How To Choose The Correct Size Electric Mountain Bike | EMTB Sizing Explained
Buying the right sized E-Bike is essential. In this video, Steve Jones explains how to choose the right frame size as well as how subtle changes to parts of your bike can affect the way it feels and performs when you’re riding. The frame ‘Reach’, as well as adjustment to the saddle and handlebars all, have an impact on how a bike feels and handles. As sizing is a personal decision, what’s perfect for one rider may not be great for another. Hopefully, this video helps shed some light on all of these things to help you make the best decision when deciding what size is best for you.
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I am 5’9” 10st 7lb. I have my name down for trex rail 7 in large which the LBS says is correct size for me. I have nagging doubt I should go for the medium? I am coming from a 2011 s works stumpjumper in medium which I fell comfortable on. What are your views.Thanks.
tl;dw; there are no standard sizes. go to the shop and sit on it
Thank you for the video! I’m looking to buy Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC TM. I’m just as we speak in size crisis what to pick. I’m 182 cm and inseam is 85 cm what size would you pick for me ?
I wouldn’t even be able to tell you the chain stay length, reach, or seat tube angle on any bike I’ve ever owned. I simply go to the shop, ask for a medium, and head out the door with it. People easily over think it, if it feels good to you, buy it.
My kind of bike shop! Great info, thanks Steve!!
When in doubt between sizes, get the bigger one. The other way around didn’t work well for me.
Thanks for the video 👍
Can you do a video on the conflict ebikes are causing and how countries are blanket banning mtb in general because of emtb?
Or bury your head in the sand it’s up to you?
spongy wonder bike seat
Spot on Steve. But – I ended up with a Medium at my 6ft for my Moustache and Cube. They are rated for around 6 ft and 5’ 11” respectively for Mediums as 47 cm and 46. Why? The price was right on the secondhand market and I new I could adjust the fit. So, the Moustache for instance has a 50 mm Defy clamp and 800 bars rolled vertical, and the seat back to the limit. It works well although I am the first to admit a Large would give more scope. Interestingly geometry has changed since 2015 with Moustache but a 2 degree offset slacker head bearing sorted the stability. Bottom line is you can make something work at the limits of the sizing guides but if at the higher limit for your height it’s best to go a size up.
For me and my riding style, if I am in between a large and xl I will go for xl most of the time. I’m 6’1"
I ride a Scott Strike eride 930 2021, I just bought it, I had a 910 2019 and always felt a little small, the new one I went for large, I am 5’10" and in between sizes, the large feels better, but I haven’t taylor much on it yet.
Do you have any tips for anyone trying to find the right size E-Bike? What size and brand do you ride? Would you go bigger or smaller next time? 🤔 Let us know your thoughts 👇
I’m 6 foot tall and find my large Lapieere Overvolt with reach of 454 is perfect. At first I thought it was too big but soon realized the geometry is just right.
It is a great video about size…it’s too late for me to change but i ride on Orbea hs-25 size s/m (they dont have m) and my size is 178 cm. it feels fine for me – how do i know if i am wrong? their chart says i should have buy L.
Very informative video as there is definitely quite a few factors when choosing a frame size
Certainly ride each you’ve narrowed it down to. At 6’1” I ride a large Pedego Elevate FS.
Sound advice at 5 10" I was between med and large,I went for large and although a slightly smaller bike might be a bit better on the technical bits for general riding and esp longer rides the large is great.
Normal bikers, 30′-32" Ebikers 34"-36"
Canyon’s page says size M for 72" height and 32" inseam and you can see it below saying "See spectral on size M" and not L/XL. It is clearly that you overwrite the M size with L/XL. Why did you done this? Is there any reason?
if you can’t get a mask to fit u, what chance have u got of getting a bike to fit you 🤔
"online a l or XL and that is bag on" so two different sizes are bag on? good job you don’t work in a workshop with that lax viewpoint.
Hi Steve,
I’m hoping to get some help with a potential purchase of a YT DECOY PRO 29 in size XL that I can actually get this year from a friend.
