Standover Height

What is Standover Height?

The approximate distance from the ground to the top of the top tube, typically around the point where one would stand over the bike when mounting or dismounting.

There is no industry standard for where along the length of the top tube this measurement is taken, but it's commonly somewhere between 50mm in front of the bottom bracket to around the midlength of the top tube.

The slope or curve of the top tube can make the standover height vary at different points along the top tube, so it’s recommended that riders check that a comfortable amount of clearance exists between the standover height and rider’s inseam.

Bike Insights uses the reported standover height whenever possible, but will calculate the approximate change in standover height when a build is customized with a different wheel or tire combination.

Why is it important?

Conventional recommendations suggest at least an inch of clearance between a bike’s standover and rider’s inseam. For mountain bike applications, more clearance is recommended due to the likelihood of unexpected dismounts on uneven terrain. Users can set their maximum preferred standover height in their Account preferences to be warned if a bike’s standover exceeds a comfortable limit.

BMX Standover Height

In the BMX world, "Standover Height" is often used to describe the frame's Seat Tube Length. For most BMX geometries, standover height actually refers to the seat tube length center-center measurement.