You probably don't need suspension. Here's why.

[@DangerAmbrose]

If you are riding on bumpy roads, a front suspension can really smooth it out. It helps prevent wear and tear on your body.

[@EbikeSchool]

That's true. For some people, the extra comfort can certainly be worth the few downsides!

[@jamesbrett5010]

@@EbikeSchoolfront shocks have no down sides. Especially on an e bike. Any good e bike will come with front shocks. Unless you’re a street racer.

[@yougeekyou]

One thing to add.. while lowering the tire pressure may give you a softer ride... it will require more energy pedaling or reduce range on the battery.

[@arupaeo]

I have a hybrid bike with no suspension that I used to ride for exercise, and I was constantly having to change my hand position as the transmitted shock made my hands numb. On a bike with front suspension this is significantly reduced for me. I would never give up front suspension.

[@joejoe-lb6bw]

There are suspension stems that can be added to non-suspension bikes. They reduce the vibrations. Examples: Redshift, Kinekt, etc.

[@Svid1701D]

I'm an able bodied fit adult and I much prefer a front suspension over no suspension. I do a mix of paved and very light off road inc gravel, grass, packed dirt, etc, and might occasionally hop a curb, or go down some steps. Suspension saves my hands and wrists.

[@emeurer1951]

As a recent recipient of a total shoulder replacement, I am painfully aware of how jarring no suspension can be. Better to have front suspension than none at all. The seat post helps my butt, wrists & shoulders not so much.

[@briannugent5518]

Yep all good points. I loved riding my cruzbike T50 recumbent the most when it was light weight with no suspension. But in rural Massachusetts it is torture above 10mph on the many irregular roads and this bike wants to be pedaled up to 20mph. I added full suspension, its heavy but it doesn't jar me anymore and I no longer have to keep slowing down. I'd probably revert it back to non suspension if I eventually relocate where roads are better.

[@ebikeengineer]

I agree on the suspension seat post; ads comfort and the delta pedal geometry really doesn't effect riding. Even on bikes with front suspension the compression seat post improves the ride.

[@Billlakeview]

Suspension seatpost/handlebar stem are the way to go for me. Kinectic have been great although on the expensive side, but totally worth it. And BTW, thanks so much for putting me on the DIY bandwagon. The expense of proprietary batteries for various brands like Bosch, Bionx, etc. just didn’t make sense for the amount of riding I like to do (6000to 8000miles per year), not to mention the advantage of using a Satiator from Grin to adjust percentage charged to extend battery life….THX! 10:22

[@FatHulkRideEbike]

I think this was a thorough overview. The only thing I would add is that is that body weight also factors in . Someone with higher body weight is going to need suspension more, however this also brings up other issues as the suspension has to be adjusted properly. I have an ariel rider grizzly and I quite a bit of air pressure in the rear shocks and the preload turned up quite a ways. I would say I'm doing about 60% riding on the street, but even going across the cross streets the bike was easily bottoming until I adjusted it. The 40% offroad there are plenty of bumps and small logs I'm going over. Grizzly is amazing on the woods trails. I've climbed plenty of hills that I thought I would not make and it still pulled me up the hills.

[@awo1fman]

I absolutely NEED suspension. Period. There is no such thing as a smooth riding surface. There are ALWAYS bumps, expansion joints, abrupt transitions, and even some pavement that is otherwise smooth as glass has a rough texture that gets painful in a hurry. I don't find gel seats or pads to be much help at all. However, seats that have real spiral springs in the mount and a decent amount of padding make a HUGE difference. I haven't tried shock absorbing seatposts yet, but spring-suspended seats are a gigantic and cheap upgrade. I have a cheap full-suspension bike, and while the suspension is obviously crap and the bike is really heavy, it's worth every ounce. My backside can go several times as far on that as it can on any bike with no suspension. I also have a 20" ebike with front suspension and it was almost unbearable until I got a spring suspended seat. Now I can go all day on it. And the fork saves my wrists, elbows, shoulders and neck.

[@SianaGearz]

I actually suspect a suspension stem is better than front shock suspension to relieve pain induced through handles. Because shock suspension is a spring-damper system, and the damper reduces the suspension action on high frequency low magnitude impacts, but it's also needed to keep the bike from oscillating which could make it unstable. So when you have cobblestone, rough asphalt, gravel, a spring stem suspension can absorb that much better. I think an occasional bump is no big deal, but the near constant vibration is really bad, it makes you tense up and then you're in pain later. Inexpensive seatpost suspension tends to have stiction issues, so springs in the back of the seat can perform better on rough surfaces, but the seatpost suspension generally has a lot more compliance and movement range, and you can tune it to your weight and your ride. So some luck is involved whether one will be happy with it. One also doesn't have to choose one or the other, i think seatpost and seat springs can enhance each other.

