This video was inspired by a direct message from a member of our audience. We love hearing your suggestions about what videos we should make next - so let us hear your ideas in the comments below!
Hi Emma why did you decide to ride a size "small" canyon? Wouldn't a size "extra small" suit your height better? I'm asking because I'm right in between sizes and wasn't sure which one to get. cheers Simon
Since I'm male I hope this isn't too presumptuous, but female-specific bikes never seemed necessary to me. That sloping top-tube compromises handling and doesn't seem to have any practical benefit.
When I was trying hybrids, I didn’t fit into treks women’s specific line as I’m tall but the shop owner commented that some of the smaller men fit into the frame sizing better on the ladies then the smaller men. I think this why the shop owner had selected more gender neutral colours.
I used to ride with a guy who preferred a woman's bike. He had really long legs but short torso. He usually had to have a really short stem which made the bike's steering too sensitive for his comfort. The shorter top tube allowed for a longer stem and so steering wasn't as sensitive.
I had a “women’s” bike (a Specialized Amira) from the ages of 10 to 14 years old. It did a great job when there wasn’t a better “men’s” alternative, as I was too short at the time. However there is (unfortunately) still a stigma around men riding “women’s” bike and I was questioned for the first couple of weeks as to why I was riding “a women’s bike”.
Brainjock there’s no difference in the design for the saddle (even if there is then you can just change the saddle), there’s just a shorter top tube for people with a smaller reach (i.e. perfect for a smaller adult/child)
I'm not considered short, but have a short torso and short arms. So I need a shorter top tube or my hands go numb. It is not wallet friendly to change half the bike components just for riding for pleasure.
@Brainjock Do you really think the differences between male and female bike design come down to balls Vs no balls? Maybe you should find a bike designed for someone with no brains.
Bike industry 10 years ago: "We're all-in on women's geometry frames." Bike industry today: "We've abandoned that mentality... You just get a different finishing kit on the same frame."
@@Pannemat Liv is complete opposite of the type of fit I need (shorter inseam, extra long reach). It is commendable giant is pretty much the only mainstream brand that hasn't made their frames unisex, however.
_Some_ women specific bikes have nicer paintjobs than the usually uninspired men's/unisex variants. Recent years' Canyon Ultimates spring to mind, it's even featured in the video. I loved that.
Not just bikes, most kinds of outdoor clothing as well! Last time I was shopping for hiking jackets at Decathlon, I was infuriated, all the ones I liked were women's fit. I ended up with some grey shit, I guess a lot of men are too bloody insecure to were something colourful :-/.
@@Quarky_ This is actually where the "pink tax" comes from for some brands, many men will begrudgingly buy whatever 1 or 2 colors in whatever stock fit in 1 of 4 sizes a company makes a garment, so the company has to make 8 different runs to fill their orders, and those 8 runs account for 50% of their sales volume. When they do the women's run, they need to make 4 colors, 2 fits, 7 sizes, so now they have to do 56 runs to fill the other 50% of their orders, as a result of the increased variety of smaller volume fabric buys as well as the smaller runs and increased line reset time the women's garments cost more.
After the whole video, I basically got two repeating messages: 1) there is no need for ab“women's specific” bike, 2) all sorts of customizations such a smaller frames, narrower handle bar, different geometry, etc. The two are simply contradictory to each other. I am a man, but I agree as Manon said we have riders in all shapes and sizes. If there are bike manufacturers, such as Giant, who wouldn't mind to put in the R&D to make some women specific bikes, why not? I think this is a privilege rather than prejudice. The CCC Women's Team, which is sponsored by Giant with its women specific line Liv, is doing really great in terms of winnings and performances. Their sponsored bike, Liv Langma Advance Pro, was named the best women's bike in 2020. Yet, none of these bikes were even mentioned. I think the sponsors have paid extra effort in deciding what information we get as an audience.
I think you misunderstood the messaging. The point of the video is that the "women's bikes" tag is just marketing. They are just smaller bikes and any gender person can ride women's and men's bikes. Point being, don't go and think you NEED to get a women's bike because you have a vagina and don't think you SHOULDNT ride a women's bike because you have a penis.
wonderful video! i personally ride a mens 54cm with a 80m stem and 40cm bars since my legs are far longer than my arms/torso. great to see more women’s content!
@@Alex-gd8xf Well done, you saw a popular insult floating around online, totally misunderstood what it actually means and made yourself look like a tool.
I jabbed the Like button a bit too many times upon hearing the question "Can Men Ride Women's Bikes" answered. 😁😁 And I am a 160+ cm tall guy. More men and women on bikes. Heck yeah. 🚲
As a 34-year-old father I wanted to watch this for my 8-year-old daughter. A lot of good info here! Also, I purchased a “women’s” Specialized Diverge last year because I liked the paint job more than the “men’s” version. I’m 5’9” at 145 lbs with oddly long limbs. All I had to do to get a proper fit was swap the saddle, stem, and bars, but I have to do this with any bike I buy. A year later and I’m still loving it.
Great video - I have an xs Liv bike (I'm155cm) but I'm convinced it's not quite right for me. But when the shop measured me up, that's the one they recommended and there was never any suggestion of "would you like to try the mens xs?". Also, that whole year of Liv bikes seemed to be highlighter pink or purple. Mine's pink and it makes me so mad that Giant bikes are orange, green, black etc but the Liv range is girl colours. Here's a tip, never be a woman trying to buy your bike on a Saturday, the guys in the bike shops will not have time for all your questions, they will beeline straight for the men with expensive bikes. Go on a weekday afternoon before 3pm.
I am incredibly happy that there are women-specific bikes. Because this gives me the opportunity to additionally choose between 2 different fits within one specific geometry type (for example: race, endurance, gravel). Since my torso is quite short, I always had to ride very small bikes with a seat post that was too long. Apart from the unpleasant look, the driving behaviour was always a bad compromise. Riding longer distances was not fun and at higher speeds, on descents, I never had a particularly safe feeling because the bikes were too short overall. Since women's bikes have been around, this bad compromise is no longer necessary. The only alternative would have been a custom frame. But that binds you too much to a specific bike.
Nice one GCN and Manon. It would be good to have some female specific training videos - women and fasted training, monthly cycle and how it affects performance, the female athlete triad etc. Or possibly a conversation between how optimal training and nutrition can differ between the guys and girls
The reason I use women's bikes is that I am 5 foot. Having said that, my winter bike is a small Planet X Pro Carbon and I have done lots of miles on that with no problem.
Its easy for someone who has a choice of bikes to make the comment "you can buy the bike and then swap items" but that additional cost is not available to everyone. If i am paying a small fortune for a bike, i don't want to have to replace items just so i can ride it. Lastly if you dont want a womens specific bike then don't buy one, the maufacturers wouldnt make them if they didnt sell. So as long as there is a market for them they will be there.
That's often true for a lot of people, unfortunately. I've ended up replacing the saddle, stem, and bars on every road bike I've ever owned. It's true, that if you can get something that's already a good fit out-of-the box then it's probably going to be worth it, and I think that's what Manon was suggesting. Not that you shouldn't buy a women's specific bike, just that you shouldn't limit your options to one. You might find that even with a womens bike, you might still want a different length stem, bars, or saddle, so the best bet is to just sit on a lot of bikes and get the one that's the best fit. If you're dealing with a good bike shop, and have an idea what you need, it might be worth talking to them when you're buying. Sometimes they'll be willing to throw in a swap for things like stems and saddles straight away, at least if it's something basic and off-the-shelf. If you're looking at something with a fancy integrated stem/bar or whatever, it might be a tougher deal to make, but it's always worth asking.
