I was curious if I should get a step-through or not....I will probably be using my bike for things like going to the beach (rollerblades and general beach gear), going fishing, going shopping, going to the gym, etc....Does the step-through help a lot in helping you keep your things on your bike and in your baskets when getting on the bike ?
How nice is it to have a step-through?
- Thread starter Bikoiko
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DieselTech
Well-known member
At times I wish I had a step thru bike. They are nice as you get older & dont have to hike a leg over the bike.
Also I could see it being easier to control the bike & payload with a step thru bike.
I'm kinda partial to the Bandit X-Trail Pro for a step thru bike.
Also I could see it being easier to control the bike & payload with a step thru bike.
I'm kinda partial to the Bandit X-Trail Pro for a step thru bike.
I bought 2 e-bikes a couple of months ago. Bought my wife a Vitilan U7 which is a foldable step through with 20” fat tires basket front and back. After riding hers I decided I liked it enough to get an Ebike for myself. Was set to get the same as her but chose the I7 Pro from Vitilan instead at the last minute. I like the i7 pro but regret not getting the same as her with the step through frame. I think it’s a great bike for what we do. Local riding, bike trail, gravel dirt etc. The step through is better in my opinion for carrying stuff and running errands.
cbigjuicy2
New member
Purchased 2 X-Trail Pro's one for my Wife and I, do not regret it one bit ,she handles it great easy to step in and out ,thought she would be intimidated by the bike but she is not,she loves to ride them when we can ,cold weather here in Kalispell. Myself I don't mind it either I like the easy step thru and know I can do some off road trails also. Were in our upper 50s.
Smaug
Well-known member
It depends on your flexibility. I'm still pretty flexible, so I can handle the step-over, but it really is nice to be able to step through the frame. Just make sure it is a step-through in reality, and not just in theory. Some "step-throughs" have a second downtube for strength, but there's not reasonably room to actually step through it without catching your foot on it.
Example: Look at my Level.2 here:
↑ It's a proper step-through, but when I put a water bottle cage on the bosses, it becomes a lot harder to step through.
Here's my wife's eBike, with the 2nd downtube needed for strength. It's a lot harder to step through than mine:
Another thing to consider is that some bikes have bosses for a water bottle cage (or something else) in one version, but not the other. For example, on the step-over Level.2, there's no water bottle cage bosses. It's probably a stronger frame, if you're going to beat on it by jumping curbs and stuff, but I decided I'd rather have those bosses for mounting things:
Example: Look at my Level.2 here:
↑ It's a proper step-through, but when I put a water bottle cage on the bosses, it becomes a lot harder to step through.
Here's my wife's eBike, with the 2nd downtube needed for strength. It's a lot harder to step through than mine:
Another thing to consider is that some bikes have bosses for a water bottle cage (or something else) in one version, but not the other. For example, on the step-over Level.2, there's no water bottle cage bosses. It's probably a stronger frame, if you're going to beat on it by jumping curbs and stuff, but I decided I'd rather have those bosses for mounting things:
Smaug
Well-known member
Another example from Aventon's line-up. The "step-through" version of the Solterra.2 has the water bottle bosses on TOP of the 2nd downtube. If a water bottle or anything else is mounted there, it's no longer a step-through, and that was questionable to begin with:
May as well get the stronger step-over version in this case, which moves the bosses to the bottom of the crosstube.
May as well get the stronger step-over version in this case, which moves the bosses to the bottom of the crosstube.
JerryB
Well-known member
I am 70yrs old.....have a new knee and hip on my right side.....I went with a step thru for ease of getting off and on......good decision for me.....otherwise I would have to use my shop ceiling winch when going for a ride.
addertooth
Well-known member
My wife is so short she includes the "half-inch" in her height. She really likes having a Step-Through frame to make it easier to get on and off the eBike. It was surprisingly hard to find her an acceptable bike which works for a person with a 30 inch inseam.
Mysery
Active member
If or when I get another e-bike it will be a step-through, my wife has Heybike Cityrun and I like it. We took the water bottle off as it was in the way when getting on and off.
Smaug
Well-known member
I’m 5’8” tall with a 30” inseam and I don’t consider myself very short. Just a little. I ride a 54 cm road bike frame and I’ll fit in just about any eBike.
If your wife is truly short, she has long legs for her height.
My wife is 5’2” tall and has about the same length legs as I do, so maybe I just have short legs for my height.
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Now don't laugh to hard,
I'm 5' 7" with a 29" inseam
I'm 5' 7" with a 29" inseam
JerryB
Well-known member
So was I when I was eleven! LOL!Now don't laugh to hard,
I'm 5' 7" with a 29" inseam
"A"
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I like my Step-thru ebikes. When carrying heavy load, the step-thru is a feature.
Transporting ebikes with car is something I rarely do. We just ride out ebikes to the destination.
I'm 5'10", wife is 5'1", Fiido T1 is pretty much the only fat tire ebike she can ride.
I changed out the cranks from 170mm to 152mm so her knees are not coming up to her chin on the upstrokes.
Changed the handlebar so the reach is shorter.
Step-thru trike is great for the in-laws.
Transporting ebikes with car is something I rarely do. We just ride out ebikes to the destination.
I'm 5'10", wife is 5'1", Fiido T1 is pretty much the only fat tire ebike she can ride.
I changed out the cranks from 170mm to 152mm so her knees are not coming up to her chin on the upstrokes.
Changed the handlebar so the reach is shorter.
Step-thru trike is great for the in-laws.
addertooth
Well-known member
I used the term inseam rather imprecisely. With a garment tape, she measures 29.5 inches from her bottom seating position to her heel.
I used that term to give a general understanding her legs were short.
But in the most accurate sense, inseam is not to the bottom of the foot, rather, it is to where the legs of the pants end. Most people have another 3 to 5 inches beyond their inseam. In her case, she has a true blue 29.5 inches from her bottom to her heel. With shoes on, that tosses in another half inch.
She is slightly on the balls of her feet when both feet are touching the ground. The seat measures 30.3 inches from the ground.
She can't even get on my bike (and keep just one foot on the ground) without leaning it about 45 degrees. Her toes do not touch the ground when the bike is vertical. Her height is 5 foot and (maybe) an inch.
Finding a bike which has a decent speed, acceptable AH rating, step-through, folding, and a workable seat height was tough.
She really wanted the folding feature, so she could store the bike in the laundry room. The speed and AH rating were my requirements.
I needed her to be able to go on similar rides which I enjoy.
The step-through was also selected in consideration of her height.
I was shocked to find it all for a bit under 1k.
Picture below: The his and hers bikes. Hers is in the foreground.
