We have had a jolly good time over on Facebook and Twitter talking about why there are differences between boys bikes and girls bikes. The history behind the girls bike frame is that women used to wear dresses all the time so it was more lady like to have a lower bar that kept the dress down for modesty. Also, mens bike frames purportedly needed to hold more weight, thus the higher bar for better reinforcement of the weight on the seat.
Curiosity has the best of me right now because aside from some religious groups, women do not wear dresses when riding a bicycle. That being said, why then do we still have two different bicycle frames? Wouldn’t it make more sense from a manufacturing standpoint to make a universal frame? What do you think?
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19 comments
david brainerd
Sexism. Women added that bar yo men’s bikes so we’d smash our balls on it when we fall. Really the models should be swapped.
Melissa
I ride a department store women’s cruiser to and from work. Have done so for 7 years – rain cold, heat, whatever. I like the lines of the cruiser. And statistically speaking, women’s bikes are less likely to be stolen.
Jess
I just got a new bike, I believe it’s a cruiser, but It’s a “men’s” style. When I was looking for a bike it felt like I was picking the lesser of multiple evils. Based on my height there wasn’t much I could choose from. I could have either gotten a periwinkle or bluer teal (teal that is more on the blue side) bike, or an array of different boys colored bikes. I ended up picking a bright red bike, and my dad just got me a different seat to switch it out with. I never thought about men’s bikes being stolen more, I just bought a really good bike lock for mine. My dad insisted on one with a u bar and a cable, because then if the thief can cut though the cable I’ve basically clubbed my bike and it’s useless without the key.
sami madison
of course, I almost for got that it is nice to have the girls frame when I am wearing a skirt. ALTHOUGH– my skirts are so short that I think it hardly matters these days
sami madison
I’m OLD and I prefer a womans bike frame because I don’t have to swing my leg OVER the center bar.
dan
girl bikes have one bare because so you ride will wering a skirt
Jenn
Hi!
I am 5’4″ and I find it uncomfortable to push off with the male frame on a standard adult bike. So if I want a bike, I either have to look for a female’s adult bike or a large children’s bike.
Also, if you think about it, why would we, as consumers, want cookie-cutter bikes? Most of us want bikes that are suited to our own individual needs and gender/dress wearing is a part of that.
Wadhamite
I cycle a lot and purchase a lot of used bikes to combine or use for parts. The girls’ models tend to be in better condition! I suppose, in theory, girls weigh less and are less “macho” in trying to destroy things.
The seats differ sometimes, however; a long nose supports a girl’s underside anatomy better, but gets in the way of the parts boys need to protect.
I favor a “mixte” unisex frame myself; as long as all major parts are adjustable, fitting a particular torso shouldn’t be a problem.
Felicity
Girls have a shorter reach as generally women have longer legs and shorter bodies whilst men are the opposite, so a girls bike has a more compact frame so you do not have to over stretch when reaching for the handlebars. Obviously not everyone is the same so it is best to go to a local bike shop and try out different models to find out what is best for you. Continental Europe class the drop bar bike as unisex not girls.
gretchen
Thanks Jeff – that’s an interesting observation. Feel free to post here anytime. ;)
Jeff
OK, I know it may seem strange to some that I am posting on this site again, but please, take it as a compliment; there are a lot of intelligent postings here relating (to generalise) to the perceptions of women by women themselves, and as a man with fascination for the female of the species, I find this site to be quite interesting. But I digress….
Here in Toronto, in the warm summer we are enjoying, I notice that the majority of women riding bicycles are, in fact, wearing dresses! (I know because I have to wait for ages while I yield to them to make a right turn with my motor vehicle). And interestingly enough, and believe me I’ve tried to disprove this(!), the way a dress falls over the bicycle frame is amazingly modest. My theory is that the air pressure induced by the forward motion keeps the dress in place without the slightest possibility of any undue immodesty.
And these women appear quite comfortable and cool; there are no facial grimaces caused by sore private parts – just as is the case with men, the bicycle seat is designed to provide support primarily to the base of the spine, so please, ladies, if you like wearing dresses, feel free to cycle in them in the sure knowledge that your modesty will remain intact.
Thank you.