Some bike manufactures are better than others with this, for example Vitus (Wiggle/Chain-reactions in house brand) reduce crank length, bar width and stem length as the sizes go down (i think decathlon do something similar too with their mid to high end stuff). Of course people come in all shapes and sizes so even that wont work out for everyone but its better than just sticking the "average" size of components on like a lot do. Personally I think after a certain price point at least the stem length and bar width should be able to be specified by the buyer, a small selection of saddle choices wouldn't go a miss either.
@@kathrynb3380 I also got a WSD bike and never had to swap any parts. The idea that we should rather than just having womens bikes made for us is ridiculous x
I’m a shorter guy with something akin to a women’s build. It’s really useful to know there are smaller framed bikes out there, that, with a few simple adjustments can fit really well. The first time I sat on my 50cm road bike, I felt right at home. I’ve got a short torso, short arms, narrow shoulders and small hands so anything in a smaller size is very welcome.
As a 65 year old man, I have had to go to a step through frame. With arthritis in my right hip and knee, I cannot swing my leg over. It is a large but it is the old women’s bike style. I can get on and off safely. I have to cycle because it reduces my pain and gives me more mobility. I like your video how it informs about good fit.
Hi Manon, thank you for this video and all your videos. I am getting my first ride bike and I’m choosing the components. I know the saddle is a very, very personal choice. I’d love to hear what are the differences when it comes to what’s available out there, from a woman point of view and in particular from your standpoint! Thanks and keep up the amazing work!
I have learned a few things shopping for small bikes for my wife. First, there is a larger selection of high end road frames available in men's bikes than woman's, so if you limit yourself to woman's bikes then you will have significantly fewer options. Second, sometimes woman's frames are optimized for smaller sizes than men's. I have seen several instances where the men's frames will start to have increasingly funky geometry numbers in their smallest sizes (inappropriate fork rake/trail, too much toe overlap, too steep a seat tube, etc), where as the woman's models are more optimized for smaller sizes. Also, small frames can start to get too stiff at the small end of men's bikes. These compromises are not true of all brands, but you need to look out for it. Finally my wife is very short waisted, to the point where even the smallest size of a lot of men's frames are just too long. I have to pay really close attention to the reach measurement. Usually this is not a problem on woman's frames. Since I generally build up bikes from frame, I can't really speak to component differences. At this point she has 1 frame that is categorized as a woman's frame, and the rest are men's frames.
Yeah I rode unisex bikes but my latest is a (Matte Black) Liv women's specific bike which just meant that I basically didn't have to make any adjustments to the standard factory settings (and didn't have to pay for that). So maybe not necessary, just saved me some $$ as I could use it straight out of the shop.
Thank you for posting this video. Even when size and comfort are more important to buy a bike its good to be informed about the differences. it helps to know what to look for when considering a new purchase. Some years ago; I bought a woman’s bike but it was not really my size. If I had watched something like this video I would have know better.
I know the pain. And I watched videos... Still messed up big time. The thing was not only too short, it was too small, period. If only the shop gave a damn to take a look.
I recently got a women’s bike and it doesn’t feel much different from a non-labeled bike except that I can comfortably reach the breaks and gears and I’m really happy about that! Also, it comes in a beautiful dark turquoise colour 😍 (would never go for pink)
My "ride around town" bike is a FX Sport 5, womens. It just fits me better since I'm on the smaller side and I have to stop a lot more riding around town, so having more clearance on the top of the frame is nicer to have vs my road bike.
One of my bikes is a new 130th Anniversary Edition Bianchi Intenso Dama Bianca 47cm frame refitted to meet my sizing needs. I normally ride either a 52, 53, or 56cm frame bicycle. Of those, the Bianchi is a really amazing quick, snappy, twitchy fast mode of transportation. Beautiful pretty bike. I am 5'6" and 135# and heavily involved in the local and national cycling communities. I am leading escort cyclist for both the United States Air Force Marathon and Coast Guard Marathon. I am also on 2 major cycling teams.
Last year I got into road cycling using my boyfriend's mountain bike. Oh boy, was it a women's specific adventure XD I've got quite a pain in a "saddle area" just by riding 20+ km anytime throughout all season. Besides, it was freakin heavy. This year I got myself much lighter bike (matte black!) with the frame suitable for my height. Turns out my previous bike was simply too long for me and that's where the pain came from - I couldn't sit properly (M/L frame vs XL frame). Being quite tall (1,73 cm) I still couldn't ride only slightly bigger bike ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My point is - women saddle issues might be frame issues as well.
I bought a 2nd hand women's specific Fuji Supreme off a female pro. Had to increase stem from 90mm to 140mm, the 40cm bars to 42, and a seat I preferred and after a few further tweaks pretty much dialled it in. Being only a 49cm frame with Dura Ace and Reynolds Assault carbon clinchers, it's super light, responsive and a joy to ride!
I noticed that Giant now make the Liv range of bicycles which are more Women targeted bikes. Looking at the Liv side by side to the Giant variant you can see very subtle differences. The bikes almost look exactly the same.
Great video! I’ve been riding my ‘men’s’ Cube Peloton 53cm for nearly seven years (and still gaze adoringly at him), replacement bike post covid is a Liv Langma. Other than naming, my bike’s gender is irrelevant - geometry was the decider in both purchases (though I am pleased the Langma is a mainly black colour scheme)
I think that it is more of an issue when it comes to mountain bikes, because when I was teaching my girlfriend ( now my wife) to cycle on a man's bike which was a good fit but after I bought her a Giant liv( womens mountain bike range)which was the same size as the bike she learned to cycle on she said that it was much more comfortable and easier to find the correct saddle height she found it easier to reach the handlebars without stretching her back muscles, also she found the gear ratios better suited to her. Now we go on great trail rides up the mountains close to where we live together.
Thank you for this useful video - great explanations and examples! And thanks so much for the comment regarding pink and light blue - my gawd I'm so tired of seeing so much pink on women's bikes and cycling clothing.
My wife got her first road bike in 2020 and it's a woman specific bike and that it is small, I guess but that's about it. She has pretty short legs compared to her upper torso and even though the bike fits her when she's riding it she has a real hard time getting on. She didn't grow up with bikes so she's still a little awkward with them I think, but if the top bar would have slanted down a lot further I think it would have helped her a lot more in mounting and dismounting both.
Really like my new Liv AR2 in XS. Previously had Pinarello and Specialized small, not interested in tge reach anymore. Will keep Specialized and change to shorter raised stem for the trainer.
You can adjust the reach, not sure if you know! GCN have a video on this. I also really struggle switching up to the large cog. I struggle to push the lever to switch!
As a father of 2 daughters and grandfather to 11 granddaughters (as well as 2 sons and 11 grandsons), I am delighted, even overjoyed to see GCN addressing the female cyclist viewpoint. Ensuring all of my kids, male and female, have bikes that fit them has been quite a challenge over the years. Thank you GCN, and Manon, for being so willing to address the needs of both men and women cyclists.
I was a volunteer worker, rigging the start/ finish banner for the world's toughest women's bicycle race for 13 years, also butt holding on time trials and never once saw a female specific brand, particularly Terry.
My first really nice road bike was a women's specific specialized. I loved it until I got hooked on Cyclocross cross. I got an aluminum Crux and then upgraded to a trek Boone. Love it.
Ha! Perfect timing! Me and the wife are about to start looking for a bike for her and I was wondering who I could ask this question! Thank you very much for the info, very helpful!
As a female shop owner, I'm glad that you emphasized "fit" over everything else. For more than twenty years, I've fit men's bikes to some women, and men to some women's bike... all based on fit. The reality is that bike companies should simply have different fits for their bikes or different models, perhaps then they might gain back a few of the folks that simply didn't fit into a category. THANK YOU for making very clear for everyone, and YES please get rid of the pink or light blue bikes, and stop pretending that women all love the same thing or color... ones of the craziest ideas bike manufacturers have had for way too long.
