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Step through your next bicycle and make it easier to get on–and stay on–a bike. This has to do with the specific style of this particular bike. Whether you are talking about a mountain ready bike or a beach cruiser, the step thru feature is quite important.
How you get on and off of your new bicycle will make all the difference in how well you can ride. Choose from among the best step through bikes for 2023.
Step Through Versus Step Over Bikes
When shopping for a bicycle, there are two major styles that you can select. These are step through and step over styles, which refers to the frame of the bicycle. A step through or step thru bicycle allows the rider to get onto the bike without a great deal of stretch. This is the perfect style of bike for someone who has limited mobility or shorter legs.
Standover Height
There is a term called standover height, which is used by bicycle manufacturers. The standover height refers to the distance from the top surface of the top tube. This indicates the distance from the ground to the top area of this tube. The standover height also reaches the top of your inseam, which is the entire length of your leg.
For instance, a road bicycle rider with an inseam of 25 to 27 inches would need to purchase a step over bike with an 18 to 20 inch frame size. Meanwhile, at the other end of the bike tube height spectrum, mountain bike riders with a tall inseam measuring 25 to 27 inches need to buy a step over bike that has a 13 to 15 inch frame.
You will also see many mountain bikes and endurance bikes by brands like Giant and Cannondale that feature a mid-height top tube. Here you are not quite getting a step through style because the top tube has been repositioned halfway between the top of the bike and the gears.
As a result, you are not able to fully step through these bicycles. A true step through bike will allow the rider to avoid raising one leg over 12 to 18 inches when getting on the saddle.
Knee Versus Thigh Height
So, which one should you choose? A step through bike has a lower inseam and the top tube reaches knee height. On a taller, step over bike, the top tube reaches the top of your inner thigh. That is a short explanation of how a step thru bike and a step over bike differ.
Reasons to Avoid Step Over Bikes
A step over bike is designed with the top tube formed horizontally across the top as part of the frame. As a result, the seat or saddle of the bike is horizontally in line with the handlebars. This makes the rider sit at the top of the bike.
Great for speed bicyclists and urban bike riders, but the step over style is not the way to go for a mountain bike or beach cruiser. It is a challenge to reach your leg over the top of the step over bike. It is equally as difficult for some riders to bend forward in order to ride on the top of this style of bicycle.
Benefits of Step Through Bicycle Style
If lifting your leg over a horizontal bar that is the length of your inseam is difficult, a step thru bike is the best choice. You do not have that long, tall bar in the middle of the bike. Instead, the center bar is replaced by an extended V-shaped frame system. This style of bicycle allows you to get on and off of the seat without having to lift your leg.
A step through bicycle is well designed for individuals who have mobility issues. These include having hip conditions that prevent full flexibility and dealing with conditions like arthritis that reduce a person’s ability to move fluidly.
Bike riders who are suffering from joint pain and fibromyalgia can also mount a step thru bike more easily. If you are pregnant or have lower back pain, a step through bicycle offers a more stable way to ride a bike. You can easily step off of the bicycle, and you do not have to worry about straddling the bike either.
Best of the Best Step Through Bicycles
When it comes to selecting the right step thru bicycle for your personal preference, there are several styles and companies earning top marks from customers. These include the California bike brand sixthreezero, as well as old school brands like Schwinn. Decide which of these step thru bicycles will work best for your needs.
Townie Original 7D by Electra
While not an electric bike like those by sixthreezero, the Townie Original 7D is made by a brand that simply sounds electric–Electra. This is another California bicycle brand, and the style matches that beach cruiser aesthetic. You can easily see yourself cruising the boardwalks and sidewalks of SoCal on the back of a Townie.
Released in 2020, this is also one of the newer models of side through bicycles on the market. The Townie Original 7D comes in a variety of bright colors including kiwi green and purple. To better accommodate the rider, this step thru bike is made with a patented Flat Foot Technology®. This helps riders put their feet flat on the ground when seated on the bike.
Loft 7i Step-Thru by Electra
Electra is back around with the Trek bike brand. This time the manufacturer shows off the Loft 7i Step-Thru style of bicycle. Here is a sleek and minimalist style bike that is light gray with few adornments. The brown seat and matching brown handlebars are complemented by all-silver hardware. The bike is stylish and perfect for riding around the streets in any big city.
The step thru design comes from a low sweeping top tube that looks elegant on the frame. Perfect for commuting and rides to the park, the Loft 7i Step-Thru by Electra would make the best bike for any apartment dweller. Bontrager sells a custom plate for a backseat rack that can be purchased from Electra to install on the bike. This allows you to transport light loads with this step through bike.
