Ebikes are for everyone. For young and old, big and small, rich and poor, for people of every skin colour, gender and from every part of our planet. In theory. In practice, this idealistic notion quickly collides with certain limitations. Some of these have to do directly with our physical characteristics. For people who are very tall, it can be quite a challenge to find an ebike that is literally the right fit for them. And the same applies to people who are sometimes – and somewhat rashly – labelled as heavy, fat or obese.
When we talk about ebikes for heavy riders, we actually mean ebikes for people who are a bit heavier than… well, than what or who exactly? The fact that some people are heavier than others is not the crucial factor. Instead, the type approval for ebikes comes into play as an indicator. And this is tied to specific requirements. But what does that mean exactly? And how do heavy riders – or rather, people with a higher body weight – find an ebike that suits them?
1. What does ‘heavy riders’ mean in the ebike cosmos?
2. The maximum permitted total weight of an ebike
3. Why should you comply with this requirement?
4. Where can you find information about the load capacity of an ebike?
5. Does heavy mean heavy people and how heavy is too heavy?
6. How does the bicycle industry deal with the weight limit of an ebike?
7. Do ebikes with a high load capacity require special frame designs?
8. What frame material is used?
9. What requirements do the components have to fulfil?
10. Does an ebike for heavy riders need a particularly powerful motor?
11. Selected ebikes for heavy riders
1. What does ‘heavy riders’ mean in the ebike cosmos?
To come straight to the point: When we talk about who is allowed to ride which ebike and who is not, being heavy means neither being overweight nor obese. Whether someone is considered heavy and from what weight ‘heavy’ becomes ‘too heavy’ depends on the relation of one’s own body weight to the maximum permitted total weight of the ebike. So, let’s break down both factors in peace.
2. The maximum permitted total weight of an ebike
There is a relatively easy-to-understand and widely recognised definition for the maximum permitted total weight of an ebike. Ernst Brust, founder and long-standing managing director of the Velotech testing laboratory, as well as a publicly appointed and sworn expert for micromobility at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce, once chose the following wording on the industry magazine ‘Velobiz’: ‘The permissible total weight is the maximum total weight that a bicycle or pedelec can carry, including the rider, luggage and accessories.’
If we break this list down a little further, the maximum system weight includes the following items that must be added:
- weight of the ebike
- body weight of the rider
- equipment worn on the body such as clothing, helmet, protectors, etc.
- weight of all luggage such as food, charger, tools, spare parts, etc.
- weight of unbraked trailers including their cargo
Every ebike registered in Europe is approved for a certain permitted total weight. Anyone who adds weight to their ebike while riding that exceeds this value risks their own health and possibly that of others, and also loses any liability claims if anyone is subsequently harmed.
3. Why should you comply with this requirement?
If the frame of an ebike or one of the built-in components has been damaged by overloading, you may not necessarily notice it immediately. Such damage can develop gradually without a dent or crack to indicate it. If a part does break and causes an accident, the insurance company will come into play. And they will ask whether you have complied with the applicable permitted total weight. If you have not, you cannot hold the manufacturer liable for the damage incurred and you will lose the manufacturer’s warranty.
In order to provide you with a reliable and safe ebike, the ebike manufacturer has specifically equipped the frame with certain components and had them tested and certified by laboratories. However, the approval of testing institutes is subject to certain limitations. Anyone who disregards these is personally responsible for the consequences.
4. Where can you find information about the load capacity of an ebike?
We would love to advise you to just check the respective ebike manufacturer’s product website. Unfortunately, there are still companies that do not state the maximum permitted total weight there. Or they place the information in a somewhat hidden location. A prominent example of the second case is Riese & Müller. You won’t find it there until you’ve clicked through to the configuration of the models from the corresponding product page.
If the product description doesn’t provide any information in this regard, look out for the manual. Sometimes there’s also a sticker on the ebike itself. Alternatively, you can usually ask your local bike shop.