At 6’3” I’m in between XL & XXL on the YT chart. I’ve heard Steve on a couple of videos that its probably best to go for the larger size when in this situation. YT claims reach to be 482 on the XL , which is longer than the 475 on my current Santa Cruz HIGHTOWER. Do ya think I’ll be ok with the XL over the long term or should I wait til next year when I should be able to possibly check out/demo the YT in an XXL. I’’m sold on the Fox suspension and XT drivetrain spec for the money , but a little concerned about investing in a bike with an E8000 motor. Experienced thoughts and suggestions appreciated
At 5ft10/11 I’ve just bought my first Ebike and normally I’d buy a large bike, but for the first time I decided to check out Giant’s sizing charts which indicated I was a medium so I opted for the medium,but on buying it the bike feels small, finding it difficult to adapt at the moment, I’ve altered several things to make it feel more comfortable and the changes are making a difference but gee wiz I really wish I’d bought a large
I am currently in the same dilemma with a Meta Power SX I fall right in the middle of a Medium and a Large. At 5’10.5” with a inseam of 32” I am right on the boarder. Commencal says to size down and get a longer stem, others said you can go large and use shorter stem.
Hi, I am 181cm and I would like to by a YT Decoy. In my size I am between two sizes Large is from 172-182cm and XL starts at 181cm to 191cm. Would you recommend to go on XL like what you say in the video? Thanks in forward?
Hello,
I ride Kenevo Comp size S3, and i would definitley try an S4 size.
Don’t by bikes on line, take your time, go to the bike shop tell the salesman your height and weight, what style of ride you like, try to sit on the bikes in the shop or even better, test them. That’s it. 😁
Brilliant video on bikes that as helped me thank you👍🍺
I wanted to buy a ebike for 2 year’s , test rode a Giant that i liked , but the shop that is now out of business couldn’t get me one ! So after trying every shop around, and with no luck for 6 months. I bought the first e bike i could find . A Specialized turbo sl. Wish it had more range but its been a blast !
I currently have a large 2014 Santa Cruz 5010c. It came with a 70mm stem, but I reduced it to 45mm. So that’s what I’m used to right now. I’ve ordered an Orbea Rise M10 Extra Large. The size was recommended to me by my local bike shop. I’m the exact same height as you at 6 ft with a 32" inseam. The size of the bike is my biggest worry. I don’t know if it will be too large for me to handle or not. But your video has definitely helped me to understand sizing better and that I may just in fact be more comfortable with the XL Rise. Won’t know until it arrives here in Calgary, Canada.
I’m 5’11 and L is great for me. Always rather to get "slightly" larger, than "slightly" smaller frame size.
its litel strang that you mix metrisk and fot , cep too metrisk , you talk too Europa
Great video! I have been enjoying my Canyon Spectral CF with size XL for the last two years. Fits perfectly. Now I consider getting some extra E-MTB power with Spectral:ON but their site recommends an L for my 189 cm (6’2). Looking at the reach alone it should have been an XL again. What might be the difference?
Interesting topic, I’m 182cm riding a large 2016 large eacarpe with 444mm reach. Always felt comfortable and that the bike was a good fit. I’m currently building a 2019 medium escarpe with a slightly longer reach and significantly slacker head angle. Should I size down (or rather up) to the medium?? Or stay with a more Conservative size large? Both frames are boost!
I am 6’2" and the Kenevo S5 works perfectly for me. Testing both S5 and S4 Kenevo at my dealer was very usefull and relevant to me. Rode first the S5 and it felt fairly long. After I tested the S4, I came back to S5 and lived happily ever after. 🙂 With a longer reach I’m feeling very confident on downhills and I have enough room when pedaling long segments or uphill.
Why does the Canyon website recommend a medium Spectral ON for me when I put in the same measurements as you ……72inch height 32 inch inseam ????? It’s bizarre…I have to be 6 foot 3 before it recommends a large
I am 189cm and have an inseam of 94cm. According to the Canyon website I should buy a Spectral:ON CF 6 in size L. I am a little bit confused right now, because if I enter your sizes (182cm and 81cm inseam), Canyou would suggest a M. Also, you calculator said L/XL, but the text underneath is "See all Spectral:ON with size M".
Am I right to choose a size L or should I better get a XL?