My girlfriend is just over 150cm and has two women's specific bikes. One from Liv, one from Canyon. She also has a tiny unisex Ribble. They've all been made to fit her well but, as you said, more needed to be done to the unisex bike to get it right. The Canyon perhaps needs a saddle change, but that's about it.
As a 5'9" guy with short legs, average torso, wide shoulders, and quite long arms, finding a frame that fits me well has always been a pain in the ass, esp if I'm buying used. Argh.
My wife rides a women's Canyon Endurace in XXS. It's got the 650B wheels and works well for her. The only problem is that 650B road tires in smaller sizes (less than 32mm) are scarce. The bike came with Mavic UST wheels and tires but Mavic stopped making the tires so we now run Schwalbe Pro One TLE tires in 28mm width. Those seem to work pretty well but I'd really like to see more options available.
A small correction, re: dresses and step-through frames: It's actually more practical to ride a diamond-frame bicycle in a dress, because the top tube holds the dress out of the rear wheel and brakes. The actual reason for step-through bicycles, is that getting onto a diamond frame means swinging your leg over the back of the bicycle, and if you're wearing a dress or skirt, you risk flashing your undergarments. Historically speaking it was seen as an "unladylike" maneuver. Thankfully now we can wear shorts under our dresses...or just decide we don't care if anyone's looking. Re: the rest of the info: I have the extreme unluckiness of being just barely shorter than the average American woman, but most of my height is in my legs; and on top of that I have an old motion injury in my shoulders/upper back. I don't do racing-style cycling, but I ride everywhere for transportation and have done long-distance touring (including 4.5 months of mostly camping across the continent). And ...nobody makes women-specific touring bicycles without going custom. Every touring bicycle manufacturer seems to have a cut-off point after which the frames stop having a shorter top tube. I have *never* ridden a touring bicycle that fits me, and I'm currently eyeing custom framebuilders. Most of my friends were able to buy off-the-peg Surly touring bicycles, and meanwhile I had a comically high stem trying to get my handlebars closer to me, and still eating painkillers like candy because after a long day my shoulders hurt so bad I cried. It sucks. I know it's possible to make diamond-frame drop-bar bicycles that fit me! I once test-rode a Felt women's racing bicycle that was as comfortable as my 3-speed even with the handlebars lower than the saddle! I don't know why no one makes women's *touring* bicycles! Lots of women do long-distance touring and there's a market. I shouldn't have to shell out for custom. It's so frustrating.
Sorry, I just usually find there are ways to get your fit right outside of buying a new bike most of the time. Of course if you're bike just has too much reach to begin with it's never gonna feel right. I don't know what kind of bike you have but the other thing with mixte frames is that the reach is usually shorter. Idk if you have already done this but try talking to fitters and bike shops. They most likely have already helped other people around your size or with similar conditions find the right bike.
My husband as short legs and a long torso, he likes a smaller frame. So we visit 4 local bike stores, he notices that 95% of the bikes on offer are 56cm frames he asks the question "can I get/have a smaller frame?". Each bloody store told him the 56cm will fit him fine. They just wanted to sell what they have on display. Decathlon on the other hand let him try a smaller frame. Local bike shops need to change their approach to customers. Never had this problem when we bought the Bromptons. Keep Safe!
As a man of only 5’4”, I needed a smaller sized bike. Before buying my first bike I spoke with a friend, who had been writing for some me time, to help with the process. She suggested I consider a women’s bike. I looked at a number of women’s bikes and found a couple that suited me quite well. Unfortunately, the only colors available, at the time, were only were pink, purple and light blue. I ended up buying a standard bike size XS. Had there been different color options back then, I would have proudly ridden a women’s bike.
Thanks for making this video. We need more video's tackling gender getting in the way of people making the right choices. Most women appear to be more comfortable than most men in adopting things marketed to the other gender - I should know, being a CIS man and having an adversion to buying anything marketed to females. My mentality does not make sense, but it's good to make people like me (of any gender) think about this issue.
My torsoe is shorter and my legs are longer, so a women's bike would fit me better. But, thanks to branding and "pinkwashing" I haven't found one that works. I have found the Allez Sprint works really well for me.
I bought a 47cm Trek Equinox 7 (in black) 2 years ago with a WSD (Women's Specific Design) off eBay with a view to using it on the turbo. I actually prefer the frame geometry to my carbon frame. I decided, however, last year to put all the better kit on the Trek and use that for TTs.
I went through a phase when I was buying a lot of used bikes at thrift stores and giving them to friends who needed them and a couple of those bikes were ladies' Schwinns, so I knew from testing them after renovating them that that they rode well. So one afternoon, as I was commuting through DC on Capitol Hill, I caught up to a young man--a Congressional intern or something--as he was riding a ladies' Schwinn Varsity. I eased up to greet him and he sheepishly looked over at me and said, "It's my sister's bike." And I cheerily replied, "Hey man, nothing wrong with that--those bikes are smooth, a smooth ride." And I think he liked my response.
With my men's bike, with a heavy and high load on the rear rack (like when grocery shopping), I can't swing my leg around to get on and with the high crossbar stepping through it is difficult. I have to look for a high curb to use as a step. If I tilt the bike with a heavy load, the front wheel flips up and the bike falls on its side. I got a women's bike with a lower sloping crossbar, and I can easily step through it, so that solved the grocery hauling problem. Nowadays I enjoy riding it more than the men's bike because it's just easier to get on and off. Now I've got to get some tape or something to cover up this pink stuff.
I have short arms (as well as legs) and so I use a short riser stem to bring the bars a bit closer to me, but it's annoying that I have to buy new parts like this for every bike I buy. If they were labelled as "bikes for shortarses" and had less girly colours then perhaps I'd consider buying one!
Yeah. I'm a tall man with very long legs for my height, and I end up having to do the same thing. I pretty much always want a short 60-70mm stem angled way up at 35 degrees or so. Partly because I'm proportionally shorter in the torso, and partly just because even an un-cut fork steerer stacked to the top with spacers is still too low for me.
I ride a large womens specific bike. It's a great fit. I am 178cm tall but have long legs and short body. The geometry means that the head tube is a bit higher and the top tube a bit shorter. I'm not very flexible and ride Audax style rides. I am male but getting on in years. I really like the matt black finish with orange detailing. I also like the 38cm bars. These are the same width as fitted to my three bikes from the 1970s. Interestingly the stack and reach of the main frame is very similar to that of my 59cm Falcon from 1978.
I've got a drop frame bike that was markets a s a women's bike. Love it just really nice to jump on and off, especially if I'm nipping some where in less than convenient clothes.
I have made the following observation: almost all the women I have seen tend to hold the bars not at the hoods, but at the bend of the handlebar between the hoods and tops, suggesting that many ladies are riding bikes that are too long for them. So my tip would be to really look at the top tube/stem length so that you are comfortable in the hoods.
I see a lot of men doing that as well, I've got a mate who swears he needs a 140mm stem (like the pros use) and spends half his time on the tops and is only comfortable on the tail end of the bars when hes in the drops. I've pretty much given up trying to tell him.
Amazing video! Love the focus on womans cycling and completely agree with choosing a bike that best fits you rather than based on gender. My daughter loved the video and can't wait to see more from you.
As a man with narrow shoulders, sometimes women specific gear fits me better. A case in point would be Lowe Alpine back packs where the fit from the womens range is way better for me. I would suggest trying both mens and womens fits regardless of what gender you are, as you may get a better fit. Even with clothing it can be worth it. I really like the early Paramo climbing waterproofs before they changed the design for light weight above function. In this range the womens medium is the same cut as the mens small. The only differences are slightly smaller map pockets and the storm flap/zip being the other way round.
I have to agree with your assessment. If you're really into getting a great fit, you're probably going to be swapping out the components that makes men's and women's different, but the fact that they have different components could make them a better option straight out of the box for some people.
