The Womens EMTB Thread - come on in ladies!

MtBkGrl said:

Thanks Sparked.

I saw your post about your bike coming loose from the Thule Easyfold XT rack. Very scary!
We bought one of those when we picked up my partners Giant but as soon as we tried to load the bike I wasn't happy with the clamp system Thule uses on that rack. No way to get a secure grip on a FS frame. We ended up getting a tailgate pad for our truck to get the bike home (and to use when towing our trailer takes up the hitch) but we still wanted a hitch rack for easier loading and for our van.

Ended up getting the Kuat NV 2.0 folding rack. It uses hooks that clamp to the front wheel so no matter what kind of frame (or size of bike) there's a secure connection to the rack. About the same money as the Thule. I'm really happy with it and would recommend to any EMTB owners.
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Cheers!

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nice Work!

Once we moved up to the 3 bike Thule Easyfold it works much better. There’s more places to mount the clamp on the frame. I still have anxiety about it though and have an extra strap I attach - just in case!!

New member checking in! I've been riding a Lapierre Overvolt HT for 4 years for less technical stuff, alongside my non-e Stumpjumper.

I recently decided to listen to my dodgy knees and go full e, buying a Liv Intrigue E+1. Unfortunately it's dead and going back to Giant, but that's another story.

I'm currently looking into other full suss options that come in sizes small enough for me (160cm, 71cm inseam). My husband gets annoyed with my fixation on standover, saying "No-one chooses bikes on standover", but that's easy for him to say as he's 2 metres tall...

MrsToast said:

New member checking in! I've been riding a Lapierre Overvolt HT for 4 years for less technical stuff, alongside my non-e Stumpjumper.

I recently decided to listen to my dodgy knees and go full e, buying a Liv Intrigue E+1. Unfortunately it's dead and going back to Giant, but that's another story.

I'm currently looking into other full suss options that come in sizes small enough for me (160cm, 71cm inseam). My husband gets annoyed with my fixation on standover, saying "No-one chooses bikes on standover", but that's easy for him to say as he's 2 metres tall...

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Welcome! And, good luck with your search!

I hear that it is harder to find smaller size eMTB? What brands do you recommend?

minsunmini said:

I hear that it is harder to find smaller size eMTB? What brands do you recommend?

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I'm interested in this too! For my wife, specifically. She really needs "XS" bikes typically. The Trek Powerfly 4 comes in XS with a very low standover, and also the Mondraker Prime is sort of a lightweight eMTB that also comes in XS. I'm interested in any other Bosch-powered eMTBs that do a really small size for people 5' or slightly less.

YT Decoy small are definitely on the smaller size. One just arrived for my wife, but unfortunately the small size Decoy's can be tough to find as they don't tend to make many.

We also rented a Liv XS that was smaller than the Decoy S, so check those out as well if you can find them.

sparked said:

Awesome photo and idea!

I have been on what feels like an embarrassing EMTB journey!

Since April last year i have tried/bought/returned or sold:

Levo Hardtail - we kept this partner rides it now
Embolden E+2 in small - returned it with a few km on it. I couldnt find a dropper that would suit the frame and didnt like the bike enough to persist searching for one - it felt very large this bike for a small frame.
Focus Thron 2 6.9 - amazing components but the bike in Small was just too big for me - I also found the Bosch really noisy
Levo Comp - best bike of the bunch. But it was so expensive I found myself feeling vulnerable just riding it around home. I found a guy that was dying to buy one and sold it to him for an awesome price.

Most of the above shenanigans would have been avoided if only we could actually demo bikes. Covid you suck!

I now have a Merida E140 400. And this bike is the pick of the bunch geo wise. The fork and shock aren't at the same level as the Comp of course but for now it's going well. And I love that I can actually sit on this bike with the seat dropped and have my feet flat on the ground. No other EMTB in Small allowed me to have that ability. Best part is I have left over $$$$ to put towards a gearbox rebuild on my other toy!

I dont have much gear on the bike yet. Have new pedals incoming. Speedsleev handlebar bag on it for the phone, wallet and keys. Fitted a Specialised bottle cage with the multi tool attached. And have a saddle bag on it but i think that needs to go. Oh and Specialized power mimic saddle i was fitted for!

