These Are The Best Upgrades To Make To Your E-Bike For A Better Ride!

by | Oct 23, 2023 | Buyer's Guide, Bike, Bike Setup, E-Bikes, Featured, Skills & Setup, Sports

Give your bike a new lease on life with some strategic upgrades to key components that won’t necessarily break the bank.

With the rising prices of new bikes (along with everything else) not many of us are likely to be getting new rides this summer. It appears that it is the season to be upgrading rather!

We all know that a bicycle, and indeed an E-Bike, is made up of a variety of components and not all of those components have an equal say in the bike’s feel and performance. Thus, in this article, we are going to highlight where to make your upgrades and what benefits you can expect from each one!

Magura 4 Piston Brakes Have Great Performance
Not all components have an equal say in your bike’s performance. We need to be wise about where we spend on upgrades.

We’re going to break down the upgrade into 3 categories. Comfort, Control, and Range Extension. Some components will factor into more than one of these camps but you’ll get the picture. Many of these recommendations will be relevant to traditional mountain bike setups as well. Let’s get upgrading!

3 E-Bike Upgrades For Comfort:

1. Saddle

The contact points are a great place to start and nothing can ruin a good ride quite like the wrong saddle. These days, most mid-to-high value E-Bikes and traditional bicycles will come with a decent quality saddle but that doesn’t always mean it is the right one for your body. Some people prefer long-nosed saddles, some need a wider platform or a more firm padding.

Soft doesn’t always mean comfortable because that foam might eventually collapse and leave you sitting on the hard base of the saddle. The best advice is to visit a local bike shop that can do a proper saddle fitting and get something that fits your body perfectly in terms of width, length, style, and padding. You can expect to spend up to around R1500 here and every cent will be worth it. Spending more than that isn’t necessary but can add some extra comfort.

When It Comes To Bike Components, The Right Saddle Is Key
Don’t just settle for the saddle that come on your bike. Your bum deserves better.

You may also want to look into what makes a good cycling bib short for the other side of the bum comfort equation!

2. Grips

Upgrading your grips is a fairly inexpensive and fun way to pimp your ride a bit! A good grip should be a comfortable diameter to hold, soft enough to take the edge off of trail vibrations, look good of course, and be tacky enough to offer you effortless grip with your riding gloves or bare hands if you prefer to ride that way!

One of our favourites in terms of value for money is the Cosmic Cactus from Lyne which comes in a variety of colours and has a humble price tag.

These Are The Best Upgrades To Make To Your E-Bike For A Better Ride!
Grips can add a splash of colour and a good helping of comfort too! (c) Lyne

3. Suspension setup

This one is a free upgrade. Sometimes poor suspension performance can just be corrected with a quick setup. If you’re feeling that the ride on your E-Bike is quite jarring or you’re hitting the end of your stroke too often, experiencing harsh bottom outs, you may want to take a look at your suspension setup. We can talk about this one in terms of control and comfort.

If you’re not a very aggressive rider, a comfortable setup is fairly easy to achieve. You could aim for about 30% sag on the shock and 20-25% on the fork, open the compression dials and set the rebound to the manufacturer’s recommended settings. We’ll talk about a performance-oriented setup more in a moment but you can find our guide on setting up your suspension here or visit your local bike shop for a helping hand!

6 E-Bike Upgrades For Control

1. Suspension setup

There can sometimes be a temptation to upgrade suspension parts for better performance but if you haven’t had your fork and shock serviced recently (or done a decent setup) then you could be missing out on much more affordable performance gains. If it has been more than 6-12 months since your suspension was serviced (new oil and seals) that would be money well spent for better performance and resale value down the line.

If you’re looking for more control out of your suspension during aggressive riding our suspension setup guide also mentioned above will get you into the right ballpark and give some tips for fine-tuning from there. The tune will be a bit firmer than a comfort setup to make sure you’re well-supported and ready for higher-speed riding.

These Are The Best Upgrades To Make To Your E-Bike For A Better Ride!
We have said it before and will say it again, regular suspension setup will change your riding! Check your pressures at least every 2 months.

