Tall people quickly take the focus of others because of their height. At least in places and situations where people get together. The opposite is true for large parts of the consumer goods industry. There, the average usually dictates what is produced and in what dimensions. E-bikes are an apt example of this. People whose height tends towards XXL are much less likely to find a bike that can keep up with these dimensions.
According to the 2017 microcensus, the average height of a woman living in Germany is 1.66 metres. For men, it is 1.79 metres. The highest numbers of ebikes are produced for people of this size. Significantly fewer frames come off the production line in sizes L or even XL. Accordingly, it is difficult to find a suitable ebike for tall women and tall men.
1. Do I need an ebike for tall people?
2. What are the dimensions of an ebike for tall people?
3. Which components are decisive for an ebike for tall people besides the frame?
4. Which ebikes are available for tall people?
1. Do I need an ebike for tall people?
Anyone who is tall will have long been aware of their size. But while grabbing a bigger pair of shoes is kind of intuitive, it’s sometimes less obvious when it comes to bicycles. Some of you may squeeze onto a bike that is far too small, just following the motto: Sure, that’ s fine. I can reach everywhere ?
But that’s not healthy. Simple tension, back pain and muscular imbalances can be the result. Apart from the fact that riding is much less fun. Especially on longer distances.
The limits by which someone is considered to be exceptionally tall are not universally fixed. In relation to women, 1.83 metres is often found to be a striking height, while for men it is 1.95 metres. This gives you the first important clue.
Another important indicator is your inseam, also known as your inside leg length. It indicates the distance from the sole of the foot to the crotch. Anything longer than 95 centimetres deserves the title XXL for men. For women it is about ten centimetres less.
Measure your own inseam length
You can quickly measure your own inseam length with the help of a few everyday objects. Simply take off your trousers, shoes and socks and keep only your underwear on. Now take a book or a spirit level and stand on a flat floor with your back against a vertical wall. Then push the book, spirit level or something similar between your thighs up to your crotch. Press the object firmly against the wall and mark its upper edge on the wall. Now measure the distance from this point perpendicularly to the floor and thus know your inseam.
The inseam length expresses the distance from the pedal in the lowest position to the upper edge of the saddle on an ebike that is the right size for you. For this estimation, place your foot with the heel on the pedal. The figure basically adds up the length of the crank, the length of the seat tube, the length of the section of the seat post that protrudes from the seat tube and the height of the saddle. Usually, the seat post should protrude at least two to four centimetres from the seat tube in this calculation.
Long legs and long torsos
In fact, a correspondingly large inseam length is already sufficient as an indication that an ebike for tall people seems appropriate for you. Even if your overall body length may not seem to justify it. In that case, you are simply a “Langbeiner”. This is the German term used for people whose legs are disproportionately longer than their torso and arms. The opposite of this are the “Sitzriesen”. With these people the ratio is exactly the other way round.
2. What are the dimensions of an ebike for tall people?
If it is clear that a model of the XXL type seems right for you, the question is how to find it. Some manufacturers have registered your needs and added relevant abbreviations such as “XL” to their model names. Then the case is clear.
Unfortunately, this is the exception. The frame size provides you with a decisive clue. The frame, as the heart of the bicycle, must be of a suitable size. If it turns out to be too small or too big, this cannot be compensated for by the selection of the other components.
Frame size
The frame size is the distance between the centre of the bottom bracket and the top of the seat tube. Usually, manufacturers indicate the value in centimetres. If you multiply your calculated inseam length by a factor of 0.66, you will theoretically get a frame size that fits you. Some online shops have an interactive calculator that allows you to determine your frame size automatically in no time at all. However, this is at best an approximate value. The formula is not particularly complex. Therefore, you should not read too much into it. If you come across frame sizes of 56 centimetres and more when browsing through catalogues, you are at least on the right track.
With the advent of frame geometries with more sloping top tubes, seat tubes have become significantly shorter. This takes away some of the significance of the formula just described. That is why the two values stack and reach have become established. We will go into this in more detail in a moment.
Length of further frame tubes
First of all, a brief comment on the other tubes. On an ebike with a large frame, these also deviate from the standard sizes. The top tube, for example, quickly measures more than 60 centimetres. For the head tube, 25 centimetres is quite typical. The long top tube is simply designed for the torsos of tall people. In order to provide the necessary stretch so that tall people can also adopt an aerodynamic or at least sporty position on the bike, the necessary length is required here. In parallel, a long head tube ensures that the handlebars are high enough. Otherwise, you will touch the handlebars with your knees when cornering. Everyone can imagine how badly that could end.