I ride a woman’s bike. Had a specialise woman’s rock hopper and a men’s… it was the same but the woman’s had a better paint job The seats are def diff, but if your covering with a gel pad or changing anyway. It’s the same
As you said, it's definitely a matter of personal preference, and individual's shape and size. I have never actually tried a road bike, just a cross bike, same model, one is for women, one for men...and I think I'd like a combination of those, like, the frame and the saddle is better on the women's, but I have wide shoulders, and I'd like to have wider handle bars like on a men's bike
I get the feeling that, besides making large and small bikes (and selling small "men" bikes as women bikes as it used to be done), we should get two measures: size and ratio. Size scales in all directions, whereas ratio determines the height/length aspect, to cope with differences in leg/torso ratio. Then everyone can select the bike that fits in terms of dimensions, rather than what fits in terms of learned colour preferences. If peripherals such as saddle and handlebar could be chosen from a (small) range of different varieties, to cope with "women" and "men" physics, things would get a lot better. Bikes come without pedals, they could start doing something similar with saddles and handlebars easily.
For women means pink it and shrink it. I'm a girl and I work in a bike shop and personally, a bike is a bike. Far more vital info is rider height and limb length. Step through bikes are great for older customers and those with hip and knee bikes.
Love cylcling videos just what I need to get it going the blood I love it. I always watch these before I go out and get my body moving. I always watch one of these, and then put up my heavy playlist like Delta Parole, Three Days Grace, System and then I just go haaaaard!!!! Tactic hasnt let me down yet.
I love my Specialized Diverge Women’s, I get lots of flack for specifics. Despite the newer design of frames are non gender specific, the details are in the subtle changes. Bars, seats, crank lengths, stems, and various small details. I ride a 54 which is medium/large women’s but. 54 in men’s is like a small/medium. My dad rides a men’s Specialized Sirrus and the stem lengths alone are a huge difference. His uses a 90mm stem while mine uses a 33mm stem.
For what it's worth, stepthrough frames are ideal for those towing touring trailers, large loads aft of the saddle, or tricycle utility/cargo tricycles. To have to hoist one's leg over a top tube can be a problematic situation, especially when top-heavy loads are involved. Never mind what gender one is, stepthrough frames are very useful for cyclists not involved in competitive cycling. Unless, of course, one is competing in a heavy load hauling competition... (Yes, there is a bicycling world outside of racing, really.)
I noted that many makers only change the bar width, ratios, saddle, and nicer colors all on the same geometry. So in many ways, for me (male) I would get the women's bike because I also like the shorter reach because I have long legs and shorter reach. The lower gears are good for an older guy like me and the narrow bars are just better all round for me.
Interesting insight. Makes you think bike manufacturers should just sell "bikes", but the finishing details could be male/female (saddle, handlebar width etc) to suit. As a guy who is 5'7, and ride a 53cm gravel bike, but a 49cm road bike - it makes me also think I shouldn't just limit any future bikes to just "mens" - just look at bikes which could fit in terms of size.
I am a man (well I was the last time I looked) and I ride a ladys bike. After a stroke I can't get my leg over the bar and saddle. People do quite often say hello madam when .i say hello to them which is odd as I have a moustache. Ladys bikes are great.
I couldn’t get a women’s in the type of bike I needed. So I bought a smaller men’s. And I love it. Always a good ride. I do, however, look for another saddle.
I like the shorter top tube and narrower bars of "Women Specific Design" frames as I have three (S4-5/L1) fused vertebrae and the length of the top tube / reach of traditional "men's" bikes is very uncomfortable to ride for me.
I have always ridden unisex bikes. Recently I ordered a women’s specific model (canyon ultimate sram etap 2xs after doing the complete measurements on canyon site) and I noticed my knees kept hitting the handle bars on climbing out of the seat. I had to return it. Canyon showroom had none in a women’s size to test ride :( The bike was smooth and fast and I loved the ease of the etap batteries, but the handle bar situation was a deal breaker. After spending so much on the bike, I wasn’t going to spend more money swapping out the stem/handle bars. Note: the geometry on the unisex same size bike is different and more preferable for me. I’m still considering canyon grail (unisex) for my n+1. One bonus was that the saddle canyon chose for the women’s specific model was fantastic. BTW, Manon is the best addition to the presenter staff!
Thanks Manon! That is an important topic. I find men/women's specific bikes marketing really annoying. I need longer frame, but narrow handlebars. And I like violet-white or pink-grey colour combinations. But for some reason I have to buy black, red or green bike, because nice colours come only in sizes to small for me. And then I have to change handlebars and saddle anyways. At least I can choose bartape colour...
This video was inspired by a direct message from a member of our audience. We love hearing your suggestions about what videos we should make next - so let us hear your ideas in the comments below!
Hi Emma why did you decide to ride a size "small" canyon? Wouldn't a size "extra small" suit your height better? I'm asking because I'm right in between sizes and wasn't sure which one to get.
cheers
Simon
It must have been a pain to redo the voice, but it looks very pro, well done!
She is so cute ✌🌷
Since I'm male I hope this isn't too presumptuous, but female-specific bikes never seemed necessary to me. That sloping top-tube compromises handling and doesn't seem to have any practical benefit.
nice vid
Love when Manon said smaller guys, showed clip of Hank that made me laugh.
It would be more ironic if they show conor
When I was trying hybrids, I didn’t fit into treks women’s specific line as I’m tall but the shop owner commented that some of the smaller men fit into the frame sizing better on the ladies then the smaller men. I think this why the shop owner had selected more gender neutral colours.
😂 poor hank, his height actually about 177-178cm, so it doesn’t considerably small 🤣
I think hank is actually taller than me
My dad is pretty short, 152cm, and he prefer female frame as he said it's easier to find his frame size
my dad is 158cm tall and he prefers women's frames too. he finds them much easier to throw the leg over
I'm 158cm too :) love my Canyon Ultimate with 650B wheels
I'm 1.57 and I really want to get into cycling. This video really helped because I always felt like I will never find a frame in my size hahah
@@LubberKing my grand dad was the same to stubborn to grow my gran used to say
I used to ride with a guy who preferred a woman's bike. He had really long legs but short torso. He usually had to have a really short stem which made the bike's steering too sensitive for his comfort. The shorter top tube allowed for a longer stem and so steering wasn't as sensitive.
I had a “women’s” bike (a Specialized Amira) from the ages of 10 to 14 years old. It did a great job when there wasn’t a better “men’s” alternative, as I was too short at the time. However there is (unfortunately) still a stigma around men riding “women’s” bike and I was questioned for the first couple of weeks as to why I was riding “a women’s bike”.
Isnt that a saddle specific thing? In the end bike geometry is very personal. Just ride what you feel good with!
@Brainjock Did you even watch the video?
Brainjock there’s no difference in the design for the saddle (even if there is then you can just change the saddle), there’s just a shorter top tube for people with a smaller reach (i.e. perfect for a smaller adult/child)
I'm not considered short, but have a short torso and short arms. So I need a shorter top tube or my hands go numb. It is not wallet friendly to change half the bike components just for riding for pleasure.
@Brainjock Do you really think the differences between male and female bike design come down to balls Vs no balls? Maybe you should find a bike designed for someone with no brains.
Bike industry 10 years ago: "We're all-in on women's geometry frames."
Bike industry today: "We've abandoned that mentality... You just get a different finishing kit on the same frame."
Get a Liv.
@@Pannemat Liv is complete opposite of the type of fit I need (shorter inseam, extra long reach). It is commendable giant is pretty much the only mainstream brand that hasn't made their frames unisex, however.
I need a girlfriend who looks at me like Manon looks at her forks.
You make a good point. But without the headache. 😒
We all need that...
