First use
Buttons and navigation
Click each bubble to find out more about the screen, the different displays and the buttons.
Ref: 8405314
RIVERSIDE 500E
2020
This hybrid e-bike has been designed by the Riverside team using the same successful lifetime warranty alloy frame as the rest of the range. Perfectly poised and extremely comfortable, this reliable electric bike has a brushless 250-watt motor in the rear wheel hub which delivers 42Nm torque. The down-tube positioned Lithium-ion 36V 11.6 Ah (418 WH) battery adds balance whilst the hydraulic disc brakes and lockout front forks allows you to easily control the bike when out for a ride. Available in two sizes (M and L). Approximate weight is 22kg. Frame accepts full mudguards and rear pannier racks.
Screens and function
What happens if you forget to turn your bike off?
The bike turns off automatically after a few minutes if it isn't being used.
What is walking mode?
When you need to push your bike while walking alongside it, this mode takes some of the strain!
Please note: this mode should not be used when riding your bike. It turns on and stays activated when the "+" button is held down. This mode switches off when you stop pressing the button.
Never use walking mode while riding the bike as this may damage the motor.
What information is visible on the screen?
ODO = Total distance covered by your Riverside 500e
TRIP = Partial distance. You can reset this distance whenever you like, for example before each ride. Do so by holding the button down for 10 seconds"-"
TRIP to GO = Estimate of the remaining battery life (in km or miles depending on which unit you have chosen). This will vary based on how you are using the bike (gradient, pedalling effort, etc.) and the assistance mode you have selected.
To switch from one to the other, press the "ON/OFF" button.
How much electrical assistance does each mode give?
MODE 0 = No electrical assistance
MODE 1 = the electrical system increases your output by 50%.
MODE 2 = the electrical system increases your output by 100%
MODE 3 = the electrical system increases your output by 150%
Battery charge
Does the battery charge while cycling?
No, it doesn't have a dynamo. Some systems let you charge the battery as you ride or brake, but this doesn't generate much power.
Should you wait until your battery is completely flat before charging it?
No. Lithium-ion batteries have no memory effect and can therefore be charged at any time.
We recommend charging your battery regularly to keep it working well.
Can you ride when your battery is flat?
It's an electrical assistance bike. That means it's entirely possible to ride without this assistance.
However, you may well notice the additional weight of the assistance system.
How long does the battery take to charge?
The battery takes 6 hours to fully charge (from 0% to 100%). However, it only needs 3 hours to get from 0% to 80%.
Can you leave your charger connected to the battery even after it has finished charging?
Yes, the charger is designed to be connected round the clock.
When the battery is fully charged, the charger stops charging. You can tell when it is charged because the LED will turn off.
Battery, lifetime, storage & range
What should you do if your battery wears out?
When your battery wears out, take it to your local Decathlon store, which will send it to a specialist facility to be recycled.
What is the lifetime of your battery?
The warranty on your battery is for 2 years or 500 charge cycles (1 cycle = 1 full charge + 1 full discharge or 2 half charges + 2 half discharges).
How should you store your battery?
You should store and charge your battery somewhere cool (between 10°C and 25°C) and dry, out of direct sunlight.
To avoid deep discharge, which may cause it to malfunction, do not put the battery away when less than 10% charged.
Remember to charge the battery at least every 6 months, even if you are not using it, to prevent it from going completely flat and becoming less effective.
Where can you buy a second battery?
You can buy a new battery from your local Decathlon workshop.
Contact your nearest workshop to find out whether they have the battery you need in stock and how long it will take to arrive.
How long can you store your battery before you need to recharge it?
The battery can be safely stored for up to 6 months, without being charged, without affecting its capacity. It should be fully recharged before being put away for this length of time.
What is the range of the riverside 500e?
Your electric bike's battery life depends on numerous factors:
> THE BIKE'S LOAD: The battery life will be shorter if the bike is overloaded.
> THE TYPE OF TERRAIN: The battery life will be shorter going uphill.
> YOUR USE: The battery range will vary based on how much effort you put into pedalling
> THE TYRE PRESSURE: The battery will last longer with tyres inflated to between 4 and 5 bar.
> THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE: The battery life will be lower in cold weather.
> THE ASSISTANCE MODE USED: It is advisable to reduce the assistance mode when the battery charge is low.