Good vid
Hi Steve, I am the same size as you, but I have much longer legs (36 inch / 92 cm), that means, my upper body is much shorter… That makes choosing the right size even more complicated. Regarding leg length, I could easily ride an XL Canyon Spectral On. Regarding my relatively shorter upper body length, XL will probably be too long.
What I mean by that, for people with comparatively very long legs, choosing the right size is even more difficult because the newer bikes are getting longer….and lower.
nice
Hi, I love your show specially the good tips 👌🏽
My 2016 Giant reign has a frame size “L” which was recommended and fits me perfectly and it’s my preferred choice for my downhill adventures (note: I’m a rookie with 53 years)
Bought last year a Haibike hardtail, also a “L” size… Best decision of my life 🤩 for those longer rides and some single trails… Now I totally want to purchase a Fully EMTB… All the websites recommended a “M” for my 1,80… which is making me nervous about my decision because I probably have to order it online … what would you suggest?
Greetings from Bamberg-Bavaria
Question:
I am 5’9/10" which would be upper end of medium.
I have short legs, long arms and body – 28" inside leg, so I am a small for standover.
So I’m effectively 6’2" upper body and 5’2" lower 🙁
What size would fit?
Canyon size chart is spot on!
Love your videos, but this was confusing.
If "reach" doesn’t say anything can we please drop it from the conversation?
Focus on Top tube length in combination with stem length; this is a much better indication of comparable size.
Comfort is created with the handle bar height. Take "stack" and the "rise of the handle bar" and you have a comparable measurement for comfort.
Horizontal Fine tuning is done with the seat position and a change in stem length. ( start with stem length )
Vertical Fine tuning is done with adding or removing spacers and possibly a higher rise handlebar or stem angle.
And by the way there is absolutely no difference if you talk about an EMTB or an MTB. Only the rise purpose will create a need for a different geometry.
get an XL and put a 20mm stem on it
Although whyte recommend a large for my height (183cm) I went with the XL e-160 and I love the spacious feeling, as you said the fit is more important really. A few saddle adjustments and bar tilts later and the bike feels perfect for me. Long rides are a joy and downhill/trail sections are incredibly stable!
Even though I dont have a EMTB, as for size if you go to big you will have problems with the seat height.
I have a Whyte in a medium I am 5’11 and I am fine with that size as I dont have long legs.
Its about the balance with your both feet on the floor once stopped. Go to big then you will be on your tip toes once stopped. On paper I should be on a Large but I felt more confident on the Medium. Plus I dont get any dirt on my dropper seals because its higher up out of the frame.
Even on the MTB magazines you see riders that are like 5’5 that are testing a size Large thats just crazy to me.
End of the day its what you feel confident in, everyone is different and some may prefer a bigger bike others may not. I came from a Large "20" frame hardtail with older geometry. My seat post was not even that high on that.
Im gonna be a caring Karen here and say paint those f*cking walls at the shop! The formaldehyde fumes gotta be brutalz.
There are physical dimensions and just as important there are riding preferences. Some prefer a long slack bike for speed and forgiveness, some like a shorter bike reach, wheelbase, and chainstay for agility. The bike shop may be able to help but they are a business and may try to sell you what they have. I prefer a reach that usually falls in the "Large" range of brands. Almost every bike store will try to convince me to go up to a XL. I’ve tried them, I do not like them. An XL is not "more comfortable" just because it is an XL. A bike that fits you and your riding preferences will be the most comfortable. Where I ride the trails are tight and made up of small hills. You never really get the speed up to where a "smaller" bike’s agility gets squirrelly. I am significantly slower on an XL. Learn the dimensions you like for your size, where you primarily ride, and preferred riding style and then pick the bike that "fits" you best. Borrow friends bikes, test rides, or try different stems and handlebars to help identify those numbers. Try different dimension bikes around your comfort zone. Pick the one that works best for you.
I am 5’9" tall and rode a large Rocky Mountain Sherpa before I got my E-Bike. I’m glad I demoed the E-Bike before I got it, I ended up going with a medium Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay that feels great. I swap bikes frequently and the fit feels pretty much the same. Take the time to test ride bikes before you buy, well worth it.