There are many ways to make your ebike more comfortable. In this article I will explain some of the things our customers do to improve their posture, reduce stress on their palms, wrists, shoulders, neck and back. Also some tips on making your posterior more comfortable, especially on longer rides.
All of the options mentioned are available in store at eBike Sussex. We do not sell online, so you will have to visit our store for further product info and to buy.
I will cover styles of ebike in another article, and especially talk about full suspension over hardtail machines. This article is more about the extra accessories and adaptations you can make to improve your riding comfort on your existing ebike.
1. Medical Grade Gel Saddles. We have a great selection of these in store, they mean you won’t have to wear cycling shorts, which people often find uncomfortable and inconvenient to wear. With the gel saddles we supply the gel distributes the three pressure points you have when you sit down through the gel, making it a single pressure point. This spreading of the load reduces the overall discomfort you can have sitting on the saddles ebikes often come with from the factory. Many people ask us why do the ebikes come from the factory with such uncomfortable saddles and the answer is simple. If your competitor supplies their ebike without a proper gel saddle their machine would be notably lighter than yours (potentially 800grams lighter!) So your ebike would look cumbersome on paper compared to the competitors. So a proper medical grade gel saddle is a great upgrade to your ebike from day one of ownership. You will get the same feel from the saddle an hour into the ride as you get when you first sit on the bike. This is because the medical grade gel does not change consistency with your body heat in the way cheaper saddles can. Also our saddles come in four different width configurations. A general rule of thumb is the more upright you sit when riding the wider the saddle should be. As your bottom imprint is wider when you sit upright. So a wider saddle will increase the surface area of contact. Another benefit of our saddles is the introduction of elastomers under the rails at the back of the seats, this absorbs larger shocks when you ride over a bump.
2.
This leads me to seat suspension posts, they can vary from £50 to £175 approximately and there are various types suitable for different riding styles and rider weights. The idea is that the seat post has a suspension system to absorb much larger bumps when you are traversing uneven terrain. That doesn’t have to be off road, in fact they work best on pot holey road scenarios.
3. If you don’t want a seat suspension post you could have a Dropper post fitted instead. This will give you a dynamic seat height. So you can press a button on the handlebars and the seat post will drop down so your feet can touch the ground. This is much safer for stopping at traffic lights, or country gates. It is also a great way of getting your saddle out the way for descents both on and off road. If the saddle is lowered down using your dropper you can maneuver your bottom over the back tyre and in an emergency if you pull your brakes on you are less likely to skid and can stop in up to a fifth of the braking distance. I recommend you also get a decent pair of grippy, sealed bearing pedals to ensure your feet safely grip to the pedals when doing this.
Once you have got on the bike you can raise the saddle to your specific riding requirements, because everyone is different, everyone will want their leg extended a specific amount on the downstroke of the pedal. This extension is often too high for you to then be able to touch the ground at. So you would press the dropper controls on the handlebars before you come to a stop so your feet can touch the ground. We believe that once you have had a dropper fitted you won’t want to ride a bike without one. They are such an essential piece of equipment for your comfort and control. A dropper post can set you back anything from £350 to £850 including fitting. Visit us in store for details.
4. Sealed bearing, platform pedals with extra pins for added grip. These pedals have a sealed bearing for longevity and smoothness of turning. They have a wide footprint area to give you better surface area for your feet and therefore a better spread of your weight when you stand on the pedals. They also come with replaceable pins that stick into your trainers to offer more grip and to make it safer for you when travelling in the rain, or when the pedals are wet from morning dew. We have a brilliant selection of these pedals in store, and they will set you back anything from £100 to £250 a pair.
5. Handlebar stem raisers are another great upgrade that can raise your handlebars by up to four inches. This reduces the pressure on your wrists, shoulders and as you will be sitting more upright your neck too. They are great for those looking to enjoy the view whilst riding and can be fitted pretty quickly to an ebike. Occasionally longer brake and gear cables are needed, so often this is a product people add to their ebikes when they get them serviced.
6. In conjunction with a stem raiser a paddle shaped handlebar grip can give more surface area to the palm and stop your two little fingers from falling asleep over longer rides. I am a big fan of this style of grip, we have one that is ergonomically designed to fit in the palm of your hand in such a way that it also gives you better grip thus making it safer for off-road use. Also I find it is essential that these are lock on grips so they don’t swivel or slide off the handlebar.
I hope these suggestions have been useful to you, and thank you for reading my article.
Kind regards
Rich
eBike Sussex
eBike Sussex - The Electric Bike Specialists - 01273 596368 