[@Kevin_geekgineering]

suspension is a must you only know it when you try it. beside the road racers, all other rider 'need' suspension even if they don't know

[@ramcharger9146]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 brother you must have never rode a bicycle in New Jersey whether you're down by the shore on the boardwalks or any suburban neighborhoods the potholes have potholes man the potholes in the potholes have potholes all the curbs have step UPS all the crosswalks mostly have step ups and lips there are lips and step UPS everywhere on sidewalks Jersey is rough and rugged when it comes to maintenance on the roadways your bike will fall apart if you buy one with no suspension for these roads

[@crimsonhawk467]

Best comment!! Yes we need suspension. And to save your knees and back.

[@d.henderson1347]

Perfect comment bro. It describes Cleveland roads to a T Lololol it’ll save you body biking through these streets also or else you’ll fall apart sooner or later😂

[@samsturdi]

Little Rock Arkansas, absolute crap 50% of the time.

[@alexmorelli2826]

😂

[@richarde1355]

Using punctuation and using shorter sentences will help you get your point(s) across to folks…

[@loumon2]

Great points I completely agree. For most riding I and my friends do, we use non E-bikes for rides that need suspension but for riding on trails, etc. and run to the store, I choose to save the weight and cot hits that aren't needed or can be achieved with tire pressure, saddle choice, etc.

[@joejoe-lb6bw]

For leisure riding on my ebike the front suspension really helped. For rear suspension I added the Kinekt seatpost. The combo really reduces fatigue and saves my back. For badly maintained roads, the front suspension is prudent. I hit one hole so hard that if I didn't have a suspension I would have had an accident.

[@joejoe-lb6bw]

Same here. I hit a deep pothole. Front suspension kept me on seat. Traffic was very close on left side. I bought a non-ebike with no suspension. I dread going on streets with it.

[@mikelivingood7797]

I was using my ebike as my sole transportation to school. I had a car pull out on me and I hit the brakes hard and I flew over the handlebar having a high center of gravity. I put my hand out and jammed my wrist. It was sore for months as I was constantly jarring it riding most days. I had suspension but it was not the best.

[@brockedwards5896]

I vote for suspension! Thanks for all the great videos.

[@scottbradentx]

The rider's legs and arms are the primary suspension of a bike; practice using your legs and arms absorb bumps, by slightly rising off of the saddle. Don't just ride over bumps with your full weight on the saddle.

[@luisfigueroa2721]

Standing on the pedals when the road gets bumpy does it for me:)

[@4kwalkinghanavideos331]

in Africa 90% of our road is basically offroad. cool video!

[@christophermorin9036]

I've used Compression seat stems, and they're pretty okay. What I'd LIKE to see, is a compression headtube. Seems like it would be a similar concept. Just a handlebar mount that has a suspension. (Pneumatic or spring. Pneumatic would be neat, adjustable with a tire pump.) All the benefits of solid suspension fork, but reduces some of the blows to the wrists that come with riding a solid front. And while I'm wishing for things that will probably never happen, how about an electric tire pump built into the frame that runs off your battery? Have a little bag under your seat with a quick connect hose and then air up or down when needed.

[@whiskeykilmer1866]

There is a headset one, I think Cane Creek makes it? but it's not cheap, about 200.

[@christophermorin9036]

@@whiskeykilmer1866 I'm seeing elastomer stems that clamp onto the headtubes, but not a compression headtube itself. Looks interesting though.

[@timscott3027]

There was one on a gravel bike or a road bike I think but I don't think it's an off the shelf thing you could add to any bike.

[@MrDkgio]

Small battery pumps are readily available, stick one in you bike bag…

[@KITTER298]

Comfort > everything

[@grahambkk]

Love your channel, thanks for the info. this one interested me coz I am 71 and just getting into e-biking and loving it and making videos too. My bike has fat tires and front suspension only and with a very comfortable seat added, the comfort level is fine. The cost of a full suspension bike, and then the maintenance issues are way more than I would want to get into.

[@bellyacres7846]

Nice ideas Ive had trail motor bikes before & yeah suspension was a must have. Also good when you maintain them. same for the road bikes I had long ago. on my peddle bikes? I did try suspension, but went back to solid as that worked best for pavement riding. very seldom went off a curb [ouch] *I have thought about a fat tire bike as that will be a bit better. thank you for the great advice it is always nice to see & hear it without making the same mistakes someone else has already done. :)

[@pulkit458]

I'm just ordering an ebike 250watt . Have a tight budget but I'm really excited!

