The right size electric trike is one whose rider height range includes you, whose step-through you can cross without a stretch, whose seat style suits the way you like to sit, whose handlebars you can reach with relaxed arms, and whose max total load covers you plus everything you carry. If you fall inside a trike's published rider height range, the real choice usually comes down to step-through height, seat style, reach and load. A five minute fit check on the trike itself confirms it. This guide is for riders and for anyone choosing on a parent's or partner's behalf.
By the Ridewave team, updated October 2026
What decides whether an electric trike fits you?
Five things, taken together: your height, how high you lift a foot to get on, how you like to sit, how far you reach to the handlebars, and how much weight the trike carries. Height alone isn't enough, because two riders of the same height can want very different trikes.
| Fit factor | What to check on the spec sheet | Put it first if |
|---|---|---|
| Rider height | The published rider height range | You are shorter or taller than most adults |
| Step-through height | The lowest point of the frame your foot crosses | Lifting a leg is stiff or tiring |
| Seat style | Upright or semi-recumbent, with or without a backrest and armrests | Sitting upright for long is uncomfortable |
| Seat height and reach | The seat height range and the handlebar to seat distance | Your legs or arms are shorter or longer than average for your height |
| Max total load | The rating for rider plus cargo together | You are heavier, or you carry a lot of shopping |
Wheel size, tyres and folded size decide where you ride, not whether the trike fits your body.
How much does rider height matter?
Less than most people expect, as long as you fall inside the published range. A rider height range tells you the seat and handlebars can be set to suit someone of that height. Ranges can be broad, and they differ from model to model: one Australian brand's five current trikes start at 150, 155 or 160 cm and top out at 190 or 195 cm.
Treat the range as a guide, not a guarantee. Leg length, arm length and how you like to sit all vary between riders of the same height, which is why the step-through, seat and reach figures below often decide more than the headline range.
Outside the published range? Ask the seller and try it in person.
Why does step-through height matter?
It decides how easy getting on and off feels, and on a trike you do that at every stop. Step-through height is the lowest point of the frame your foot crosses. Lower means less lifting, which matters most for riders with stiff hips or knees.
It varies more than you might expect, even among low-step frames. Across one brand's range it runs from 29.5 cm to 39 cm, a gap of nearly 10 cm, so compare the figure, not the word "low".
Try it before you visit. Find a step or a sturdy box about the same height as the frame and step over it a few times. Our guide to step-through and step-over frames walks through this home test.
Because a trike stands on its own, you don't need to balance while you step through. Look for a parking brake, which holds the trike still on the spot while you get on and off.
How does seat style change the fit?
Seat style changes where your weight sits and where your feet go, so it shapes comfort as much as height does. Most adult e-trikes use one of two styles.
Upright
You sit above the pedals, much like on a bicycle, with the handlebars in front of you. The seat moves up and down to suit your leg length, and on many trikes the handlebar height adjusts too. Upright suits riders who like the familiar feel of a bike and a clear view over traffic and paths.
Semi-recumbent
You sit back in a wider, chair style seat with a backrest, often with armrests, and the pedals sit further forward in front of you rather than underneath. Instead of going up and down, the seat usually slides forward and back to set the distance to the pedals. Semi-recumbent suits riders who would rather sit back than perch, or who find upright riding no longer comfortable.
How should seat height and reach feel?
Two adjustments do most of the fitting once you are on the trike: the seat and the handlebars.
Seat height. On an upright trike, your leg should be almost straight, with a slight bend, at the bottom of each pedal turn. On a semi-recumbent, the same rule applies, but you set it by sliding the seat rather than raising it. Check the seat height range on the spec sheet covers the height you need.
Set it safely too. The NSW Government's three minute check includes making sure the seat is at the correct height and the seat post sits at least 5 cm inside the frame (NSW Government guide to maintaining your bicycle or e-bike).
Reach. Holding the grips, your arms should be relaxed with a slight bend, and you should reach both brake levers without stretching or leaning forward. Some makers publish a handlebar to seat distance; it is useful for comparing upright trikes with each other, but a semi-recumbent sits you differently, so its figure isn't like for like. Handlebars that adjust for height, or forward and back, give you more room to get the reach right.
What does max total load include?
Max total load is the rider plus everything carried, added together. It isn't a rider weight limit with the baskets on top. Ratings differ between models, even within one range (one brand's trikes are rated to either 120 kg or 150 kg), so check the figure for the exact model.
Everything you carry counts towards it:
- Baskets and their contents. A basket's own weight rating sits inside the trike's total, not on top of it.
