Standover Height? Who Cares?

When talking about bikes or biking, the term “standover height” rarely comes up in conversation. Some people who frequently ride bikes or eBikes have likely never heard the term.

So, who cares about standover height? The answer should be everyone- at least everyone who cares about comfort and safety. Standover height is often something that people subconsciously consider when trying out a bike for the first time, or at worst, suffer the consequences of ignoring it after purchasing a bike.

What is Standover Height?

Standover height is the distance from the bottom of the tires to the top tube of an eBike. Considering standover height when choosing an eBike is important, as it will affect your ability to mount and dismount the bike safely.

Why is Standover Height Important?

Standover height is important for a few reasons. First, it affects your ability to mount and dismount the bike safely. If the standover height is too tight to the groin, you may scrape your groin or stomach on the top tube when mounting or dismounting the bike. This can cause pain and injury.

Second, standover height affects your comfort when riding the bike. If the standover height is too high, you may have difficulty reaching the ground with your feet when stopped. This can make it difficult to balance and control the bike.

Third, standover height affects your performance when riding the bike. If the standover height is too low, you may be more likely to hunch over when riding the bike. This can put a strain on your back and shoulders.

How to Determine Your Standover Height

To determine your standover height, stand against a wall with your back straight and your heels touching the wall. Measure the distance from the ground to the top of your inside leg. This measurement is your inseam. Once you know your inseam, you can compare it to the standover heights of different eBikes. Most eBike manufacturers list the standover height in their product specifications.

On our Hovsco website, we’ve got measurements available for every one of our eBikes, but none of our models have a straight tube running from the front of the frame to the seat tube. They often slope downward toward the seat tube, being higher by the handlebar.

This design allows the standover height to become less of an obstacle, allowing more riders to fit on our eBikes comfortably. Each of our models listed on the site have a suggested height range midway down the page, providing useful guidance regarding what to expect via standover height.

How to Choose an eBike with the Right Standover Height

When choosing an eBike, it is important to choose one with the right standover height for you. A good rule of thumb (as aforementioned) is to have at least 1 inch of clearance between your inseam and the standover height of the eBike. This will give you enough room to mount and dismount the bike safely.

But what if you’re ordering a bike or eBike that you’ve never tried out before through a website? Before you start shopping, take some time to research different eBikes and their standover heights. Read online reviews, compare specifications, and find a few bikes that you are interested in. Regarding Hovsco, you can check out the suggested rider height ranges or contact us for more detailed information.

Tips for Riding an eBike with a Low Standover Height

If you ride an eBike with a low standover height, you can do a few things to make it more comfortable and safer. First, make sure you are wearing proper riding gear, including a helmet. Second, practice mounting and dismounting the bike before you ride it on a public road. Third, be aware of your surroundings and be prepared to stop quickly if necessary.

If you are a rider with a bike that has a low standover height, some additional tips may be helpful to consider. One suggestion is to use a shorter stem, which will bring the handlebars closer to you and make it easier to reach the ground when you are stopped. Additionally, consider lowering the saddle, as this will lower your center of gravity and make it easier to balance the bike.

Using a wider handlebar can also be beneficial, as it will give you more leverage and make it easier to control the bike. Lastly, it’s important to be patient and not get discouraged. Riding an eBike with a low standover height may take some time to get used to, but with practice, you can ride safely and confidently.

Tips for Riding an eBike with a High Standover Height

Just as stated above, whenever possible, wear proper riding gear. This gear includes a helmet, gloves, and eye protection. Between a bike that’s too short and one that’s too tall, the taller one is where you need to be more careful.

Sometimes, a standover height can be far too high for a shorter rider who often dismounts from the bike in a controlled fall (so to speak). The time will come when a foot is out of place, and the terrain is wonky, or tilting the bike to dismount happens too slowly or quickly after a stop, becoming a recipe for a spill. During times like these, you’d be happy wearing the right gear.

To prevent issues down the road, practice mounting and dismounting the bike before you ride it on a public road, be conscious of your surroundings and be ready to break quickly if necessary. Use the pedal assist to help you get up to speed and maintain your speed. Doing so will help you avoid putting too much weight on your feet when riding, and if you start to feel uncomfortable, stop and take a breather.

Does Standover Height Matter with Step-Thru eBike Designs?

Considering standover height is just as important when looking at step-thru eBike frame styles as with other frame styles. These types of bikes have an open frame in the middle, making it easier to get on and off the bike. However, even with the step-thru design, some bikes may still have a high standover height, which can be problematic for riders who have difficulty reaching the ground when coming to a stop.

Though you’ll not have any issues getting on or off of a step-thru frame, you’d still notice when coming to a stop and balancing the eBike. As you’ve likely noticed throughout this article, there’s more to the standover height than just the middle frame tube.

Do Tires Make a Difference to an eBikes Standover Height?

Yes, tires can make a difference with standover height. Wider tires will raise the standover height slightly, while narrower tires will lower it slightly. This difference happens because the tire’s width adds to the bike’s overall height.

The difference in standover height between a bike with wide tires and a bike with narrow tires is usually only a few centimeters, but it can be enough to make a difference for some riders. If you are concerned about standover height, trying out a few different bikes with different tire sizes is a good idea to see which one feels the most comfortable if you’re in a situation to do so.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind when considering tire size and standover height:

Type of riding: If you plan on doing a lot of rough riding, you will need wider tires for better traction. Wider tires will also raise the standover height slightly.

Terrain: If you intend on riding over rough terrain, you will need wider tires to absorb bumps and vibrations. Wider tires will also raise the standover height slightly.

Weight: Wider tires are heavier than narrower tires. If you are concerned about weight, you may want to consider narrower tires.

Cost: Wider tires are usually more expensive than narrower tires.

Bearing in mind all these aspects, you can select the right tire size for your needs and still have a comfortable standover height.

Bike Tire Rim Diameters

Yes, rim diameters can affect an eBikes standover height. Larger rim diameters will raise the standover height, while smaller ones will lower it. This is because the rim’s diameter adds to the bike’s overall height. The difference in standover height between a bike with large rim diameters and a bike with a small rim can be enough to make a difference for some riders.

At Hovsco, we generally use three tire sizes throughout our selections of eBikes. They are:

• 26” x 4” - HovAlpha, HovAlpha Step-Thru, HovScout
• 5” x 2.25” - The HovRanger and the HovRanger Step-Thru
• 20” x 4” - HovBeta Foldable, HovCart

As you can see, there is something for everyone regarding how our tire size selection can impact a bike’s standover height.

Conclusion

Standover height is important to consider before you wind up spending your cash on any bike, whether it be a traditional model or an eBike- this is particularly important if you can’t test-drive a model, you’re interested in. Doing so can help prevent you from making a mistake that will cost you money, or if there’s a money-back guarantee, it will at least save you the hassle of having to ship it back and wait for a new model.