Riding is a wonderful thing, but for beginners, an improperly set-up bike can take a toll on your ride. So before you buy a new bike and are ready to start your cycling journey, take a look at this guide to making your bike more comfortable and less harmful to your body.  Here you may only need to change one or a few settings to solve the uncomfortable riding problem. No matter how complex the problem, this guide should help you understand and solve the problem, and lay the foundation for a more comfortable and enjoyable ride.

Handlebar height

Handlebar height is one of the factors that affects ride comfort. Obviously, low handlebars mean hunched over, and excessive flex can affect lower back, shoulders, arms, hands and neck comfort. On the other hand, with more weight on the front wheel, the bike will handle, climb, and brake better, and probably better aerodynamics, but less comfort, so it takes your personal Make tradeoffs. Second, changing the handlebar height will affect the reach, so you may need to change the stem length to compensate.

Cushion Adjustment

There’s a lot of adjustability in your saddle position, and its height affects how much your legs stretch while you ride, how efficiently you pedal, and how much stress you put on your muscles and joints.

You also need to make sure that the front and rear positions of the seat cushion are correct. There will be discomfort in the front or the rear. The seat rails of the normal seat cushion have scales, which can be adjusted to the middle position. The angle of the saddle is also something to consider so that it doesn’t constantly slide forward or backward while riding.

Cleat position of the shoe

Whether the cleat position of the pedal is correct may be reflected in the soreness of the leg muscles and joints. Whether you’re riding a 44cm or 64cm frame, they all have the same width of bottom bracket, there are only two ways to increase the stance width, mount the cleats more inboard or look for pedals with longer axles . For example, Shimano Ultegra and Dura-Ace pedals offer users the option of a 4mm long road pedal axle. Speedplay pedals also used to have an axle length option, but are now standardized to one length, but the cleats can be adjusted laterally.

Change your handlebars

On a mountain bike, the handlebars need to match your riding style in terms of width, rise and swept. The stem also affects how the bike handles, as it changes your position on the bike and the steering geometry. So handlebar trimming is the way to go if it feels uncomfortable, the amount of swept back will determine the position of your hands and arms, so if your hands, wrists or arms are uncomfortable, more swept may help .

For road bikes, most handlebar designs feature shallow sag, making it easier to ride for extended periods of time. If your hands are uncomfortable, look for a handlebar with a flat top rather than a traditional round profile, as it will distribute pressure more evenly, though with smaller hands, the wide aero top can be difficult to grip.

Some road bars have a forward or backward sweep angle, which changes the position of the wrists, arms and shoulders, for example a sweep back will tuck your elbows more. If you’re looking to improve comfort, a one-piece carbon handlebar might not be the answer, as it limits adjustability.

Like mountain bike handlebars, gravel bike handlebars are getting wider. This might work for road bikes as well, as it gives the user more leverage, though it can cause hand, wrist, arm, or shoulder discomfort, so a shorter stem might be needed to compensate.

Fine-tuning the shift or brake lever

If you feel tired to operate the brake lever on long downhills, then you need to fine-tune the brake lever.

For mountain bike brake levers, it is usually the brake lever that slopes down slightly, but remember not to be too large. On a road bike, try to stay as parallel to the handlebar as possible. Today’s MTB and road brake levers have built-in reach adjustment.

A well-set, clean and lubricated derailleur helps reduce hand stress, and although expensive, electronic shifting is the ultimate in this regard.

Change to a comfortable grip or strap

Grips or straps on new cars vary in quality, some brands have nice grips (bands) or ergonomic grips (bands) installed on their bikes, while some brands, it’s a cost saving one of the sections.

A good mountain bike handlebar not only increases comfort, but also improves grip. Most good quality grips can be screwed onto the handlebars, so you don’t have to worry about them spinning in your hand.

High-quality bar tapes are highly technical, usually with a core area for increased comfort, and some users will use double-layer tapes for extreme road conditions.

Install wider tires

Fitting wider tires is an easy way to improve your bike’s comfort, both on road and mountain bikes.

Road and MTB tires have gotten wider over the years, and 28mm tires are now standard on new road bikes, completely replacing the 23mm tires of a few years ago.

Mountain bike tires are also getting wider, and it’s rare to see tires narrower than 2.4 inches on the field. There are now many commuter bikes over 35mm wide, and most gravel bikes allow for 40mm or larger tires. The increased volume of the wide tires will help absorb vibrations from the road.

Reduce tire pressure

Wider tires mean you can run at lower tire pressures, which will filter out some of the road bumps and reduce the vibrations the bike transmits to the body. Of course, the disadvantage is that it may be prone to “snake bite” tire rupture.

Try different cushions

There are hundreds of cushions available on the market, designed to suit different uses and different sit bone structures. If your weight requirements are not too high, this does not need to pay much. Many big brand seat cushions can be browsed online for modeling or visit a store with a fitting system. Before buying, you can test online whether it is suitable for you.

Add shock components

Suspension systems are no longer exclusive to mountain bikes. If you’re riding a road or gravel bike, you can also buy a variety of components specifically designed for shock absorption. For example, a shock-absorbing seat tube, a shock-absorbing stem, and even a micro-suspension fork are all options that can improve comfort.

Personal equipment

It’s not always the bike’s fault that the bike is uncomfortable, sometimes it’s the clothes you’re wearing. A high-quality jersey will greatly improve riding comfort. A good pair of gloves also helps improve handlebar comfort. They also provide a good grip while protecting the palm.

Upgrade lock shoes

Replacing locks can be relatively expensive, but a shoe that fits your foot shape can have a big impact on riding comfort, not only on your feet, but also on your thighs or buttocks. .

If the shoes are too loose, your pedaling efficiency will definitely be reduced, conversely, shoes that are too tight can squeeze your feet, potentially restricting blood flow and possibly causing cramps. Some brands offer wide and standard versions for certain shoes. A high-quality insole can also make a big difference in foot comfort.