[@singlespeed2760]

I ride on road only and use either a bike with 4” wide tires or a bike with front suspension only. I tried a suspension seat post but didn’t like it. What I am looking for is a drop seat post that when down let’s me flat foot, for when carrying a load and want to balance the bike upright when stopped, and when up let’s me extend my legs for better pedaling, when I ride without a load and am ok with leaning the bike over to the side when stopped. Keep the videos coming. Thanks

[@EbikeSchool]

Yes! Dropper seat posts are very nice for when it's time to turn your legs into suspension. I'm normally not riding nice enough bikes to have one, but they can be retrofitted onto many bikes!

[@AEFisch]

We have pretty rough roads in the northeast. I'm a pure street rider and the best upgrade was a suntour ncx suspension seatpost. No rear suspension needed here. But get a good one.

[@brucesamuelson7541]

Old school springer forks and seats don't absorb pedal power but give a smooth ride! 😉

[@emeurer1951]

I disagree. I'm 71, just bought a Rad Expand5 with the better seatpost & seat. Riding on the bike paths & sidewalks in my area is hard on my wrists & shoulders, even with 20" x 4" wide tires. Would love to get a suspension fork but Rad is no help. Strongly thinking about an independent bike shop to install a 3rd party fork.

[@Robnord1]

Have you tried dropping tire pressure ? On my 2018 Rover, I drop to 15-17 lbs and it helps quite a bit. The added friction decreases battery range somewhat, but I also have wrist and shoulder issues, and can live with a little less range for comfort.

[@emeurer1951]

@@Robnord1 Thanks for the tip, Rob. I did drop the pressure to 25 but I'll try it at 15-20 psi. It gets about 40 miles to a charge, which is about 3+ bike rides for me.

[@singlespeed2760]

Are you going to do a separate video on the trike in this video?

[@stan121midling5]

well, it would be good if you could also cover like adding blinkers and better lights to Addmotor M-340, in Army green, plus a video to add a second battery to the same ebike or trike, hehe

[@rogercarroll8764]

I ride a converted ebike with 26x2" tires, no suspension except for what little cushion the tires provide. I ride a lot of dirt roads, but if things get uncomfortable, I just slow down as much as possible. My saddle is of the noseless variety with plenty of padding, and I manage very nicely.

[@stevewalter415]

Thanks! I have the fusion you mentioned, along with titanium, and I think I have overrated suspension usefulness. I appreciate the tips. L’shalom.

[@Zomby_Woof]

Commuters tend to put on more miles at higher speed. s speed goes up, wear and tear on the chassis goes up sharply. There is little maintenance required. Suspension seat posts and such do nothing at all to protect the hub motor winding and electrical connections from the repeated extra motion and wear. The *only* reason not to have a suspension is simply because you can't afford it. That doesn't mean you gave to spend the earth. Even the most minimal dual suspension will provide most of the benefits and doesn't cost that much. And you can upgrade from a cheap suspension to a better suspension by replacing shock or springs. You can't upgrade from no suspension, to having a suspension. You are correct about tire pressure. Everyone knows it matters, yet a lot of people forget abut it or can't be bothered.

[@andarthome142]

Love the sadle in this video on the 3 weeler with the back support, where do you get this?

[@Ter319]

Great insight on the suspension systems, which is so confusing for novices

[@scottrichards3587]

Exactly. Less efficient = shorter range. Only suspension I would consider adding would be a suspension seatpost, but I just stand up when going over railroad tracks and potholes.

[@subinct]

Thanks Micah. Please do a video on UL rating. There are channels doing a lot of Scare Mongering about E-Bike batteries Catching fire.

[@arildskaalsveen7126]

I think you have some good arguments here for street biking. I think you could have said something about what less air pressure do to the rolling restistant and power needed. I’m really enjoying my front suspention combined with seat post suspension since I do a mix of biking roads in the mountain, in the wood and in the town. One multi purpose bike suits me better and is cheaper than have two or even three spesialised ones. And one last point: If you go on longer trips you may experience different terain and is not able to switch beetween bikes. So consider bigger/two batteries and enjoy your suspension is my advice :-)

[@honestlion17]

The voice of reason🙏

[@mickyb.8014]

A suspension seatpost makes so much difference if your e-bike has no rear suspension... I got one off ebay for like £30 and it's made the ride of my self build e-bike 100% more comfortable, it stops your spine taking the force of every bump you hit.

