25 Tips to Increase The Comfort of Your E-Bike

25 Tips to make an e-bike more easier on riders’ necks, shoulders, arms, hands and caboose

We at Best Electric Bikes are bike nerds. We don’t just love e-bikes or regular bikes or kids bikes; we even love bike parts. The upshot is that when our friends come to us complaining that their neck/shoulders/derriere hurt at the end of a ride, we have ready suggestions for how to improve their in-saddle satisfaction.

Anyone who has cut a ride short due to pain will find solid advice in our suggestions. Some don’t require anyone to spend a dime, while others suggestions may require a modest investment. None of them are expensive.

There is plenty of good advice here even for riders who don’t think their e-bike is uncomfortable. Comfort and discomfort exist on a spectrum, and in most cases, more comfortable is possible.

Dealing With Road Vibration: “I feel like I’m riding a paint shaker”

Of all the things that can make an e-bike uncomfortable and of all the fixes, tire pressure is the easiest to get wrong and the easiest to right. As with most things in life, there is a Goldilocks range for tire pressure. Manufacturers put a range of acceptable pressure on the side of the tire, usually. Sometimes it’s in the colored hot patch that is printed on the sidewall and sometimes it is molded into the sidewall. Those numbers represent a range of what’s possible, and should not be taken as advice.

What the problem is:

Any time a rider feels every little bump in the road and hitting a pavement seam feels like being shot out of a James Bond-style ejector seat, that’s an indication that the tires have been pumped to too high a pressure.

• The starting point for tire pressure is mid-way through its recommended range. Tires at the upper limit of their pressure range will vibrate the rider as if they were sitting on the world’s largest smartphone set to vibrate. They also puncture more easily, which has to rank as a lose-lose. If a tire has a recommended range of 30-80 psi, try pumping the tires up to 55 psi.
• Experiment with pressure after taking a short ride. If the ride still feels rough, take the tires down 5 psi, and that can be repeated until the bike doesn’t rattle like a venomous snake. The lower limit for any tire is the point at which it begins to squirm in a turn. Tire squirm is very easy to feel; the bike will feel oddly unstable in a turn.
• The lighter the rider, the more they can afford to decrease pressure. Bigger riders will need to keep pressure higher in order to avoid tire squirm and, worse, pinch flats.
• Fat tires, that is, tires that are 4-5 in. wide can afford to go very low in pressure. Riders who weigh less than 200 lbs. can run these tires into single-digit pressure. Try 8-10 psi for starters. Bigger riders can still run fat tires at pressure between 10 and 20 psi.
• For riders who don’t venture off-road, if the e-bike is equipped with knobby tires, ditch the bumps and buy tires with a smoother tread profile; tire knobs introduce an ongoing buzz that can be annoying (and uncomfortable).

Dealing with Back and Butt Pain When Riding: “My butt hurts”

This is the single most common complaint among riders, especially among folks who haven’t been on a bike in a few years. Yes, a new saddle is likely to fix this issue, but the trick is to purchase the right saddle. This is where a good bike shop can be very helpful.

What the problem is:

Saddles can cause riders pain for a few different reasons. A saddle may be too wide, or too narrow or too stiff or too soft. Any of those can cause problems. The trick is to find the right saddle for that individual rider. No saddle works for everyone.

• Bear in mind that while many companies will advertise a saddle based on the idea that bigger and softer is better, that isn’t usually the case.
• Take note of just where the pain is and make notes if necessary. Genital numbness will indicate a need for a saddle with a pressure relief channel running down the middle of the saddle, fore to aft. Soreness that extends across the area that comes in contact with the saddle suggests a need for a firmer saddle. Pinpoint pain at the sit bones means the saddle is too firm and a softer one should help.
• Is the saddle pointed up or down? A saddle should look relatively flat when the bike is viewed in profile. Saddle angle can cause a host of issues—like numbness—which will go away once the saddle is properly adjusted. To change the tilt, loosen the bolt in the seatpost clamp with a 6mm Allen wrench.
• Is the saddle height too high or too low? A saddle that’s too low or too high will cause more of the rider’s weight to rest on the saddle. A proper saddle height will leave a slight bend in the rider’s leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
• Saddle width can be an issue. A saddle that’s too narrow will feel like what’s being ridden is a broomstick, not an e-bike. A saddle that is too wide may cause chafing at the back of the legs where they come in contact with the saddle.
• Find a bike shop that offers fitting services. This will eliminate some shops, so it’s important to call or check their web site. Shops that do fittings for high-end bikes usually have a device that riders can sit on that will help determine just how wide a saddle is appropriate to a rider.
• Consider buying bike shorts. Real bike shorts aren’t just lycra shorts that fit like a latex glove, they have a pad sewn in, which puts the cushion right where the rider needs the help. Because of the snug fit those of us who don’t want to look like a racer in the Tour de France can just pull on a looser pair of shorts over them.
• Consider buying a shock-absorbing seat post. If none of the above solutions worked, then a seatpost with an elastomer or steel spring is yet another option. When they are adjusted for the rider’s weight, they are nearly unnoticeable. They simply take the edge off bumps and smooth rougher roads.

