To choose the right electric bike size you need to take your height and inseam leg measurements, choose your type of frame and then look for the specs of the bike that best fit you.
This electric bike size guide is the last in our series of bike sizes for every type of bike, so I have spent more than 50 hours researching it. Electric bikes are just normal bikes with electric motors and batteries attached so the sizes are the same as their non-electrical bikes.
Sounds simple right?
In definition maybe, but there are a lot of hidden traps that can completely change your experience.
In this electric bike size guide you’ll find helpful guidance from start to end in the process of choosing your next electric bike.
Table of Contents
- What is an electric bike?
- What size electric bike should you get?
- What is your riding style?
- What should you look for in an electric bike?
- The Finish Line
What is an electric bike?
Apart from the fact that electric bikes are equipped with a motor, there is no difference in terms of frame sizes than non-electric bikes. You can find them in the top three most popular bike frames: mountain, hybrid, and road.
Electric bikes opened up the world of cycling for many people who before they existed looked at bikes as a convenient way of transport, but (didn’t dare to jump to the fast lane) for reasons like a health issue they have, or the numerous steep hills present in the area they live in, or the distance they accepted to ride was shorter than what they had to do, and the list can go on and on and on…
Now electric bikes have become extremely popular and we, the old school bike riders, welcome you all to the world of cycling, just don’t brag too much when you fly past us on a big hill, please!
What size electric bike should you get?
To get to the right answer first we need to know how electric bike frames are measured. Like their older brothers and sister frames, they are sized using the length of the seat tube which is taken from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the seat post head. Depending on the frame type of your choice and the manufacturer they can be sized on a scale of S/M/L in inches or centimeters. Always check for the manufacturer’s specific size chart.
Knowing that to place yourself correctly in the scale you’ll need to take the measurements of your height and inseam length. Inseam is a key measure as it will determine your whole bike fit and also will indicate to you that your bike size is wrong or right quickly.
How?
If the top tube doesn’t have a space of at least 2 and up to 4 inches with your crotch your bike size is wrong, this is known as standover height (the distance from the floor to the top tube) and you can find it in most of the bike’s specifications.
To measure your inseam, take off your shoes, get a book, a tape measure (cm works best for this) and a helping hand is welcomed. Now stand against a wall, place the spine of the book firmly against your crotch imitating the bike seat, and then measure from the top of the book to the floor, and there you have it!
What is your riding style?
Finally, the frame type you choose will determine the best usage of the bike, they have different capabilities, components and it’s an important step for choosing not only the right size of the bike but also the bike that will best serve your riding needs. Let’s look at them!
Electric bike size guide: Mountain frame
Mountain bikes are designed to be ridden on off-road trails, they are equipped with fork and sometimes rear suspension, strong frames, and thicker tires than road bikes. The advantage of an electric mountain bike is that the assistance provided by the motor will be of great help in difficult and steep terrains and will make the descents more active. Strong disc brakes are recommended.
A lot of long-time mountain bikers love the electric mountain bike because it allows them to go higher in the mountains, save energy and ride longer, the increase in speed will demand more technical abilities from the rider.
Electric Mountain bike size chart
| Height | Inseam Lenght | Frame Size | Bike Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4’11” – 5’3″ 147cm – 160cm | 25″ – 27″ 63cm – 68cm | 13″ – 15″ 33cm – 38cm | XS |
| 5’3″ – 5’7″ 160cm – 170cm | 27″ – 29″ 68cm – 74cm | 15″ – 17″ 38cm – 43cm | S |
| 5’7″ – 5’11” 170cm – 180cm | 29″- 31″ 74cm – 79cm | 17″ – 19″ 43cm – 48cm | M |
| 5’11” – 6’2″ 180cm – 188cm | 31″ – 33″ 79cm – 84cm | 19″ – 21″ 48cm – 53cm | L |
| 6’2″ – 6’4″ 188cm – 193cm | 33″ – 35″ 84cm – 89cm | 21″ – 23″ 53cm – 58cm | XL |
| 6’4″ and up 193 and up | 35″ and up 89cm and up | 23″ and up 58cm and up | XXL |
Women’s Electric mountain bike size chart
| Height | Inseam Lenght | Frame Size | Bike Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4’10” – 5’2″ 148cm – 158cm | 25″ – 27″ 63cm – 68.5cm | 13″ – 14″ 33cm – 36cm | XS |
| 5’2″ – 5’6″ 160cm – 170cm | 27″ – 29″ 68.5cm – 74cm | 15″ – 16″ 38cm – 41cm | S |
| 5’6″ – 5’10” 170cm – 178cm | 29″ – 31″ 74cm – 79cm | 17″ – 18″ 43cm – 46cm | M |
| 5’10” – 6’1″ 180cm – 185cm | 31″ – 33″ 79cm – 84cm | 19″ – 20 46cm – 53cm | L |
Learn more about mountain bike sizes!
Electric bike size guide: Road frame
The main design purpose of road bikes is to be fast in flat and paved terrains, so they are light bikes compared to mountain bikes, don’t have suspension and the rider position is more aerodynamic. Road bikes have their own subcategories and the most popular are Race, Endurance, and Time trial.
