Ladies bicycles - help/advice needed

hugh1982

My better half currently has a ladies hybrid bike which, although comfortable to ride and very practical, weighs approximately one tonne and is not hugely fun to ride.

Having just got myself a Fratello, i can tell that she's keen on upgrading her bike to something similar in style - ie. road bike setup with added flexibility for light touring/fast commuting.

Is anyone aware of any good ladies bikes which might fit the bill? Budget is c.£500.

roger_merriman

i've not seen a drop bared step though for ladies that isn't a old bike, this said if she doesn't mind having to step over the bar, which on some of the compact frames isn't that high any way. she should have a large range to chose from.

hugh1982

I wasn't really thinking about a step - more a proper bike with a top tube. I guess that brings up another point - is the geometry of a ladies bike (with top tube) vastly different to that of a mens bike? if not, it makes the search much, much easier

roger_merriman

hugh1982 wrote:

I wasn't really thinking about a step - more a proper bike with a top tube. I guess that brings up another point - is the geometry of a ladies bike (with top tube) vastly different to that of a mens bike? if not, it makes the search much, much easier

they are suposed to be yes as woman normally have longer leg % of their hight but that doesn't mean that your fine lady is like that. I have quite long legs for my height ie 36inch instep for 6ft.

ie she should try some out and see what fits and not.

sarajoy

I've finally learned (after years) to kick my leg over the back

I know Spesh do a road range "designed for women" as I have a flat-barred hybriddy thing in the same vein - but the frames still aren't step-through: http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBC ... ad&eid=215

lost_in_thought

Now then, ladies' geometry...

Women's specific design, ladies' geometry, it's all a total myth or marketing extravaganza if you like.

Believe it or not, women, just like men, come in all shapes and sizes. Sure, Roger's right, as a rule women tend to be longer limbed, but that's not necessarily the case.

What's far more important is getting her on a bike that fits her. The best thing to do is to get her trying lots out!

Here's a test which a far more experienced cyclist on here told me about:

Measure height, in bare feet, in cm
Measure inner leg using the book method, in cm

Divide inseam by height - should be between 0.4 and 0.5 - longer leg to shorter torso is over 0.45, under 0.45 is shorter leg to longer torso!

I'm in the longer leg category, so can only help there, but if she's in the same group then bikes with a short top tube, as well as a long head tube or a lot of spacers to bring the bars up relative to saddle height...

For the longer torso category, I guess the opposite!

hugh1982

Again, thanks for the advice - will have a scout around and get her on some bikes. it was painful enough taking the time to get my own new bike - I can tell this will be even worse...

Roastie

Go to a good bike shop with knowledgable staff that are willing to take the time to sort out a proper fit ...