Comfortable biking – to ensure relaxation on the go
If you want a comfortable city bike, you don't have to invest a lot. We'll show you how to make your bike more comfortable with simple adjustment tips and useful comfort tuning.
The comfortable upper body position
Once you have adjusted the saddle height correctly (see introduction) (article linking), you can use a few adjustments to move your upper body into a more pleasant position. Pleasant in this case means: upright. The more upright you sit, the less stress your back and arms will have, as the weight will be on the saddle.
You can have this plus in comfort in three ways.
1. Decrease the distance between the tip of the saddle and the handlebar
By opening the Allen bolts on the head of the seatpost, you can move the saddle further forward (note the markings on the seatpost that limit the adjustment range). This will decrease the distance to the handlebar and you will sit more compact on your bike. Please note: This also changes your knee angle. When the cranks are horizontal, your knees should be plumb over the balls of your feet.
You can also reduce the distance between the saddle and the handlebar with a shorter stem (product link) or with a offset handlebar (product link). So you have to stretch less to get to the handlebars and can sit more relaxed on your bike.
2. Angle of the stem
With an upward-angled stem, you can also raise your sitting position further. The steeper the stem angle points upwards, the more upright you are. When changing the stem, make sure that the new stem matches the diameter of your handlebar and the diameter of your fork steerer tube. Here, we show you how to change and adjust the stem correctly.
Special case: You can also equip your bike with an adjustable stem (product link). This type of stem has a joint that can be adjusted by means of an Allen bolt. This allows you to approach the optimum sitting position step by step, rather than having to invest in a new stem every time.
The right saddle
In terms of comfort, the saddle is one of the most important points of contact between the rider and the bicycle. Especially on longer rides, the pressure can increase. The more upright the sitting position is, the more weight is placed on the saddle and the greater the load on the buttocks. In other words, a softer saddle can provide more comfort. A wide range of different saddle models are available, which differ in terms of top and damping material, shape or length. In comparison, it is more important for sporty seating positions (article linking) that the saddle width matches the distance of your seat bones.
Suspension seatposts can provide even more cushioning and comfort. They damp vibrations and shocks from below while riding. This will protect your buttocks and spine.
Comfortable sitting is not only essential for the fun of cycling on city and Dutch bikes. Here we show you how to adjust the sitting position on more sporty bikes such as trekking, road or gravel bikes.