Some brands offer certain ebikes specifically for heavy riders or as models with a particularly high permitted total weight. This is sometimes indicated quite simply in the product name. At KTM, you will see the extension ‘XL’. Kalkhoff adds a plus sign to the model name. These relate to ebikes for which the standard value is 170 kilograms. Qio also works with the plus and thus sets its Qio Eins+ P-E apart from the rest of the range. The plus model features a harder spring in the seat post, more robust pedals and sturdier handlebars.
5. Does heavy mean heavy people and how heavy is too heavy?
The definition of the maximum permitted total weight shows that there can be no general answer to this question. Rather, it inevitably depends on the factors mentioned. The respective ebike and its technical approval play a central role here. If the approval allows for a load of up to 200 kilograms, this opens up a completely different range of possibilities than if the limit is 120 kilograms, for example.
To the best of our knowledge, no institution in the world determines the average permitted total weight of eBikes sold in Germany. If there is, it would probably show significant differences even among the various types of ebikes, such as e-mountain bikes, e-road bikes, trekking ebikes, urban ebikes, city ebikes, e-cargo bikes and others. This is partly due to the frame materials, components and intended uses of the respective bikes. To get an idea of the range, it is sufficient to take a look at the current 2025 model year from Austrian ebike manufacturer KTM. There, the range extends from 108 kilograms for the KTM Macina Urbanator SX, a fully equipped, sporty e-fitness bike, to 175 kilograms for the KTM Macina City 820 XL, a particularly stable city ebike.
This much do Germans weigh in international comparison
At least we know from statistics how heavy people are in Germany, for example. According to the online platform Statista, the average weight of women in Germany in 2021 was 69.2 kilograms. For men, it was 85.8 kilograms on average. This means that men are pretty much in line with the average weight for all of Europe, which is 85.2 kilograms, according to the website laenderdaten.info. The difference is somewhat greater for women, with an average weight of 70.45 kilograms. These data date from 2022 and are based on a summary of scientific studies evaluated and published by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration. For comparison: For North America, the data show an average body weight of 88.6 kilograms for men and 76.8 kilograms for women.
However, the statistics do not explicitly reveal whether the person in question is fit, overweight or obese. In the end, this is also irrelevant for riding an ebike. The total weight of all factors is the deciding factor. In this calculation, body weight is only one of several factors. And the ebike does not distinguish between the reasons for this weight, the lifestyle or the illness behind it.
From a medical point of view, it can at least be said that riding an ebike can be beneficial to the health of people who are overweight. The additional motor assistance makes it easy to control the load during the ride and to specifically target a strengthening of the cardiovascular system and the generation of energy from fats. At the same time, this form of calorie consumption provides a form of locomotion that is easy on the joints and also good for mental well-being.
Classification based on the body mass index
Whether you fall into the overweight or obese category can be roughly estimated using the body mass index (BMI). The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies adults with a BMI of 25 to 30 as overweight. Anything above that is considered obese. But as already mentioned, this guideline is of limited use. After all, it is based strictly on the ratio of height and weight and excludes important factors such as age and gender. Likewise, it cannot differentiate between muscle and fat mass, nor does it take into account where the fat is stored in the body. If you want to assess your state of health more accurately, you can consult tables that look at BMI in relation to waist size. Alternatives to BMI include the ratio of waist to hips or waist to height.
What is the percentage of fat in your body weight?
The waist-hip ratio, WHR for short, provides information about body fat distribution, for example. A now more widespread tool for determining the proportion of body fat in your own body weight is digital personal scales. Certain models use electrical impedance measurement to show you your body fat percentage. But keep in mind that this is again only a rough guide and does not come close to more sophisticated measurement methods such as skinfold calipers.
The bike magazine ‘Bicycling’ provides assistance in interpreting the values that such a scale shows you. According to this, a body fat percentage of less than 21 per cent is recommended for men, while for women the value should be below 31 per cent.
