Women specific cycle clothing

So, you need to decide how important to you it is to get a WS bike. Opinions on the importance of a WS bike vary, so my conclusion was that it's down to personal preference/dimensions. A women's frame will be shorter in the top tube to compensate for our spider like bodies. It'll probably be more expensive than the equivalent men's bike.

You can race on anything. Until you start riding it, you almost won't know what you want. Bit of a catch 22 but you can always upgrade parts. The lower-end road bikes tend to have more relaxed, all-day riding geometry and as you spend more you get a more aggressive ride.

My first road bike has done me proud, I bought it for £300 from BC classifieds - it's not light, it's not carbon, it's bottom of the range groupset and I think it's too big for me. But hey, I can still ride the thing. Before you buy there's so many options. Do your research then just commit. The Spesh Ruby has got really good reviews...

I think I need to go have a play in a bike shop. My not very good rationale for going ws was that if I don't get a ws bike I'll probably have to change the bars, levers and stem but then thinking about it I can do that anyway on the cycle to work scheme... it doesn't have to be entirely off the peg. (but I do have to do it through CTW as I can't afford a new bike otherwise).

But the shorter top tube does make a big difference for me.

But there are probably road frames that have a close to ws top tube length anyway like my Soma.

hmmmmmmmmm.

bike shop playtime.

thanks for the advice.