Riding an electric bike is a special kind of aerobic exercise that can transform your body in every way. You can go and get fit without carrying weights or going to the gym. Regular e-bike riders believe that as long as they are paddling at full speed while sitting in the saddle they can give themselves some leeway to ride in any way they want. However, what they don’t realise is that once any cyclist develops a way of taking cycling exercise less seriously, they are subconsciously conditioned to develop bad cycling habits. This can make their training less effective, even after putting in serious effort.
You may find it very comfortable to let your shoulders slacken and your back rest while riding, but if you let it become a habit to do it every now and then, this is very incorrect. Having said that, you may also notice some bad cycling habits forming without you realising it.
Therefore, no matter what your level of riding experience, it is likely that over time you will develop bad riding habits. This article highlights what bad riding habits you have and also hopes that you will be able to identify the bad habits you have and make corrections to become a better rider.

1. Riding at a fast pace too early
   

Within the first 20-30 minutes of cycling you need to train your body to adapt to the speed of the ride, use it as a rule of thumb to ride at a moderate pace. Don’t put all your energy into it when you first start riding because as soon as you get on your e-bike and ride fast, your metabolic rate will rise, your heart rate will peak and you will end up feeling tired very quickly.
You need to know that you are burning sugar first and not fat, when your body burns fat you have more energy to ride longer, but anyway, when you lose sugar at the start of the ride your body doesn’t have enough left to burn more fat.
On the other hand, when your body burns sugar, you end up feeling irritable, under-motivated and failing to achieve the cycling goals you set at the beginning.
Therefore, you may need to start slowly to prevent your body from running out of sugar quickly, and in the second half of the ride you can intensify your efforts to get the most out of your ride.

2. Not allowing yourself to rest in the middle of a ride
   

Not allowing yourself to rest during a ride is one of the worst habits in cycling and is also the biggest torture to your body. If your ride lasts more than an hour, you need to give yourself a break because you need to give your muscles some time to repair rather than stressing them endlessly.
Overtraining will make your body feel numb, make your muscles feel sore, is all your body’s energy is depleted and you will end up feeling incredibly fatigued, so you may have to end your ride early before you have achieved your desired workout. The worst result this creates then is that your sweat will become ineffective and you will have to start again at some point.
This is why it is important that you allow your body time to rest for a while after a moderately intense cycling session as a way of avoiding any injury or discomfort.

3. Wrong use of the saddle
   

Many people will overlook the saddle on an electric bike. If your saddle is too high it may cause your muscles to tighten or become sore. If you ride with a proper saddle instead you will get a better workout. A saddle that is too low may cause pain in your knee joint or even cause damage to your knee joint during long rides. The best solution is to adjust your seat tube to a 45 degree angle in relation to your knees when riding. The following will help you to adjust your saddle height.
– Check that the saddle tilt is in the right position
– Make sure that the saddle is not too far away from the rest of the e-bike
– Keep adjusting the height of the saddle until you feel comfortable
If you feel that you are still having problems with your saddle height or comfort while riding, then you can go to a local shop and get a professional to help you with adjustments and repairs.

4. not properly refueling before, after and during cycling

We can’t deny this fact – diet plays the most important role in any exercise program you have. The same is true for your e-bike ride. Some riders will often make the mistake of not refueling themselves in an orderly manner throughout their cycling workout.
If you get tired too early in the ride or end up eating something that does more harm than good to your body, then you will struggle to be able to reach your full potential, all of which will be reflected in your cycling workout and you may not have a positive output even if you give it your all.
No rider can become an expert overnight, so you should keep eating sensibly, maintain your energy levels and consume the right nutrients and you need to avoid products that may cause you stomach upset. You need to go for the right supply for all your workouts from high intensity to low intensity and work out the best ideal diet for yourself, otherwise your ride will become useless.

5. Using the wrong or old equipment

A common mistake made by some riders is to stick with an old e-bike. It is also worth stating that an old e-bike can put the rider at greater risk. If you are on a budget, perhaps you will choose to buy a second-hand e-bike, then you need to make sure that all the parts of the second-hand e-bike you buy are in a good condition. You will need to check it carefully for any rust, especially in the suspension and frame areas. As far as the current e-bike market is concerned, the average e-bike will be built with an aluminium frame, which will not rust as quickly as steel and titanium frames. Riding an aluminium frame type is an added advantage.
Apart from that, if you like climbing sports, then you need to use your gear correctly. If you can shift your e-bike gears correctly you can also manage the braking system which can enhance your riding comfort and increase your riding speed. Of course, if you are a novice rider then you can practice on less busy roads and you can adapt to different terrains by constantly practising.

6. not maintaining your e-bike regularly
   

Most people probably own a bike of their own, but only a few pay attention to the maintenance of their bike. A poorly maintained bike can make a big difference to the quality of your exercise, so if you want your bike to run smoothly you need to make sure your e-bike is in a good enough condition.
In fact, maintaining your e-bike isn’t as costly as you might think. However a lack of maintenance on an e-bike may cost more for this and make the rider pay more. You can regularly maintain your e-bike as described in the e-bike maintenance manual, or you can also visit a specialised repair shop and have it checked by a professional, preferably once a year to ensure your safety and quality workout.
In addition to this, the following points are worth noting.
– You want to avoid preventing too much weight on your e-bike, which may put more stress on your e-bike battery.
– If the weather is too harsh, we recommend that you ride your e-bike less often to prevent damage to the battery.
– Store your e-bike batteries at the right temperature, especially lithium-ion types, which need to be adequately maintained.
– Clean the components of your e-bike with a damp cloth after each use.
– Use the most suitable charger to charge your e-bike battery.

7. some other bad habits
   

As a rider, you need to be aware of the rules in your area, especially in some states that specify speed limits for electric bicycles. Lack of experience, skills and education are the main reasons why people ignore speed limits. If your e-bike is out of control, getting it back on track can be a challenge. If you have any of GreenPedel’s bikes, then you probably don’t need to worry, as we will strictly follow the factory speed limits for that e-bike in your area to make sure you don’t end up with regulations for speeding.
Also, there are many riders who are reluctant to wear a helmet, understandably some helmets are heavy and it may put extra weight on you. However, it is best not to go out without a helmet, which is compulsory for cyclists in some countries, especially on busy roads. According to the European Federal Government, wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of injury and accidents by 37%.
Finally, there is the need for you to be aware of your state’s traffic laws and to keep them in mind when riding. Most riders don’t pay much attention to the laws, which is a very serious problem. If you change your habit of not obeying traffic lights, it will go a long way to improving traffic congestion, which is caused by a very small number of people not obeying traffic rules and causing accidents. Therefore we need to follow the rules and regulations and correct our bad riding habits.

8. Summary
   

This article is a list of bad habits for riders that need to be corrected when riding. For those who exercise through cycling, it is the quality of the workout that is most important rather than the quality of the time invested. The more you indulge yourself in quality cycling, the better it will be for your health – after all, no one wants to see themselves put in the effort and fail.
So, if you find yourself riding with bad habits correct them promptly and don’t let all your hard work get crushed by your bad cycling habits. So with the above points in mind, I hope you’ll keep them in mind on your next cycling workout and do what you can to correct them!