Believe it or not, not all electric bike are the same size. Just like traditional bicycles, electric bikes are generally sized based on your height. So, whether you are 4’10 or 6’2, you can start by using this handy chart to figure out the right eBike size for you.
Rider Size vs eBike Frame Size.
| Rider Height | | |
Frame Size (Inches)
|
| 4’10” – 5’2” | | |
13”
– 14”
|
| 5’2” – 5’6” | | |
15”
– 16”
|
| 5’6” – 5’10” | | |
17”
– 18”
|
| 5’10” – 6’1” | | |
19”
– 20”
|
| 6’1” – 6’4” | | |
21”
– 22”
|
| 6’4” – 6’6” | | |
23”
– 24”
|
These are general suggestions, so depending on how long your legs are and how you feel most comfortable sitting on a bike, a larger or smaller size may be more comfortable for you. The same is true if you’re a woman as designs may be different on eBikes that specifically target women.
Calculating Your Measurements
But wait, you say. What if you fall within one of those height
ranges, but are worried that the bike size you choose will be too small or
too big? Since you’re not Goldilocks and don’t have time to try every available
size, you can take it a step further and calculate some basic body measurements
to help guide your decision.
- Height
- Leg length
- Standover height, which is your leg length minus about 1 inch
If it’s been a good long time since you’ve been properly measured
(you’re thinking about those tick marks on the wall at your parents’ house,
aren’t you?), find a friend, spouse or child to help with a tape measure and
consider this guidance:
- Stand on a hard, flat surface with your back and heels against a
wall.
- Have a friend measure your height from the ground to the top of
your head.
- Record this value in feet and inches, or just inches if you want.
Leg Length and Standover Height
Measuring your standover height is essential for finding the right sized electric bike.
Standover height is the distance from the ground to the top tube
of the frame of the bike just in front of the seat where you straddle it.
Your
legs should be long enough to straddle the bike frame with your feet flat on
the ground and about an inch of space between the eBike’s frame and the base of
your torso. Why? Well, say you need to come to a quick stop and dismount — you
need to be able to do that safely without hurting yourself.
Think
about your best-fitting pair of pants. You know the ones. They make your behind
look great, and they fit snug but not too snug. The inseam measurement of
these pants should give you a good indication of your standover height.
Since
your pants don’t sit at the bottom of your feet and you should be wearing shoes
when you ride, your stand-over height is likely to be about an inch or two longer
than your pant’s inseam.
If
you don’t know your pant’s inseam, or it’s already a little shorter than the
eBike you have your heart set on, then you may want to take the time to figure
out your standover height, which can then also help you figure out leg length.
1. Grab a pen, a large book, a tape measure and a
friend/child/spouse to help you.
2.
Stand flat-footed with your back against the wall, just as you did when you
measured your height.
3.
Take the large book and place it between your legs. Press it up underneath you
like a saddle.
4.
Make sure it’s level, and make a small mark on the wall where the book meets it
at the top.
5.
Use a tape measure to check the distance from the mark to the floor. This
measurement is your standover height!
Your
leg length can be found by adding an inch or so to this measurement.
So
now, you should have three numbers: your actual standing height, your standover
height and your leg length.
The SWAGTRON EB12 Commuting Road electric bike.
Taking measurements can be as simple as extending the tape measure
and taking an accurate reading, but it’s also easy to make mistakes, so keep
these things in mind as you measure yourself like a boss:
- Measure yourself twice or even three times to ensure
accuracy.
- If you fall between two sizes of minimum and maximum seat height
ranges or eBike frame heights, generally go with the smaller measurement, since
a smaller eCycle is generally easier to control.
- Remember that the seat height and angle and handlebar angle can
all be adjusted to ensure you feel comfortable when you’re on the bike.
Ideally, your leg length should fall somewhere within the minimum
and maximum seat heights of your eBike to ensure a comfortable fit and to make
sure your feet can safely reach the pedals. Having your leg length fall within
these values means you should be able to find a comfortable riding position.
The classic curves of the true-comfort EB9 electric bike with the low, step-through frame.
If
you’ve got long legs, like Taylor Swift or Conan O’Brien, your standover height
is likely to be higher than most people’s. But remember on an eBike, you don’t
necessarily need full pedal extension. In other words, it’s possible to be
comfortable pedaling without getting full extension since the electric motor is
going to be helping you out.
Many
of the SWAGTRON® folding eBikes and step-through eBikes, like the EB9, have a
lower center of gravity, making it easier for riders of various heights to find
a comfortable sitting position.
If you need help with
deciding which eBike is best for your height, don’t hesitate to reach out to
us. At SWAGTRON, we’re here to help you make the best buying decision possible,
and we know that’s not always easy when you can’t test out the bike in person.
Give us a shout online, check out our FAQ, shoot us an email at support@swagtron.com or hit us up on live chat — we’re here to
help!