@@michaelpark9386 *Bad Dum Tss
1) become a fork with metallic paint
Howard Wong You want a girlfriend who looks down on you?
I'm 5'8" and I just got me an AWESOME girls bike! And I love it! The Ruby Comp!!! Say it out loud! My bike is purple and green and is a mean machine!😂
@cartwork2013 yaaas! Exactly
_Some_ women specific bikes have nicer paintjobs than the usually uninspired men's/unisex variants. Recent years' Canyon Ultimates spring to mind, it's even featured in the video. I loved that.
I got Amira S-Works Womens bike in Zwift just because looks and ability to change colors :) And no I not chosen pink one :D
Every time I see a bike and go "oooooo that color is awesome", it's a "women's bike"
Not just bikes, most kinds of outdoor clothing as well! Last time I was shopping for hiking jackets at Decathlon, I was infuriated, all the ones I liked were women's fit. I ended up with some grey shit, I guess a lot of men are too bloody insecure to were something colourful :-/.
True 😍 I fell in Love with the pink little detail on the all matte black Canyon ultimate and got it last week - I absolute adore it
@@Quarky_ This is actually where the "pink tax" comes from for some brands, many men will begrudgingly buy whatever 1 or 2 colors in whatever stock fit in 1 of 4 sizes a company makes a garment, so the company has to make 8 different runs to fill their orders, and those 8 runs account for 50% of their sales volume. When they do the women's run, they need to make 4 colors, 2 fits, 7 sizes, so now they have to do 56 runs to fill the other 50% of their orders, as a result of the increased variety of smaller volume fabric buys as well as the smaller runs and increased line reset time the women's garments cost more.
I was given a bike for free so i decided it was the right size 😉
After the whole video, I basically got two repeating messages: 1) there is no need for ab“women's specific” bike, 2) all sorts of customizations such a smaller frames, narrower handle bar, different geometry, etc. The two are simply contradictory to each other. I am a man, but I agree as Manon said we have riders in all shapes and sizes. If there are bike manufacturers, such as Giant, who wouldn't mind to put in the R&D to make some women specific bikes, why not? I think this is a privilege rather than prejudice. The CCC Women's Team, which is sponsored by Giant with its women specific line Liv, is doing really great in terms of winnings and performances. Their sponsored bike, Liv Langma Advance Pro, was named the best women's bike in 2020. Yet, none of these bikes were even mentioned. I think the sponsors have paid extra effort in deciding what information we get as an audience.
Couldn't agree more mate.
I think you misunderstood the messaging. The point of the video is that the "women's bikes" tag is just marketing. They are just smaller bikes and any gender person can ride women's and men's bikes. Point being, don't go and think you NEED to get a women's bike because you have a vagina and don't think you SHOULDNT ride a women's bike because you have a penis.
"Just like people, there are more to bikes than gender." Such a great conclusion!
wonderful video! i personally ride a mens 54cm with a 80m stem and 40cm bars since my legs are far longer than my arms/torso. great to see more women’s content!
When I was a kid I thought Women's bikes were actually Men's because it would be a lot harder to hit your nads on a lower tube.
Now that is proper logic! I slipped onto the front tube today :(. my next bike is a womans for sure!
MTB already realised lower tubes is the way to go.
Lol same. It makes more sense the drop in the frame is pointless for ladies.
@@unitedwestanddividedwefall3521 makes sense with city bikes and ladies in skirts
@@unitedwestanddividedwefall3521 The drop in the frame comes from when women used to wear long skirts so they could just step through the bike
I really like you presenting style Manon
Simp
Thank you! 😊
@@Alex-gd8xf God forbid someone giving someone else a compliment.
@@Alex-gd8xf Well done, you saw a popular insult floating around online, totally misunderstood what it actually means and made yourself look like a tool.
@@chris1275cc lolol
I jabbed the Like button a bit too many times upon hearing the question "Can Men Ride Women's Bikes" answered. 😁😁 And I am a 160+ cm tall guy.
More men and women on bikes. Heck yeah. 🚲
As a 34-year-old father I wanted to watch this for my 8-year-old daughter. A lot of good info here! Also, I purchased a “women’s” Specialized Diverge last year because I liked the paint job more than the “men’s” version. I’m 5’9” at 145 lbs with oddly long limbs. All I had to do to get a proper fit was swap the saddle, stem, and bars, but I have to do this with any bike I buy. A year later and I’m still loving it.
Great video - I have an xs Liv bike (I'm155cm) but I'm convinced it's not quite right for me. But when the shop measured me up, that's the one they recommended and there was never any suggestion of "would you like to try the mens xs?". Also, that whole year of Liv bikes seemed to be highlighter pink or purple. Mine's pink and it makes me so mad that Giant bikes are orange, green, black etc but the Liv range is girl colours.
Here's a tip, never be a woman trying to buy your bike on a Saturday, the guys in the bike shops will not have time for all your questions, they will beeline straight for the men with expensive bikes. Go on a weekday afternoon before 3pm.
find another shop that is less toxic and sexist.
I loved the outtakes omg great. Manon please stay for a few years. Your videos keep getting better and better
I am incredibly happy that there are women-specific bikes. Because this gives me the opportunity to additionally choose between 2 different fits within one specific geometry type (for example: race, endurance, gravel). Since my torso is quite short, I always had to ride very small bikes with a seat post that was too long. Apart from the unpleasant look, the driving behaviour was always a bad compromise. Riding longer distances was not fun and at higher speeds, on descents, I never had a particularly safe feeling because the bikes were too short overall. Since women's bikes have been around, this bad compromise is no longer necessary. The only alternative would have been a custom frame. But that binds you too much to a specific bike.
Nice one GCN and Manon. It would be good to have some female specific training videos - women and fasted training, monthly cycle and how it affects performance, the female athlete triad etc. Or possibly a conversation between how optimal training and nutrition can differ between the guys and girls
The reason I use women's bikes is that I am 5 foot. Having said that, my winter bike is a small Planet X Pro Carbon and I have done lots of miles on that with no problem.
3:52 Get someone who looks at you the way Manon looks at her fork lol 😂😂😂
Its easy for someone who has a choice of bikes to make the comment "you can buy the bike and then swap items" but that additional cost is not available to everyone. If i am paying a small fortune for a bike, i don't want to have to replace items just so i can ride it.
Lastly if you dont want a womens specific bike then don't buy one, the maufacturers wouldnt make them if they didnt sell. So as long as there is a market for them they will be there.
That's often true for a lot of people, unfortunately.
I've ended up replacing the saddle, stem, and bars on every road bike I've ever owned.
It's true, that if you can get something that's already a good fit out-of-the box then it's probably going to be worth it, and I think that's what Manon was suggesting. Not that you shouldn't buy a women's specific bike, just that you shouldn't limit your options to one. You might find that even with a womens bike, you might still want a different length stem, bars, or saddle, so the best bet is to just sit on a lot of bikes and get the one that's the best fit.
If you're dealing with a good bike shop, and have an idea what you need, it might be worth talking to them when you're buying. Sometimes they'll be willing to throw in a swap for things like stems and saddles straight away, at least if it's something basic and off-the-shelf. If you're looking at something with a fancy integrated stem/bar or whatever, it might be a tougher deal to make, but it's always worth asking.
Some bike manufactures are better than others with this, for example Vitus (Wiggle/Chain-reactions in house brand) reduce crank length, bar width and stem length as the sizes go down (i think decathlon do something similar too with their mid to high end stuff). Of course people come in all shapes and sizes so even that wont work out for everyone but its better than just sticking the "average" size of components on like a lot do. Personally I think after a certain price point at least the stem length and bar width should be able to be specified by the buyer, a small selection of saddle choices wouldn't go a miss either.
As a small (159 cm) female who was new to road bikes, buying an xs women's bike made sense. I was glad to not have to swap out all the parts!
