Whether you travel by bike regularly or occasionally, it is imperative that your electric bike is adapted to your morphology . Not every e-bike manufacturer measures their products the same way. It is therefore important when buying an electric bike to know the right size to take.
To help you choose, here is our guide to finding the right size e-bike.
How does the size of an electric bike work?
Being well positioned on your electric bike means above all saving yourself a lot of pain, while improving pedaling performance at the same time. If the second part is a little less true on electric bikes, being in any case well helped by the engine , comfort is however essential to take full advantage. Finding the right size on an electric bike is therefore very important if you want to use your e-bike regularly.
If all bikes offer saddle adjustment , unfortunately this cannot always adapt to your morphology. The ergonomics of the bike is essential in order to make the gestures of the cyclists harmonious. An electric bike that is too big or, conversely, too small, will not allow you to be comfortable.
What are the sizes of e-bikes?
Created more than 150 years ago, the bicycle has evolved in its forms to correspond more and more to the criteria of each individual. If for most of its existence, the bicycle frame was of a "classic" triangular nature, the size of the bicycle was mainly defined by the height of its saddle, this is no longer really the case today.
The different e-bike frames on the market
New geometries have appeared over time:
- Sloping bike frame (i.e. with a sloping top tube)
- Gooseneck bicycle frame (also called ladies' bicycle)
- Folding Electric Bike Frame
- Straight city bike frame
- Full suspension electric mountain bike frame
Here are the points to check before buying an electric bike to choose the right size.
Pay attention to the frame size of an electric bike
There are many frame shapes for e-bikes on the market. These different frame shapes of the electric bike not only meet a criterion in terms of looks , but are designed both to withstand the different forces present.
If the size of the frame is important for pedaling, it is especially important for comfort , especially when you spend time on your two-wheeler.
Some manufacturers use international sizes (S, M, L, XL...), some electric bike manufacturers continue to use the real size corresponding to a virtual measurement of the frame.
Take into account the size of the wheels of the electric bike
Not to mention folding electric bikes whose wheels are designed to take up as little space as possible, there are 2 main sizes of electric bike wheels . On the one hand, the 26-inch wheel sizes, which have the particularity of being lighter and easier to handle. Otherwise the 28 inch is now a standard size. These wheels offer greater comfort as well as better pedaling performance.
Useful to know when choosing the size of your bike!
3 criteria for choosing an electric bike adapted to its morphology
The essential measurements for the choice of your new electric bike are the size of your body, the height of the crotch and the amplitude of the arms.
1st criterion: adapted to your size in height
The first criterion for selecting an electric bike is your size in height. Thanks to the adjustable saddle , it allows you to more or less compensate for the riding position you want to have on an e-bike. For more comfort, tall riders will prefer to have their leg almost straight when the pedal is at the bottom of its axis.
As for urban cyclists who often have to set foot on the ground, it is often better to choose a lower saddle size so as not to tiptoe at a red light.
Electric bike size chart. follow the leader
2nd criterion: the length of your crotch
To measure your inseam height. To do this, stand with your back against a wall, bare feet slightly apart (approximately 20 cm) and heels well in contact with the wall. Once you are perfectly straight, take a pencil to transfer the highest point between your legs. From this point, you just need to measure the height to the floor.
With this figure in mind, you can know the size of frame adapted to your morphology. Both in centimeters but also in inches. Simply multiply by 0.665 to find out the optimal frame size in centimeters. Or with a multiplication by 0.226 to obtain the size of the frame in inches.
Please note, for electrically assisted mountain bikes the calculation is slightly different. For this type of mountain bike, the inseam length must be multiplied by 0.56 to find the frame size of a mountain bike .
By falling between 2 sizes after calculation, it is then the upper part of your body which will be decisive in the choice of one or the other size of your bike.
3rd criterion: Your wingspan, the relationship between your arms and your legs
The length of your trunk as well as your arms defines the adequate distance from the handlebars. If you are between 2 sizes , it is necessary to do a quick calculation. By subtracting your height from that of your arm span.
To do this, simply spread the arms and measure the maximum distance between the 2 ends. If the value obtained is greater than zero, you must take a larger bike size, and conversely take the smaller size if the value is less than zero.
Our conclusion on how to choose the size of your electric bike
If this article could give you an idea of the ideal size to choose for an electric bike, it should not be made a fixed idea because you can also play on the height of the saddle to compensate .
Our advisors are available from Monday to Saturday by phone to answer all your questions. They will direct you to the right size to choose for your future VAE.
