Boys on Girl frames
10-24-07, 11:27 AM
#51
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I just got back from spending some time in Japan. Commuter bikes are everywhere. Thousands of them. There are huge parking lots by every train station and bikes are lined up along the street nearly everywhere.
And almost every one of them is a step-through (not mixte) frame. The Japanese don't seem to make the distinction between "men's" and "women's" frames.
And almost every one of them is a step-through (not mixte) frame. The Japanese don't seem to make the distinction between "men's" and "women's" frames.
10-25-07, 07:05 AM
#52
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FWIW the European bike companies appear to make 3 styles of city/trekking bikes. Take a look at the Staiger Florida It actually comes in 3 different frame configurations. My german sucks so I don't know what the Einrohr frame style would translate as.
Here in Japan virtually everybody you see riding around (and you see a lot of people riding around) rides a step through. I did see a Jamis Coda outside a yakitori shop yesterday; my only name bike sighting in the last week.
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10-25-07, 07:30 AM
#53
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"Einrohr" means "one tube", so there's no kind of gender signification implied.
Here in Japan virtually everybody you see riding around (and you see a lot of people riding around) rides a step through. I did see a Jamis Coda outside a yakitori shop yesterday; my only name bike sighting in the last week.
Here in Japan virtually everybody you see riding around (and you see a lot of people riding around) rides a step through. I did see a Jamis Coda outside a yakitori shop yesterday; my only name bike sighting in the last week.
Aaron
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ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Last edited by wahoonc; 10-25-07 at 06:41 PM.
10-25-07, 03:41 PM
#56
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Yes I really like it too 
I can take the baskets off and fit up a high side cargo tray which makes my tricycle really useful.
Love your bike Zorba, - that is such a practical design.
I can take the baskets off and fit up a high side cargo tray which makes my tricycle really useful.Love your bike Zorba, - that is such a practical design.
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OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
10-25-07, 03:56 PM
#57
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A mixte is actually a specific type of step-through frame. Instead of one large toptube, a mixte generally has two smaller tubes that run down to the seat tube, then continue on to the rear dropouts, forming a third set of stays. The idea being that this puts less strain on the frame than a regular diamond frame with the toptube repositioned.
10-25-07, 04:35 PM
#58
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I wouldn't call most mixtes step through frames. The top tubes are too high for stepping through unless they curve dowward.
10-26-07, 06:57 AM
#61
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Well lets see...I don't own full kit, so you don't have to worry about that one...over 15mph...is that average or max speed
(BTW I exceed both
)
Aaron
(BTW I exceed both)Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
10-26-07, 08:54 AM
#62
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Hey I did an Art Ride here in LA and noticed a guy on a vintage pink "ladies" frame. I just had to chat him up...I thought "Now there is a man with no bike insecurities"..
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10-26-07, 10:58 AM
#63
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10-26-07, 12:53 PM
#64
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When I was a kid and got my first bike, I was so overjoyed at the idea of having a bicycle, that I had no clue that parents had pulled a switcheroo to save money and given me a girl's frame spray-painted blue. I proudly rode it up and down my grandparents neighborhood, while all the other redneck kids laughed at me. Finally one of them explained that my bike was a girl frame, and I didn't believe him. To prove his point he pulled out a pocket knife and scraped away a little bit of blue paint from the fork to reveal a pink gloss finish underneath. I was crushed. My bike then sat for a little while, I refused to touch it. My parent's didn't understand or care. Then one of the older kids from the neighborhood offered to fix my bike for me, and he took it, and swapped out my girl frame with an older boy's frame, one of the little stingray styled frames. It was spray painted silver and looked bad ass, my first cruiser! I still have it:
I felt way cooler on that bike, and no one harassed me about the gender of my bike after that. Now I am wondering, as adults, does the bike gender thing make as much of a difference? I see bums and teenagers around town riding obvious girl frames, but are there any serious riders who would to admit to riding a girl's frame? I will. my girlfriend has a 65 Schwinn 3- speed Co-Ed Cruiser that is a lot of fun to cruise around on. So far no one has given me a hard time about it. Your thoughts?
I felt way cooler on that bike, and no one harassed me about the gender of my bike after that. Now I am wondering, as adults, does the bike gender thing make as much of a difference? I see bums and teenagers around town riding obvious girl frames, but are there any serious riders who would to admit to riding a girl's frame? I will. my girlfriend has a 65 Schwinn 3- speed Co-Ed Cruiser that is a lot of fun to cruise around on. So far no one has given me a hard time about it. Your thoughts?
Wouldn’t it have been nice not to go through the gender ridicule when you were a kid… I for the life of me can not figure out why the bike companies still hold onto the antiquated idea of gender specific bicycles.
We never had that in my neighborhood, most of the kids were poor and rode hand me down bikes, or whatever their folks could afford for them..
To the bicycle manufactures I would say that… bicycles designed for a woman’s taste in bikes (whatever that means) and fitted for a woman, is a fine idea, but make it available in whatever frame type they would like to have. By the same notion make step through frame type bikes that can be fitted for a man, and isn‘t painted with flowers and in white or pink. (not that I hate that, but come on, they go a little overboard with it sometimes)
We don’t all want to, or some of us can’t, throw our legs up and around a high center bar all the time…
I myself ride a step through frame bike (or woman’s as some would say) very much like the red bicycle, with the trailer, in the picture on the first page of this post, only mine is a single speed, and blue(no flowers)… It’s a big frame and comfortable, for someone six feet tall…
I’m not a bit ASHAMEND of this, nor am I a BUM, or a TEENAGER… I had to have my left hip replaced about two years ago due to degenerative arthritis… my doctor said that riding a bike would be great exercise, but climbing on and off a diamond frame racing type bike, or mountain bike (like I had) would not be too good for me… So, I bought a step through frame cruiser bike… I love this bike it (along with the new hip) has made riding fun again… I will probably upgrade my bike in the spring, if I can find a bike manufacturer that makes a low frame bike, but doesn’t say it’s made just for a woman…
It's just a matter of making a point to the bike manufacturers... I'll probably end up buying a so called woman's bike anyway... now that I'm used to riding that style of frame, I would miss the advantages of it. 