Electric road bike size chart
| Height | Inseam Leght | Frame Size | Bike Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4’10” – 5’0″ 147cm – 152cm | 26″ 66cm | 47cm – 48cm | XXS |
| 5’0″ – 5’3″ 152cm – 160cm | 27″ 69cm | 49cm – 50cm | XS |
| 5’3″ – 5’7″ 160cm – 170cm | 28″ 71cm | 51cm – 53cm | S |
| 5’7″ – 5’9″ 170cm – 175cm | 30″ 76cm | 54cm – 55cm | M |
| 5’9″ – 5’11” 175cm – 180cm | 31″ 79cm | 56cm – 58cm | L |
| 5’11” – 6’2″ 180cm – 188cm | 32″ 81cm | 59cm – 60cm | XL |
| 6’2″ – 6’5″ 188cm – 196cm | 34″ 86cm | 60cm – 62cm | XXL |
Women’s Electric road bike size chart
| Height | Inseam Lenght | Frame Size | Bike Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4’10” – 5’1″ 147cm – 155cm | 26″ 66cm | 44cm – 46cm | XXS |
| 5’1″ – 5’3″ 155cm – 160cm | 27″ 69cm | 47cm – 49cm | XS |
| 5’3″ – 5’5″ 160cm – 165cm | 28″ 71cm | 50cm – 52cm | S |
| 5’5″ – 5’8″ 165cm – 172cm | 30″ 76cm | 53cm – 55cm | M |
| 5’8″ and up 172cm and up | 31″ 79cm | 56cm – 57cm | L |
Learn more about road bike sizes!
Electric bike size guide: Hybrid frame
Hybrid bikes are a mix between road and mountain bikes; they can lean more to one type than the other or be balanced between the two. There is a wide range of hybrid bikes available.
This mix makes them a do it all bike cause it can be ridden on flat paved roads and light off-road trails, their wide range of types makes it easier to fit more specific riding needs.
Electric hybrid bike size chart
| Height | Inseam Lenght | Frame Size | Bike Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4’10” – 5’0″ 147cm – 152 | 26″ 66cm | 13″ – 14″ | XXS |
| 5’0″ – 5’3″ 152cm – 160cm | 27″ 69cm | 14″ – 15″ | XS |
| 5’3″ – 5’7″ 160cm – 170cm | 28″ 71cm | 15″ – 16″ | S |
| 5’7″ – 5’9″ 170cm – 175cm | 30″ 76cm | 17″ – 18″ | M |
| 5’9″ – 5’11” 175cm – 180cm | 31″ 79cm | 19″ – 20″ | L |
| 5’11” – 6’2″ 180cm – 188cm | 32″ 81cm | 20″ – 21″ | L |
| 6’2″ – 6’5″ 188cm – 196cm | 34″ 86cm | 21″ – 22″ | XL |
| 6’5″ and up 196cm and up | 36″ 91cm | 23″ – 24″ | XXL |
Women’s Electric Hybrid bike size chart
| Height | Inseam Lenght | Frame Size | Bike Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4’10” – 5’1″ 147cm – 155cm | 26″ 66cm | 13″ – 14″ | XXS |
| 5’1″ – 5’3″ 155cm – 160cm | 27″ 69cm | 14″ – 15″ | XS |
| 5’3″ – 5’5″ 160cm – 165cm | 28″ 71cm | 15″ – 16″ | S |
| 5’5″ – 5’8″ 165cm – 172cm | 30″ 76cm | 17″ – 18″ | M |
| 5’9″ and up 172cm and up | 31″ 79cm | 19″ – 20″ | L |
Learn more about hybrid bike sizes!
What should you look for in an electric bike?
The thing that makes electric bikes special, you guessed it, is their motor and battery, and when it comes to choosing your bike these quick tips will come in handy.
- Motor: Electric bikes motors are generally mounted on the bottom bracket which is the best place for them to be as they provide balance and are more responsive to the pedal assist mode, but they can also be placed in the front or rear hub in the more affordable options.
- Modes: There are three types of modes supported by electric bikes
- Manual mode: The bike is powered only by your legs like in a normal bike and believe it or not there are some electric bikes that don’t have it so if you run out of battery the pedals will be blocked and you’ll need to recharge or walk your bike to wherever you were going. So be careful!
- Pedal assist mode: Normally this is a standard mode in electric bikes and what it does is for each pedal stroke the motor will assist you with more power.
- Throttle mode: In this mode you are practically riding a motorcycle as the electric motor takes care of moving forward your bike.
- Battery: The most important things to know about batteries are:
- Voltage: The most common voltages are 36v and 48v but you can find them with lower or higher voltages, the higher the voltage the better the performance like torque and speed.
- Capacity: Measured in amp/hours they usually range from 10 to 20 amp/hours and the higher this measure the longer you can ride before recharging.
- Charge cycles: Is the lifespan of your battery, meaning how many times you can fully charge your battery before it starts to malfunction.
The Finish Line
Having an electric bike that has the right size for you will make your riding experience more comfortable and safe and it’s the pillar to perform a full bike fit.
The best bike is the bike that fits your riding style, needs, budget and does not cause you pain or discomfort. If you feel pain or discomfort either your bike size is wrong, you need to revise your bike fit or there may be health problems but in either case, you should seek professional advice.