Bicycle Mechanics - is there really a diff between girls and boys bikes?

sometime in the near future i'll be ditching my old boys trek bike for a road bike. my current bike is a boys bike that i got because it thought the girls bike looked really dorky. I'm new to the game so can anyone explain the difference between boys and girls bikes and whether or not i should go with a girls bike when i finally get around to buying my road bike.

in case this matters
i'm a 5'5 girl about 138-- (i'm pretty muscular-- i don't want any of you guys thinking i'm a tub of lard cuz i'm more than 110!)

With the step-through frame, it was essential for those girls or ladies that wore skirts. If you don't wear a skirt when you ride, then you don't need the step-through frame.

There are bikes that some manufacturers make specifically for women besides those, but they are essentially the "boy's" type (diamond) frame with slightly different dimensions made for a woman's different body proportions. These may, or may not, be better for you.

Buy a bike that you fit, and don't worry about the label... but unless you do wear skirts, I would avoid step-throughs. They are dorky, and I believe they don't handle as well as the diamond framed bikes.

As dgregory57 said, it's slightly different frame geometry. Typically a shorter top tube - for some women they fit, for some women they don't. My wife tried the women specific models, but was more comfortable on the standard 'male' frame. Ride them all and buy the one that feels better.

By "girls bike" do you mean step through? I would avoid them because they are not as stiff - i.e. a triangle is stiffer than a parallalagram (sp?). Some manfactures make WSD (Weoman Specific Designed) bikes. The top tube is shorter because (some) women have longer legs for their height than guys. Also I believe that some seats are designed for slightly wider "sit bones" because women's pelvis is designed for child birth. Get whichever fits you and you'll be happy riding it.

Joe

[QUOTE=dgregory57]With the step-through frame, it was essential for those girls or ladies that wore skirts. If you don't wear a skirt when you ride, then you don't need the step-through frame.

QUOTE]

LOL!
Also, girls bikes are pink, boys bikes are blue.

Also, girls bikes are pink, boys bikes are blue.

While this may be true, I should mention that I almost bought a pink Giro helmet because the price was right...

sometime in the near future i'll be ditching my old boys trek bike for a road bike. my current bike is a boys bike that i got because it thought the girls bike looked really dorky. I'm new to the game so can anyone explain the difference between boys and girls bikes and whether or not i should go with a girls bike when i finally get around to buying my road bike.

in case this matters
i'm a 5'5 girl about 138-- (i'm pretty muscular-- i don't want any of you guys thinking i'm a tub of lard cuz i'm more than 110!)

I encourage all women to ride men's bikes (diamond frames) rather than women's bikes (step-trhough frames). Here's why the diamond frame bikes are superior:


Easier brake cable routing
More room for water bottles in the main triangle
Structurally stronger frame
Better selection (no major manufacturer makes step-through frames with anything but low-end components)
Much better resale value (since men won't be embarassed to ride it!)


I got a diamond-frame bike for my girlfriend and she likes it a lot, rides it to work and around town every day. The most important thing is to find a bike that fits right!! I imagine many women are uncomfortable with men's bikes because they tend to be too big for them! I consider women's bikes to be mostly an anachronism from the days when women rode in skirts...

On the other hand, there are companies like Terry Bikes (http://www.terrybicycles.com/) that make "women specific design" frames. These are men's style frames, but with smaller front wheels and shorter top tubes. They claim that these bikes fit women better because women tend to have shorter torsos compared to men. Frankly, I'm skeptical that there is a "typical" shaped woman any more than there is a "typical" shaped man, in terms of bike sizing! Much of what Terry does can be mimicked with an ordinary men's bike simply by using a shorter stem :p

On the other hand, there are companies like Terry Bikes (http://www.terrybicycles.com/) that make "women specific design" frames. These are men's style frames, but with smaller front wheels and shorter top tubes. They claim that these bikes fit women better because women tend to have shorter torsos compared to men. Frankly, I'm skeptical that there is a "typical" shaped woman any more than there is a "typical" shaped man, in terms of bike sizing! Much of what Terry does can be mimicked with an ordinary men's bike simply by using a shorter stem :p
There are many more companies than just Terry who make women specific design frames. Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Fuji, Litespeed, Bianchi, the list goes on... :D Most LBSs should stock a few.

>>Also, girls bikes are pink, boys bikes are blue.

Don't forget the pink streamers on the bars, too! :-)

girl bikes sit down to pee

girl bikes sit down to pee
-i'm at work laughing like crazy.

the tmobile boys bike in pink outfits!

the tmobile boys bike in pink outfits!
and pink Giants. Except for Vino. His kit is powder blue.

Kinda more of an aqua color, don't you think? The Gerolsteiner guys, now that's powder blue!

So does this mean T-Mobile rides girl bikes? I didn't see the streamers!

The above post is entirely tongue in cheek.

Much of what Terry does can be mimicked with an ordinary men's bike simply by using a shorter stem :p

Much of what Terry does is to make decent small bikes. It is hard to find a good small bike in men's or women's shapes. There is more to a small frame than just a low top tube.

Terry's specialty is making small frames that can still be pedaled. Small frames often have issues with front tire rubbing your toes when pedaling through hard turns. Not hard, just not often considered in the normal size ranges. I ride a men's 20" frame with a short stem and the seat forward because that fits me, but I am also 5'9" now. When I was starting out, there weren't easily accessible wsd frames and my shorter-arm gfs were always complaining about guys sizes.