Electric Bike Size Guide: 4 Valuable questions answered!

No matter if you’re a casual rider, commuting to work, or want an electric bike for exercise in the morning, this guide will answer all your questions on how to choose the right bike size.

Electric bike size guide

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?

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

HeightInseam LenghtFrame SizeBike 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

HeightInseam LenghtFrame SizeBike 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

HeightInseam LeghtFrame SizeBike Size
4’10” – 5’0″
147cm – 152cm
26″
66cm
47cm – 48cmXXS
5’0″ – 5’3″
152cm – 160cm
27″
69cm
49cm – 50cmXS
5’3″ – 5’7″
160cm – 170cm
28″
71cm
51cm – 53cmS
5’7″ – 5’9″
170cm – 175cm
30″
76cm
54cm – 55cmM
5’9″ – 5’11”
175cm – 180cm
31″
79cm
56cm – 58cmL
5’11” – 6’2″
180cm – 188cm
32″
81cm
59cm – 60cmXL
6’2″ – 6’5″
188cm – 196cm
34″
86cm
60cm – 62cmXXL

Women’s Electric road bike size chart

HeightInseam LenghtFrame SizeBike Size
4’10” – 5’1″
147cm – 155cm
26″
66cm
44cm – 46cmXXS
5’1″ – 5’3″
155cm – 160cm
27″
69cm
47cm – 49cmXS
5’3″ – 5’5″
160cm – 165cm
28″
71cm
50cm – 52cmS
5’5″ – 5’8″
165cm – 172cm
30″
76cm
53cm – 55cmM
5’8″ and up
172cm and up
31″
79cm
56cm – 57cmL

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

HeightInseam LenghtFrame SizeBike 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

HeightInseam LenghtFrame SizeBike 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.