[@hairybelly9910]

I had a motorized beach cruiser and a mountain bike and even through the mountain bike had suspension the seat was sooo uncomfortable. Even though the beach cruiser had none the seat made it more tolerable. Plus you feel like you’re going faster.

[@wallyhandyman]

great info that clears a lot about none suspension and full suspension bikes make's me want to rethink my build i did

[@escargoux]

i love Estonia, lol. I ride mostly pavement. When i come across a patch of rough terrain (ie, cobblestone road), i stand up on the paddles - easier on the back

[@Reezie78]

I'd love a book!

[@chrisnmichelle0218]

I still liked my full suspension DIY ebike for comfort over my front only suspension on my ride 1 up lmt'd...

[@EnragedMollusk]

Suspension is very nice to have on a cargo bike.

[@pasapucha]

Liked the white trike and its back rest seat

[@painexotic3757]

I've been riding with no suspension for 2 years and it depends on the roads. Alot of cities have so many bump roads and sidewalks so it's unpleasant to ride on. I'm thinking of adding front suspension to my ebike because of this.

[@marvintpandroid2213]

You have arms and legs, they are your suspension.

[@EbikeSchool]

True! Rigid bikes are the best way to teach someone about rising out of the saddle and staying soft in the knees!

[@marvintpandroid2213]

@@EbikeSchool flat pedals, bent knees, ass off the saddle and a lose grip on the handle bar, pick your line and float over any big bumps. Learn how to bunny hop and shift your weight... Be at one with the bike and the trail.... A good downhill on a fully ridged mountain bike is a thing of exhilaration and beauty.

[@michaelsanders9506]

Definitely agree with the seat post works great with my bad back

[@jackiewu1822]

Great points , Michael

[@leonardolarocca1999]

Suspension is important if you wheight too much and you bike too also if your e bike has the weight badly distribuited probably in the rear wheel, so all imperfections will be taken in the rear and riding will be bad with suspension (im talking of double suspension will be better but is just better to distribute the wheight (battery in the middle and motor in front or rear) so you will be able to ride better

[@keric3730]

You didn't mention the weight of the rider. Would a 250 pound human feel bumps more than a 150 pound human?

[@EbikeSchool]

I imagine so, since the rider has significantly more inertia and thus resists those bumps even more. It's an interesting point to consider, thanks for bringing it up!

[@Valsi876]

Great information. Things I never thought of.

[@user619tlsdca5]

I disagree of not really needing dual shocks with e bikes ,only ok if rider not going over 18mph and low income of price range. E bike speeds over 18mph , bike gets shaky of frame, neck shoulder strain of absorbing the shaking thru handle bars. Ya butt is never comfortable. My first e bike a single suspension of front forks as I also had to readjust screws and bolts weekly. I decided to buy another e bike of a dual shock frame of upgrading to have turbo booster motor with it. Big difference from single shock frames and I now will stick to dual shocks as my standard of future buys of e bikes. It is not ok having single suspension, only, only if speeds under 18mph, only!! Speeds over 18mph is a must for most of US to ride as practical at its best...

[@PedroHenrique-dn1dj]

I've used the very same suspension post you've shown and after a few months they got jammed, barely move and make no impact on the ride anymore.

[@slothsquatch5023]

Very informative, I need full suspension to take down ORV trails.

[@bobikbobikowy5458]

0:23 Thanks for explaining what suspension is. We didnt know that xD

[@victoriaq5157]

Reason 3: LOOKS KEWL!

[@stevelacroix2917]

Great video!

[@0214Bub]

I was at a shop a few days ago and they showed me what they called a hard tail with solid rear and front suspension. The guy said if I was going to ride on gravel and/or lite trails this would be a good option. Is there really any benefit to going partial suspension in a case like this?

[@RPRosen-ki2fk]

You talked about tires and air pressure. Related to that, a fat tire bike will provide noticeable improvement over narrower style tires.

[@pavelboguslavsky9703]

Hi big fan of what you do , can you do a hot , warm , cold weather , long distance test on 1 e bike , because everybody i talk to , told me "you will lose distance" but nobody told by how much , ex 25% or by half ... thanks it would be interesting if the weather has an affect and by how much ...

[@alik250]

Forgot to mention hitting a pothole you didn't see at 28 mph on a hardtail isn't a very good time

[@pking39]

Where do you get that saddle with back support? Thanks you!

[@georgebalas4811]

You covered everything. I can't agree more!

[@Mainstayjay]

When I don't need it I lock out the front suspension. My E-bike has only front suspension. Lots of hills here, can't stand to pedal without compressing the front suspension at least a little and losing some momentum.

