Problems using a women specific bike (for man)

rowanh

I was in a bike shop today and they had a bike i liked, it is a large women's model. The guy in the shop said it should be the right size, i would normally be a medium. I had a go of it and it felt fine, im just wondering if this is a bad idea. I am aware the main difference is the cross bar is shorter but perhaps on the large women's bike the size is about right and it would mean the saddle being slightly lower than it would be for a women the same height as me? I have no issues at all with it being a woman's bike in terms of it being gay etc, i just don't want to find that it actually is quite uncomfortable in time due to some size ratio being wrong for me. The bike is a Whye Victoria, link here to frame info at bottom of the page.

MB Lacey

rowanh wrote: »

I have no issues at all with it being a woman's bike in terms of it being gay etc,

I'd be reeeeaaaal careful if I were you, I lent my women's bike to a close straight male friend and when he gave it back, he introduced me to his new male civil partner.

Lumen

Women do not have longer legs than men for a given height. They do, however, tend to have shorter arms and smaller hands, resulting in a shorter reach.

Probably not relevant on a hybrid bike, and in any case could be fixed with a stem change.

Saddle will probably be women-specific, i.e. wider.

rowanh

Great thanks. The guy did mention the saddle, he said they would swap it for something else. Thanks for the help.

Raam

Don't forget to claim your free lipstick.

rollingscone

rowanh wrote: »

I was in a bike shop today and they had a bike i liked, it is a large women's model. The guy in the shop said it should be the right size, i would normally be a medium. I had a go of it and it felt fine, im just wondering if this is a bad idea. I am aware the main difference is the cross bar is shorter but perhaps on the large women's bike the size is about right and it would mean the saddle being slightly lower than it would be for a women the same height as me? I have no issues at all with it being a woman's bike in terms of it being gay etc, i just don't want to find that it actually is quite uncomfortable in time due to some size ratio being wrong for me. The bike is a Whye Victoria, link here to frame info at bottom of the page.

Aren't women's bikes usually pricier at the spec?

@MBLacey: He borrowed your bike for 2 years?

iregk

Basket on the front preferably with a flower decal is absolutely essential too.

Amz

rollingscone wrote: »

Aren't women's bikes usually pricier at the spec?

Yeah, why is that?

mossym

Amz wrote: »

Yeah, why is that?

economies of scale, they sell less of them

Amz

It's this price difference that will mean I will be avoiding women's specific. A pink bike won't make me go faster just because I'm a girl

rollingscone

Isn't it widely accepted that a properly fitted "man's" bike will be just as functional for a woman as a magic female bike?

MB Lacey

I tried several 'men's' bikes and they were ok, but as soon as I tried the 'women's' Scott it felt like a great fit, so did the women's Trek.
I'm not experienced enough to know why, but I know that the wsd bikes suited me better, shame because the price hike really annoyed me.
So did the paintwork - no joke, there are flowers on the women's Treks, luckily the Scott I bought was mainly black.
I'm sure I could have got a man's bike and adjusted several things, but I liked the Scott and I didn't need to change anything.
So far, I've not had one single niggle or pain in all the cycling I've done since November - that's good going.

on_the_nickel

rowanh wrote: »

I was in a bike shop today and they had a bike i liked, it is a large women's model. The guy in the shop said it should be the right size, i would normally be a medium. I had a go of it and it felt fine, im just wondering if this is a bad idea. I am aware the main difference is the cross bar is shorter but perhaps on the large women's bike the size is about right and it would mean the saddle being slightly lower than it would be for a women the same height as me? I have no issues at all with it being a woman's bike in terms of it being gay etc, i just don't want to find that it actually is quite uncomfortable in time due to some size ratio being wrong for me. The bike is a Whye Victoria, link here to frame info at bottom of the page.

If it's comfortable, and you like it, go for it.

You will completely lose the ability to read a map, like, but on the upside, you will gain the ability to ask for directions.