- Anything else you bring. A bag on your shoulder, a picnic rug, a jacket you take off halfway.
A quick worked example. A rider of 85 kg with 20 kg of shopping comes to 105 kg, within a 120 kg rating. A rider of 110 kg with the same shopping comes to 130 kg, which is over a 120 kg rating, so a trike rated to 150 kg is the one to look at.
Add up your own number honestly, and leave some room for the heaviest shop of the week rather than the lightest.
How do you confirm fit before you buy?
Sit on it and ride it. The numbers narrow your list to one or two trikes; a few minutes on the trike tells you which one works. Run this five point fit check at any test ride, in the shoes and clothes you'd normally ride in.
- Get on and off. With the parking brake on, step through the frame three or four times. It should feel easy every time, not just the first.
- Seat and pedals. With the seat set, pedal slowly. Your leg should be almost straight, with a slight bend, at the bottom of each turn, whether the pedals sit below you or in front.
- Reach. Hold the grips. Your arms should be relaxed with a slight bend, and you should reach both brake levers without stretching.
- Load. Add up your weight and what you'll carry, and check it against the trike's max total load.
- Ride it. Ride a few laps with a stop, a start and a turn each way. Wear a helmet that fits: South Australia's road safety guidance describes two fingers between eyebrows and helmet, straps meeting under the ear lobes and one finger between chin and buckle (South Australian Government guide to correct helmet fit).
If you are choosing for someone else, bring the rider. Only they can tell you whether getting on and pedalling feels right.
When a different choice suits better
Sizing tells you which trike fits, not whether a trike is right. If the rider would rather not pedal at all, our guide to electric trikes and mobility scooters covers when a scooter suits better.
About Ridewave and its electric trikes
Ridewave is an Australian e-trike and e-bike brand, with showrooms in Vermont VIC, Girraween NSW and Marrickville NSW where you can test ride by appointment. Here are the fit figures for its five current e-trikes.
| Model | Fits riders | Step-through | Seat | Max total load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koala | 150 to 190 cm | 29.5 cm | Upright, 78 to 92 cm | 150 kg |
| Quokka | 155 to 190 cm | 35 cm | Upright, 76 to 97 cm | 120 kg |
| Wallaby | 155 to 190 cm | 39 cm | Upright, 74 to 84 cm | 150 kg |
| Wallaby Plus | 160 to 195 cm | 39 cm | Upright, 75 to 85 cm | 150 kg |
| Platypus | 150 to 190 cm | 35.5 cm | Semi-recumbent, slides forward and back | 120 kg |
- The lowest step-through, and local rides or shopping: the Koala, or the Quokka with a front basket.
- Mixed roads and shared paths: the Wallaby; for gravel and rough ground, the Wallaby Plus.
- When upright riding is no longer comfortable: the Platypus, with a backrest and armrests.
Questions riders ask
Can a shorter rider use an electric trike?
Often, yes. Check the lower end of the published rider height range first. A shorter rider may also want a low step-through and a seat that goes low enough, so compare both figures. Below the published range, ask the seller and try one in person.
Is max total load the same as rider weight?
No. Max total load is the rider and everything carried, added together, including the baskets. A trike rated to 120 kg with 20 kg in the basket leaves 100 kg for the rider.
What is a semi-recumbent seat?
A chair style seat you sit back in, with a backrest and often armrests, where the pedals sit forward of you rather than below. The seat usually slides forward and back to fit your leg length.
Can someone choose a trike on behalf of a family member?
Yes. Measure the rider's height, add up what they'll carry, note how easily they lift a leg, and use the fit factors to shortlist one or two trikes. Then bring the rider to try them, because only they can tell you whether getting on and pedalling feels right.
Try the fit in person
The figures narrow the choice; sitting on the trike settles it. Compare every model in the electric trike range, then come and try the one or two that fit your numbers.
Test rides run at our showrooms in Vermont (Melbourne), Girraween and Marrickville (Sydney), and most visits take 30 minutes to an hour. Call ahead so we can have the right trike ready: book a showroom test ride, or call us on +61 468 095 888.
Sources
- Maintaining your bicycle or e-bike, NSW Government, checked October 2026
- Correct helmet fit explained, South Australian Government Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Way2Go, checked October 2026
Related articles
- Step-through vs step-over: which bike frame suits you?: frame heights side by side, and a home test for getting on and off.
- Electric trike vs mobility scooter: which suits the trips the rider wants to make.
- Electric trike maintenance: the trike parts to check once it's yours.