Neck Pain From E-Bike Riding: “Oi, what a pain in the neck”

Reach issues—that is, how far forward a rider must lean to reach the handlebar—often manifest as pain in the neck or shoulders. Some riders also find it uncomfortable to lift their head high enough to look up the road when leaned over. Trust us, our staff knows this one well.

What the problem is:

This is a very simple issue to diagnose, but a good deal harder to actually fix on most e-bikes. The issue stems from making a rider reach too far and then having to work too hard to hold their head up. The more a rider has to bend over, the more weight they need to support with their arms and core.

• Many e-bikes come with a riser bar that can be rolled back toward the rider to decrease reach. Some come with an adjustable stem that can be tilted up or down. The trick is to adjust the bar or stem (or bar and stem) so that the distance from the saddle to the bar is reduced.
• In most instances, tilting an adjustable stem up will reduce the reach, but in the case of especially small riders, that might not prove to help.
• Another way to decrease reach is to purchase a shorter stem. Stems are sold in 1cm increments. Most e-bikes are sold with stems around 12cm long. Stems can be found as short as 50mm. Consult with a shop before purchasing one because not all bars and stems are compatible due to different clamp and bar diameters. Better yet, just have the shop install a shorter one.
• How short a stem will help? A stem 2cm shorter will make a noticeable difference in how far forward a rider must lean. For riders shorter than 5 feet 6 inches, a rule of thumb on stem length is to reduce the stem length by 1cm for every inch shorter than 5 feet 6 inches the rider is.

Hand Numbness while riding: “I can’t feel my hands”

Hand discomfort or numbness is a common issue and one that is usually pretty easy to resolve. Addressing the issue of hand numbness can often require combining solutions, such as buying new grips and cycling gloves.

What the problem is:

There is a notable exception here and that is for riders who have carpal tunnel syndrome. Those riders may need to try every one of our suggestions.

• Make sure that the handlebar isn’t higher than the rider’s shoulders. If the handlebar is too high, the rider’s hands will go numb sooner or later.
• If the grips are fairly basic cylindrical (round) ones, an option is to buy grips that better support hands. The grips that have the “wings” also tend to feature a softer rubber than found in many ordinary grips.
• If the grips aren’t cylindrical, i.e., if they have the little “wings” that help support the heel of the hands, make sure the grips are turned to the correct orientation in order to provide sufficient support.
• The next option regarding hand comfort is to purchase cycling gloves. Some include gel pads in the palms that reduce vibration

Too much suspension becomes a problem: “Is this a pogo stick?”

A suspension fork is a great addition to any e-bike. When set up correctly, they both make the rider more comfortable and increase the rider’s control on bumpy surfaces by keeping the wheel on the ground. However, for suspension to work properly, it has to be set up to the individual rider.

What the problem is:

We see two different kinds of suspension forks on e-bikes. The first is referred to as air/oil or as hydraulic. The second is generally referred to as a coil spring. Suspension forks should sink about ¼ to ⅓ of their travel when set up properly for the rider. Bear in mind that because preload is based on a rider’s weight and if the rider typically rides with a backpack (like to carry a laptop, lunch and clothes to work), it will be important to set pre-load while wearing the backpack. Also, if the bike is being ridden by people who vary in weight by more than 10 lbs., they should adjust the preload before every ride.

• If the fork doesn’t move when a rider gets on the e-bike, try turning the preload adjuster counter-clockwise to decrease the tension on the spring and increase travel until the fork compresses between ¼ and ⅓ of its total travel.
• If the fork sinks through more than a third of its travel, turn the preload adjuster clockwise until the fork sinks just ¼ to ⅓ of its total travel.
• If the bike is equipped with an air/oil design, visit a bike shop to have them help set the air pressure correctly .
• In the case of a full-suspension all-terrain e-bike, the advice is the same: Set the rear shock to sink between ¼ and ⅓ of its total travel.

Bottom Line: Making Your E-Bike Ride More Comfortably

No matter what issue a rider has had with trying to find comfort on their e-bike, solutions abound. And don’t be surprised if achieving real comfort requires combining a few of these, or even all of them. For dedicated riders, many of these strategies are just standard operating procedures. Many of us don’t go for a ride without cycling shorts, gloves and making sure the suspension fork is adjusted properly.

While we think any of these solutions are pretty affordable, we do suggest starting with the solutions that are free. Adjust the e-bike’s tire pressure. Make sure the saddle isn’t too low or too high. Check the saddle tilt and make sure the saddle is relatively flat. Set the pre-load for the suspension fork if the e-bike has one.

Making those adjustments will provide improved comfort and control for any rider of any e-bike. And anything that improves a rider’s comfort is likely to result in more enjoyment and more riding.