Here are the top ten items we think make for the most worthwhile upgrades for your electric mountain bike.
Whilst ebikes are very close to regular bikes in most regards, there are definitely unique aspects to them that benefit from a bit of upgrade investment. Here are the top ten items we think make for the most worthwhile upgrades for your electric mountain bike.
1. Decent flat pedals
Your ebike may well have come supplied with flat pedals but chances are they aren’t much cop. The extra heft of ebikes, not to mention the mass mileage they cover, means that ebikes really benefit from the very best pedals. You don’t need to spend loads of money. Affordable modern day composite (plastic) pedals with metal pins are arguably the best pedal you can get regardless of budget. Check out flat pedals at Tredz
2. Go tubeless
Heavy bikes result in more punctures. That’s kind of an unavoidable fact. But what you can do is remove ye olde world inner tubes from the equation. Removing inner tubes and replacing them with some sealant, a pair of tubeless valves and some tubeless rim strips (unless already fitted your wheels – check your bike spec) you can wave goodbye to pinch flatted inner tubes and ride with much more confidence over the rough stuff.
3. Bigger rotors
The better your brakes are, the faster and flowier your riding will be. Ebikes really benefit from the best braking you can get. Short of a wholesale upgrade of the brakes, the best thing is to increase the size of your disc rotors. Go for 203mm front and rear. Don’t forget that will also need new mounting brackets for the calipers.
4. Short stem
Your ebike may well already come with a relatively short stem, say 50mm. But take it from us, there are very few ebikes that don’t handle significantly better once you slap an even shorter stem on there. At least a 40mm, preferably a dinky 35mm long stem. You’ll feel more confident on descents and you may also find that the front end is easier to lift, whether that be for manual or jumps, or for lofting over trail obstacles. Check out MTB stems at Tredz
5. Saddle
As well as the increase in sheer mileage that you cover on an ebike compared to a ‘bio bike’, you’ll find that you do a whole lot more seated pedalling. Less out-of-the-saddle time means more bum pressure time. The assisted nature of ebikes and the way the motors work also mean that you will find it better to stay seated and spin-up tricky climbs as opposed to standing up and erratically attacking them. Get yourself a saddle with a kicked-up rear tail section. They keep in your place to increase both comfort and control. Check out saddles at Tredz
6. Shock pump
Without one of these you simply can’t set up your ebike. And even if you get your ebike set up in the shop when you purchase it, things do change over time and you will have to revisit the air pressures in your suspension fork and rear shock sooner or later.
7. Tyres
One of the great things about ebikes is the increased traction on offer due to the improved ratio of sprung to unsprung mass. In layman’s terms, ebike suspension works better than non-bike suspension because the main frame is significantly heavier. Better suspension equals better traction which, in turn, means you don’t necessarily have to run soft compound tyres. Fitting firmer compound rubber will also mean you get more range out of your battery. Check out MTB tyres at Tredz
8. Spare chain
A lot of experienced ebikers carry a spare chain in their pack somewhere. Ebike drivetrains have a lot of torque put through them and if the stars misalign during a mis-shift and a surge of power, the end result is often an exploding chain. You’ll be glad of a spare, especially if you’re miles from where you started the ride.
9. Chain lube
Ebikes get ridden through all sorts of weathers and all sorts of terrain. You need a decent chain lube with good anti-fling properties that also doesn’t get washed off by puddles very easily. This doesn’t mean you should hunt out the thickest oil you can find – as this will turn your drivetrain black and furry – it just means you need to be looking for a wet and/or ebike specific chain lube.
10. Liner shorts
Remember what we said about saddles in #6 above? The same goes for cycling shorts. By all means go with cheap liners (or even no liners at all) for short power hour blasts, but if you’re heading out for a good old day out on your ebike, high quality liner shorts are worth their weight in gold. Feel free to pair them with a pair of baggy over shorts or riding trousers. Check out liner shorts at Tredz
This guide was made possible by Tredz. Tredz has the largest range of electric bikes in the UK. Comprised of the biggest and best ebike brands out there: Giant, Specialized, Cannondale, Cube, Boardman, Haibike, Castelli, Endura, Merida, Cube plus loads more.
It’s not all about variety of stock and huge choice either, Tredz also scores 4.5 stars and 82% service rating on Trustpilot.
Topping things off, Tredz also offer free UK delivery on orders over £20, 0% APR finance available on orders over £99 and Tredz accepts Cycle To Work vouchers at online checkout (Halfords C2W and Cyclescheme).