# Womens bikes



## newby4 (Jul 17, 2007)

I posted this to another thread but thought I would put it out here also. I am new to the road bike thing and bought a Fuji Finest about a year ago and no matter what I try I can't get it to feel comfortable. I am 5'1" and would like some suggestions on buying another bike. I want to stay under $2000.00. Can any of you great ladies help me out!!


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

No one can magically suggest a model that will address your comfort, because knowing what makes it uncomfortable is far too complex an equation.

Do you have a GOOD local bike shop in you area, with a good fitter? I always suspect for many women that they are uncomfortable because reach is too long or saddle-to-bar drop is too great, but that's just a suspicion. There's nothing about a Fuji Finest that is inherently uncomortable, and there's nothing about a Trek Madone that is inherently comfortable (despite the price difference).

I think you are best served to take the Fuji to a good fitter and get some help with set up. They may or may not tell you that you are on the wrong bike.

I don't mean that dismissively of course. What aspects of your fit are specifically causing you discomfort


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

The major companies like Trek and Specialized make women's specific bikes. You should be able to find something in your size from these companies. 

Luna Cycles makes custom frames for women, made by a woman.

Good luck.


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## rbittman (Aug 27, 2007)

I second the first posters suggestions. There is really no such thing as women-specific bike needs. Both women and men can have difficulty with fit. However, women tend to have shorter torsos and longer legs than guys, and most off the rack bicycles are built for the opposite body type. Very petite builds also can have problems. Thus, the typical problem crops up of reach being too long and drop being too extreme. My own body type is a good example of this problem and for awhile I have been happy on a Specialized Roubaix frame with a very short stem. However, the position is pretty extreme in the sense that the saddle is very high and I am placed pretty far forward on the bike. Lately, (after about four years with this fit) it has started to feel unstable to me. I am thinking of changing to a more laid out position and am considering a Pinarello 4:13 frame. The bottom line is what the first poster said: find a good bike shop that knows about fit and use them. I am lucky as we have lots of options in Davis.


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## rush01 (Aug 29, 2007)

I would also second the first poster. Find a good local bike shop that carries a wide range of options. I just helped a hard to fit friend of mine find a bike. The shops kept pointing her towards the women's specific bikes, but she is short with even shorter legs. The WSD bikes are designed with a short top tube for typically a more upright position.

To me this is more of a bias against women then it is a fit issue. Many of these are designed to be more "comfort" oriented vs performance oriented. I would suggest going to a shop that first will ask the important questions:

1. How do you plan on riding this... Long miles, race (what type), touring, commuter...

2. Do you have any physical issues? Hands? Knees? Shoulder? back?

3. Is custom an option?

Then of course ride eveerything that you can get your hands on. And ride them for more than a mile or two. 

Rush Carter
CS West Bikes
Colorado Springs


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## purplepaul (Nov 21, 2002)

If you go to cervelo.com and do a search for "fit" you'll get a whole page (that I couldn't link to, unfortunately) on their opinion of women's specific frames. In short, they think the whole idea is bunk.

The trouble that women's specific bikes have been plagued with is that they tend to be dumbed down. They generally don't have the best components or you might get stuck with a triple up front even if you don't want it.

If Cervelo is correct then the whole women's specific movement is just marketing.

My partner's daughter asked for my opinion when she was looking for a decent recreational bike. She was leaning towards a Terry. I found them rather uninspired. I suggested she look at a Bike Friday because they are all custom made which means she wouldn't have a problem with fit (she is very short) and their owners love them. Some people find them goofy looking but they do ride really nicely and can be (and have been) raced. Plus, you can get a custom bike with really good components for around $1500.

Bike weight is more significant for lighter riders (and racers, of course). Cervelo has a fantastic aluminum bike (Soloist Team) that retails for $2200 built up and if they don't currently build it in XS I understand they soon will be. The bike is so good that it is chosen by some sponsored pros for specific races over Cervelo's carbon offerings. I find that pretty amazing.

Absolutely key is finding a shop that really knows how to fit you to the bike. And that requires more than just measuring your skeleton. Cycling utilizes the musculoskeletal system, so your muscular strength and flexibility must be considered and also your riding style. If you want comfort for long distances your bike will look very different from one set up for racing.

Hope I didn't sound too didactic. Good luck in your search.


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

.... not didactic but a teeny bit strident. 

I generally disagree with Cervelo's pitch (and they don't make any women specific bikes, so you've got to take the analysis with a grain of salt).

It is true that women's bikes used to be dumbed down, but that hasn't been the case for well over a decade. Not all women need WSD geometry (I for one do not), but for a woman who is very leggy and short torsoed, with narrower shoulders and smaller hands, etc., jury-rigging a men's bike with a 6cm riser stem, etc. etc. is it's own kind of dumbing down.

There are WSD Dura Ace equipped racers, tourers, and everything in between. The "shrink it and pink it" days are long over.


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