wi.flash

I know they make women specific road bikes, but are there any advantages to them? My wife and I are going bike shopping tomorrow and I am not too sure what to look for fit wise different than myself. Do they need specials seats? She refuses to to clipless pedals so is there a good alternative to platforms? Any advise would be appreciated. I have only shopped bikes for myself. Thanks

canam73

If the geometry is actually different they will tend to have a taller head tube and shorter top tube for more upright stance. But sometimes they are just bikes that come in small sizes and have pink on them. If your wife tries one and likes it there is nothing wrong with them, but if she tries a standard road bike and likes it better then there is nothing wrong with that either.

As for pedals, when I don't use clipless I use power grips: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Grips-Sp.../dp/B001FYGGLC

noise boy

Depends on the size, the big differences are in handlebar width, lever reach, and the like to accomodate women's smaller hands. There is a great article in this months Bicycling Magazine about women's road bikes.

valygrl

Tell her I said to HTFU and get clipless.

WSD sometimes means shorter top tube & taller head tube, but sometimes it just means narrower bars and a women's saddle. You have to look at the geometry charts for the particular bike(s) you are interested in to find out. Sometimes WSD means a worse component mix or lower gearing. And yeah, sometimes it means pink paint and flowers.

If she's not particularly short, then there's no reason to limit shopping to just WSD. I'm 5'2" and one of my road bikes is WSD, my new road bike and tour bikes are not WSD.

johnny99

Test ride both and decide for yourself which fits you better. Some women will prefer one or the other, but it is good to have the choice.

fstshrk

I am sure you will hear this from others as well, but if you are shopping for a bike, decide on the local bike store and not the bike brand first.

pgjackson

The latest copy of Bicycling Magazine has an article on this exact topic.

valygrl

I disagree. Decide on the geometry first, then the brand and store follows.

DrPete 

While I fundamentally agree, a brand new cyclist isn't going to know what geometry to look for. I'd tweak it a little to say find a good fitter who can put you on a fit bike, and come up with the geometry/saddle/etc. Then, as you already said, the brand and store will follow.

a1penguin

I think trying several bikes in both WSD and mens will be helpful. You can check out the differences in geometry on many manufacturers web sites. Whether or not a WSD frame fit is needed might depend on the ratio of upper body plus arm length to leg length. It might turn out that all men's frames have a more aggressive riding position and WSD offer a bit more relaxed. I would try several bike shops and be open to different brands. Find out what fits and works for her and then purchase the one that she likes best.

When I bought my road bike it came with clipless pedals. I had only ridden toe clips up to that time. Once I got used to clipless pedals, I wouldn't use anything else.

Oh, say no to Pink or Teal or any swirly decals.

fstshrk

I found that article completely useless. A whole bunch of marketing material and bikes that are $3K and up.
Everything else is text they probably got from Wikipedia

fstshrk

A new cyclist is not going to know what kind of geometry to look for. Finding a good bike shop with a decent fitter and employees that are interested in their customers should be the #1 priority for the OP.

Realistically, unless one is looking at bikes costing $2K and up, there is not a whole lot of difference between Specialized, Trek, or Cannondale.

wkg

most articles in bicycling magazine are completely useless

a1penguin

+1

VertigoFlyer

My wife rides a 2009 Trek Madone 4.5 WSD that she loves. It has an upgraded Shimano Ultegra group and Ultegra clipless pedals. She's 5'-2" and we just did a pro bike fit for both of us. She really likes the how the WSD geometry fits her!

I concur that shopping for a great LBS should be step one. Landing at a great LBS will make a huge difference going forward. Ask around and visit several shops before deciding where to buy.

wi.flash

Thanks for all of the tips. She is 5'7" so we will be testing both men and women bikes. I am trying to stay below 2000 so we will see how that goes. Hard to say what is going to be available being winter. Do shops usually keep stocks up in winter?

John_V 

^^ Agree! $3K+ bikes and 3 only bikes reviewed. Not much to base a purchase on.

pgjackson

Did you read the article or just look at the pictures? Basically it said women-specific bikes are a gimmic. Just get a bike that fits. The article and the advertisements were two separate items.

That blond girl is gorgeous.

pgjackson

Come on, it's a magazine about bicycles. This is not complicated stuff. What do you expect?

KatV

Hi there. New here but had to post. I am a woman, 5'7", and just finished shopping for my latest bike. My last bike was a WSD for my first road bike purchase post teenagehood cheapie, and this one I've just purchased is not a WSD. I researched the geometries in depth (without my husband's help, who does not ride), and found a bike that is a perfect fit but is a "men's" fit, but I love it .... I got perhaps more than what you are looking for with her, picking up a Trek Madone, as the H2 fit was beautiful for me, and I loved all the options with Treks' system now with H1/2/3 fits and Compact fits and WSD fits..... Other lines probably have many options now too. I think the manufacturers are wising up to play honest with women and to just make lots of fit options for both men and women, aggressive to relaxed. If this is her first "real grown-up" bike, she won't know what feels great until she rides a bit, because it will all feel like more than a beach cruiser, a bit more intimidating, but such freedom once she gets out on it for a while. I'd just get her something fairly entry level until she learns what she wants after riding a while. Let her go with clips for a while, then if she gets brave to try clipsless, make her get in and out 50-100 times in the living room first....

Would love to hear what you get!

SuperGregNo1

My GF and I are looking at Trek. Their WSD has a shorter top tube and this is not for a different riding position but to accommodate women's typically shorter arms for the same height as a man, as well as narrower handlebars and a smaller distance to the drops.

Since everyone is shaped so differently, I don't think a bike "designed" for a women is necessarily always the best one, but I would guess that it's correct more often than the men's version.

X-LinkedRider

Most women feel more comfortable on mens road bikes but if you want Women's specific. https://www.terrybicycles.com/Bicycles/Ready-To-Ride

wkg

bicycling magazine is fredly. once you shave your legs you will understand.

as for my expectations, i expect compelling journalism regardless of subject matter. these expectations are rarely met - and definitely not by bicycling magazine.

questionthis

to ride in the kitchen? lol im just joking, you are very lucky to have a wife who can ride a bicycle

pgjackson

Unless it's a professional trade publication, most popular magazines are "fredly"...or whatever the equivalent is for the particular genre. I've checked out a lot of popular bicycle magazines and they are all about the same. Not sure there is such a thing as "compelling journalism" regarding bicycles.







And I will NEVER shave my legs.