The figures for reach and stack
In addition to the frame size, the dimensions of a bicycle frame in relation to one’s own body size can be read off from the two specifications stack and reach. They are based on the top edge of the head tube and the centre of the bottom bracket as fixed points of the geometry. Stack refers to the vertical distance between the two points, reach to the horizontal distance. If the stack is 640 millimetres or more, this indicates an ebike with a very large frame. The reach should be around 430 millimetres and more.
If you put the stack and reach in relation to each other, this results in a quotient. The “stack to reach (StR)” tells you something about the seating position on the bike.
- StR from 1.35 to 1.45 – sitting position more bent, sporty
- StR from 1.45 to 1.55 – moderate riding position
- StR from 1.55 to 1.70 – sitting position upright
If you have a long upper body and long arms, it is better to use the lower quotient. If you have long legs, you should choose the maximum.
Even with stack and reach, you can relate them to your inseam length. If you multiply this by a factor of 0.69, the result is a stack that fits your body. This should also help you in your search for a large ebike.
3. Which components are decisive for an ebike for tall people besides the frame?
If the frame is the right size, you have already gained a lot. In the end, however, everything only fits together properly if other components have the proper dimensions.
Width and height of handlebars on an XXL ebike
This starts with the handlebars, for example. A large body height often goes hand in hand with longer arms and somewhat broader shoulders. Therefore, it can be useful for a comfortable feeling on the bike not to fall short of a minimum handlebar width. Widths of 65 centimetres and more are often recommended. Of course, the respective type of bike plays a role here. Nowadays, it is not difficult to find handlebar widths of up to 70 centimetres and more on an e-mountain bike for tall people. In some cases, such widths are already fitted as standard on bikes for average-sized people. An e-road bike for tall women or tall men, on the other hand, is unlikely to come with this as standard.
The height of the handlebars is just as important as the width. If you prefer to ride your bike sitting upright, you will want to set your handlebars a few centimetres higher than the saddle. There are many ways to achieve this. The simplest way is certainly a height-adjustable stem. Thanks to a joint, its angle can sometimes be adjusted to within one degree. If it provides the necessary length at the same time, you can achieve a noticeable increase in height.
Raising the position of the handlebars
However, if the handlebars need to be raised to a much higher position, this can be done with the help of a fork shaft extension. As the name suggests, you mount it on the part of the fork shaft that protrudes from the head tube. They are available in different lengths. Typically, they start at 50 millimetres and go up to 120 millimetres. If you prefer a very specific measurement, you can simply take a hacksaw and shorten the corresponding template as desired. A second possibility for individual adjustment is offered by spacers. These are available in increments of up to two millimetres. A corresponding number of them are placed underneath the stem – and the stem moves to the desired height on the steerer tube extension.
More expensive, but also much more comfortable than a fork shaft extension is a Speedlifter. Once mounted, the height can be steplessly adjusted with the help of a quick release. Up to 100 millimetres of increase can be achieved in any case.
Requirements for seatpost and crank
In order for the saddle to keep up in terms of height, it may need a particularly long seatpost. This applies at least to all frames with a relatively steeply sloping top tube. In these cases, the seat tube can be somewhat shorter. With real XXL bikes, the manufacturers have of course taken this into account and, if necessary, resorted to a longer seatpost when building the bike.
For an optimal knee angle and efficient power transmission, the choice of the right crank length is also decisive. Usually, longer legs require somewhat longer cranks. While for people of average height many things happen in the range between 170 and 175 millimetres, a crank for particularly tall people can be 180 millimetres long. Unfortunately, such cranks are relatively seldom made. Shimano has several such cranks for different mounts in its range. Pinion also offers this length.
4. Which ebikes are available for tall people?
An ebike that is explicitly designed for tall women or tall men is clearly a minority. You are most likely to find models in the ebike types with which the manufacturers make a large part of their turnover. These include e-mountain bikes, urban ebikes, also called city ebikes, and trekking ebikes. Even within these groups there are major differences. A full suspension e-mountain bike for tall riders is much rarer than an e-mountain bike in the form of a hardtail.
Part of the truth is also that women are usually worse off than men. Presumably, many manufacturers assume that tall women will, in case of doubt, opt for a bike that was designed for men. And the fact that women with a body height of 1.90 metres or two metres also want to ride an ebike seems to play almost no role at all in the considerations of companies in the bicycle industry. Even in our small overview, only one model for women appears.
Pictures: Hermann Hartje KG; byschulz GmbH; Agazoo; Shimano; Wilhelm Humpert GmbH & Co. KG; KTM AG; pedelec-biker.de; KW Sports GmbH