According to Bicycling, health experts use the following more detailed classification:
Body fat percentage for men:
- essential fat: < 5 per cent
- athletes: 5 to 10 per cent
- general fitness: 11 to 14 per cent
- good health: 15 to 20 per cent
- overweight: 21 to 24 per cent
- too high: > 24 per cent
Body fat percentage for women:
- essential fat percentage: < 8 per cent
- athletes: 8 to 15 per cent
- general fitness: 16 to 23 per cent
- good health: 24 to 30 per cent
- overweight: 31 to 36 per cent
- too high: > 37
6. How does the bicycle industry deal with the weight limit of an ebike?
In the article, we mentioned the average body weight of a man living in Germany as 85.8 kilograms. To illustrate how this is reflected in the choice of a suitable ebike, we round it up to 86 kilograms. Let’s assume that the man wants to buy a trekking ebike. During his search, he comes across the KTM Macina Gran 610. This model came out on top as the best trekking ebike in a 2024 test by the German Stiftung Warentest. The man decides to buy this bike.
We congratulate him on his choice and create a sample calculation. The manufacturer, KTM, states 147 kilograms as the maximum permitted total weight. Of this, 27.6 kilograms are accounted for by the weight of the ebike itself. Let’s say 28 kilograms, since many manufacturers determine the weight without pedals. But without pedals, a multi-day bike trip is not even half as much fun. 😉 We also have the weight of the man of 86 kilograms. That leaves us with 33 kilograms for the moment. This covers our fictitious buyer’s clothing, two large panniers, the luggage with additional travel clothes, a charger, some food, the most necessary tools, washing utensils and other small items. If he packs carefully and doesn’t have to factor in temperature fluctuations of 30 degrees, it sounds like a manageable task.
Mixed situation between unproblematic and problematic
However, the scenario highlights at least three potential problems:
- Our buyer has an average weight, which, combined with an average height of around 179 centimetres, corresponds to a BMI of just under 27. According to Statista, however, 18.7 percent of this population group in 2021 had a BMI of 30 or higher in Germany. So it doesn’t take much imagination to see the 86 kilograms quickly become 96 kilograms.
- The average body weight of women living in Germany is 69.2 kilograms, which is significantly lower than that of men. Consequently, the situation for women is usually more relaxed.
- With a different ebike that would be just as suitable for such a bike tour, the situation would be noticeably different. Maybe our buyer will end up choosing the KTM Macina Sport SX Prime because he likes carbon as a frame material, wants electronic gears and is perfectly happy with the Bosch Performance Line SX. In this case, the weight of the bike drops to around 17 kilograms. However, the same applies to the maximum permitted total weight, which then only amounts to 121 kilograms – so in relation, it drops significantly more than the weight of the ebike. The 33-kilogram margin is thus reduced to just 18 kilograms.
To make matters worse, certain ebikes have a higher maximum permitted total weight. However, the small print contains the restriction that the rider’s body weight must not exceed a certain limit, such as 120 kilograms.
Let’s stay with KTM for a moment. In its 2025 catalogue, the manufacturer lists 194 different ebikes. For nine of them, the maximum permitted total weight is 150 kilograms or more. Among the nine models, there are three versions of the KTM Macina Multi, an e-cargo bike. If we exclude these, there are six ‘ordinary’ pedelecs left. This corresponds to a share of 3.1 per cent. There is no doubt that this is in stark contrast to the percentage of people in the population who would be potentially interested in such an ebike. The result would probably be similar for other ebike manufacturers whose product range covers almost all types of ebike as well.