I need some riser bars though, so that will probably be next step. I'll lose the internal cable routing by switching over, but comfort is king right?

I think i want to remove some of the orange as well... its pretty orange!
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Hello. I've just joined and interested to know how you find the Merida As I've had similar experiences working out which is the best bike for me - I actually think there's a gap in the market!

I have only hired e mountain bikes so far - when on holiday or wanting a day out with family or friends - wanted to buy one and get out more for a long time but funds didn't permit for a while. I can only ride an electric bike as I have dodgy knees So I think they are amazing! I can ride a bike and no knee pain!

My first hire bike was a specialized turbo levo - and my second. I had mixed feelings about it. It was amazing to ride, I loved the suspension. But it felt really big and heavy and awkward somehow and I didn't like getting off it. Found that tricky. Maybe I needed more practice. This was a few years ago and they've probably changed a bit since, but as my first and only ebike I was left feeling that riding on level trails and road wasn't as satisfying - you had to keep pedalling! It didn't just coast when you stopped pedalling. I thought all ebikes must be like that and it disappointed me as didn't get the feel of an old style normal bike.

Each holiday I could only hire what was available at a local hire centre, so my next one was much better. No idea what it was - some make I hadn't heard of before that the bike shop had a thing about. It rode much better. Yes you could coast, no you didn't have to keep pedalling. But it was also difficult to get off. And a huge beast to push along.

After that it was a Trek Powerfly 5. I liked that. Loved the way it rode and the way the gears and power worked and how it felt more like riding a normal bike but with power assistance. However that one was the hardest to get off! To get my riding position right it was far too high to get off easily (I've since heard about dropper posts . The only way I could get off without falling over was to jump forwards off the bike over the bar. The only way I could get on that bike was to start off with a foot on the pedal and push off and it was a very wobbly start sometimes. I would still get one (with a dropper post) except had a taste for full suspension by then and found the hard tail a real bone rattler.

In between that I hired a bike near a local trail centre - they only had hybrid bikes - again not sure of the make. Told me it was fine for "light trails" - it wasn't! It felt far too light and very unstable - the tyres clearly weren't wide enough and it threw you all over if you hit a tree root - and there were a lot of those!. So decided it definitely had to be a mountain bike with chunky tyres.

I'm now looking to buy my own e mountain bike and get out more - I'm itching to get out riding, if not daily then every few days - after a long difficult year with family members unwell and my lovely old Dad dying - to start living a bit more. And so we can have family bike rides - still need to persuade my 68 year old OH to come with me! He liked the ebikes we hired as he had a go but is more of car person lol.

So I kept yearning for the Specialized Turbo levo again - the base model of which is more than I want to spend. But I'm remembering the pros and cons of it for me. All the other emountain bikes I've hired would "coast" without pedalling and I like that, when riding on country roads to and from off road trails. It's fun.

At the moment I'm looking at the Trek Superfly FS4 and the Trek Rail 5 - anyone tried those? I need to find a place I can try them out - but was very interested to hear you'd settled on a Merida.

The gap in the market? Lower step over for full suspension e mountainbikes. The Powerfly FS4 looks good for that but I'm not sure it's enough for my needs with the fork travel. "Light trails" in my area can be pretty steep with huge rocks in the gravel. I'm aware there are some low stepover emountain bikes - there's an article on some - but they tend to be very heavy, not makes I'm familiar with and have their own pros and cons. And full low stepover isn't required - just a trapeze type would do.

I also have a bad foot and wear a special shoe on that foot - which is no issue at all. But I do like to feel stable on my feet getting on and off a bike. I think a dropper seat is the solution (as the Islabikes use it for). Ruled out the Islabikes lightweight e mountain bike as no suspension and perhaps not enough motor power for steep hills or range. Plus it's permanently out of stock!

The ladies versions of bikes like Cube or Giant etc usually have a lower standover but it is also likely a 27.5 bike will easier in that respect than a 29er. Even so a dropper post is very useful. My wife rides a Cube Access.........it came as standard with no dropper and she had a lot of problems getting used to having to slide forward off the saddle whenever she stopped. Now she has learned the technique of going into a lower gear and slamming the seat post whenever we come to a gate or other reason to stop.

