Staying Comfortable in The Saddle on Long Rides

Battling body fatigue is one of the biggest hurdles on a long bike ride. Here are a few ways that will help make your next big ride a lot easier on your body.

As the weather mellows out, it is only natural that motorcycling enthusiasts start chalking out routes for long distance riding. Spending a lot of time in the saddle however can become an uncomfortable experience as soreness, pain and monotony starts to set in. Here are a few tips that will not only keep you fresh in the saddle of your motorcycle, but will also help make your ride more enjoyable.

Customize Your Motorcycle

As you will be spending a lot of time on the motorcycle, it is important that you tailor the seat according to your requirement. Get one that gives you the right kind of grip without affecting your ability to move about. Some materials even keep the seat temperatures lower than others, which is a great boon on long rides.

If you are feeling adventurous, tinker with your footpeg positioning and handlebars to give you a more comfortable body position on the bike. However, get such customisations done by an expert as tinkering with the handlebars can bring about serious handling changes to a motorcycle.

Stretch

This one is pretty straight forward. Stretch your limbs and other muscles before getting on and after getting off a motorcycle. This will increase blood flow and delay the onset of fatigue.

Insulate Your Body

Wind, vibrations and noise have the potential to induce quite a lot of fatigue. 

That is why, it is recommended to use a windscreen when touring on a motorcycle. Deflecting wind away from your body means that less energy is spent while counteracting the wind forces, thus reducing fatigue.

Reducing the vibrations on your motorcycle will not only tax your body less, it will also help make your ride more enjoyable. Find out points that induce vibration on your motorcycle and use rubber to dampen it out. The usual culprits are handlebars, footpegs and the fuel tank.

The constant drone of the highway is another fatigue-inducing factor. It allows monotony to set in and saps away the rider’s energy at the same time. Wearing ear plugs inside the helmet is a great way of cutting out the ambient sound.

Take Breaks

Stop occasionally to break the routine. Take in the sights, walk around the place and explore the places you are passing by or visiting. This not only helps reduce fatigue, it will also make your ride more enjoyable and memorable.

Use the Right Kind of Riding Gear

There is riding gear available for all kinds of weather conditions. So if you are going to be taming the sand dunes or scaling snow-capped mountains, choose your riding gear accordingly. Sweating inside riding gear designed for cold conditions or freezing in riding gear that is designed for use in hot conditions will only tax your body further.

Also make sure that the riding gear fits you and that you break-it-in before a big ride. Riding in tight or loose gear or finding out your new helmets doesn’t fit you snugly on a long ride will not only make it tiresome and dangerous, but also an unpleasant experience.