As far as the term SERIOUS cyclist, I think any adult that will climb on a bike and ride for either fun, or transportation, or exercise, is a serious cyclist… We don’t all want to race… I'm glad to read that you have gotten over your fear of a step through frame...
I bet if more of the Fifty + men posted on this Thread, or men from other countries that we would have even more men that ride a step through bike… just guessing… not sure.
Well safe and fun riding to you, no matter what type of frame you ride…
10-26-07, 05:24 PM
#65
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10-27-07, 08:57 PM
#66
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Step through cruisers are popular with surfers. When you're carrying a surfboard under your arm it's a lot easier.
10-28-07, 08:40 PM
#67
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06-29-08, 03:00 PM
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I suppose the girl's frame might be a tiny bit less stable in a sharp turn on gravel. Maybe. Otherwise, we're talkin' steel here, and the girl's frame will easily hold up your 200 body, male or female. I don't notice a difference in riding. My wife's bike is pink, so I'd look a little silly on it, so I don't ride it (just to and from the bike shop once in a while), but it sure is easier to get on and off that thing, especially when you're over 60. That easy step over is almost enough to tip my "vanity scale" toward using it! The whole bike industry needs to wise up to what's practical. Then again, if that happened, everyone would be on recumbent trikes!
06-29-08, 07:21 PM
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I always thought women frames were not as long as men frames, because women generally have a shorter reach then men.
About the step through frame when having a kid on back, why not just mount the bike like a hipster?
About the step through frame when having a kid on back, why not just mount the bike like a hipster?
06-30-08, 02:20 AM
#70
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what bugs me are the guys on BMX bikes riding all over the streets..BMX isnt made for the road, they look so ridiculous with their saggy pants on a BMX, i guess they think it's gangsta
07-06-08, 07:49 AM
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I saw at least six men last week (at different times) ridding step thru frames, on the streets and MUPs… Most of the bikes were set up as commuter/utility bikes… racks, panniers, and so on. The men looked to be in their early thirties to mid forties and relatively fit. One was ridding a Mixte that was set up quite nicely, and looked like a high dollar bike… There may be hope yet, to do away with bicycle gender bias.
07-06-08, 09:56 PM
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I'm male. One Halloween, Kavbabe dressed as Kermit, I dressed as Miss Piggy. I discovered it was pretty difficult to climb into my truck wearing a dress...and not a tight one at that. The truck got steps after that, to encourage Kevbabe to wear skirts more often.
Anywho, modesty considerations aside, kicking a leg over the saddle is not really an option in some non-bifurcated lower atire.
I also recall being told that part of the logic of a step through frame for girls was to minimize risk to the integrity of the maidenhead (hymen) of young girls. I have no idea the accuracy of that, any peditricians or GYNs that could confirm or deny this legend? Doesn't seem like actual research would be appropriate.
Anywho, modesty considerations aside, kicking a leg over the saddle is not really an option in some non-bifurcated lower atire.
I also recall being told that part of the logic of a step through frame for girls was to minimize risk to the integrity of the maidenhead (hymen) of young girls. I have no idea the accuracy of that, any peditricians or GYNs that could confirm or deny this legend? Doesn't seem like actual research would be appropriate.
07-07-08, 03:59 AM
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Gender bias sneaks out of the woodwork...
Hmm, sooo, there's a big stigma attached to boys riding girls bikes, but a girl riding a boys bike, well that's just sensible now isn't it *sarcasm*
Right now I ride a mixte, and I've not found it any less firm than my dads diamond frame, I'm not exactly slow off the mark either. But then I'm supposed to ride a girls bike, right.
My first "real" bike was a diamond frame drop handlebar road/racer.
I always find this sort of thing slight annoying, slightly funny.
Oh teh noes, the bikes, they are confusing my genders!!
Hmm, sooo, there's a big stigma attached to boys riding girls bikes, but a girl riding a boys bike, well that's just sensible now isn't it *sarcasm*
Right now I ride a mixte, and I've not found it any less firm than my dads diamond frame, I'm not exactly slow off the mark either. But then I'm supposed to ride a girls bike, right.
My first "real" bike was a diamond frame drop handlebar road/racer.
I always find this sort of thing slight annoying, slightly funny.
Oh teh noes, the bikes, they are confusing my genders!!
07-07-08, 09:22 AM
#75
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There is a real and logical reason to have bikes be gender-specific and that is frame geometry. This snippet from www.teamestrogen.com sums it up pretty well:
"Women are built different than men — the typical woman has a shorter torso, shorter arms and longer legs than a man of the same height. She also has a wider pelvis and smaller hands and feet."
Of course, not every person is proportioned the same way, so a bike that fits a 5'11" man may not fit another man who is the same height.
"Women are built different than men — the typical woman has a shorter torso, shorter arms and longer legs than a man of the same height. She also has a wider pelvis and smaller hands and feet."
Of course, not every person is proportioned the same way, so a bike that fits a 5'11" man may not fit another man who is the same height.