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On a standard women’s mountain bike chart, an XS fits 4’10” to 5’2″, an S fits 5’2″ to 5’6″, an M fits 5’6″ to 5’10”, and an L fits 5’10” to 6’1″. In frame inches, that’s 13 to 14, 15 to 16, 17 to 18, and 19 to 20.
However, height alone won’t give you the idea which MTB is suitable for you, because women’s brands like Liv and Juliana print their own height ranges and those don’t match the generic chart.
In this post, I’ll show you the standard chart, what each brand does differently, and a short table for the heights where two sizes both fit.
For any mountain bike, men’s or women’s, you can also have your numbers through my mountain bike size calculator.
Women’s mountain bike size chart
Use this chart if the bike you’re looking at doesn’t have a size guide of its own.
| Size | Rider height | Rider height (cm) | Frame size |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 4’10” – 5’2″ | 148 – 158 | 13 – 14″ |
| S | 5’2″ – 5’6″ | 158 – 168 | 15 – 16″ |
| M | 5’6″ – 5’10” | 167 – 178 | 17 – 18″ |
| L | 5’10” – 6’1″ | 178 – 185 | 19 – 20″ |
The chart stops at an L because women’s ranges are built around shorter riders.
If you’re over 6’1″, look at the men’s or unisex XL instead of looking for a women’s one.
Liv and Juliana use their own height ranges
Liv and Juliana each publish a chart for their women’s bikes:
| Size | Generic chart | Liv Pique and Intrigue | Juliana Roubion |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 4’10” – 5’2″ | 4’11” – 5’4″ | 4’8″ – 5’1″ |
| S | 5’2″ – 5’6″ | 5’2″ – 5’7″ | 5’1″ – 5’5″ |
| M | 5’6″ – 5’10” | 5’5″ – 5’9″ | 5’5″ – 5’9″ |
| L | 5’10” – 6’1″ | 5’7″ – 5’11” | not made |
A 5’4″ rider is an S on the generic chart, an XS or S on a Liv, and an S on a Juliana.
A 5’10” rider sits at the top of the generic M, at the bottom of the generic L, and well inside a Liv L.
That’s why I’d never pick a size from a letter.
Open the chart for the exact model you’re buying, and when two sizes both list your height, use the table further down.
Juliana’s XS starts at 4’8″, which is the smallest range on this size. Liv’s XS starts at 4’11”.
Do you need a women’s mountain bike?
No, you need a bike that fits. The Trek says the features it first built for women’s bikes, like lower standover, smaller sizes and size-specific geometry, now come on bikes for every rider.
What a women’s line gives you is the following:
- Smaller sizes, Juliana’s smallest frame fits from 4’8″, and Liv’s from 4’11”.
- Geometry drawn from women’s body data on some brands, like Liv. Other brands use a unisex frame and change only the saddle and bars.
- A women’s saddle on most models.
If you’re under about 5’3″, start with the women’s lines.
A lot of unisex models are made for riders taller than that, and you’ll run out of sizes.
If you’re 5’4″ or taller, a unisex bike in the right size will fit just as well, and you get more models to choose from.
Go by reach in the end. A bike is the right size when the reach number suits your arms and the standover clears your inseam, whatever the badge on the frame says.
Between two women’s sizes: use your inseam
There are three heights where two sizes both fit on the generic chart.
Your inseam breaks the tie. These cutoffs match the ones in my size calculator guide, so if you ride a Liv or Juliana, check the result against that brand’s chart too.
| Your height | Your inseam | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| 5’2″ | under 74 cm (29″) | XS |
| 5’2″ | 74 cm or more | S |
| 5’6″ | under 79 cm (31″) | S |
| 5’6″ | 79 cm or more | M |
| 5’10” | under 84 cm (33″) | M |
| 5’10” | 84 cm or more | L |
If your arms are long for your height, take the bigger bike in the pair. If your arms are short, take the smaller one.