Hi Stella,

From your description and experiences above, think about investigating the following: -

Liv brand (this is Giant's range for ladies)
Lightweight bikes such as the Orbea Rise series H (alloy) or M (carbon) and save 4-6kg over a full-fat bike

My wife rides a Merida e160 700 in medium (5'9") and loves it...

Thanks! I'll check those out. I haven't looked at Liv bikes before because I'm not sure I'm standard womens' geometry! Quite a long back for my height. That's the second mention of a Merida now. Lighter weight sounds good too.

pegasus said:

This is my 2018 Canyon Spectral-On ( yes I'm lucky on having 2 bikes, but I do use the Voodoo for commuting to work and general riding about).
Mostly standard, except the pink bling, nukeprood ard insert in the rear and a crank brothers dropper/lever. Lovely bike to ride fun and responsive. Gives me much confidence bearing in mind I'm not the most brave. The Maxxis are off now and I have Michelin Wild's on it at the moment.
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How are you finding the Michelins? I’ve always run Maxxis but have heard great things about Michelins on MTb’s so It would be nice to have opinions from someone other than professionals who shred way harder than me…

Hi all!
Nice to see more of us getting into the technical side of riding by being more interested in what makes the bike ride better, smoother and faster.
I’m Logan from Squamish, BC Canada. I’ve been riding Mtn bikes for 12 years after moving away from motorized enduro cross riding.
I fought the E-bike for a few years thinking I could still build up my endurance after a bad crash put me out for a bit. After my hubby broke his foot, we decided to get him the Kenevo and this just put more pressure on me to ride faster so I was gutted after riding up and barely able to concentrate on the down.
I’m happy to say that I’m officially hooked on my Specialized Levo SL! My hubby/bike mechanic has totally kitted it out with Ohlins front and back, oil slick pedals, cassette and stem. I run Saint brakes as I love the power for the steep rock slabs we ride.
Though I don’t struggle with the height issue (I have a 33” inseam”) I do appreciate that the Mtb world has woken up to the needs of women riders. I’m also happy that more men are buying pink as I personally detest the color as you can see from my picture..

My wife Angie is a slightly crazy 5'7" (1.7m) medical type, and has a Trek Rail 5 2022 Medium which I maintain and bling for her. We ride trails and downhills together and I (heavily modified Trek Rail 5 2022 Large) always know when she's getting a buzz because I can hear her screaming! There's life after children and grandchildren.

irie said:

My wife Angie is a slightly crazy 5'7" (1.7m) medical type, and has a Trek Rail 5 2022 Medium which I maintain and bling for her. We ride trails and downhills together and I (heavily modified Trek Rail 5 2022 Large) always know when she's getting a buzz because I can hear her screaming! There's life after children and grandchildren.

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I like Angie! We need more Angies in the world... I’m still waiting for the grandchildren but yes, there is so much life left for us “well aged” ladies!

Crash Logan said:

I like Angie! We need more Angies in the world... I’m still waiting for the grandchildren but yes, there is so much life left for us “well aged” ladies!

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Angie at the weekend.

Mikerb said:

The ladies versions of bikes like Cube or Giant etc usually have a lower standover but it is also likely a 27.5 bike will easier in that respect than a 29er. Even so a dropper post is very useful. My wife rides a Cube Access.........it came as standard with no dropper and she had a lot of problems getting used to having to slide forward off the saddle whenever she stopped. Now she has learned the technique of going into a lower gear and slamming the seat post whenever we come to a gate or other reason to stop.

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Cube reaction, size small, trapeze frame, 27.5 wheels but hard tail only with the Bosch motor.

Great thread with good options but I’ll add another complicating variable. My wife (<5’) needs a Class 2 (PAS with throttle). That eliminates most of the suggestions above. Is anyone aware of any Class 2 ebikes out there (FS and/or fat tire) with extremely low stand over heights (or step throughs)? Torque sensor is a requirement as well. Been researching options for months.

great information here Dabbling with the idea of buying a “half fat” eMtb (rise, Levo SL, etc) to get more trails in for the same amount of effort on a normal bike. I road ride more miles a week than Mtb, so am hoping that fitness won’t suffer too much.

jemi11 said:

great information here Dabbling with the idea of buying a “half fat” eMtb (rise, Levo SL, etc) to get more trails in for the same amount of effort on a normal bike. I road ride more miles a week than Mtb, so am hoping that fitness won’t suffer too much.

