Women's Specific Bikes

Women cyclists no longer need to try to fit themselves to bikes designed for men.  Finally, bicycle manufacturers have come to realize that men and women are built differently, and have different needs!  All major bicycle manufacturers now make women's specific bikes to accommodate the generally shorter torsos, narrower shoulders and longer legs of women.  For the first time in cycling history, very short women can find bikes that truly fit!

Why is it important for a woman to at least be fitted to and test ride a women's specific bike?  The biggest reason is that men's bikes have a proportionately longer "cockpit" (the distance from the saddle to the handlebards), as well as wider handlebards.  This puts the woman in an uncomfortable position - as she tries to get a good grip on the handlebars, she is forced to stretch too far forward.  Riding a too-long bike results in neck pain, numb hands, sore back and saddle pain.  Riding stretched out puts tremendous pressure on the soft tissue of the crotch, rather than concentrating rider weight on the pelvic bones.  Shortening the cockpit puts the female rider into a much more comfortable and biomechanically efficient position.  Handlebars on a women's specific bike are narrower, and the bikes come with female-specific saddles which are wider than men's, to better support a female pelvis.  Bike fit is crucial to rider comfort and pedaling efficiency, as well as injury prevention.

Women riders (even racers) generally prefer a slightly more upright riding position than men, simply for the sake of comfort due to the differences in shape between the male and female pelvis.  It is only slightly less aerodynamic to ride sitting slightly more upright, but that is offset by greater comfort and ability to then ride much faster, over longer distances.

Women's bike sizes generally run a few sizes smaller then men's bikes, accommodating riders from about 4'10" to 5'10" in height.  Road frames range from 42cm to 57cm.  Mountain, hybrid and cruiser frames range from 13" to 18".  Taller women can often ride a men's bike, but very short women almost always need a women's bike - if for no other reason than men's frames don't come in very petite sizes.

Note that not all women are suited for a women's specific bike!  Some women have shorter legs and longer torsos, more like men.  In those instances, a men's bike is fine (as long as she is tall enough), with the only modification necessary being the saddle and possibly a few adjustments to custom-fit the bike.