Long batteries in the down tube, large wheels. Building an e-mountainbike for small riders with a low stack, low standover height and an adequate seat tube is a challenge for many frame designers. Especially when a fully also has to fit a shock and a lot of rear suspension travel into the concept.
There are therefore only a few genuine e-bikes in XS on the market that also fit small riders around 160 centimetres tall. We have summarised here what is important for small (and often lightweight) riders and which bikes are currently particularly suitable.
In the current issue, we tested Merida's eOne-Sixty 8000 in frame size XS, a particularly small e-MTB. Read in EMTB 4/2021 how the carbon bike performed and whether it really suited two test riders around 1.60 metres.
Seat tube length
The seat tube length is decisive in determining whether a small person fits on a bike. The shorter it is, the more space there is for a telescopic seatpost. Our test bike from Merida in size XS has a 125 millimetre dropper post - that's relatively long and gives you plenty of room to move on descents. Test rider Lena (158 cm, stride length 71 cm) just about fitted on the bike with a 40.5-centimetre seat tube with the seat post fully lowered, without sitting too high when the dropper post was extended.
Chassis
Shocks and suspension forks are always optimised for a certain weight, which is usually around 80 kilograms. First check during the test ride: Can the rebound damping be set correctly with the right spring rate (approx. 25-30 per cent sag)? If the rebound speed is too slow even when the damping is fully open, this is an exclusion criterion.
Protrusion height
The standover height is often used as a knock-out criterion for small bikes. The Merida example shows that in times of modern frame geometries and telescopic seat posts, this is only useful to a limited extent. The top tube rises steeply towards the handlebars. The lowest point above the bike when the seat post is lowered is the saddle, not the space between the saddle and handlebars where the standover height is measured.
Although the standover height on the Merida is quite high for an XS bike and the test riders couldn't easily reach the ground above the bike, there were no situations in riding practice where the height was a problem. The situation can be different for less experienced riders. For those who are more anxious or a little insecure, a top tube that is too high can be an exclusion criterion. Significantly lower heights can almost only be realised with a small 27.5 mm front wheel and/or less suspension travel.
Handlebar width
Wide handlebars, such as the 780 mm on the Merida, may initially appear oversized to smaller riders. However, a wide handlebar makes sense, especially for downhill-orientated E-MTBs with a slack steering angle and large front wheel. So: Test extensively first, then shorten!
You can also try out whether the brake levers can be adjusted to suit your hand size and finger length without the pressure point moving too close to the handlebars. A (too) wide handlebar should not be an exclusion criterion when buying. They can easily be shortened to the desired length. We recommend proceeding in small steps.
Contact points saddle and handle
Whether a saddle or handle is comfortable has only a limited relationship to gender. In other words, it doesn't have to be a special women's product. This should not be a decisive criterion when buying a bike, as such small parts can be quickly changed and customised to suit individual tastes. In the case of the Merida eOne Sixty, our female testers wanted a more comfortable saddle.
Who builds E-MTBs in XS sizes?
The Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 is an absolute touring classic with 140 millimetres of suspension travel. In the two smallest frame sizes, it comes with 27.5 mm wheels. The seat tube is record-breakingly short at 345 mm in size XS. However, the new 2022 models with a 750 Bosch battery will not be available in the smaller sizes. That leaves the Pro (3899 euros) and Race (4299 euros) models with a 625 mm battery.
The Neuron:On from Canyon in the WMN version for women is also an XS candidate. The short seat tube and low standover height are complemented by short chainstays. This makes the bike relatively manoeuvrable even in small sizes. Canyon also uses 27.5 mm wheels on the XS and S models. With 120/130 millimetres of travel and moderate geometry, the bike is designed for shallow terrain and feels particularly comfortable on tours. To keep the top tube low, Canyon only uses a fork with 120 millimetres of travel on the XS and S models.
Anyone looking for an E-MTB for demanding terrain and enduro use should take a look at the YT Decoy take a closer look. The smallest size is S - but with a seat tube length of 400 millimetres, it is rather compact. Thanks to the 170 millimetre suspension fork and the 29er front wheel, the Decoy certainly doesn't have the slackest front end, but experienced bikers can tackle really steep descents with it. YT even recommends the S-Decoys for riders over 154 cm tall.
Small hardtails are easier to construct than small E-MTBs with full suspension. The Vall E+ from the women's brand Liv is a particularly compact model that is ideal for really small riders. The XS size has a seat tube length of 365 millimetres and should fit people from 152 cm. Thanks to its solid tyres, it is quite off-road capable for a hardtail.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
