Road bike purchasing question - women specific bikes?

symegeer

Hi there,

This question is mainly for the ladies, although the guys out there might have answers too, especially if you train women. I'm about to buy my first road bike and have a very limited budget so I want to get this purchase right since I managed to buy the worst mountain bike ever the last time I was left to my own devices.

My question is, should I buy a female specific road bike? Ladies, what do you ride? I understand they have a shorter frame (I'm between 5'6" and 5'7" with pretty average arm length) which might be helpful. I'm training for sprint distance events so won't be on the bike every day but would like something comfy because until now I've been on upright-style bikes (either mountain or hybrid). Every bike that I look at (whether new or used) seems to be classified as a 'men's' bike so I want to know if these would be suitable or if a ladies bike is a better idea for me.

Any advice appreciated! Thanks all!

vtate75

I am certainly NO bike expert, but I just went through this, so I will give you my thoughts. I had a cheap ($100 or so) road bike that I ordered off of Amazon to get me started. It sucked. For me, everything was an improvement after that. My husband just got me a new bike for my birthday (see my post below "I got a new bike" for a link to the exact bike). My hubby is a super researcher, so he did all of the research, we talked about it, and then he surprised me by getting it earlier than I thought I would get it (was thinking Christmas). We had a limited budget too. My bike is a Felt, and it is women's specific. That being said, I am not sure that it always matters. According to the MANY bike shop workers at EVERY bike shop we could find, some companies vary things for women, some really don't. The bike I got is a Felt bike and it is a little different. The handles are closer together (I can't tell...but I'm told they are), and the saddle is slightly closer to the bars. I LOVE this bike. While I can't SEE big differences to the men's version, it rides like a dream and I JUST LOVE IT. My advice is to talk to as many people as you can in bike shops and to READ A LOT online. Set a price and just buy as much bike as you can afford. There is such a temptation to stretch a budget when you start looking at bikes, but you can get a good bike at an almost reasonable price, so just set your budget. You can also do things to make a cheaper bike nicer, like changing the saddle, upgrading the wheels, adding tri bars, etc. Good luck!!!!

freezerburn2012

Women's specific bikes are usually a lot smaller than the men's but you may not need that because you're not short.

The most important difference between a men's bike and a women's bike is the saddle.

scott091501

Women's specific bikes are usually a lot smaller than the men's but you may not need that because you're not short.

The most important difference between a men's bike and a women's bike is the saddle.

Good point. Some women specific bikes are smaller, some just have more feminine paint schemes. Road bikes aren't as "fit specific" as a tri bike so a really good fitting probably isn't necessary, but test ride as many options as you can and then make the decision. From there you can play with saddles and position.

SelkieDiver

I went to 5 bike shops when I was figuring out what to buy and they all told me the women specific bikes really fit smaller women better, (5'2, 5'3) or if you have long legs and a short torso. I'm 5'6 and my legs and torso are average - I found the women's bikes too cramped & uncomfortable. Try out LOTS of bikes - different brands and slightly different sizes - the bike shop would always recommend a size but i tried one up and one down from that and found the bike that I think fit me best.

Canuck_TriFit

When I was looking for a bike this past year I ended up being told that women's bikes were odd numbers 51 cm bike was a woman's, even numbers 52 cm was men's. Then I found out all bike's had different bar length's, there' didn't seem to be a standard. It was crazy. The best thing to do is get properly sized and try different bikes based on your measurements. As was said earlier, the torso on most women shorter than men's and women tend to have longer legs. But not everyone is made equal which is why being measured is the proper way to go.

As an example, a female friend of mine who is roughly the same height as me cannot fit properly on my bike because of the longer top bar.

trijoe

My understand is, it's about body build. Women tend to have longer legs and shorter torso's, so women specific bikes are designed with that need in mind. So goes my understanding. Which isn't much better than "pink paint job", but it's something. Regardless of women's/men's color schemes, things like stack and reach are vitally important to choosing the perfect bike for you. Make sure you deal with a high quality bike shop that can put you on a bike who's measurements - not just the ##cm's number, fits your body perfectly.

RedSunshine365

You are the same height as me. I do not ride a WSD - my bike is a Look 566 size small (53cm frame). It fits wonderfully. My 2nd choice was a WSD - a specialized Ruby in a 54.

When looking for a bike, the cm size matters (this is the size from the bottom bracket to the seat post) but also the geometry of the frame - so a 54 in one bike might feel similar to a 52 in another depending on the geometry. BUT to confuse you even more, it's the REACH or top tube measurement that you really want to pay attention to. There's less room for adjustment with a top tube. Make sure that fits you well. You can swap out your stem to get a wee bit shorter or longer.

Unfortunately, a WSD means many different things. It might mean a shorter top tube, narrower handlebars (for our narrower shoulders), shorter reach levers, wider saddles, shorter cranks, somewhat different geometry etc. It might mean all of these or none of these except for a feminine paint job. You can take a men's bike and swap out the seat and handlebars to dial in the fit, too. i didn't have to change anything other than my saddle on my current bike.

Always check out the detailed specs of each bike and compare.

Good luck!

symegeer

Thanks guys, this has been really helpful. Since finances are super tight I'm having to go for a reconditioned second hand racing bike so this has all been very helpful info to take to the shop with me!

symegeer

Just to update, after trying a million bikes for fit, and balancing comfort and budget, I ended up buying a men's road bike from Carrera. For a first bike, hopefully it will serve me well. Thanks so much for all your advice, it was so helpful!

vtate75

Congratulations on your new bike!

symegeer

Oh my god, I love this bike! I'm obsessed. If it would stop with the torrential rain I would be cycling everywhere.

bstamps12

Glad you found a bike that fits you well & you love! Several of the women in my tri club have men's road bikes they bought from the shorter men in our club when the men upgraded...it's very common and like other posters said, "women's bike" means drastically different things for each brand of bikes.

Cgirlish

awesome. congrats on your new bike....I've been riding my mt bike more than my road bike .... just because the trail I go on has gravel
or when I'm riding with my friend from work I'd want to go too fast & we go for fun... planning on a long ride in sept with a century group .... will probably shoot for 50-70 miles and take my road bike

Cgirlish

ps post pictures