If your top priority is a comfortable ride, then it’s important to consider all of the ways in which a bike can deliver comfort for you. Options for increasing rider comfort include:
- Choice of saddle
- Choice of suspension
- Suspension seat post
- Hand grips
- A throttle that powers the bike independently from your legs
- Custom fitting of the bike to you and your preferred riding position
Most Comfortable Saddle
There is a wide range of saddle shapes, sizes, materials, and of course prices. Knowing that the typical customer for MeloYelo e-bikes is over 60 years old, we have chosen a comfy memory foam saddle as our standard option, but we also have more of a tractor seat-style saddle for those looking for an even softer ride.
Suspension Options for a More Comfy Ride
There are many different aspects to “suspension.” These include:
- Suspension seat posts
- Suspension forks
- Full suspension frames
Suspension Seat Posts
Suspension seat posts are sprung to absorb some of the shock from riding over bumps and are an affordable alternative to buying a full suspension e-bike. A great solution is the Suntour NCX seat post, shown below. The unique and patented parallelogram design allows for smooth small bump compliance with a total of 50mm travel to make for a smooth ride. Comfort, low maintenance, and long term durability is what this Seatpost is all about. There are many other seat post options on the market but none offer the adjustability and smooth action of this one.
Suspension Forks
There are not only a wide variety of suspension fork absorber brands (some of the more well known include Suntour, Rockshox and SRAM), but each brand offers a variety of different models. At MeloYelo ebikes we primarily use Suntour suspension forks because they are a well known brand, offer a proven reliable product, and offer a variety of different models to suit different applications. There is one exception: On our Superlite electric bike, we have chosen RST Omega Air forks. These forks are lighter, adjustable, and offer a buttery-smooth ride.
Full Suspension Frames
In the past, the primary customer for full suspension bikes has been the serious mountain bike rider, for whom full suspension delivers better handling. Recently however, more and more older couples who are getting out and riding back country trails have been buying full suspension bikes. They are considerably more expensive than bikes that don’t have rear suspension. Before you decide on a full suspension bike, we encourage you to try a bike fitted with a Suntour NCX suspension seat post, which can be adjusted to provide a firmer or softer ride, to see whether this will meet your comfort requirements.
Comfy Hand Grips
It took me a few years of owning a mountain bike before I realised that the grips that came with the bike were most uncomfortable and that there were far more comfortable options out there. At MeloYelo we have chosen Velo triple density lock on grips. They are very easy on your hands, and ergonomically shaped, and because they lock onto your handlebars with an adjustable clamp, they won’t move once you’ve got them in your preferred position.
Would You Benefit from Having a Throttle on Your Electric Bike?
I can’t tell you how many MeloYelo customers have commented on our thumb throttle. First of all, many bikes don’t offer this option. And even if they do, they are unlikely to have programmed the throttle in the way that we have. With our thumb throttle, you get full power from the motor regardless of which pedal assist level you are in.
Let me explain. Most ebikes have somewhere between 3 and 5 levels of pedal assist. In level 1, the motor will boost your legs by around 30%, in level 5 by around 300%. On most bikes that have a thumb throttle, if you are in level 1 of pedal assist, then pushing the throttle will give you about a 30% boost. On MeloYelo ebikes, pushing the thumb throttle will give you the full 300% motor boost, regardless of which pedal assist level you’re in. In other words, you’ve got full power at your fingertips, at all times. It is important to note that on bikes with rear hub motors, the throttle can be activated from a standstill, while on MeloYelo’s mid-drive ebikes, the thumb throttle cannot be activated until you have reached 6km/hour.
Custom fitting
Last but certainly not least, an absolute must to get the most comfortable ride possible is to have your bike custom-fitted at the time of purchase. This means:
- Setting the seat height correctly;
- Making sure that all quick release levers are tight enough, but not too tight;
- Making sure the saddle is straight;
- Adjusting the handlebars. With our adjustable stems there are lots of options to adjust height and rotation;
- Rotating the grips to the most comfortable position;
- Sliding the seat forward or back to its most comfortable position;
- Adjusting the brake levers to their most comfortable position;
- Adjusting the gear shifter to its most comfortable position;
- Adjusting the electric controls so that they are in the preferred position for you;
- Adjusting the height of the handlebars, adding a riser stem as required to elevate the handlebars, which may be beneficial for taller riders.
Conclusion
There are many ways to make your ebike more comfortable.
Rider comfort is one of the most important considerations for older ebike riders. We recommend that you print this article and take it with you when you’re shopping for an ebike, so that you know how to get the bike adjusted so that it fits like a glove for you. Our MeloYelo agents are highly trained in fitting our bikes to their customers.
