E-Bikes & Bikes Customised to You
Hey everyone, Peter Kaltreider here, sixthreezero E-bikes. A very important question, how can we make the bike more comfortable? Okay, how to make your bike more comfortable? It's an interesting question because in riding a bike, there has to be an interface between the machine and the human body, right? And normally that is the pedals, the seat, and the handlebars. It's just how it is, so we have to figure out the most comfortable way to accomplish that while also making it possible for you to ride the bike effectively and efficiently. There are a lot of things you can do with the bike as it is, and then there are other things you can add to the bike or change or wear that can make a big difference. I'm going to give you several tips. I don't really have them listed, it's just there are a lot of different things you can do in combination or just with what you have already. The first is getting the right positioning on the bike.
There are a few spots of adjustment. One of course will be the seat height, which normally will have a quick release like this. You can raise the seat up and down. That's a very basic one, everyone should probably know that one. You can also adjust how straight the saddle is, it should be straight on with the bike. You can also raise and lower the stem to some degree on most bikes. Our bikes are made with adjustable stems. Some bikes don't have adjustable stems, but ours do. So this can come up. It's not a lot, maybe a couple of inches up or down, but there are differences. Also, the handlebars can be tilted forward or tilted up depending on what's most comfortable. And depending on what bike you have, there may be more or less tilt. Some have cruiser handlebars that can come down and up like this. Some people prefer the wider grip, very relaxed. Some people like a grip like this, it's a little closer.
I'll turn. Feel more like a motorcycle. Some people feel like they have a little more control this way, but it doesn't have that easy riding style. Just different styles. So with the bikes you already have, you can do those things. You can raise and lower the seat, you can raise and lower the stem, you can adjust the handlebars back and forward. You can also very important, you can adjust the tilt of the seat up, down, level. Usually level is where we want to start, but you may find it a little more comfortable to have it tilted down a little bit. Occasionally, maybe even up a little bit, it's going to depend on you. And the main thing to remember too is that everyone is different. Everyone's body is different. There are so many differences in how your legs are shaped, how long your legs are, how your backside is if you have knee pain if you don't have knee pain. How your back is if you have back pain if you don't have back pain. If you have a long torso, short torso.
Everyone is different, so you just really need to figure out what works for you. No one can really tell you that, you got to figure that out for yourself. But especially a lot of times I see seats … And actually, this one when it was assembled, I can see the seat is tilted up just a little bit. A lot of people, especially women, will find that uncomfortable. This seat could probably be tilted down a little bit. However, you want to adjust it to your liking and whatever works is what works. If you just feel like it's tilted up too much, then tilt it down and vice versa. So remember that. There are a lot of positioning things that you can do with the bike as you have it, and bikes are designed like that because you should be able to get it pretty dialed in with the equipment you have. Now, if you feel like you need more cushion or more comfort, there are a lot of things to do as well.
Recreational bikes are different from, say, race bikes or more performance mountain bikes, because it's a different type of riding and so there are different solutions. But some of the solutions that are used in the performance world can be applied to the recreational world, I think effectively, depending on what you really need. What you might want to look into next after adjusting the seat properly is if the seat just isn't suitable for you may want to look for another seat. And again, everyone's body is different so you may not know it until you actually try and sit on different seats or saddles. This one's a little bit more of a performance-size saddle, just a little bit more. It's suitable for a hybrid, this bike is a hybrid here. There are wider saddles. On our cruisers like EVRYjourney and Around The Block, the saddle is 10 and a half inches wide. This one is more like maybe seven and a half inches wide. A wider saddle will give more support to you obviously, but that doesn't necessarily mean more comfort. Everyone's different so you just really want to try it.
There's a company called Cloud-9 that specializes in comfortable seats. They make seats as wide as 12 inches, I think maybe even wider and they have a lot of cushions. Sometimes more cushion translates into more comfort, but sometimes it doesn't. In the performance world, they tend to have very firm seats or saddles because it gives more support. A firm seat will give more support. Sometimes you'll find that with a car too, for a long drive you may actually enjoy a firmer seat than a softer one, or a firmer mattress when you're sleeping than a softer one. So you just got to find out for your style of riding what's best. For me, if I go out on my road bike and I want to ride for a long distance, I actually will want the firmer seat because it will give me more comfort over the long run. Maybe in the short term, you want a softer seat. So if your seat isn't working for you, first of all, try the adjustments, but then go out and try some different seats or order some and try them out. Like I said, Cloud-9 is a great resource.
We also have cruiser-style seats if you get one that has a narrower seat. So a lot of options on seats and you can find the one that works best for you. Another idea, this bike already comes standard with suspension on the seat post. Right here, you can see this little rubber boot, it covers where the seat post can compress. It can go up and down a little bit, and that helps take out some of the shocks. It absorbs the shocks, it's a shock absorber. So if you have a rigid seat post, which most bikes come with, you can try getting a suspension seat post like this and that will help take out some of the shocks from the road. Now, another option too is a suspension fork, which is like this one. It can go up and down and absorb the shocks. Now, you probably want to buy a bike that already has the shocks if this is something that interests you because although you can add shocks to a bike, it's going to be expensive.