Cruiser Go! Step-Thru by Electra
Choose from coral sunset, galactic black, white, and Bora Bora blue when purchasing your next Cruiser Go! Step-Thru bike. This bicycle is the third and final Electra and Trek selection on this list. What stands out with this step through bike is the retro design. The companies refer to this bike’s style as an American classic, and it shows with a shiny metal finish.
The Cruiser Go! Step-Thru is also a women’s beach cruiser style with a laid back aesthetic. Handlebars with black grips on silver metal reach out wide for a more relaxed ride. And, surprise, surprise, this is also an electric bike that runs with pedal-assist power. This elevates a traditional and iconic style of step through bike up a notch.
Beaumont Plus City Bike by Retrospec
A step through frame, a metal rear rack, and a chrome headlight make up the Beaumont Plus City Bike. Designed by Retrospec, this is an over-the-top classic style of women’s step through bicycle that has all of the bells and whistles, quite literally.
Yes, there is even a safety bell that comes equipped and made of steel for durability. The company Retrospec produces a range of sports and rec gear that includes longboards, paddle boards, and of course, bicycles as well as e-bikes.
Here, in this step thru women’s bicycle, the fenders are full wrapped steel and the frame is made from high-tensile steel. Color options include crystal blue, eggshell, and mint. While most women’s step-thru bicycles have seven speeds, the Beaumont Plus City Bike goes up a grade at eight speeds. This increases the capacity and range for operating this step through bike.
Step Through City Bike by Vilano
The Step Through City Bike by Vilano is classified as a women’s hybrid 700c retro city commuter. For those who commute or work in an urban center, this city bike is lightweight and classic looking thanks to the low hung top tube. The step through style permits this bike to work well for riders who are constantly hopping on and off of the saddle.
A handy water bottle mount is already attached to the bike at the factory, allowing you to stay hydrated while out and about. A typical seven-speed, the bicycle is perfect for women who are over 5 feet 4 inches.
Traveler Step-Thru by Schwinn
Available in two sizes, S/M and M/L, the seven-speed Traveler Step-Thru by Schwinn brings an iconic bike brand to this top 10 list. For those riders looking for a beach cruiser style of bicycle, the Traveler Step-Thru is ready to ride on any ocean shore. The bicycle comes in only one color option–mint–and it has brown grips on the handlebars coupled with a brown springy seat.
Check out the silver metal fenders that are more style than functionality. Located on the front and rear tires, these fenders add a vintage touch to the retro-style bike. The step-thru frame is not as low and swooping as some of the other bikes on this list.
However, there is a graceful curve to the top tube that accommodates increased mobility for the bike rider. Also, Schwinn reports the standover height of the Traveler Step-Thru to range from 589 to 607 millimeters, which is 23 to 24 inches.
Sierra Step-Thru by Schwinn
Lastly, check out the 21-speed Sierra Step-Thru bicycle by the brand Schwinn. Yes, that’s right–21 speeds. This is three times more capacity for gear grinding as compared to all the seven-speed bikes featured here.
In addition, this bicycle, like the last one by Schwinn, is only available in one color–mint blue. However, there are three size options for the bicycle–small for riders 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 3 inches, medium for riders 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 7 inches, and large for riders 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 11 inches. The standover height is 507 to 513 mm, which is approximately 20 inches.
Featuring a solid black seat and black metalwork, as well as black hand grips, the bike appears quite modern. A single low slung tube centers the step through bicycle. Like the Loft 7i Step-Thru, this bicycle is one of the more minimalist models. Yet the Sierra Step-Thru has more of a rugged aesthetic to take this bike from the streets to the mountains.
Perla Step-Thru by Schwinn
The final bike of the top step through styles for 2023 is another one by Schwinn called Perla. This is a classic seven-speed women’s bike. However, the color scheme and aesthetic is far from old school. Here you have either light pink or yellow for the base color, in a light pastel.
As the name suggests, there is also a pearlescent tone to the color scheme, as well as the combination of white for the saddle and handle bars. Matching pearly metal bars make up the rear rack, and give this bike a distinct style. The step through feature is notable by a deep curve in the top tube where the step thru takes place.
Rounding Up the Best Step Thru Bikes
To help you in making your final decision on the best step thru style of bicycle for women, consider these factors:
- Brand or manufacturer
- Color options
- Accessory options
- Standover height
- Style, i.e., beach cruiser, mountain bike, city bike, etc.
Determine which of these fits your personal aesthetic and narrow down the best step thru bike for you in 2023.