Choosing a Women's Bike

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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.

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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.

The Best Women's And Ladies Bikes On Amazon 

Schwinn Hollywood Women's 26-Inch Cruiser Bike

Schwinn Hollywood Women's 26-Inch Cruiser Bike

The Schwinn® Hollywood cruiser bike for women let more...0 points

GMC Denali Women's Road Bike (20

GMC Denali Women's Road Bike (20"/50cm Frame)

The GMC® Denali women's 20-in road bike offers a more...0 points

Anza Ridge Way Women's Comfort Bike

Anza Ridge Way Women's Comfort Bike

Cruise around in comfort and style with Anza's 21- more...0 points

Huffy Black Water Women's 26-Inch Comfort Bike

Huffy Black Water Women's 26-Inch Comfort Bike

Huffy 26617 - 26"" Blackwtr Ladies Bike, more...0 points

Mongoose Placid Women's Comfort Bike

Mongoose Placid Women's Comfort Bike

The Mongoose® Placid women's comfort bike can eas more...0 points

Jeep Overland Women's Comfort Bike

Jeep Overland Women's Comfort Bike

The Overland Series of comfort bikes from Jeep off more...0 points

Huffy Alpine Women's 26-Inch Mountain Bike

Huffy Alpine Women's 26-Inch Mountain Bike

The Huffy® Alpine 26-in women's all-terrain bicyc more...0 points

Schwinn Tornado Women's Cruiser Bike

Schwinn Tornado Women's Cruiser Bike

Ideal for riding around the neighborhood or on bik more...0 points

Titan Glacier Dual Suspension All-terrain Bike

Titan Glacier Dual Suspension All-terrain Bike

Suited for any terrain and all-terrain riding.Load more...0 points

Micargi Pantera 26 Inch Ladies Beach Cruiser Bike PINK

Micargi Pantera 26 Inch Ladies Beach Cruiser Bike PINK

All it needs is a drink holder! With their big fat more...0 points

Elvis Love Me Tender Women's Deluxe Cruiser Bike

Elvis Love Me Tender Women's Deluxe Cruiser Bike

This classic ladies style cruiser has durable stee more...0 points

Titan Trailblazer 18-Speed Ladies Mountain Bike

Titan Trailblazer 18-Speed Ladies Mountain Bike

COLORS MAY VARY. Front suspension design means con more...0 points

Find the Right Seat 

Just because the seat is coloured pink and has an anatomical cutout does not mean it will be comfortable. Finding a seat that fits in a number of pedalling positions requires trying out a whole bunch of saddles, and definately requires buying one designed especially for women. Seats are such an individual choice that I can only say that there are lots of riders out there who have found a women's saddle that fits. Be sure to buy a solid, thin racing saddle -- fat zellars saddles with visible springs (an evil gimmick to beware) are not only guaranteed some poorly-designed unisex model, but are less efficient and less comfortable than a proper racing saddle.

Unique Collection of Woman's Books and Guides to Bikes 

New Flickr Photos 

Woman On Bike by austinhk

Woman On Bike. One Of Those I Was Not Prepared For. I Was Sitting And Saw Her At...

Odd woman on a bike in Japan by 4tuneseekr

my bike, my rules by turbohamster

this woman was just walking her bike and i managed to quick focus manually and g...

Sunset through a bike by hannanik

You know the "when it's two o'clock in New York" first page fo...

Beauty and the bike by dutchamsterdam.nl

Nice bike. Gorgeous woman. Summer in

Woman on bike by Amodiovalerio Verde

In Lustgarden, Berlin. August, 2005

NCMA Woman on Bike by Nick's Pix

streetlife243 by bluehourphoto

young woman biking

Copenhagen by bike 7 by Leopoldo Esteban

Bike Rider by m00by

So, I took this one afternoon as I meandered home from work. I just asked if I c...

Paris Bike by JohnWilmot

Parisian woman biking. Photo: The Sartorialist.

Woman on bike by hannah_warder

Pedestrian zone, so you have to bike, or take the bus. (Aug 2006)

My Day:  Passing Tattoo Girl on Bike by pixieclipx

Haste St. at Telegraph Ave., just outside of People's Park in Berkeley CA.

Array by _Nia_

Bike-mania... by przemion 

Simply nice...

Bikes For Women on eBay auction! 

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Lensmaster

comfort-bike

Great lens. Thank you for the tips. Buying a bike can seem mystical to beginners, this is a great place to start

ReplyPosted February 28, 2009

JustSmile64 wrote...

Great lens. Want to take up biking soon, but have to find that just-right vehicle. Good info.

Thanks.

ReplyPosted October 06, 2008

ReneeMichele wrote...

Nice lens, keep up the good work! Please come visit my CAFTANs site and leave a link and a rating

ReplyPosted August 14, 2008

flowski wrote...

Good tips for selecting a womens bike! Excellent shopping too.

ReplyPosted November 18, 2007