra protection. A bucket of lukewarm water after a salty ride rinses off most of it.

Pay extra attention to threaded connections: once a month, undo and re-seat the bolts on your bottle cage, rack and fenders with a drop of copper paste. That way they do not seize over winter and you will not need a Dremel or grinder in March.

Black ice and freezing rain are the two biggest killers for cyclists in the Netherlands. Freezing rain forms when rain lands on a frozen surface and creates a glass-hard layer on which even studded tires cannot grip. On those days the train or bus is simply the better choice.

KNMI and Buienradar issue a code yellow for slipperiness when large parts of the cycle path network become unreliable. Take that warning seriously: Veilig Verkeer Nederland records an average of 9,000 A&E visits per winter season from cycling accidents, with a clear spike on slippery mornings.

Does your child ride to school? Agree in advance that code yellow means the car, bus or walking to the stop. A sprained wrist in year 6 is a heavy price for one stubborn ride through the ice. During prolonged frost, road salt often lingers on cycle paths as large crystals: they roll away like marbles under narrow tires.