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You'll love it ... and get hooked.

Hi - I'm Dee.... new to the forum. I'm 55 going on 25
My partner and I are going to embark on a long-term journey in our campervan next year. We've decided we each need an eMTB and are on the hunt. He's quickly found what he likes. I am 5'2" and am having trouble finding a bike that I feel is right for me that is fairly affordable. Any recommendations welcome!

ExploreeDee said:

Hi - I'm Dee.... new to the forum. I'm 55 going on 25
My partner and I are going to embark on a long-term journey in our campervan next year. We've decided we each need an eMTB and are on the hunt. He's quickly found what he likes. I am 5'2" and am having trouble finding a bike that I feel is right for me that is fairly affordable. Any recommendations welcome!

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I think there's a thread somewhere on here about eBikes suitable for petite ladies, but can't remember where, sorry.

depends if you are looking for a full suspension bike or hardtail. If the latter check out the Cube Reaction. having a dropper post on most EMTB modern frame designs helps get a decent fit for shorter folk because the height of saddle which provides best pedalling performance often means your feet will not reach the ground when you stop unless you slide forward off the saddle. If a bike you like does not have a dropper post it is a relatively cheap and easy component to retro fit.

irie said:

I think there's a thread somewhere on here about eBikes suitable for petite ladies, but can't remember where, sorry.

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It's this one !

Zimmerframe said:

It's this one !

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Ah, that would figure

Still a gap in the market here for a lower stand over FS e-bike

ExploreeDee said:

Hi - I'm Dee.... new to the forum. I'm 55 going on 25
My partner and I are going to embark on a long-term journey in our campervan next year. We've decided we each need an eMTB and are on the hunt. He's quickly found what he likes. I am 5'2" and am having trouble finding a bike that I feel is right for me that is fairly affordable. Any recommendations welcome!

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What did you decide on? I'm 59 going on 30 and 5' 3". I'm leaning towards the Liv Emolden E+1 but can't decide if I should order an xs or s. The problem is no-one has them in stock to test ride.

AmyC said:

What did you decide on? I'm 59 going on 30 and 5' 3". I'm leaning towards the Liv Emolden E+1 but can't decide if I should order an xs or s. The problem is no-one has them in stock to test ride.

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I'm posting for Mrs. JW. She doesn't do forums.

My wife is 5'4" I think. We just bought her a Liv Embolden E+ 1 in extra small. She tried the size small they had in the shop, but she looked dwarfed by the 29" wheels, and she didn't really have any stand over clearance. If you check the Liv specs, you will see that the geometry of the s and xs is nearly identical except for the stand over height, and that's mostly due to the xs being fitted with 27.5" wheels.

We ordered the xs and she's very happy with it. On the bike she looks a lot more proportionate with the 27.5" wheels, and she's less awkward starting and stopping.

protowheeler said:

I'm interested in this too! For my wife, specifically. She really needs "XS" bikes typically. The Trek Powerfly 4 comes in XS with a very low standover, and also the Mondraker Prime is sort of a lightweight eMTB that also comes in XS. I'm interested in any other Bosch-powered eMTBs that do a really small size for people 5' or slightly less.

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Cube seem to offer their Stereo Hybrid 140 in XS size every other year only - I have '22 and it is true XS. 27,5" is great option for us short ones...
Pole offers now Voima as K0 and top tube is within a few mm same as in Cube, seat's lowest position (when seated and correct sag) is app. 15-20 mm higher. I'm 5' "tall" (slightly under), K0 mullet is ok (with every possible magic done to shrink it down) - but I wouldn't suggest even slightly oversize bike for first eMtb.

Leatt AirFlex Body - Women's Protector Shirt - €120 instead of €370 ..

Hi everyone,

I'm Paulina, a 30+ enthusiast of all things adrenaline, with a particular fondness for eMTB and motorcycles. For me, these aren't just hobbies; they're my go-to antidepressants and exercise motivators. There's nothing quite like the thrill of speeding down trails, the wind in my face, and the serene beauty of the wilderness to make me feel alive and connected to the world. Riding out of the city, into the embrace of nature, is my perfect escape. Excited to join this vibrant community of women riders and share stories, tips, and maybe some trails. Let's ride the journey together!

Cheers, Paulina