Do I Need A Women’s Specific Mountain Bike?
February 1st, 2007 by Sara Best
Okay, we hardly know each other but I think it’s best if we just dive in here and deal with this one right off the top.
This is the question I get the most often from female friends and coworkers who want to get into cycling – do I need a women’s specific bike?
And my answer is always the same – an unequivocal maybe.
Helpful, right? Well, let me explain.
My experience has been that most men will tell you that women specific bikes are a big marketing ploy to get women to buy pink bikes and pink gadgets to go along with them. They will tell you that it’s all about the fit and if you get any bike fit to you properly, it will be a great bike for you.
However, ask almost any woman who has ridden a regular bike and now rides a women specific bike and there is a good chance that she will tell you that she doesn’t know how she rode before it.
Why?
Because, in general (and I do get that this is a generalization) women’s bodies are built differently than men’s. There’s just no way around it. Women tend to have longer legs, narrower shoulders, shorter torsos and shorter arms than men. So, it only makes sense that a bike that is designed just a little bit differently might be more comfortable for a woman.
I think what gets people’s back up about this topic is the idea that the mere existence of a women’s specific bike somehow suggests that women can’t ride a regular bike – that a regular bike is too hard for a woman.
But that’s not the case at all. The women’s specific bike doesn’t go any slower, it doesn’t climb any easier, and it doesn’t hit the ground any more gently. What it does do is fit better with a woman’s body so that an optimal amount of power is going into moving the bike forward rather than into over-reaching for brake levers or pedals.
I am one of those who believes that there really is a place out there for women specific bikes – I ride one myself (and it’s not even pink).
So, how about this? I think that women specific bikes are something to look at for people who happen to have narrower shoulders, longer legs, shorter arms, and shorter torsos than the average man for whom most bikes are designed.
The guys at my local bike shop tell me that they have indeed sold women’s specific bikes to men who are a little shorter or who have narrower shoulders than average, and that the result has been excellent.
As usual, what anyone should do before they buy a new bike is to ride as many different bikes as possible before settling on one. You’ll know which one is right for you before long. My only suggestion is that you include a few women’s specific bikes in there to see if they do give you a more comfortable fit.
Don’t worry, it doesn’t make you a wuss.
February 1st, 2007 at 6:15 pm
My wife has two WSD bikes….A Trek 1600 road bike, and a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR. Both frames give her adequate leg extension without jacking the seat up real high, while at the same time, a shorter top tube for her shorter reach. The only thing we’re going to change on the Stumpjumper at this time is the handlebars. It came with super narrow riser bars (24.5 inches I think). We plan on replacing them with some 27 inch wide bars.
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:33 am
Sara -
Well put. I personally do not have a WS bike, yet. The key word there is YET. I have taken a few out on test rides and find them much more comfortable, especially in the off road category. I am going to try and test some out this summer so if there are any companies out there looking to get a huge review done on this site, I was thinking a 2 -3 week expose, with every bike getting a ton of press. . . .
Thanks for joining the team, Sara. It’s good to have you
Peace Out
bk
February 2nd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
You know, babe, the more I think about it, men saying that a women’s mountain bike is just a mens in pink is like saying women’s underwear is the same as mens, just a different color. As comfortable as men’s underwear all, aren’t us ladies just a little more sexy, daring, and confident in our own styles? Put that in your pipe and smoke it you doubters, you.
Peace Out
bk
February 2nd, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Okay, I don’t have a mountain bike…YET! But last year I spent big bucks on a road bike, that is acutually a cycle-cross bike. The frame has a lower top bar, because I freaky about not having enough space, and my fork is big enough I can put mtb tires on the sucker if I want too. I wanted versitility. But, I will not take my beautiful bike on a trail! For one think I’ve put road tires on it, and I’m not a good enough rider yet to experiment! AND my bike IS PINK (on purpose!) because I wanted a pink bike!! I have a pink helmet, too, which needs to be replaced this year, since Giro came out with a pink/silver Atmos.
Off topic, sorry, why was Bob Roll wearing a pink helmet at the David Witt track event? I know he is comfortable in his skin, but his helmet didn’t match his kit!! So that can’t be the reason. Bitch Kittie, Sara says you and Bob are tight, can you find out for me???
February 5th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
I could spend an entire day hijcaking this site on this issue, but I won’t because BK is my li’l sis, Sara B is too cool and Tim Grahl is just too good a friend. SO I’ll keep it short… (for me)…
WS bikes do serve a purpose, like it or not boys. Not all women need one, but many do fit them better than non-WS bikes. Add to that the fact that many retailers are still learning how to fit a woman to a bike properly and there is an even greater need for WS bikes. Many WS bikes fit better out of the box than a poorly fitted “men’s” bike will. I know several women on either side of the fence on this issue. The ones who swear by WS will never change their minds. The ones who swear by simply getting fit to ANY bike will never change their minds.
Here’s the key to me; fit is the name of the game. If it fits you, buy it, ride it and love it. If it don’t fit… don’t buy it. You’ll just be unhappy and might even open yourself up to injury. The other key is that it needs to be the right WS design, if you are going that route. Simply putting a short top tube on a bike, painting it pretty and then proclaiming that it is a WS bike is kinda lame. If the seat angle is super steep and the fork rake is all wonky, the bike will ride and feel like poop. There’s more to WS than just color and narrow bars… take a look at the whole thing… and ALWAYS take it for a test ride.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
My big brother is the coolest. I should date his friends or something.
Peace Out
bk
February 5th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
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February 6th, 2007 at 7:22 am
[…] Big news for Pink MTB… journalist extraordinaire, Sara Best, has joined the Pink Team and posted her first article. Make sure you check it out and visit her blog. […]