Best lightweight ebike for less than 5 ft person

andrewsolo73

New Member
Hi, looking for advice on latest ebike out there that satisifes my criteria. Not sure it exists but thought I'd ask board.

Ebiking on paved roads in moderately hilly area. Probably not biking more than 15 miles per day. Finally, I am very short, slightly below 5ft and don't want to struggle or get hurt on a heavy bike.

Ideally looking to spend around $1500 with safety a priority.

Anything stick out as obvious product? Appreciate all advice.

Thanks.
 
At that size you really need to stop by a bike shop and try out frame sizes, even on not-electrics. I'm 68" height and I ride an 18" frame, that is the nominal size of the top bar from seat post to handlebar stem. Most bike shops don't even have any stock that small, you may have to stop by the discount store and look at kid bikes, which fit me but have trashy mechanisms.
I've got short legs (28" inseam) and have trouble touching the ground when the seat is adjusted for my legs slightly bent at the crank bottom (correct position) so I ride with my legs bent more so I don't fall over at stops. Legs bent too much slows me down. You may have long legs and could take a longer seat-crank distance.
I won't bend over in the drop handlebar butt up "road bike" position, there is a family history of popped neck disks. You may be fine with a road bike. I ride a cruiser position if I can get one, but for years I rode a kids mountain bike with modifications to get the handlebars back where i could ride almost upright. Real cruisers are single speed, would require a lot of pushing up the hill in this area. Mountain bike in cruiser position messes up the weight distribution though, I had trouble with front wheels skidding sideways and front of bike falling down, throwing me over the bars on my chin.
As far as weight, look for aluminum frame and accessories. Runs the price up, but oh well. You could pick up a steel frame kid bike at a charity resale shop to check out your fit and handling ability for $50, then know more what you want when you buy something new. I just dropped $2000 on my first adult bike in January, and won't be going back to kid bikes anytime soon- premium SRAM gearset, mechanical disk brakes, and an aluminum frame are so cool. Plus real weight distribution design, maybe it won't throw me with groceries in a basket on the back like the mountain bike did.
After trying a used kid bike, you can look for bikes on the reviews (main page) that have various frame dimensions available, to fit your body. One size fits all is not going to work at 60" height, and you'll have to special order, nobody stocks a quality bike that small.
 
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Maybe this Haibike SDURO HardFour 4.0? It is marketed as a kids bike, and you might be put off by the color and its 15 mph assist limit, but it may be a perfect fit. Plus it is ridiculously cheap for what it is (the battery alone is worth $800)
 
Maybe this Haibike SDURO HardFour 4.0? It is marketed as a kids bike, and you might be put off by the color and its 15 mph assist limit, but it may be a perfect fit. Plus it is ridiculously cheap for what it is (the battery alone is worth $800)

Thank you so much for this suggestion. This could work and I am okay with a speed limit cap...rather just get up hills but do so slow and safely. I will definitely check this bike out.
 
Hi, looking for advice on latest ebike out there that satisifes my criteria. Not sure it exists but thought I'd ask board.

Ebiking on paved roads in moderately hilly area. Probably not biking more than 15 miles per day. Finally, I am very short, slightly below 5ft and don't want to struggle or get hurt on a heavy bike.

Ideally looking to spend around $1500 with safety a priority.

Anything stick out as obvious product? Appreciate all advice.

Thanks.
Court had a guide entitled "best electric bikes for small people. It is now under the heading "electric bike guides, resources " in the forum section. Some what dated, but should be helpful.
 
Court's guide, "Best Electric Bikes for Small People" is a good starting point and one which we're working on to update. You can go to the main EBR site and do a search for bikes with 20' or 24" wheels or for smaller frame sizes or low step options that may work for you.

Another possibility is to find a regular bike that fits you well and then add a hub motor system or mid drive kit to electrify a bike and create what you really want :)
 
I'm just about 5 ft tall and I ride a 2015 Easy Motion Evo Street. It's a great size for me as it has 26" tires, low step through, and adjustable handlebar that requires no tools. It's my avatar picture. The cost is more than $1,500, though you might find an older model (2015 - 2017) for close to that price. Also there is the Easy Motion Evo Eco, which is a lighter/cheaper model that is otherwise just like the E.M. Street. I'd start by looking at Easy Motion first.
 
Here are a couple of suggestions for lightweight ebikes for someone who was 4'10". In addition the upcoming E-Glide SF will fit rider height from 4'9", weighs 42lb, has 20" wheels and a folding frame, dual suspension, disk brakes, a throttle, and the 10.4ah battery will likely go 20 miles or more, you can pre-order for $1,074 & the website says deliveries are scheduled to ship June 1st. The company has been around since 2004, started out selling electric skateboards then added ebikes, Court Rye likes their other models he has reviewed on this website, or if you want an owners opinion of the company there is an E-Glide owners facebook group and the E-Glide forum on this website.
 
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That bike is a great call! If you check the ebr videos, Court did a review on it (the haibike youth model)
 
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