Probably it's going to be more expensive than makes sense than just ordering a bike that has a suspension in the first place. A nice thing about most bikes with suspension like this one is that if you find out that you don't want the suspension, you can lock it out ... We have another video on that, and it will make it rigid so it just rides like a regular bike without the suspension. But if you do want the suspension, of course, you can unlock the suspension and it'll absorb those shocks for you. After adjusting the seat and the grips ... I mean the handlebars, the stem, the height, the angle, maybe looking for a different style seat ... either wider, firmer, or more cushion, the next thing you want to look at is suspension. A suspension seat post is a good idea. A suspension seat post can easily be added to any bike, you can just buy one that's the right diameter. In this case, it's aluminum, and so what we have is 28.6 for our aluminum bikes. So any 28.6 seat post will work on our aluminum bikes, basically our E-bikes and aluminum bikes.
And then you can also maybe look for a bike like this one that has a front suspension. There's a last and final option, which I think is the best although it's not for everybody. The interesting thing about having to sit on a bike is that you have to be supported, but it can't be like an easy chair. It can't be like a big lounger because you have to also operate the bike, so there are limitations to how a seat can be designed. It has to allow you to be able to also use the bike. There's constant development on how to make a seat comfortable but also allow use and performance. So it's not going to be as comfortable as sitting on your couch or lying on your bed. Obviously, in both of those cases, you don't have to do anything except sit or lie down. But in this case, you're being active. You're operating a machine that requires your human input, which is great. I came from the racing world and anyone who's out there doing performance riding and all that is going to wear cycling shorts.
The reason for that is if you're just wearing normal everyday streetwear or some exercise clothing, the seat is not attached to your body so there's going to be some colliding of the seat with your body. There's going to be some chafing potentially so it's not perfect in that all the cushioning and support is not really attached to your body, it's a separate part. So they're not moving together like that and it can cause some abrasion and also that bumping uncomfortable feeling. The most comfortable thing that I've ever encountered is a nice firm seat with a very nice pair of cycling shorts. Cycling shorts can range a whole range of quality and you can get them very cheaply made or you can get them more expensive. The cheap ones, in my opinion, are not worth it. They just won't really give you the cushion or support that you want and they'll also maybe cause some abrasion as well. But if you get a really nice pair of cycling shorts, they may cost between 80 and 120 bucks, something like that depending on what you get.
But they will really give you a lot of support and also that support is always on you with your body. So whatever, if you stand up or if the bike's rocking back and forth, that cushion is with your body it's not unattached and banging into you. Also, there's no chafing because they are cinched up, they're close to your skin so they protect you from the chafing. Obviously with a lot of people, wearing bike shorts, it's a thing. It's not a big passion statement, people don't think it's a very attractive look. You can wear regular shorts or some sort of exercise shorts over the cycling shorts if you don't like the look of that. But in my opinion, and you may want to try it out if other things aren't working for you, is find a very nice pair of cycling shorts, which will have a lot of padding for the crotch and for your rear end and will help with just making sure that you have the cushion and padding where you need it.
That's why ... I know the racers, they're light fit athletes and all of that, but still, they're going to be in the saddle for four, five, six hours a day and they're on these tiny little saddles. So even that, it hurts them, it can hurt them. So they wear nice cycling shorts and that's how they're able to ride for so long. Some people get on a bike and ride for half an hour and go, "Oh my god, I don't want to do that again because it's uncomfortable." Maybe they have the wrong situation and things aren't adjusted correctly. But if you get the right stuff, you can ride for a long time and feel very, very comfortable. Anyway, I encourage you to look into all those options. That's pretty much everything I can think of. Like I said, mostly starting off just getting the adjustments right on the bike that you have, and you could probably dial it in most of it or all the way with just what you have. Because we do design our bikes, anyway, with comfort in mind.
Some have ... like this one has a little bit more performance-oriented seat, but some are more comfort-oriented like with our cruisers, our EVRYjourney, which is kind of a hybrid cruiser blend. But then maybe looking into a suspension seat post is a good idea, look into a different style seat. Again, we have some cruiser-style seats you can look at. And Cloud-9 has a whole lot of options. There are also gel covers you can add to the seat, which are nice for short ride. And then lastly, you really may want to look into cycling shorts. Again, you can cover those up with another pair of shorts if you want. But cycling shorts, it really is amazing how much comfort they can provide you just because they take all that cushion. Instead of having it on this thing that you sit on, it's actually conforming to your body and it's just always where you need it every time. I really hope that helps. If you have any questions, do give us a call (310) 982-2877, or email us at theteam@sixthreezero.com... sixthreezero is all spelled out, and we'll help you.
We'll help you find the best solution for you so you can have a comfortable ride, get out there and enjoy the day. I truly hope that was helpful for you. If you liked it, please do like it and hit Subscribe. It helps grow our channel. And if you need any help at all, please contact us. You can call us at (310) 982-2877, or email us at TheTeam@sixthreezero.com. Remember six, three, zero is spelled out S-I-X-T-H-R-E-E-Z-E-R-O. TheTeam@sixthreezero.com. Thanks.