KTM eBikes with a maximum permitted total weight of more than 170 kg:
- KTM Macina Style 820 XL: maximum permitted total weight 174 kg
- KTM Macina Style XL: maximum permitted total weight 174 kg
- KTM Macina Team 892 XL: maximum permitted total weight 172 kg
- KTM Macina Team XL: maximum permitted total weight 172 kg
- KTM Macina City 820 XL: maximum permitted total weight 175 kg
- KTM Macina City 610 XL: maximum permitted total weight: 175 kg
7. Do ebikes with a high load capacity require special frame designs?
Usually, ebikes with a higher permitted total weight do not differ obviously from other ebikes. Occasionally, small additional struts can be found in crucial areas of the frame, such as near the bottom bracket, which give the frame greater stability. Other changes, however, remain undiscovered. If you were to saw through the frame tubes of two such different pedelecs, you would find that the wall thicknesses and diameters differ. Ebikes for heavy riders often come with thicker walls and larger diameters. Another detail that can be used to increase the load capacity of a bike frame is to work with reinforced welds.
8. What frame material is used?
Aluminium and steel or chromium-molybdenum dominate when it comes to manufacturing the frame for an ebike whose permitted total weight should be as high as possible. At the same time, you will actually find carbon less often in this category. There is no real question of material behind this decision. An e-cargo bike like the Sane from Maniac & Sane with its carbon frame proves that with a permitted total weight of 200 kilograms and a permitted payload of 100 kilograms, there is no need to resort to a different material for reasons of stability. Reasons such as the actual manufacturing process and material costs are likely to be more decisive.
9. What requirements do the components have to fulfil?
If the frame meets the requirements for high loads, this is only half the battle. After all, a particularly robust frame does not automatically mean that all the other components can keep up with it. The following structurally relevant components are important here:
- axles
- brakes
- shocks
- fork (suspension or rigid)
- wheels (including spokes and rims)
- handlebars
- hubs
- tyres
- seat post
- stem
Wheels, for example, reuqire a high spoke tension. This can be ensured by both manual assembly and machine production. When it comes to tyres, people tend to reach for wider models with reinforced sidewalls, which also provide better protection against punctures. The higher total weight of the ebikes means that more weight has to be slowed down. That is why there is no getting around hydraulic disc brakes with four brake pistons on models like these, ideally with a disc diameter of 203 millimetres or more at the front and rear.
10. Does an ebike for heavy riders need a particularly powerful motor?
For a long time, the rule was: An ebike designed to move larger masses absolutely needs a more powerful motor. Today, this advice can be safely ignored. Firstly, it is only in exceptional cases that you can decide which motor to use for a particular ebike. Secondly, bike manufacturers already pay attention to this criterion and tend to choose a motor that is too powerful rather than too weak. Thirdly, development has now progressed so far that there is hardly a mid-motor or rear wheel hub motor that cannot move a total weight of 200 kilograms.
Our tip: Instead, pay attention to the battery integrated into the ebike. After all, a larger mass to be moved definitely puts more strain on the drive, which ultimately reduces the range. In combination with a full-power motor, a capacity of 625 watt hours or more seems advisable. Whether this is handled by a single battery or, thanks to options such as the DualBattery from Bosch or a range extender, two batteries share the task, makes a difference only with regard to charging.
11. Selected ebikes for heavy riders
Compared to ‘normal’ ebikes, ebikes with a maximum permitted total weight of 170 kilograms and more are severely underrepresented. Overall, however, they make up a considerable number that we can’t even begin to list here. That’s why we’ve handpicked a few models for you that we’ve already reported on or that we’ve had the chance to ride ourselves.
Hardtail e-mountain bike
- KTM Macina Team 892 XL
- KTM Macina Team XL
Trekking ebike
- KTM Macina Style 820 XL
- KTM Macina Style XL
- Riese & Müller Multicharger2 GT
City ebike
- Flyer Upstreet3
- KTM Macina City 820 XL
- KTM Macina City 610 XL
Compact ebike
- Qio Eins+ P-E
Compact long-tail e-cargo bike
Im Beitrag erwähnte Produkte
Pictures: Bergamont Fahrrad Vertrieb GmbH; Convercycle Bikes GmbH; Flyer AG; Hermann Hartje KG; KTM AG; Mobility Holdings Ltd.; Moustache Bikes SAS Cycle Me; Riese & Müller GmbH