Pain when e-biking? How to get through the season safely!

Back pain on e-bike tours

• Cause: Unaccustomed strain at the start of the season; tours that are too long; incorrect posture
• You can do that: Start the season with shorter e-bike tours. On longer tours, take more frequent breaks and relax your back. Important: a slightly more upright posture with a straight back. Small changes to the e-MTB often bring improvement. You can read tips and exercises on how to quickly get rid of back pain when cycling here. How to use the Correctly adjust the saddle and other components of your e-bikewe have summarised in this guide. It's easier with special tools for bike fitting, such as the Fitting box from Ergon.

Neck pain on the e-bike

• Cause: Problem area for all seated activities; ill-fitting helmet; draughts
• You can do that: A slightly more upright sitting position, breaks with relaxation exercises or massages and regular changes to the grip position. If your bike helmet doesn't fit properly, you unconsciously hold your head at an angle - which is also bad for your neck. Use a light scarf to protect your neck from cooling down.

In our E-MTB special "All the facts for beginners" you will find even more useful information:

>> MTB suspension setup: How do suspension forks and shocks work? <<

>> Stay seated without whining: tips for choosing the right saddle <<

>> Puncture repair on the road: How to repair tubeless tyres in seconds <<

Pain in the hands

• Cause: Too much pressure on the hands; bent wrist; carpal tunnel syndrome, often in old age
• You can do that: Yoga or special gymnastics help to improve mobility. Ergonomic handlebar grips with a larger contact surface distribute the pressure better. >> Here we explain, What makes good MTB grips and how ergonomic they can be.

Pain in the pelvis on the e-bike

• Cause: Incorrect saddle tilt; lack of mobility
• You can do that: The saddle position must not only fit in height, but also in inclination - otherwise the saddle presses too much into the soft tissue, the pelvis is tilted or twisted when pedalling. Therefore: experiment with the correct saddle position! (>> to the Instructions: Correctly adjusting the MTB saddle) In addition, many bikers are too stiff at the hips - stretch regularly, even on tour (2 minutes is enough)!

Pain in the genitals and buttocks

• Cause: High pressure on problem area; lack of familiarisation
• You can do that: Buttock pain is normal at the start of the season. In addition, e-bikers often exert less pressure on the pedals and therefore put more pressure on the saddle. Therefore: get out of the saddle every now and then to relieve the pressure on your buttocks. If the pain persists, the saddle probably doesn't fit. If you have pain in the genital area, saddles with cut-outs or Saddles for women and men help.

Aching feet

• Cause: Swelling, poor circulation or cold feet; incorrectly adjusted pedals, possibly also saddle
• You can do that: Feet swell during the ride - therefore: re-lace your shoes and take them off during a break to promote blood circulation. Special cycling shoe insoles can also help. Women in particular often suffer from cold feet. Tip: Wrap cling film around your toes or put some newspaper in your shoes. Incorrectly adjusted pedals (Correct adjustment of MTB clipless pedals) or too much saddle tilt can cause problems.

Sore muscles after e-biking

• Cause: Acidosis due to excessive demands or lack of preparation
• You can do that: Your muscles get tired on the tour, but you won't feel the soreness until the next day. In general: Don't start the season with too much intensity. During the e-bike tour, drink plenty of fluids, take breaks, stretch your legs, loosen them up and elevate them. Make sure you recover well after the tour.

Fatigue during the tour

• Cause: Insufficient preparation; intensive exercise; poor nutrition
• You can do that: On a tour, you simply run out of petrol and can't get any more pressure on the pedals. If you still have enough battery, the e-bike drive will somehow get you home. But this has nothing to do with biking fun. In most cases, you have simply overtaxed yourself, which can easily happen at the beginning of the season. So it's better to start with easy tours, plan breaks and take in plenty of carbohydrates. Also: pedal easy from the start and ride at low cadences.

Non-specific pain

Your whole body aches, you feel completely flat, but you have no idea why. One cause could be your diet. It should generally be healthy and balanced. During the tour, it is important to eat and, above all, drink enough! If the problems occur more frequently, see a doctor. In such cases, the cause could be damage to the heart, for example.