2. Brakes

Power (or in this case speed?) is nothing without control and that is what brakes bring to the party. For the weighty E-bikes (be they road or mountain-specific), a decent set of brakes is essential. The most affordable way to improve your braking performance is to upsize your rotors and get some decent brake pads (metallic ones are recommended). 

Check to see if your bike can take a larger rotor size that will offer you better leverage and cooling. If not, the brake callipers and levers may need a good service or upgrade. For mountain bikes; SRAM’s Codes, Shimano’s 4-piston trail brakes, Maura’s MT5s, Formula’s Cura, or Hayes’ Dominion brakes are some great options to look into.

3. Tyres

Another paramount component for control. A new set of tyres can completely change your ride! Heavier riders and those who like to ride hard and fast will appreciate an enduro or downhill spec casing paired with a tread pattern that suits your local riding conditions. If the ground is soft where you ride then a front tyre with taller knobs will be ideal. If it is more hardpack then shorter and better-supported knobs will deliver the best results!

The softest compounds deliver the best traction but they do wear down faster than harder compounds. Find the right compromise here. I say there’s nothing wrong with a harder compound unless you’re trying to win gravity races.

What Makes A Good Gravity Enduro E-Bike Emtb Ebike
Tires have a huge sway on your bike’s performance. Choose wisely! (c) @maxsulliphoto

4. Bars and stem

This can often be an overlooked upgrade that has a big sway in how your bike feels and rides! You may be riding handlebars that are too wide for you (especially for smaller riders) in which case sometimes a hacksaw or pipe cutter can usher in some more control.

You also may find that upgrading to a handlebar with a higher rise (30mm +) puts you in a more comfortable position on the bike when descending and even climbing (if you’re a taller rider). Try out a friend’s setup to see how it feels and do some thinking on how you can tweak your cockpit setup for big performance gains at a low cost.

5. Dropper Seatpost

If you’re on an EMTB and not using a dropper seatpost, you need to get on this train! Long travel (170mm +) dropper posts are increasingly popular, and even adjustable length options are available so that you can maximise the drop your frame can support.

Installing a dropper post (or upgrading to a longer travel option) will allow you more freedom of movement on your bike to corner better and ride bigger features without fear! If you’ve got a dropper post and aren’t sure you’re getting the most out of it, give this a read: How To Use Your Dropper Seat Post Properly

Giant Trance X Adv E+ Elite 1 E-Bike First Look
Travel adjust seat posts allow you to get the most drop possible!

6. Wheels

Wheels are expensive to upgrade so you want to be sure this is worthwhile before you pull the trigger. You may want to go for lighter wheels to make covering ground more efficient or tougher wheels to handle the abuse you’re dishing out.

Alloy wheels tend to be a little more flexible than carbon options (though there certainly are stiff alloy options out there too) which can mean more traction though this may come at the cost of energy conservation when pushing hard in corners.

Carbon wheels are more problematic when they fail as they tend to go catastrophically and are more pricey to replace. For most, a good alloy wheelset will do a great job in our opinion!

2 E-Bike Upgrades For Range Extension

1. Range Extender

The obvious one here is a range extender! These 150-250 Wh battery extenders fit into your bottle cage and increase your overall energy capacity to maximise your range. These are a great buy for stage races and big tour days.

What Makes A Good Trail E-Bike Emtb Ebike Upgrades
Range extenders can get you out of trouble and unlock miles more fun! (c) Trek

2. Tyres & Wheels 

If you’re looking to eke out maximum range on a marathon-style ride or stage race then definitely slap some lower profile treads on your E-Bike, at least on the back. You may want to still keep a tougher casing if possible to reduce puncture risk but the faster rolling tyres will definitely up your range. A lighter set of wheels will have the same effect but make sure they are still strong enough to handle the added mass of the motor and battery when things get a little rough.

Where To From Here?

Well hopefully you’ve got some direction on where to go from here with regard to tweaking your E-Bike with upgrades but don’t forget that the bike is only as good as the rider! If you’re keen to get some pointers on bike skills, find our best tips and skills videos right here, then get out there and have fun riding your bike!

Check out WILD AIR Sports for more content like this.

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