Sit on both if you can and check that you can reach the grips without locking your elbows.
Compare reach, not the letter
Reach is the horizontal distance from the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube, and it decides how stretched out you feel.
Here are the numbers for three women’s models, in millimeters:
| Size | Liv Pique | Liv Intrigue | Juliana Roubion |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 404 | 405 | 402 |
| S | 418 | 418 | 427 |
| M | 430 | 432 | 452 |
| L | 442 | 452 | not made |
The three bikes start almost in the same place and then drift apart.
The Roubion’s S is 9 mm longer than the Liv S, and its M is 20 mm longer than the Pique M.
A rider who is a Liv M and a Juliana M is not sitting in the same position on both. If you’re moving between brands, hold on to the reach you like on your current bike and look for it in the new chart.
Two 5’4″ riders on two different sizes
Allysa Seely and Crystal Anthony are both listed at 5’4″.
Seely has a 78 cm inseam and rides an XS. And Anthony has a 73.6 cm inseam and rides an S.
The rider with the longer legs is on the smaller bike.
If you went by my inseam table, you’d put Seely on the S.
She picked the XS, which tells me torso and arm length, plus how she wants the bike to feel, can outweigh a few centimeters of leg.
Your inseam is a good tie-breaker, and it’s still only one number out of several.
Check these contact points before you buy
A size that fits on paper may feel wrong because of the parts you touch. Run through this list on a test ride or in the shop:
- Saddle: you should be able to sit and pedal without pressure or numbness. Women’s saddles come stock on most women’s models, and they are easy to swap if yours doesn’t work for you. My saddle height guide shows how to set the height once you have one that works.
- Bars: narrower bars suit narrower shoulders. You can check my handlebar width and stem guide. I shared how to pick and trim them.
- Brake levers: you should reach them with your index finger while your hand stays wrapped around the grip. Most levers can be moved closer to the bar.
- Cranks: if your feet feel far from the bike when you stand on the pedals, ask about shorter cranks.
When you’re on the line between two sizes
Juliana’s advice for riders on the cusp is to ride both sizes if you can, and I also agree.
If you can’t, use this order.
Look at the reach first, then your inseam from the table above, then how long your arms are for your height.
A longer bike is more stable at speed and on steep ground, and a shorter one turns quicker and feels easier to move around.
Pick the one that matches the trails you ride most.
Riders on tight, twisty trails usually do well on the smaller of the two, and riders on fast, open descents on the bigger.
Women’s mountain bike sizing FAQ
What size mountain bike for a 5’4″ woman?
An S on the generic chart, which covers 5’2″ to 5’6″. On a Liv, 5’4″ fits both the XS and the S, so choose by reach, but on a Juliana it’s an S.
What size mountain bike for a 5’7″ woman?
An M on the generic chart, which covers 5’6″ to 5’10”. On a Liv, 5’7″ is in the S, M and L ranges, and the M is the middle pick.
Can a woman ride a men’s mountain bike?
Yes, as long as the size fits, check reach and standover first.
You may want to swap the saddle and the bars afterward.
What is the smallest women’s mountain bike size?
Juliana’s XS fits riders from 4’8″ (142 cm), Liv’s XS starts at 4’11” (150 cm).
What size mountain bike for a 5’2″ woman?
An XS or an S, under a 74 cm inseam, take the XS, at 74 cm or more, take the S.
On a Liv or Juliana, 5’2″ fits both the XS and the S, so compare the reach numbers in the table above.
What size mountain bike for a 5’8″ woman?
An M on the generic chart. On a Liv, 5’8″ fits both the M and the L.
With an inseam under 84 cm, I’d start with the M, which has a 430 mm reach on the Pique.
At 84 cm or more, try the L, which has 442 mm.
Should I buy women’s or unisex if I’m between brands?
Compare the reach first and the label second.
A unisex bike with the right reach and standover will fit as well as a women’s model, and you can change the saddle and bars on either.
