YonathanZ

Hi,

I have a hard tail 20" electric folding bicycles. The tires are thin and there's no suspension fork or any other type of suspension. It's not made for commuting, the salesman said. Anyway, I like the bike except for the very much felt vibrations when riding on the sidewalk, which isn't nearly as smooth as the asphalt road for cars.

So I thought about two items: an XLC suspension seatpost, and some suspension saddle. Problem is, I don't know if I actually need both or just one of the two. Well, it's worth mentioning that I don't like my current saddle. It hurts as soon as I put my butt on it, so I guess I do need a new chair - but will a suspension one be enough to also solve the sidewalk problem, or should I also get that seatpost (or maybe the suspension seatpost and a well cushioned, non-suspension sadle)?

Thanks!

acidfast7

could you post a picture?
could you let us know where you live?

martianone

Consider changing tires, try Schwalbe big apples ?

no1mad 

Not riding on the sidewalk will solve the "sidewalk problem". Beyond that, wider tires that run at lower pressure will give you some suspension relief front and rear.

1nterceptor

Change one thing at a time.
Saves you money and will let
you pinpoint solutions/problems
easier.

ThermionicScott 

Ha! I may have been involved in this situation before.

Darth Lefty 

I think you should have bought a Honda Cub.

gregjones

Throwing you leg over the saddle moves you from the pedestrian class to the vehicle class.

Either ride on the street or sell your "bike" and purchase some shoes/boots.

AlTheKiller

um, isn't a folding bike basically the epitome of a commuter? It has slicks, it fold to get on public transport or an office... it's a commuter.

gregjones

um, so it's alright to ride it on the sidewalk???

YonathanZ

OK, some clarifications:

There is not a single bicycle lane where I live (or in the cities I commute to), and electric bicycles are limited to 25kmph in my country, which means I can't just ride it like it's a motorcycle - I will simply slow people down, or worse (for me, that is).

As for replacing the tires, that is not something I'd like to do, because it's expensive (I'd have to pay for them to rebuild that electric wheel) and I'm afraid I'll lose some speed. Same for lowering their pressure, but please do correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Whether I'm buying a saddle or a seatpost (or both), it's from Amazon US, so shipping alone is $20, whether I buy one or both of the items, so I'd rather not try one at a time (saddle or seatpost), unless you feel that indeed just one of the two will suffice.

I live in Israel, by the way. The bicycle is an Italwin eLight. That model is not listed on Italwin's website, but here's how it looks:
https://www.eco-fun.co.il/media/k2/ga...0/DSC_0385.JPG

Thanks for all the replies.

acidfast7

Cool ... it's like a b'twin folder!

I'd go with Schwalbe tires and run them at about 70% of max inflation.

Mr IGH

Thudbuster LT will smooth out the jolts and keep your teeth from rattling loose.

fietsbob

+1, spring under your Butt. + fatter tires , Suspension posts start at $20 even at real Bike shops

Thudbuster's Posts are quite nice , (At $200)

YonathanZ

A Thudbuster and new tires are out of my budget, and I'm a bit confused as to whether to get a suspension chair or a suspension seatpost with a new, wider, no-suspension chair.

alan s 

If my math is correct, that is 15 mph. My suggestion is sell it and buy a non-motorized bicycle, folding or not. Your speed will probably increase and your fitness will improve dramatically.

YonathanZ

I'd rather NOT improve my fitness on my way to work and such. As it is, I use pedal assist at the highest level that my bike allows (level 5), and I arrive sweaty in my butt, back and even belly. I'd rather not make it worse. It might be easier in european countries, but here you almost don't see anyone with a non-motorized bike.

no1mad 

You need to measure your sit bones to determine what size of saddle to order- you may need a narrower one.
Why would you need to have the wheel rebuilt? I'm no expert on e-bikes, but yours looks like a mid-drive, right? Even if it is a rear hub drive, the wheel doesn't need to be rebuilt to swap tires or remove tires in order to repair/replace a bad tube.

acidfast7

I would look here as some of these are quite inexpensive and good quality.

SATORI - Riding fueled innovation

options in German (sorry but the selection is larger and I assume that you could read some of the text):

Satori gefederte Sattelstütze Ř25,4mm Federsattelstütze | eBay

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Satori-Feders...item233d00b235

jyl

If you are on flat roads, 15 mph for several miles is an easy, low effort, no sweating ride on a conventional bicycle, for a non-elderly adult of decent fitness. I would be worried about my health, if riding 15 mph w/out assist were a big effort. Hills change things, as does carrying loads.

Wider tires at lower pressure will smooth out the ride more than a suspension seatpost or soft saddle. Try something like a Schwalbe Big Apple 20 inch tire. They will not slow down the bike.

alan s 

A motorized Lazy Boy would get you there in comfort and style. No sweating at all, and bumps would be a thing of the past. Sorry to get a bit snarky on you, but is wrong with getting a bit of a workout on your way to and from work? OP, can't you change your shirt when you arrive?

YonathanZ

no1mad, you're correct, it should be simpler than I thought.
jyl, I tend to sweat a lot, cycling or not. Cycling would definitely make it worse, though. Thanks for the tire recommendation, I read about it a bit and it seems to be recommended by a lot of people and I think it won't add much weight to my bike, as opposed to a suspension seatpost which I usually carry with me (the battery bag is connected to the seatpost, as you can see in the image I linked to above, which is why I take the seatpost with my when I lock the bike). It seems that each tire will cost me as much as both a seatpost and a saddle, but I definitely prefer that option. One question, though: should I opt for the 2" or 2.35" model?

Medic Zero

Are there horses or tractors or horse drawn carriages on the road where you live?
A bicycle doesn't slow traffic any more than these things and has just as much right to the road as them, and more so than cars.
Bikes belong in the road.
Allow traffic to pass when it is safe and take your place in traffic. Merging cars see you sooner, so it is safer for you.
Sidewalks are actually dangerous for bikes because cars don't expect something moving that fast there (because it is a sideWALK) and you quickly approach each other at driveways and intersections. It can also be dangerous for pedestrians and at the very least makes them uncomfortable, is rude, and isn't good cycling ambassadorship.

Get a mirror, get a couple lights, and get out in the street.

I'd also recommend an Airzoundz (or similar, there are two or three brands worldwide producing a copy) horn, fatter tires, and a double sprung saddle.
Skip the seatpost unless you feel you need more suspension after changing the tires, saddle, and riding in the ROAD.

no1mad 

You will have to do some measuring to figure that one out. Others more knowledgeable than I can assist you on how to do this.

What size is currently on your bike? The sidewall will have the info in either 26" x ___ or (probably) 451 x ___.

AlTheKiller

lol, why would you think I advocate riding on the sidewalk?? I was responding to the OP, where apparently someone at a shop said the folding bike is not a commuting bike.