Seat and Handlebar Position

Riding an electric bike is fun. No doubt about it. Yes, an electric bike helps you climb hills and makes certain you have the energy to make a long ride, but an electric bike is also just fun.

In this video, Bill describes how to properly set the saddle height, how to check if the seat is tight enough, and even how the handlebar position can affect the ride. Bottom line, Bill’s advice will help you get a comfortable and controlled ride.

You can watch the video, read the transcript that follows or do both.

The Saddle Height Trade-Off

Saddle height is a trade-off between getting good pedaling efficiency and stability when stopped.

For maximum pedaling efficiency, you want your saddle height set so that when your leg is at the bottom of the pedal stroke your leg is almost fully extended, but not quite.

So for me, right now, this is just about perfect. You can see my knee has a slight bend here, but I’m not hyper-extended and I also don’t have it very short.

The slight bend in Bill’s leg is a good indication that his saddle height is set for pedal efficiency.

At the same time, to reach the ground I’m needing to reach down with my toes a little bit on both sides. This is perfect for maximum muscular efficiency.

Now, if you feel that’s too high for you, especially when stopped, you could lower the seat down a little bit so that when you’re stopped you can get both feet flat on the ground. Flat-footed, that feels really stable, but you are going to lose some pedaling efficiency when going down the road. Shouldn’t matter much with an electric bike.

If you adjust the saddle height so that your feet are flat on the ground when you’re stopped, you will be more stable and have more control. But you are giving up some pedal power.

Adjust the Saddle Height

To adjust your saddle height, our bikes are equipped with a quick-release mechanism. You simply flip it open, that releases it, place the seat where you’d like it, and press the clamp to close.

You do want to make sure that it’s tight enough, and a simple way to do that is with a little twist test. This is moving too easily, so I’m going to want to adjust that. There’s a nut on the backside. Flip that lever open, give that maybe a full turn, try it, should leave a small impression in your hand. Then when I do the twist test…we’re good to go.

Handlebar Position

Regarding the handlebar position, a flat handlebar like this is going to give you a more aggressive riding position. You’re going to be leaning forward just a little bit more. It’s more aggressive. It allows you to put more weight into the pedals. You’re more aerodynamic, but it’s not right for everybody.

Swept back handlebars like this one gives a more upright riding position. Your back is straighter, your neck is straighter, gives good visibility as you’re moving around. Just know that handlebars are something that is easily traded out if you don’t like the ones you have. Just contact us and we’ll get you pointed in the right direction to get the right riding style for you.

The handlebar position affects your ride experience, but it is easy to adjust.