Top 5 Tips to Ride in Comfort This Summer

With the weather warming up throughout the country and the Memorial Day long weekend here, now is the perfect time to jump start your summer ebike adventures. We’re starting to see that the country is beginning to open up and life will somewhat come back to normal. Like everyone, we are excited to see this news. We know that everyone is planning responsible methods for going outdoors to get much needed sunshine and fresh air, but please do check with you local government guidelines regarding Covid-19 restrictions before you head out.

As everyone is starting to ride more, they might experience certain discomforts within their bodies during and after their rides. For the most part, this is perfectly normal and nothing to be alarmed about; unless you are experiencing major pains, for which you should please see your doctor. Most of the discomforts you have are simply your body adjusting itself to riding your bike. This is especially true if you haven’t ridden a bike or haven’t been physically active or exercised in a long time.

We’ve put together this list of the top five tips to help you address and possibly fix your riding discomforts and make all your rides much more enjoyable and comfortable.

1. Buy The Right Bike

While different cyclists have different riding styles, goals, and abilities, there’s one thing that all cyclists have in common: to have fun and be comfortable on their bike. The first and perhaps most important step in achieving this is choosing and buying the right bike. The good news is that we make this step easy for you by offering most of our ebike models in three different sizes (small, medium, large); these sizes are offered on our Pace and Level ebikes. They all have handy geometry charts and sizing guidelines that makes it simple for you to choose the right size and model. Furthermore, our Pace 350 and 500 both have step thru models that are designed for ease of use for people who are less flexible, and soon, we will also offer our Level in step thru, coming August 2020. You might be wondering why our Sinch foldable fatbike doesn’t have different sizes. The answer is simple: We designed it so that it’s adjustable to fit a wide range of different people’s height and weight. Even if you don’t choose an Aventon ebike, this same rule applies regardless of which type of bike you want to ride (road, fixed gear, mountain bike, etc). A good general rule is to check your height and inseam to make sure it’s within suggested frame sizes to determine which size is the best fit for you. After your bike is fully assembled, it’s a good practice to go for a few test rides to have your bike fully dialed in and fitted to your liking and comfort before a more rigorous ride.

2. Stretch Before & After Riding

You hear and read about it from sports authorities all the time - stretching is important and key to enhanced performance. While you may not be concerned about your performance on the bike, by developing a stretching routine before and after your rides, you’ll instantly see your comfort level on your bike increase. Stretching keeps your muscles flexible, strong, and helps you with a wide range of motion in your joints. Other benefits include improved muscular strength and reduced risk of injuries. Before each ride, you can do some simple back and leg stretching exercises to warm up your muscles. Your legs (particularly your glutes, quads, and calves) are the parts of your body that you use the most during cycling. Your back (especially the lower back) will bear the most pressure and weight during a ride, so it’s good to stretch your back. The benefits of stretching before and after rides includes reduced pain and stiffness and improved blood flow to the muscles you used during your ride. You can also incorporate a foam roller into your post ride stretching routine. Many cyclists neglect the importance of stretching before and after their rides but once you start, the quality of your bike ride will be taken to the next level.

3. Move Your Body On The Bike

Yes, you read that right. What do we mean by this? By moving, we’re not talking about the dancing that you see in the spin classes. We are talking about shifting body weight and changing your riding position during your rides. This is particularly important if you are going on longer rides, say, more than one hour. Your body will get fatigued in the same riding position, so you can arch your back, shift your body weight to the left or right side, or lean forward or backwards. One of the most common discomforts that new cyclists see is that their hands get numb from holding the handlebar. This is normal and you shouldn’t be alarmed if it’s just numbness. A good way to combat numbness is simply stop and take a break and let your hands rest off the handlebar. We don’t have set guidelines here but you can always experiment to find out what works best for you and your riding style and positions. It’s also a good idea to get off the bike on long rides and do some stretching as previously mentioned above. It also helps to sometimes stand up on your pedals and not sit on the seat the whole ride. This will help alleviate pressure from your back and spine, but you should only do this when it’s safe to do so. As a general rule, you should be in a relaxed position while riding and your body should not be tensed up. Relaxed and focused on the road is what we recommend. One of the benefits of owning an Aventon ebike is that we offer a variety of electric bikes and one of the few ebike companies that has different sizes that fits everyone regardless of your age, gender, riding ability and experience.

4. Appropriate Cycling Apparel

We know that not everyone wants to wear tight-fitting spandex when they ride. There are certainly benefits to wearing these cycling kits but if you’re just going out for an easy fun ride on your ebike, you might not want to do that. Regardless if you want to go casual or full spandex, there are still things you can wear that make your rides much more enjoyable and comfortable. Wearing cycling gloves would help alleviate numbness in your hands because the gloves’ padding will provide cushioning off the pressure points in the palms of your hand. If you do decide to wear full cycling kits, make sure that they are properly fitted to your size and body type. One important thing to keep in mind while wearing cycling bib shorts is that you do not wear your underwear inside them. Underwear will cause chaffing and discomfort. This might seem strange and silly to new cyclists, you’ll get used to it quickly and it won’t seem silly after some time. Speaking of chafing, we suggest that you use a chamois cream while wearing cycling bib shorts. Trust us on this - your bottom will thank you for it. There are generally three types of cycling fits available: 1) Club Fit apparel are for less serious cyclists. They are geared towards more casual riders who aren’t concerned about performance and speed. The fit is not loose but at the same time, not form-fitting. 2) Race Fit apparel provides an athletic, performance-focused fit with features such as moisture wicking materials. 3) Aero Fit apparel focuses on being the most aerodynamic as possible with less seams and compression. It’s best suited for the most serious of cyclists.