@@kathrynb3380 I also got a WSD bike and never had to swap any parts. The idea that we should rather than just having womens bikes made for us is ridiculous x
Gender specific gear and colours is so passé. It can't go away soon enough imo.
I’m a shorter guy with something akin to a women’s build. It’s really useful to know there are smaller framed bikes out there, that, with a few simple adjustments can fit really well. The first time I sat on my 50cm road bike, I felt right at home. I’ve got a short torso, short arms, narrow shoulders and small hands so anything in a smaller size is very welcome.
may I ask you how tall are you?
Love my Women's Scott Contessa WM specific bike. At 154cm its a great fit. Black in colour which is my preferred choice.
“Shorter, smaller men...” Cut to clip of Hank 🤣🤣🤣
My 7year old daughter is 4'6" and Zwifts with me. Pink women's bikes are really important to her.
Great, I went for white and put stickers all over it and a basket on the front! x
As a 65 year old man, I have had to go to a step through frame. With arthritis in my right hip and knee, I cannot swing my leg over. It is a large but it is the old women’s bike style. I can get on and off safely. I have to cycle because it reduces my pain and gives me more mobility. I like your video how it informs about good fit.
Hi Manon, thank you for this video and all your videos. I am getting my first ride bike and I’m choosing the components. I know the saddle is a very, very personal choice. I’d love to hear what are the differences when it comes to what’s available out there, from a woman point of view and in particular from your standpoint! Thanks and keep up the amazing work!
I have learned a few things shopping for small bikes for my wife. First, there is a larger selection of high end road frames available in men's bikes than woman's, so if you limit yourself to woman's bikes then you will have significantly fewer options. Second, sometimes woman's frames are optimized for smaller sizes than men's. I have seen several instances where the men's frames will start to have increasingly funky geometry numbers in their smallest sizes (inappropriate fork rake/trail, too much toe overlap, too steep a seat tube, etc), where as the woman's models are more optimized for smaller sizes. Also, small frames can start to get too stiff at the small end of men's bikes. These compromises are not true of all brands, but you need to look out for it. Finally my wife is very short waisted, to the point where even the smallest size of a lot of men's frames are just too long. I have to pay really close attention to the reach measurement. Usually this is not a problem on woman's frames. Since I generally build up bikes from frame, I can't really speak to component differences. At this point she has 1 frame that is categorized as a woman's frame, and the rest are men's frames.
Thank you GCN and Manon for finally supporting womens riders in your videos. This is awesome.
That really isn't what this is x
Yeah I rode unisex bikes but my latest is a (Matte Black) Liv women's specific bike which just meant that I basically didn't have to make any adjustments to the standard factory settings (and didn't have to pay for that). So maybe not necessary, just saved me some $$ as I could use it straight out of the shop.
Exactly x
Thank you for posting this video. Even when size and comfort are more important to buy a bike its good to be informed about the differences. it helps to know what to look for when considering a new purchase. Some years ago; I bought a woman’s bike but it was not really my size. If I had watched something like this video I would have know better.
I know the pain.
And I watched videos... Still messed up big time. The thing was not only too short, it was too small, period. If only the shop gave a damn to take a look.
I recently got a women’s bike and it doesn’t feel much different from a non-labeled bike except that I can comfortably reach the breaks and gears and I’m really happy about that! Also, it comes in a beautiful dark turquoise colour 😍 (would never go for pink)
It's nice to note that shimano offers tow different lever sizes which better accommodate smaller/bigger hands.
Just call it short fit or something. I'm a dude with relatively short arms and I need a shorter reach and even then I'm folded in half on the bike.
We aren't short fit - thanks. We are women! x
My "ride around town" bike is a FX Sport 5, womens. It just fits me better since I'm on the smaller side and I have to stop a lot more riding around town, so having more clearance on the top of the frame is nicer to have vs my road bike.
One of my bikes is a new 130th Anniversary Edition Bianchi Intenso Dama Bianca 47cm frame refitted to meet my sizing needs.
I normally ride either a 52, 53, or 56cm frame bicycle. Of those, the Bianchi is a really amazing quick, snappy, twitchy fast mode of transportation. Beautiful pretty bike. I am 5'6" and 135# and heavily involved in the local and national cycling communities. I am leading escort cyclist for both the United States Air Force Marathon and Coast Guard Marathon. I am also on 2 major cycling teams.
Wife loved this video, thanks for doing it, she's been questioning it.
Last year I got into road cycling using my boyfriend's mountain bike. Oh boy, was it a women's specific adventure XD I've got quite a pain in a "saddle area" just by riding 20+ km anytime throughout all season. Besides, it was freakin heavy.
This year I got myself much lighter bike (matte black!) with the frame suitable for my height. Turns out my previous bike was simply too long for me and that's where the pain came from - I couldn't sit properly (M/L frame vs XL frame). Being quite tall (1,73 cm) I still couldn't ride only slightly bigger bike ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My point is - women saddle issues might be frame issues as well.
Is it just me, or anyone else enjoying Mannon's B-rolls?😁
Velo, you're not alone, I enjoyed Manon's B-Roll a lot 😄😄😄
I hope to see a longer Bloopers collection come December, including some of the scenes seen here. 🤣
Nope, I'm loving them too! 🤣
They really should add a bloopers section at the end of every GCN video...
My bike is a men's xxs Ridley Fenix, and I named it Daisy. Ride what fits 👌
I bought a 2nd hand women's specific Fuji Supreme off a female pro. Had to increase stem from 90mm to 140mm, the 40cm bars to 42, and a seat I preferred and after a few further tweaks pretty much dialled it in. Being only a 49cm frame with Dura Ace and Reynolds Assault carbon clinchers, it's super light, responsive and a joy to ride!
I noticed that Giant now make the Liv range of bicycles which are more Women targeted bikes. Looking at the Liv side by side to the Giant variant you can see very subtle differences. The bikes almost look exactly the same.
Great video! I’ve been riding my ‘men’s’ Cube Peloton 53cm for nearly seven years (and still gaze adoringly at him), replacement bike post covid is a Liv Langma. Other than naming, my bike’s gender is irrelevant - geometry was the decider in both purchases (though I am pleased the Langma is a mainly black colour scheme)
I think that it is more of an issue when it comes to mountain bikes, because when I was teaching my girlfriend ( now my wife) to cycle on a man's bike which was a good fit but after I bought her a Giant liv( womens mountain bike range)which was the same size as the bike she learned to cycle on she said that it was much more comfortable and easier to find the correct saddle height she found it easier to reach the handlebars without stretching her back muscles, also she found the gear ratios better suited to her. Now we go on great trail rides up the mountains close to where we live together.
Thank you for this useful video - great explanations and examples! And thanks so much for the comment regarding pink and light blue - my gawd I'm so tired of seeing so much pink on women's bikes and cycling clothing.
My wife got her first road bike in 2020 and it's a woman specific bike and that it is small, I guess but that's about it. She has pretty short legs compared to her upper torso and even though the bike fits her when she's riding it she has a real hard time getting on. She didn't grow up with bikes so she's still a little awkward with them I think, but if the top bar would have slanted down a lot further I think it would have helped her a lot more in mounting and dismounting both.
Well said, “get the frame that fits you best”. Great practical advice and useful if I’m ever asked the question by one of the women on my life.
Really like my new Liv AR2 in XS. Previously had Pinarello and Specialized small, not interested in tge reach anymore. Will keep Specialized and change to shorter raised stem for the trainer.
My main issue is my tiny hands. I can barely reach the brakes on the drops!
You can adjust the reach, not sure if you know! GCN have a video on this. I also really struggle switching up to the large cog. I struggle to push the lever to switch!
