Comfort

Riding along rough roads on a gravel bike can make your hands and arms pretty sore, pretty fast. Cane Creek's new eeSilk handlebar stem is designed to help, by pivoting up and down to absorb vibrations.

It was back in 2014 that we first heard about the Chairless Chair, a lower-body exoskeleton that doesn't impede walking, but that also supports the wearer when they go into a sitting position. Well, there's now a lighter, comfier model.

While there are now several bamboo-framed bikes on the market, many riders are understandably a little leery of buying one. They might want to consider the Gump bamboo handlebar, though, as it's said to be comfier than aluminum or carbon.

While there are now a fair number of suspension seatposts on the market, the Sangle-Fit is a bit different. It features a tilting nose, designed to both smooth out the ride and make hill-climbing easier.

If there's one group of athletes we'd trust for advice on long-endurance butt-sitting, it's professional gamers, so when AndaSeat offered us the chance to try out its Fnatic Edition gaming chair, we jumped at it.

When it comes to bike saddles, there are stiff ones that provide maximum butt-stability when sprinting, and softer ones that are comfier on rough terrain or long rides. The new Ere Genus CC Pro, however, can be switched between three rigidity levels.

Day-use backpacks certainly are handy, but they do have a way of leaving your back hot and sweaty, or even digging into it if you're carrying protruding cargo. The VentaPak was designed to address those problems.

Many cyclists will remember the bar-end handlebar grips that were popular on mountain bikes some time ago. Well, Spirgrips offer a unique take on that basic concept, and they're now being offered in a new-and-improved form.

It's an understatement to say that many cyclists find traditional saddles uncomfortable. Sore-butted riders who are looking for an alternative already have several to choose from, but now there's another – the SmartSaddle.

Cabled earphones are convenient for music on the go, but wireless is better. But a bad fit could spoil your listening enjoyment, or they could pop out unexpectedly. The Neopon 2 earphones have been developed for universal comfort and a secure fit.

While cycling is certainly a good way of getting around, there's one thing that keeps many people from doing it … butt pain. We've seen many saddles designed to address that problem, and here are five that struck us as being particularly innovative.

Rose City Recumbent Cycles out of Portland, Oregon, has launched the Roselandia on Kickstarter, a funky ebike with a slanting seat tube that pushes the mid-drive pedal-assist motor forward for a more comfortable ride.