How to Customize Your E-Bike for Maximum Comfort
Written by: Rémy Rossi | March 28, 2025 | Time to read 5 min
Dreaming of riding on a cloud? Or suffering from a sore butt? Here are several ways to maximize comfort on your electric bike.
More about the Author: Remy Rossi
Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.
How to customize your e-Bike for optimal comfort
1. Wider tires & lower tire pressure
2. Handlebar comfort
There’s a lot you can do with the handlebars to increase comfort and decrease fatigue when riding. Wide or riser handlebars can help open up the upper body for a more relaxed riding position that takes weight away from the hands and wrists. It’s also important to hone in on your correct handlebar height.
Ergonomic grips are great e-Bike accessories that distribute pressure to the palm, which can also boost comfort. Just don’t go too wide— I recently did this with my urban e-Bike and it feels like I’m driving a school bus, so I’ll have to chop my bars down slightly for a better fit.
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3. So many saddle solutions
More significant upgrades include buying a new saddle or installing a suspension seatpost. The standard saddle that comes with the bike may not be a great fit for your sit bones or body type, so check out the plentiful options out there when it comes to saddle designs.
One of the most popular and effective comfort solutions for a used electric bike is a suspension seat post. The suspension unit absorbs shocks and can make your bike feel like a full-suspension model without the extra bulk. More moderate suspension saddles simply take the sting out of small bumps, often exactly what most riders are looking for.
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4. Suspension settings
Setting the suspension too hard and there’ll be a lot of rebound that amplifies trail chatter and bumps along the route, throwing off your ride and really not helping on the comfort side of things. On the other hand, suspension that’s too squishy and soft will lower your bike during impacts, leading to pedal strikes or the bottoming out of suspension parts. Check out the manuals relevant to your fork and rear shock to find out the recommended settings based on rider weight and other factors.
5. Upgrading your pedals
I’ve covered the handlebars and saddle, so the remaining contact point between rider and bike is the pedals. Often overlooked, pedals can make a big difference to comfort and overall ride experience. Some pedals are too small and can feel like a pressure point under our feet.
Others aren’t too grippy (especially those cheap plastic ones), so shoes can slip off the pedal platform. Some riders (like me) swear by the benefits of clipless pedals. And when I’m riding my fixie, I use pedal straps for a more secure connection to my pedals— and the occasional crowd-wowing skid, of course.
E-MTBers should search for pedals with durable pins for better foot grip— there’s nothing more uncomfortable than slipping off the pedals and striking your leg on the cranks. A while back, I also covered the best type of pedals for e-Bike commuting for daily riders looking for the ideal footwear.
6. Wear cycling apparel
Specifically, cycling apparel wicks sweat, has pockets in the right places, and won’t flap about in the wind to slow you down (or worse, annoy you). The clothing is so stylish and functional that European techno clubs are full of young people wearing cycling jerseys— now if that’s not a convincing vote of confidence, I don’t know what is.
Key Takeaways
- Optimize Your Bike’s Fit and Components: Ensure the right frame and correct size, adjust handlebars and saddles, and consider wider tires with lower pressure to improve bike ergonomics and reduce fatigue.
- Upgrade Key Contact Points: Invest in ergonomic grips, suspension seat posts, and better pedals to enhance support, stability, and shock absorption while riding.
- Wear the Right Gear: Cycling-specific clothing improves comfort by managing sweat, reducing wind resistance, and adding functional pockets for convenience.