The realities of life as a female - mens hands are bigger, arms longer. Denying this helps no one x
As a father of 2 daughters and grandfather to 11 granddaughters (as well as 2 sons and 11 grandsons), I am delighted, even overjoyed to see GCN addressing the female cyclist viewpoint. Ensuring all of my kids, male and female, have bikes that fit them has been quite a challenge over the years.
Thank you GCN, and Manon, for being so willing to address the needs of both men and women cyclists.
Yes. May sex specific bikes continue. So we can all cycle x
I was a volunteer worker, rigging the start/ finish banner for the world's toughest women's bicycle race for 13 years, also butt holding on time trials and never once saw a female specific brand, particularly Terry.
My first really nice road bike was a women's specific specialized. I loved it until I got hooked on Cyclocross cross. I got an aluminum Crux and then upgraded to a trek Boone. Love it.
That skirt clearance tube fact is fascinating. Makes sense. I like a low tube on a cruiser because I'm not flexible and it's easier to mount lol.
Ha! Perfect timing! Me and the wife are about to start looking for a bike for her and I was wondering who I could ask this question! Thank you very much for the info, very helpful!
I use a "women's" urban bike down here in Brazil. its a easystep frame, and obviously, stealth black
As a female shop owner, I'm glad that you emphasized "fit" over everything else. For more than twenty years, I've fit men's bikes to some women, and men to some women's bike... all based on fit. The reality is that bike companies should simply have different fits for their bikes or different models, perhaps then they might gain back a few of the folks that simply didn't fit into a category. THANK YOU for making very clear for everyone, and YES please get rid of the pink or light blue bikes, and stop pretending that women all love the same thing or color... ones of the craziest ideas bike manufacturers have had for way too long.
My girlfriend is just over 150cm and has two women's specific bikes. One from Liv, one from Canyon. She also has a tiny unisex Ribble. They've all been made to fit her well but, as you said, more needed to be done to the unisex bike to get it right. The Canyon perhaps needs a saddle change, but that's about it.
Even as a man : interesting and insightful video 🙂
As a 5'9" guy with short legs, average torso, wide shoulders, and quite long arms, finding a frame that fits me well has always been a pain in the ass, esp if I'm buying used. Argh.
Same Bruz, currently on a Giant Talon 29" in West Oz
My wife rides a women's Canyon Endurace in XXS. It's got the 650B wheels and works well for her. The only problem is that 650B road tires in smaller sizes (less than 32mm) are scarce. The bike came with Mavic UST wheels and tires but Mavic stopped making the tires so we now run Schwalbe Pro One TLE tires in 28mm width. Those seem to work pretty well but I'd really like to see more options available.
A small correction, re: dresses and step-through frames:
It's actually more practical to ride a diamond-frame bicycle in a dress, because the top tube holds the dress out of the rear wheel and brakes.
The actual reason for step-through bicycles, is that getting onto a diamond frame means swinging your leg over the back of the bicycle, and if you're wearing a dress or skirt, you risk flashing your undergarments. Historically speaking it was seen as an "unladylike" maneuver. Thankfully now we can wear shorts under our dresses...or just decide we don't care if anyone's looking.
Re: the rest of the info: I have the extreme unluckiness of being just barely shorter than the average American woman, but most of my height is in my legs; and on top of that I have an old motion injury in my shoulders/upper back. I don't do racing-style cycling, but I ride everywhere for transportation and have done long-distance touring (including 4.5 months of mostly camping across the continent). And ...nobody makes women-specific touring bicycles without going custom. Every touring bicycle manufacturer seems to have a cut-off point after which the frames stop having a shorter top tube. I have *never* ridden a touring bicycle that fits me, and I'm currently eyeing custom framebuilders. Most of my friends were able to buy off-the-peg Surly touring bicycles, and meanwhile I had a comically high stem trying to get my handlebars closer to me, and still eating painkillers like candy because after a long day my shoulders hurt so bad I cried. It sucks.
I know it's possible to make diamond-frame drop-bar bicycles that fit me! I once test-rode a Felt women's racing bicycle that was as comfortable as my 3-speed even with the handlebars lower than the saddle! I don't know why no one makes women's *touring* bicycles! Lots of women do long-distance touring and there's a market. I shouldn't have to shell out for custom. It's so frustrating.
This seems a little obvious but I have to ask, did you try a shorter stem?+
@@koooolk. Yes. My stem has zero reach and just goes up like half a foot. The effect is actually kinda comical.
@@aprilstarchild79 How long is it?
puches lona it’s not long. It doesn’t go forward at all. It only goes up. It’s a quill stem.
Sorry, I just usually find there are ways to get your fit right outside of buying a new bike most of the time. Of course if you're bike just has too much reach to begin with it's never gonna feel right. I don't know what kind of bike you have but the other thing with mixte frames is that the reach is usually shorter. Idk if you have already done this but try talking to fitters and bike shops. They most likely have already helped other people around your size or with similar conditions find the right bike.
My husband as short legs and a long torso, he likes a smaller frame. So we visit 4 local bike stores, he notices that 95% of the bikes on offer are 56cm frames he asks the question "can I get/have a smaller frame?". Each bloody store told him the 56cm will fit him fine. They just wanted to sell what they have on display. Decathlon on the other hand let him try a smaller frame. Local bike shops need to change their approach to customers. Never had this problem when we bought the Bromptons. Keep Safe!
The message seems to be that bikes shouldn't be labelled as *"men's"* when in fact they're anybody's. Sounds fair, next.
As a man of only 5’4”, I needed a smaller sized bike. Before buying my first bike I spoke with a friend, who had been writing for some me time, to help with the process. She suggested I consider a women’s bike. I looked at a number of women’s bikes and found a couple that suited me quite well. Unfortunately, the only colors available, at the time, were only were pink, purple and light blue. I ended up buying a standard bike size XS. Had there been different color options back then, I would have proudly ridden a women’s bike.
Thanks for making this video. We need more video's tackling gender getting in the way of people making the right choices. Most women appear to be more comfortable than most men in adopting things marketed to the other gender - I should know, being a CIS man and having an adversion to buying anything marketed to females. My mentality does not make sense, but it's good to make people like me (of any gender) think about this issue.
My torsoe is shorter and my legs are longer, so a women's bike would fit me better. But, thanks to branding and "pinkwashing" I haven't found one that works. I have found the Allez Sprint works really well for me.
I bought a 47cm Trek Equinox 7 (in black) 2 years ago with a WSD (Women's Specific Design) off eBay with a view to using it on the turbo. I actually prefer the frame geometry to my carbon frame. I decided, however, last year to put all the better kit on the Trek and use that for TTs.
I went through a phase when I was buying a lot of used bikes at thrift stores and giving them to friends who needed them and a couple of those bikes were ladies' Schwinns, so I knew from testing them after renovating them that that they rode well. So one afternoon, as I was commuting through DC on Capitol Hill, I caught up to a young man--a Congressional intern or something--as he was riding a ladies' Schwinn Varsity. I eased up to greet him and he sheepishly looked over at me and said, "It's my sister's bike." And I cheerily replied, "Hey man, nothing wrong with that--those bikes are smooth, a smooth ride." And I think he liked my response.
With my men's bike, with a heavy and high load on the rear rack (like when grocery shopping), I can't swing my leg around to get on and with the high crossbar stepping through it is difficult. I have to look for a high curb to use as a step. If I tilt the bike with a heavy load, the front wheel flips up and the bike falls on its side.
I got a women's bike with a lower sloping crossbar, and I can easily step through it, so that solved the grocery hauling problem. Nowadays I enjoy riding it more than the men's bike because it's just easier to get on and off.
Now I've got to get some tape or something to cover up this pink stuff.