[@iambramlet4593]

Hi I have a beecool pathfinder 48v 750w. I'm was wondering if I could rebuild my factory battery into 52v. The battery is a 48v 30ah 1008wh

[@o1ecypher]

your videos take a while to come out but when it does its super useful.

[@SWTrailsAndWheels]

Urban jungle surface and obstacles in El Paso TX are more brutal than offroad trails.

[@EbikeSchool]

Fair enough, some roads are pretty ugly compared to manicured trails!

[@Lordsbassman]

Their are many styles of riding! I’m currently using Continental ebike street tires on conversion bike. I wish I had lockouts for some country rides but I definitely don’t need a suspension seat post. Looking for more of enduro set up overall… How do you feel about fenders on a bike?

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Excellent information, Micah! My tousche thanks you.

[@G3Number]

Very helpful!!

[@mikejf4377]

Nice looking trike bike.

[@MaximusPanin]

Informative, thanks!

[@john_k1813]

Thanks this was very helpful 🙌

[@gregsmith1116]

Thanks. Good video and appreciate the information!

[@filipDcve]

Full suspension has a huge impact on pedalling efficiency, but you can always let out a bit of air from the tires on a hardtail..? I think you mixed things up a bit...

[@dwpix]

What is that clicking sound from? Great info, just a little distracted by the audio…

[@nickbrigg5203]

Cheers for your views, how do you rate fat tyres over suspension on ebikes?

[@EbikeSchool]

Fat tires always feel like a tradeoff to me. They're tons of fun off-road and give good air suspension, but they're heavy and drain your battery faster. Life is full of compromises!

[@ml3141]

So what percentage of the peddling effort would you say goes into the suspension of a full suspension bike?

[@falconmoon2880]

How effective are spring loaded seats ? Or are the seat posts better ?

[@Nicoolai]

Great video! :)

[@Lk4ahro]

Could anyone tell me where to get fenders/mudguards for my fat tire trike. It is traditionally styled not a recumbent. Thanks. Ive driven myself to distraction looking.

[@nickbrigg5203]

Radpower do fenders for all there bikes with various wheel sizes, so should have something that would fit

[@barrygodfrey8202]

i need your books to help with my solar project

[@casparcoaster1936]

thanks man, much obliged (loss of pedal power hadn't occurred to me!!!!!!!!!!!!)

[@Psg00070]

Hey Micah, additional to this topic can you do reviews of Top Suspension Seat Post and Suspension stem.I am getting a hard tails fat bike and was wondering if lowering the PSI is sufficient or should i try the above suspensions.

[@1fareast14]

Sadly not an option for me, and other injured folks like you mentioned at the end. My full sus bike is the best physical therapy I've tried.

[@DavidKing-wk1ws]

Suspension is needed when you use tannus solid tires.

[@johnf3326]

Cars use roads and have suspension!

[@Leonardokite]

I didn't know that bike suspensions used up pedaling energy. Good to know.

[@Bustadhed]

At 63 years old all suspension is a must

[@hicksonb]

Hey Micah, hope all is good! I never got the book, tried the email and an instagram message, will try a mail again now.

[@njfulwider5]

I know you've probably been asked this alot. But what's your opinion on a regular bike vs a fat tire? I've been holding out for a fat tire, but having issues finding one affordable here in Washington.

[@swecreations]

Just buy an Engwe online. Everything is online nowadays, and it will be much easier finding what you're looking for. Can recommend their EP2 with 20" wheels and 4" tires at ~$1000.

[@njfulwider5]

@@swecreations thanks for the info, but way to much for what I want to pay. I have everything to put a ebike together, including a bike. But I've been holding out for a cheap enough fat tire I can build myself.

[@swecreations]

@@njfulwider5 Well okay, the cheapest ones I've seen start at $600, but that definitely sounds like a fun project.

[@LIGAR53]

This guy has been sheltered the amount of pot holes and uneven road in nyc you need suspension

[@Familyadventure369]

i use a dual suspension bike id say yes i do pothole city in mass

[@EBikeBuilder_]

This guy clearly not riding on US roads 😂 no suspension hahaha yikes m8. Front Suspension and seatpost at least

[@rickwallace3102]

This is my random comment --- The Ultimate Do It Yourself Ebike Guide. No, wait... DIY Solar Power: How To Power Everything From The Sun.

[@eskanderx1027]

How about in-hub suspension?

[@milodimich16]

Security for El.. BIKE should have 2 wheels on the front with suspension and tire moves 10 degrees engl

[@larrygilbert7273]

I figure if the road is so rough that I can't make out electronic display, suspension is a good idea.