> WHETHER YOU FOLLOW THE BATTERY CHARGING AND STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS PROPERLY.
The Riverside 500e's battery is expected to last for around 80 km in mode 2 when you follow the instructions correctly.
Things to look out for
> TURN ON THE SCREEN BEFORE GETTING ON YOUR BIKE AND WITH IT STATIONARY.
If not, the bike's behaviour could be affected.
Accessories
Which bike rack can take your electric bike?
Your bike is compatible with the THULE Europower bike rack available in Decathlon stores. This bike rack can hold up to two electric bikes.
Adjustment and set-up video
What pressure should your tyres be inflated to?
Having the right tyre pressure is particularly important on an electric bike. The wheels have a lot of weight on them because of the combination of the motor and bike.
To minimise the risk of a puncture and increase your battery life, we recommend inflating your tyres to between 4 and 5 bar.
How to bed in your disc brakes
To get your brakes in peak condition, you will need to bed them in. When your bike leaves the shop with its shiny new brake pads and discs, their braking power is weak.
Bedding in takes just 10 decelerations per brake. By deceleration, we mean going quickly from 25 to 5 km/h, but without stopping the wheel from spinning, and using just one brake at a time.
Got a mechanical problem?
Your wheel is buckling after several rides
When you start using your new bike, lots of its parts are going to wriggle around as they settle into place.
This includes your spokes, which might sound as if they're cracking due to the residual torsion from assembly.
Your wheel should never be buckled. If it is, let your local Decathlon workshop know when you take your bike for its free service (six months after purchase) so that they can adjust it for you.
Your gears are not shifting properly
Lost key
You can make a copy of your key at any locksmith.
If you have lost both keys to your bike, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the lock on the bike changed.
We will provide you with a new pair of keys for the new lock.
You can't fully turn the handlebars
The head tube is only allowed to turn so far, otherwise it could damage the cables (gears, brakes, etc.). However, if you have a fall or if the handlebars get put out of alignment, the system that stops the head tube turning can also become misaligned. You can realign the handlebars by twisting them back into place.
Similarly, if you need to turn the handlebars more than 60°, you can temporarily turn off this safety feature by pulling the handlebars.
Got a electrical problem?
One or more leds is flashing on the battery
THE LAST LED IS FLASHING (the one furthest from the battery button).
Your battery is almost flat and needs to be charged. Plug your battery in to the charger.
THE 4TH LED IS FLASHING
Your battery's voltage is very low and it has not been charged for a long time. Charge it as soon as possible to prevent it from going into a deep discharge and becoming unusable.
ANOTHER LED IS FLASHING
Your battery has suffered an abnormality that has caused a fault. This fault may be temporary or permanent. Please visit a Decathlon workshop to have your battery and bike diagnosed.
Your battery won't charge
1. CHECK THE BATTERY > CHARGER > MAINS SOCKET CONNECTION
> Make sure the charger you are using is the one provided by Decathlon.
Connect the charger to the battery and a mains socket.
Fixed red charger light = the battery is charging.
Fixed green charger light = the battery has finished charging.
Flashing charger light = the battery or charger has a problem.
A completely drained battery will take 6 hours to charge fully.
2. CHECK THAT THERE IS NO DIRT STOPPING THE BATTERY CHARGING
The charger's and the battery's connectors should be clean. There should be no dirt preventing contact between the battery and its charger.
3. IT MAY JUST BE THAT THE LED INDICATORS ON THE BATTERY ARE FAULTY
Visit one of our Decathlon workshops to have them repaired.
The screen is showing an error code
ERROR 16 / 17 = SENSOR NOT DETECTED
Restart the bike. If the error message does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
ERROR 32 / 33 = MOTOR ERROR
The motor is probably unplugged. Check the motor's connection and plug it back in, making sure you get the plug the right way around to avoid damaging the pins.
ERROR 48 = SPEED SENSOR ERROR
The motor might be unplugged.
Check the motor's connection and plug it back in, making sure you get the plug the right way around to avoid damaging the pins.