Manon is one of the best presenters across the entire Global Cycling network. Love your work Manon. Kia Kaha from NZ
I have short arms (as well as legs) and so I use a short riser stem to bring the bars a bit closer to me, but it's annoying that I have to buy new parts like this for every bike I buy. If they were labelled as "bikes for shortarses" and had less girly colours then perhaps I'd consider buying one!
yes please , label a frame as shortarse .. would same me trying almost every bike in the store
Yeah. I'm a tall man with very long legs for my height, and I end up having to do the same thing. I pretty much always want a short 60-70mm stem angled way up at 35 degrees or so. Partly because I'm proportionally shorter in the torso, and partly just because even an un-cut fork steerer stacked to the top with spacers is still too low for me.
Try Ribble, you can spec different parts in the build.
I ride a large womens specific bike. It's a great fit. I am 178cm tall but have long legs and short body. The geometry means that the head tube is a bit higher and the top tube a bit shorter. I'm not very flexible and ride Audax style rides. I am male but getting on in years.
I really like the matt black finish with orange detailing. I also like the 38cm bars. These are the same width as fitted to my three bikes from the 1970s. Interestingly the stack and reach of the main frame is very similar to that of my 59cm Falcon from 1978.
I've got a drop frame bike that was markets a s a women's bike. Love it just really nice to jump on and off, especially if I'm nipping some where in less than convenient clothes.
I have made the following observation: almost all the women I have seen tend to hold the bars not at the hoods, but at the bend of the handlebar between the hoods and tops, suggesting that many ladies are riding bikes that are too long for them. So my tip would be to really look at the top tube/stem length so that you are comfortable in the hoods.
I see a lot of men doing that as well, I've got a mate who swears he needs a 140mm stem (like the pros use) and spends half his time on the tops and is only comfortable on the tail end of the bars when hes in the drops. I've pretty much given up trying to tell him.
Amazing video! Love the focus on womans cycling and completely agree with choosing a bike that best fits you rather than based on gender. My daughter loved the video and can't wait to see more from you.
Disappearing SEX (the dif in M & F bodies is not identity) harms females, inc your daughter x
As a man with narrow shoulders, sometimes women specific gear fits me better. A case in point would be Lowe Alpine back packs where the fit from the womens range is way better for me. I would suggest trying both mens and womens fits regardless of what gender you are, as you may get a better fit.
Even with clothing it can be worth it. I really like the early Paramo climbing waterproofs before they changed the design for light weight above function. In this range the womens medium is the same cut as the mens small. The only differences are slightly smaller map pockets and the storm flap/zip being the other way round.
I have to agree with your assessment. If you're really into getting a great fit, you're probably going to be swapping out the components that makes men's and women's different, but the fact that they have different components could make them a better option straight out of the box for some people.
I ride a woman’s bike. Had a specialise woman’s rock hopper and a men’s… it was the same but the woman’s had a better paint job
The seats are def diff, but if your covering with a gel pad or changing anyway. It’s the same
As you said, it's definitely a matter of personal preference, and individual's shape and size. I have never actually tried a road bike, just a cross bike, same model, one is for women, one for men...and I think I'd like a combination of those, like, the frame and the saddle is better on the women's, but I have wide shoulders, and I'd like to have wider handle bars like on a men's bike
I get the feeling that, besides making large and small bikes (and selling small "men" bikes as women bikes as it used to be done), we should get two measures: size and ratio. Size scales in all directions, whereas ratio determines the height/length aspect, to cope with differences in leg/torso ratio. Then everyone can select the bike that fits in terms of dimensions, rather than what fits in terms of learned colour preferences. If peripherals such as saddle and handlebar could be chosen from a (small) range of different varieties, to cope with "women" and "men" physics, things would get a lot better. Bikes come without pedals, they could start doing something similar with saddles and handlebars easily.
For women means pink it and shrink it. I'm a girl and I work in a bike shop and personally, a bike is a bike. Far more vital info is rider height and limb length. Step through bikes are great for older customers and those with hip and knee bikes.
Love cylcling videos just what I need to get it going the blood I love it. I always watch these before I go out and get my body moving. I always watch one of these, and then put up my heavy playlist like Delta Parole, Three Days Grace, System and then I just go haaaaard!!!! Tactic hasnt let me down yet.
I ride a woman’s canyon ultimate, I’m just too short to comfortably fit on any of the men’s sizes lol
I love my Specialized Diverge Women’s, I get lots of flack for specifics. Despite the newer design of frames are non gender specific, the details are in the subtle changes. Bars, seats, crank lengths, stems, and various small details. I ride a 54 which is medium/large women’s but. 54 in men’s is like a small/medium. My dad rides a men’s Specialized Sirrus and the stem lengths alone are a huge difference. His uses a 90mm stem while mine uses a 33mm stem.
For what it's worth, stepthrough frames are ideal for those towing touring trailers, large loads aft of the saddle, or tricycle utility/cargo tricycles. To have to hoist one's leg over a top tube can be a problematic situation, especially when top-heavy loads are involved. Never mind what gender one is, stepthrough frames are very useful for cyclists not involved in competitive cycling. Unless, of course, one is competing in a heavy load hauling competition... (Yes, there is a bicycling world outside of racing, really.)
My wife prefers the Dutch style bike due to it being a step through.. lol
I agree. I'd get one also if they weren't so heavy x
I'm a 6'1" (185cm) woman. I ride a size 58 frame so I don't really have a choice of getting a women's bike. OTOH I really would like a pink frame!
thanks for making this video, as a very short rider I've found canyon 650b wheels a game changer for ride position and handling. But I'm 5 ft tall
My Giant mtb use to make my vag hurt something awful , once I switched to a Giant that said Liv and was pink my vag stopped hurting.
I noted that many makers only change the bar width, ratios, saddle, and nicer colors all on the same geometry. So in many ways, for me (male) I would get the women's bike because I also like the shorter reach because I have long legs and shorter reach. The lower gears are good for an older guy like me and the narrow bars are just better all round for me.
Interesting insight. Makes you think bike manufacturers should just sell "bikes", but the finishing details could be male/female (saddle, handlebar width etc) to suit.
As a guy who is 5'7, and ride a 53cm gravel bike, but a 49cm road bike - it makes me also think I shouldn't just limit any future bikes to just "mens" - just look at bikes which could fit in terms of size.
Conor doing a bike fit must be the next video!
I am a man (well I was the last time I looked) and I ride a ladys bike. After a stroke I can't get my leg over the bar and saddle. People do quite often say hello madam when .i say hello to them which is odd as I have a moustache. Ladys bikes are great.
I couldn’t get a women’s in the type of bike I needed. So I bought a smaller men’s. And I love it. Always a good ride. I do, however, look for another saddle.
I like the shorter top tube and narrower bars of "Women Specific Design" frames as I have three (S4-5/L1) fused vertebrae and the length of the top tube / reach of traditional "men's" bikes is very uncomfortable to ride for me.
I have always ridden unisex bikes. Recently I ordered a women’s specific model (canyon ultimate sram etap 2xs after doing the complete measurements on canyon site) and I noticed my knees kept hitting the handle bars on climbing out of the seat. I had to return it. Canyon showroom had none in a women’s size to test ride :( The bike was smooth and fast and I loved the ease of the etap batteries, but the handle bar situation was a deal breaker. After spending so much on the bike, I wasn’t going to spend more money swapping out the stem/handle bars. Note: the geometry on the unisex same size bike is different and more preferable for me. I’m still considering canyon grail (unisex) for my n+1. One bonus was that the saddle canyon chose for the women’s specific model was fantastic. BTW, Manon is the best addition to the presenter staff!
Thanks Manon! That is an important topic.
I find men/women's specific bikes marketing really annoying. I need longer frame, but narrow handlebars. And I like violet-white or pink-grey colour combinations. But for some reason I have to buy black, red or green bike, because nice colours come only in sizes to small for me. And then I have to change handlebars and saddle anyways. At least I can choose bartape colour...