Choosing a Women's Bike

Women are generally slighter in stature and height than men. They tend to have longer legs in proportion to their bodies, smaller hands and feet, wider pelvic bone structures, narrower shoulders and shorter arms. So women need to buy a specific women's bike and choose appropriate clothing. However, finding the right bike for a female can be a confusing process so here we provide a few key tips to help guide girls through the process.

Women's Bike

What's a women's bike? There's no true standard. Generally, though, it's a bike designed to have a shorter distance from the saddle to the handlebar for an easier reach, since women tend to have shorter torsos and arms than men.

As always, the best advice for buying a bike is to go to a knowledgeable local shop, where a salesman will take the time to fit you properly on a bike. That said, here are some signs you may be particularly suited to a women's-specific bike:

You have a short torso or short arms, or simply prefer a riding position where you feel less stretched out. The shorter saddle-to-bar distance on women's bikes will provide a more comfortable reach.
You're of average height (5'4") or shorter. Women's models almost always have smaller size runs.
You have small hands-ie. you wear size women's medium or smaller gloves-you'll appreciate the smaller-diameter handlebar and short-reach brake/shift levers on some women's models. Likewise, women's models often have a more-narrow handlebar, which is good if you have narrow shoulders.
You have a touchy lower back. Being too stretched out on a bike can lead to lower back pain. So can pedaling in a gear that's too hard. In addition to a shorter saddle-handlebar distance, many women's bikes also have a slightly raised handlebar - both will help ease tension on the lower back. And so will the gearing on many women's bikes, which by using a triple crankset, or the increasingly popular compact gearing, offers plenty of forgiving gears.
You want a ride that's pink or powder blue. Many bike makers still feminize the look of their women's models. Hey, it's a free country so if you like the girlie look and the fit is right, go for it.

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Choosing a Women's Bike

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