If the error message does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
ERROR 49 = CADENCE SENSOR ERROR
Restart the bike. If the error message does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
ERROR 64 = CADENCE SENSOR ERROR
Restart the bike. If the error message does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
ERROR 65/66/67 = LOW VOLTAGE
Charge the battery. If the error does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
ERROR 80 = THE CONTROLLER IS TOO HOT
Leave the bike to cool down. Restart the bike. If the error message does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
ERROR 81 = BATTERY / DISPLAY COMMUNICATION ERROR
This error sometimes occurs when the battery is removed and put back on the bike with the screen still turned on.
Turn the screen off properly with the ON/OFF button before removing the battery from the bike.
If the error message does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
ERROR 83 = MOTOR OVERUSED
The motor has gone into protective mode and cut the assistance because it is being overused.
Restart the bike.
If the error message does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
ERROR 84 = CONTROLLER COMMUNICATION ERROR
Check that the screen is correctly attached and that the connector plug is not damaged at all.
If the error message does not disappear, please visit a Decathlon workshop to have the fault diagnosed and repaired.
The electrical assistance is jerky
Note: the Riverside 500e is an electric assistance bike that is activated by a torque sensor. If you stop pushing on the pedals, the assistance will cut out. If you find pedalling too difficult, set the bike to a higher assistance mode and switch to a lower gear ratio.
The electric assistance will automatically cut off once the bike reaches a speed of 25 km/h; this is not a malfunction.
If, however, you find that the assistance cuts in and out abnormally and in a jerky manner, please check the following:
If the problem persists, please contact us through the contact form, or visit a Decathlon workshop.
The screen won't turn on
Check each point explained in the blue bubbles in the photo.
If the problem persists, please contact us through the contact form, or visit a Decathlon workshop.
The assistance is cutting out
The electric assistance requires force to be exerted on the pedals and an assistance mode to be activated (a mode other than 0)
If you have tried everything and the electrical assistance still does not work, follow the instructions below (blue bubbles on the photo).
If the problem persists, please contact us through the contact form, or visit a Decathlon workshop.
The assistance is not kicking in
The electrical assistance kicks in when you pedal. You need to be applying force to the pedals and to have selected an appropriate assistance mode.
If the electrical assistance still does not work, follow the instructions below (blue bubbles on the photo).
If the problem persists, please contact us through the contact form, or visit a Decathlon workshop.
The assistance is struggling
Check the following points (blue circles on the photo) if you feel that your electric bike is struggling.
If the problem persists, please contact us through the contact form, or visit a Decathlon workshop.
Your battery life is low or has gone down
1. Make sure you are using and storing it as recommended
Your electric bike's battery life depends on numerous factors:
> THE BIKE'S LOAD: The battery life will be shorter if the bike is overloaded.
> THE TYPE OF TERRAIN: The battery life will be shorter going uphill.
> THE TYRE PRESSURE: The battery will last longer with tyres that are inflated to 1.8 bar.
> THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE: The battery life will be lower in cold weather (up to 50% less).
> THE ASSISTANCE MODE USED: It is advisable to reduce the assistance mode when the battery charge is low.
> WHETHER YOU FOLLOW THE BATTERY CHARGING AND STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS PROPERLY.
2. An old battery may lose some performance.
The distance you can travel will therefore be reduced. Visit your Decathlon workshop to give your battery a check-up.
Care & maintenance
How to clean your riverside 500e
To clean your Riverside 500 electric bike, leave the battery ON the bike. This will stop water getting into the controller.
Do not use a pressure washer as water could get into the ball bearings and permanently damage the electrical components!
Wash your bike with a hose and a sponge (cleaning kits are available at Decathlon).
Dry your bike with a cloth
Lubricate your chain with a suitable lubricant
How to correctly store your riverside 500e
> Store your bike in a place that is dry and sheltered
> Clean your bike to remove any mud or sand, which can have a corrosive effect.
> Lubricate the chain: spray the entire bike with "ALL IN ONE" to protect it from rust
> Put the derailleur on the smallest sprocket
> Charge the battery at least every 6 months (the more often, the better)
Haven't been able to fix your problem or find what you need?
Please contact one of our technicians who will be happy to help
Our commitments
RIVERSIDE guarantees the frame, handlebars and stem for life (under normal usage conditions).
The warranty for other parts (excluding wear parts) is two years.
As soon as you start using the bike, some components will move slightly. It's for that reason that we offer a free service of your RIVERSIDE six months after purchase.