Womens Bike

djames77

Hi Everyone

I have just started riding again and already my other half seems to want to join me. She borrowed a bike this weekend - a very poor cheap halfords specal - ebjoyed riding but i could see she was struggling with the weight of this bike (imitation FS - i could just about pick the damn thing up!)

So - i have taken it upon myself to find a bike for her. Naturally i will ensure she trys before buying etc.. What i wanted to know though - Do women NEED a bike specifically with different geometry? I've noticed the steep sloping top tbe on ladies bkes - ut equally have seen women riding mens MTB's. Does anyone have any experience of ladies bikes? Please help! Oh, and if anyone has any suggestions as to what to buy, budget is around £300 and it doesn't have to be great, she will only use it around parks and family trails

thanks in advance!

Andy B

Sometimes mens bikes are a better fit for some women, sometimes not, as you say she needs to try some out.

Quite often the geometry is the same, just with a different saddle, sloping top tube, softer spring in the forks & shorter crank arm lengths (depending on the bike spec)

@£300 there won't be much of a difference between the specs of mens & womens bikes.

djames77

thanks andy

I appriciate the spec will be similar but i think you get a bit more choice when it comes to mens bikes, and therefore it seems i can get more for my money from Pauls Cycles etc...

ccc

I've just bought my other half her first proper bike, a Specialized Myka Sport. £350 from my lbs.

She tried several men's and women's frames and simply preferred the Myka. She just felt more comfortable on it than any of the others. As you said, it's worth her trying a few and seeing what works for her.

Also have a look in the women's mtb forum, there was a thread in there about women who ride men's frames - might be worth a read.

warrerj

Womens bikes tend to be designed around long legs and short bodies. Therefore shorter top tubes. Oh and not forgetting they'll be girly pink or baby blue

Mrs Me is short everywhere so rides a mens size xs :roll:

djames77

Thanks for the replys so far guys / gals

Mrs DJ has shorter legs and quite a long body so i'm thinking a mens bike might be worth a punt. Hold on, i just realised Mrs Dj is Yoda......

Northwind

There's not as much to some women's specific ikes as you'd think... Frinstance, I booked a testride on a Zesty 514. When I turned up, the bike hadn't been returned by the rider before so they gave me the 514L, which is the woman's version. I asked what the difference was- the answer was "skinny grips, funny saddle and prettier colours"

knedlicky

Northwind wrote:

There's not as much to some women's specific ikes as you'd think... ...the difference was- the answer was "skinny grips, funny saddle and prettier colours"

The road bikes advertised for women have appropriate saddles and usually narrower handlebars and smaller drops, appropriate colours, and sometimes shorter handlebar stems. They may also be adjusted when sold to have the difference in height between saddle and handlbars less than found on a man's bike, but otherwise, as Northwind found out, they are essentially the same as men's bikes.

The frames from Canyon and Trek are completely identical, those from Specialized are identical except marketed as a different size (e.g. the men's 49 frame is sold as the women's 51 frame). By this trick, Specialized sell to women a smaller frame than they would to a man with of the same height/leg length. She then gets a shorter top tube, so rides more vertical, as unsubstantiated myth has it women prefer.

Recent studies show it's also a myth that women have shorter bodies and longer legs than men; it's been mooted this myth has evolved from the fashion industry where women parade around on the cakewalk suggesting longer legs.
Generally, therefore, women don't need any different a road bike, and I'd guess this is the same for a MTB. All that manufacturers need to do, is to provide a few more options in the smaller frame-size bikes, so that women (and small men) have more of a choice.

supersonic

As ever, it is about trying a bike and seeing if it suits.

If you have smaller hands, you may be better with smaller grips: lighter, then lighter springs, different sit bones etc etc.

biw

My wife has never bought a women specific frame. She just rides extremely small ones. Currently riding a Spesh S-Works hardtail and a Titus Motolite (not at the same time). I think thay are 13" and 14" respectively.

RedJohn

Mt wife has a Trek 4500 (or some such similar number) which was about £400 a couple of years ago - it's a 13". Looks nice, decently light, surprisingly well equipped for the price (mostly Deore) although I haven't been able to try it out much myself to judge the riding!

Difference from a mens bike - well the small size, also very short stem. Funny womens saddle that she didn't like so we swapped it quickly.

.blitz

djames77 wrote:

Do women NEED a bike specifically with different geometry?

Some manufacturers (e.g. Cannondale) tend to go overboard with the short top tube thing and although it may feel OK in the shop, a cramped cockpit can make a bike very hard work off-road.

The biggest problem you will have is finding somewhere with a range of small men's bike in stock but it's worth shopping around. As said above, try before you buy and only look at the womens-specific bikes if none of the bloke's bikes fit.