Bikes for blokes

[G3CWI]

A thread elsewhere got me thinking about bikes for different sexes. I am aware that there is a traditional design of bike for women. Some questions arise;

- is the traditional design a world wide thing?
- are bikes for female pro-cyclists built the same as they would be for a male of the same height and weight?
- is the idea of different bikes for women just outdated sexism?

 

[Venod]

Not sure of the differences, but a girl in the club is a big fan of the Giant Liv range, she is not much taller than 5ft but a very strong rider, the wife at 5' 6" had no problem riding my medium MTB.

 

[Hitchington]

Real men ride Raleigh Shoppers

 

[Cycleops]

Real men ride Raleigh Shoppers

And real gurus like Sheldon Brown:

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Not sure of the differences, but a girl in the club is a big fan of the Giant Liv range, she is not much taller than 5ft but a very strong rider, the wife at 5' 6" had no problem riding my medium MTB.

I've seen a couple of lovely looking Livs. Giant appear to have got past the ''pink it and shrink it'' approach.

Meanwhile, skirts are the main reason for step through bikes. In the pro cycling world, it's the bike fit that is most important. A top tube/crossbar seems to be the strongest, lightest construction and if wearing cycling shorts there is no reason to compromise this with step through frames. For general everyday use, though, they'll remain practical for people who wear skirts or dresses (or kilts, for that matter) and they'll remain attractive as long as there's a continuing received idea of men's and boys' bikes being different from women's and girls'.

Taken demographically, of course, there's a difference in overall height and and leg/torso proportions between the sexes. Bike set ups will reflect that.

 

[dim]

a man's bike:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a womans's bike:

==========================================================================
gentleman's bike: [mod edit]

============================================================================
an overpriced unisex bike:

===========================================================================

a Butch bike:

 

[winjim]

I am comfortable in my masculinity. I quite fancy a mixte.

 

[ozboz]

Whilst looking for a replacement for GF's Cube that got nicked , we did look at Giant Liv ,they told us in the Giant shop Twickenham that they were female specific ,
However , she got a BH , small frame , had to have a short reach handle bar clamp fitted , all in all a better fit than the Cube , she is only 5' and goes like the clappers , and can do about 150 miles a week commuting between venues for her work , she reckons it is a bit heavier on the back end , but a few quid. on wheels etc should sort that ,

 

[fossyant]

This is a girls bike..

 

[velovoice]

I am comfortable in my masculinity. I quite fancy a mixte.

You're in luck! "Mixte" literally means unisex.

 

[Pale Rider]

A bike with a dropped crossbar is seen as a ladies' bike in the UK, but unisex in Europe.

Not sure about an open frame with no crossbar, although I've been told that in Holland different genders ride those as well.

Another thing that's peculiarly British is the notion of a touring bicycle having drop handlebars.

In Europe, bikes sold for long day rides or touring are often called trekking bikes and will usually have flat handlebars.

 

[Pale Rider]

You're in luck! "Mixte" literally means unisex.

Mixtes look sweet to me, although I can't see my (male) self riding one.

 

[Kestevan]

Dim living up to his username.....

Only definition of a womans bike is "a bike owned or ridden by a woman". Anything else is bollox.

 

[Kestevan]

Oh and I quite like the "gentlemans" bike. Not sure how practical it would be on the hills round here, but more than willing to give it a go if anyone would like to donate one for xmas.

 

[fossyant]

I've always fancied getting a Dutch bike but stealthy fitting of performance tyres and correct gearing and going for a blast past a local club...