Old 02-12-12 | 04:45 PM
  #95  
erg79
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 542
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From: Los Angeles

Bikes: 2012 Jamis Coda Comp; early 80s Univega Nuovo Sport

You know TohTruck, I think that this brings us to a most intriguing question:

Just why in the world are bikes designed in this manner for guys, but not for the gals? Looks like to me, the designing should be reversed!
Seems to me that step-thrus for men would be more rider-friendly.

However, since our bikes have been made with the horizontal top tube for so long, that would be like a major revolution, or something. It would fly too hard into the face of tradition!
I've seen a few guys riding mixtes recently. Some hybrids have such sloping top tubes anyway, so it's not a radical change. But like all gender constructs anyway, it's not easy to just change your way of thinking overnight. I see a mixte or another traditional woman's frame, and I wouldn't get it for myself. I know it's kind of silly, but things like that get ingrained.

Things can change, though--in the 19th century pink was for boys (people considered it closer to red, which was thought of as a strong and masculine color), while blue was for girls (it was thought of as softer, plus in most artwork the Virgin Mary is wearing blue, so it was a feminine color).
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