Bikes for Gurls!

HereKitty

OK....cycling about 12 months on a hybrid, bitten by the bug and now seriously considering buying a road bike. This might be a really stupid question, but is there any difference between road bikes for women and men. Or is it just the frame sizing thats the difference (size is important after all in cycling I guess )....And another question....cleats...have seen a few people fall off....am a bit worried I'm going to have a few embarassing incidents here, will it be easy enough to get used to these or should I initally just wimp out and stick to the toe clips.

Thanking you

Acoustic

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-AU/bikes/women/2200/31898/

giant avail in womens series

i thought id fall when using cleats but there the best thing since sliced bread , extra power and faster average speed

Mr. Skeffington

Hello,

There are a few main differences on road bikes specifically designed for women:

1) Geometry of frame
2) Stem length is usually allot shorter
3) Different shape of saddle
4) Handlebars usually narrower and shallower
5) Reach from drop bar to brake levers shorter for smaller hands

You really should go for the clipless pedals, much better and you wont look back. If you are worried about ease of clipping out you should try something like the Look Keo Easy pedals the springs are a little softer.

Acoustic is spot on with the Giant womens series, there are some serious bikes for gurls in their new 2010 range:
http://www2.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/model/avail.advanced.1/5705/39127/

Some full carbon bikes with good groupsets and wheels etc.

niceonetom

HereKitty wrote: »

OK....cycling about 12 months on a hybrid, bitten by the bug and now seriously considering buying a road bike. This might be a really stupid question, but is there any difference between road bikes for women and men. Or is it just the frame sizing thats the difference (size is important after all in cycling I guess )....

I've said it before. People should just be forced to buy a road bike the first time! Down with hybrids!!

Some women can get away with riding bikes designed for men. If you are fairly tall and have a longish torso and longish arms you might be ok. If on the other hand you have longer legs and shorter torso and arms (as most women do compared to men of the same height) you could do better with a frame designed specifically for women.

I know specialized's range have a lot of female fans and the bikes look the business. Cycleways has a few on display, the dolce (alu) and maybe the ruby (carbon).

HereKitty wrote: »

And another question....cleats...have seen a few people fall off....am a bit worried I'm going to have a few embarassing incidents here, will it be easy enough to get used to these or should I initally just wimp out and stick to the toe clips.

Thanking you

Go for road pedals and shoes. They make a big difference to both comfort and the feeling of power. You will have a cleat induced low speed fall at some time, probably at a traffic light. There will be witnesses. They will laugh. This has happened to every poster here, more or less, and we get up, try to recover our dignity and soldier on.

TheJones

niceonetom wrote: »

You will have a cleat induced low speed fall at some time, probably at a traffic light. There will be witnesses. They will laugh. This has happened to every poster here, more or less, and we get up, try to recover our dignity and soldier on.

Just remember to curse at your steed and nod knowingly to the laughing crowd as if it were all due to the faillings of the bike and not your lack of mobility, damn that 105 groupset!

HereKitty

TheJones wrote: »

Just remember to curse at your steed and nod knowingly to the laughing crowd as if it were all due to the faillings of the bike and not your lack of mobility, damn that 105 groupset!

Thanks Folks for the advice.......ohhhh and ladies dont curse....but gurls do

Caroline_ie

i am a girl too.
I have 4 bikes and only 1 is a lady specific bike and it's also my best bike.

A '08 Specialized Ruby pro. I chose it because I am quite short ( 5'nothing ). It is very well suited for smaller ladies, the bars are narrower, the saddle is a lady specific and ... it looks great without being too girly.

I started off with a '06 trek 1000, a men's bike. I only changed the saddle to a women specific saddle, I still use it from time to time. My Giant is a men's bike, I changed the bars and the saddle again, and finally, I have specialized MTB rockhopper, all, men, and didn't change anything on it.

Most ladies I know cycle men's bike, with no problem. I prefer the look of men's bikes myself, but most of the really good ones are too big for me

Try a few bikes, males and female specific and see what fits you best. Specialized ladies bikes do look great.

As for pedals, I never cycled any of my bikes with toe clips, I fell a few times at the start... it hurts, but you get used to it quite quick ( used to the pain)

baybike

I'm a gurl on a man's bike...never had a woman specific bike. I've had a giant and now a trek 1.9 and both fit me fine(just changed the saddle to a woman specific one - kinder on the lady garden that way!!)
If needs be you can get a shorter stem for the handlebars to bring them closer to you so you're not reaching too far.

Try them both out in a shop(imho, girls bikes always seem to look too small even if the fit is right!)

And definitely get the proper pedals straight off...as others have said, you'll really only ever fall when you're not actually moving and the only pain is caused by the humiliation of others laughing at you!! If you don't get them til later, you'll find it harder to get used to them.

Once you're on the road bike you'll never look back!!
You go gurl!!

peterako

baybike wrote: »

Once you're on the road bike you'll never look back!!

That's 'cause it's harder to look back on a road bike....at least for me

baybike wrote: »

You go gurl!!

Agree 100% Road bikes for the road.....could it be more obvious

You'll get from A to B in less time, have more fund soing so, and wonder why the decision was so hard in the first place.

Clipless Pedals too!! What did I do before them??

Peter

HereKitty

Thanks Baybike and Peterako.
Am imagining it will be slightly more difficult to balance, or maybe thats just matter of getting used to the different position. Gosh, I know, am sounding a bit wimpish:eek:

Baybike, Interesting you should mention the Trek, Me Da (who is an expert on all things!!) is a great fan of Trek bikes and cant understand why anyone would buy anything else. :rolleyes:

nak

I started off with a WSD Trek 1000, got smaller handlebars, but other than it was a great bike for the money, kept the frame to build up as a winter bike.

My road bike and track bike are both men's frames, but built them up myself with a short stem and 38" handlebars (I'm 5ft4" and some brands don't make men's frames small enough for me).

Try a few bikes and see what you find the most comfortable. I personally find ladies race saddles more comfy, but know a few girls who prefer men's ones.

lyders

I have the 08 Giant SCR3 ladies specific. It's my first bike, so I can't comment on the differences in the frame, stem, handlebars etc. I am 5'6", I need a small frame so I think it would be hard for me to find a men's bike that is as comfortable as my Giant. And also I do like that it looks a lot nicer than the boys equiv. I like my blue, white and sliver frame!

As for the cleats, definitely the best move I made. Makes cycling much easier and you put much more power into the pedals.

http://www.thecyclepeople.com/productdetails.asp?id=2722

sumo12

Caroline_ie wrote: »

i am a girl too.
I have 4 bikes

Wow. 4 bikes... Why? Does that not mean that there are 4 rooms in your house you cannot go into without feeling guilty for not being out on one of them..? I purposely avoid the landing for this reason...

SUMO

Huggles

Girl here too, also bitten by the bug early this Summer.

Absolutely get the cleats and just practice and if you can avoid it don't leave yourself short!

You won't look back!

**Goes back to studying Giant 2010 catalogue for bike number 2**

HereKitty

Huggles wrote: »

Girl here too, also bitten by the bug early this Summer.


**Goes back to studying Giant 2010 catalogue for bike number 2**

Yup Huggles....The Giant range looks very very tempting:)

StudentC

I can't really advice on the sizing issue, as 1) I'm fairly new to this and 2) I'm tall with a long back so I reckon that even if I'd looked for ladies' frames (I didn't bother), I might well have ended up with a men's anyway.

On the cleats - go for it, fairly easy to get used to if you set them loose to start off with and don't chicken out of trafficky areas, just go for it and get over your nerves!