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For most categories of e-bikes, a step-thru frame option exists. Commuter bikes, city bikes, fat tire bikes, and more often come in a high step frame but may have a step-thru option you can choose instead. They also go by different names and spellings; step-through, ST, or low-step are all just a way of saying the bike lacks a top tube.
So what’s the appeal? The obvious is that step-thrus are easier to mount and dismount. Without a top tube, the standover heights are considerably lower. There’s a clear benefit for younger or shorter riders, and for those with limited mobility too, since it makes the bike more accessible to more people.
Honestly, anybody can enjoy the relaxed feel that is seemingly baked into a step-thru’s design. Not having to lean a bike down and try to get a leg over it or worrying about easily getting your feet on the ground at a stop sign is a plus everybody can benefit from.
Some electric bike styles are predominantly built around step-thru frames. Cruisers, for example, emphasize a relaxed ride, which goes hand in hand with the ease of use of step-thrus and their more upright riding position.
Modern-day e-bikes largely offset the downsides once associated with step-thru frames. Yes, they are more flexible than a top-tube variant, but with the thicker tubing, e-bikes have it mitigate excessive flex, and it helps the bike be as safe as the top-tubed alternative.
Manufacturers have responded to increased step-thru demand, and there are now tons of e-bikes in the market as a result. To help folks find the one that meets their needs, you’ll find several step-thru e-bike reviews below. We’ve tested hundreds of e-bikes, and most of them included step-thru options.
Each bike was subjected to the same testing as any other bike, but several were reviewed independently from a high-step twin. As such, we comment on the difference in handling characteristics for better insights for those trying to narrow down between getting a bike in a high step or step-thru frame.
And if the numerous reviews of individual bikes still seem like too much reading to help you decipher which one is best for you, look at the ones we’ve singled out as our top recommendations for best all-around electric bikes. The odds are pretty good you’ll find step-thru frame options among those picks.
