How to upgrade your bike or e-bike for a more comfortable, reliable ride

If you’ve bought a bike or an electric bike to commute to work, you’ll enjoy the benefits of low cost travel and morning and evening exercise, as well as avoiding the hassle of public transport or commuting by car.

Your bike will come with the basics covered, but there are a few choice upgrades that will make any bike or e-bike more enjoyable to ride. Some can also help keep your bike running more reliably and smoothly; if you’re riding whatever the weather, a few quick maintenance tasks will keep it in tip-top condition.

Here are Cycling Weekly’s recommendations for nine choice upgrades for a smoother commute by bike.

Better grips

One often overlooked aspect of your bike that might not be quite right for you is your handlebar grips, if you’re riding a flat-bar bike. It’s an area where an upgrade can make riding much more comfortable.

Quality handlebar grips will have better shock absorption and are often ergonomically shaped for a more comfortable hand hold. They usually lock onto your bars with a small screw, so they won’t rotate and they will usually have a more grippy surface too.

If you’re riding a drop bar bike, likewise a bar tape upgrade can work wonders, adding extra padding and isolation from road vibration, as well as better grip, both in wet and dry conditions.

Upgraded Insurance

If you’re a commuter, your bike will be very important to you so it may be a sensible idea to take out insurance on your commuting bike. Some homeowners’ policies might not cover bikes away from home or bikes above a certain value. So, if yours doesn’t, check out The Insurance Emporium who offers award-winning Defaqto five-star cycle insurance with an “Excellent” Trustpilot score.

There are three levels of cover to choose from for your bike or e-bike*, all of which include theft, loss or accidental damage for your bike, new for old for life, personal accident, bicycle kit cover and more. Check out The Insurance Emporium’s site for more details.

Upgraded lock

It goes without saying that your commute won’t be reliable if your bike isn’t there when you need it. Because of their higher value, electric bikes are a particular target for theft. Make sure that your lock is fit for purpose and buy a better one if necessary. You can still use your old lock as well – two locks are always better than one.

Fortunately, many locks have a Sold Secure rating, meaning that they’ve been independently tested for the quality of protection they offer. Look for a Sold Secure gold or diamond rated lock for the best protection. There’s a separate rating for e-bikes, which Sold Secure calls powered cycles, which provides an even higher level of anti-theft protection.

There is also a 10% Lock Discount on policies at The Insurance Emporium when using a Sold Secure Approved Diamond Lock.

Better lighting

Lights are a legal necessity if riding at night, but even during the day, it’s a good idea to use them to up your visibility to other road users, particularly if you’re riding in traffic and in built-up areas.

Many e-bikes include lights, but for pedal cycles and e-bikes without lights, it’s worth investing in quality front and rear lights. They’ll be more durable and, even if you don’t need the huge light output that many offer, the larger batteries they’ll have will give an extended runtime between charges. Make sure you can take them with you easily when you park up your bike too!

You might want to consider a commuter helmet with built-in lights to add to your visibility.

Mudguards and mudflaps

Your bike may have come with this one checked off, but we’ll mention it just in case. Although many bikes and e-bikes will be sold with mudguards, there are still a fair few that are sold without them.

Almost all bikes now have the space to fit mudguards and the eyeholes to add full mudguards. A quality set of mudguards will keep you more comfortable and stop you from getting wet and dirty from wheelspray, as well as decreasing your bike’s cleaning and maintenance needs. Even if it’s not actively raining, damp roads will create spray.

You can add extra protection by fitting mudflaps to the end of your mudguards. They’re inexpensive and help even more to keep water off your feet.

All-condition lube

If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to slow you down, it’s a rusty chain. It only takes one damp ride to wash many bike lubes off the chain and for rust to set in. Purchase a good quality all-condition specialist bike lubricant and keep your chain topped up regularly to keep it running well. Clean your chain regularly too and replace it if it’s worn. A bike shop will be able to check it for stretch and advise you.

New brake pads

While you don’t want a rusty chain to slow you down, you do want your brakes to. If your bike has rim brakes, invest in quality cartridge brake pads. It’s another area where bike makers look to economise and where you can see a dramatic improvement from higher quality brake pads, with little cost. The same may be true if your bike has disc brakes.

New saddle

It’s yet another touchpoint that can cause riders problems. If you’re not happy with your saddle comfort, it can be pretty inexpensive to replace. Brands know that saddles can be a sore point and offer a wide range of saddles to suit different riders. Again, it’s worthwhile talking to your local bike shop and seeing what’s available.

Saddle makers usually have their own fit system for you to decide what’s likely to suit your sitbone anatomy and ride style. Many have try-before-you-buy or money back guarantees or offer saddle loans to make choosing easier.

Better pedals

Again, it’s something that may not be top-notch on a new bike or e-bike, even an expensive one, with plastic pedals often fitted. Consider upgrading to better pedals with metal bodies and quality bearings. If you’re riding in flat soled shoes, choose a pedal with enough support to avoid pressure points.

If you’re confident, you can swap to clipless pedals which make riding more efficient and help spread pedal pressure more evenly over the base of the foot. This will mean purchasing specialist cycling shoes too though and learning how to clip in and clip out safely.

So those are our top ten recommendations for a more comfortable and reliable commute. Head to The Insurance Emporium to learn more about its award-winning cycle and e-bike insurance.

The Insurance Emporium offers a variety of cover levels, so please check the policy cover suits your needs before purchasing. For your protection, please ensure you read the Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) and policy wording, for information on policy exclusions and limitations.

*Electric bicycles are covered on the condition that the bicycle must be fitted with pedals capable of propelling it, the maximum continuous rated power of the electric motor must not exceed 250 watts, and the electrical assistant must cut-off when the electric bicycle reaches 15.5 mph.

Lifestyle Policy Limited is an appointed representative of The Equine and Livestock Insurance Company Limited. The Insurance Emporium is a trading name of The Equine and Livestock Insurance Company Limited (registered in England and Wales no: 294940) which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority no:202748.

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