Ladies bikes

my lady wants to start riding bikes, which has made me happy as i dont have to leave or wait for her when she takes the train and i ride. but she doesnt want a "macho mud bike", or a "scary racer with thin wheels". i reckon with time she will end up on a scary racer.

basically im asking for inspiration/pictures for her bike. what bikes do girls you know ride?

the obvious choice would be to go with some spangly cruiser as thats seems to be the stereotype "im a girl" style. but id rather she had something that was more practical. i love Edscobles misses bike.

How long is a piece of string? Lots of women out at Rollapaluza tonight.

Start with Caz? http://londoncyclechic.blogspot.com/2008/04/londons-alternative-bike-shops-one-east.html

oxford girls bike= step through frame, front and rear mudguards + baskets (racks)
Chain guard, and 3 spd hub.

not generalising or anything
actually having said that, for half of my first year, that describes my bike perfectly.

This when work starts paying me again.

The bike I build for my missus is very practical, the frame is a diamond frame because a step thru frame have to be stronger due to the lack of a triangle in the middle, and thus result in the frame being heavy and flexible when riding, there's no need for a step-thru nowadays as it was originally intended for women who have big fuck-off skirt.

also it's reasonably light enough for her to carry the bike upstair to her flat, something she found very hard work with her Brompton (which was heavier than the Raleigh), she can easily commute on it as well as using it as a town bike, which is easier than having a Pashley-style bike that's hard work to quickly go from A to B if needed.

Coaster brake is highly recommended, if your missus simply want a bike to go from A to B effortlessly and comfortable, then coaster brake is the way to go, they're cheap (£20 from bikefit) and reliable, it make the bike simpler to ride, legs for accelerating and slowing down, hand for steering and saddle for sitting down.

Handlebar wise, you can get a semi-cruiser one from Cavendish Cycles (not the same one as use on the missus' bike), the cruiser handlebar isn't exactly practical, but the reason why I put one on the missus' bike is that when you add a lots of weight on the front rack, the steering become noticably heavy and difficult to keep straight, the cruiser handlebar allowed you to put your hand right at the edge of both bar and able to ride comfortably without feeling the weight of the item on the front rack.
but otherwise a normal small cruiser handlebar is the way to go.

The cost should be less than £200, it cost me a lots more because my aim was to build her a bike for life that look fantastic and stylish as if it came straight from the factory with decent and new component, but if you're careful with the choice of component, you can easily do it under £200, even £100 if you're reusing lots of old bits.

yeah its an A-B bike so high performance isnt important. but with that said i dont want her on a heavy slow thing just becuase it looks right.

i dont know how well shed do with a coaster brake, and havnt ridden one myself before to know how they ride. i do like the idea that a coaster brake doesnt need its pads adjusted/replaced like normal brakes as shes not the type to do this stuff herself. i have no idea how well they hold up to regular use though which would worry me if there was no other brakes.

yeah, the step through design is a bit naff, but she does wear dresses and skirts alot in the summer. it not like shes wearing massive olde timey dresses but can you get away with it on a diamond frame?

cruiser bars are a definate for basically the reasons you gave. i also think they look great. id ride with them myself but im too attached to drops.

you can get away with it on a diamond frame, but you'd probably need to get some sort of chain protection to stop her skirt (if it that long) getting caught on the chain as well as mudguard too.

There are town bikes that only have coaster brakes, and it's the norms in Amsterdam, the hubs that I mentioned from bikefit are the common one that are used in a lots of bike in Amsterdam and deemed to be very reliable, especially since Amsterdam is a very bike-centred city, it's easier than you think as a small backward pressure gradually slow you down.

because your missus is only using it to go from A to B, it's far less likely to fail, or at all.

(example of bike from Amsterdam, coaster brake only).

another option is a simple MTB will just do, just add skinner tyres, front rack, moustache-style bar and you're sorted, slighty heavier but lighter than your usual pashley job;

Another inspiration, the Retrovelo, apparently these guy finally bridge the gap between a commute bike and a town bike;

just please tell her how heavy most of them are. I know so many girls who've told me my road bikes are far too scary, gone out and bought a shopper/cruiser and then been desperate to switch to a road bike because they hate having to heft around a bike that weighs the same as a small car.

Saw a nice 'ladylike' On-One Pompino somewere on t'net (I'll try and find it).

Fitted with mustache bars, full mud guards, wide brooks saddle, and touring tires (32mm I think). Looked like a nice fast shopper (mainly due to the high rise stem/ bar combo)

[[/URL]
Build one up with an Alfine hub for gears

Could always go fixed/single-speed later, or simply swap out the stem, bars, and tyres for scary racey ones later if she fances it ;)

This is'nt the bike I was thinking about, but something like this (but with silver metal bits and honey coloured leather bits).
[URL="http://javascript:showLargeImage()"]http://www.cyclofiend.com/ssg/images08/ssg145-1P1030122.jpg
](http://javascript:showLargeImage())

These do alright, bought one for HID, she thinks it's great.

http://www.trekbikes.com/images/bikes/2009/xl/t30e_silvergold.jpg

Just seen this posted by Soli in Bike porn, its a posh version of my suggestion above.
Inspirational?

step through mixte frame and drop handlebars like stix.

that's ready!

Go down to a bike shop. Pref during non peak hours (e.g not Saturday afternoon) and get her to try a selection of bikes. Hybrid, racing, maybe single speed / fixed.

Go home listen to what she likes a out each one. Buy / build a bike based on that. I'd also second the rigid old school mtb option wit slick tyres. You can pick up decent ones cheap and with a bit of tlc / tweaking make nice bike.

Miss Mercian:

depending on how much you love her ;)

Maybe as Ed suggests you can make your own, lighter version of a dutch bike - SS, stepthrough frame, quite an upright riding position, chainguard, moustache/swept back bars, coaster brake (the ones I've used haven't been the sharpest braking devices, I would suggest sticking a front brake on too, though some may disagree)

Basket: essential, to put bag in.
I agree that lightness is important, so is attractiveness of it esp if you want to encourage her. She'll not thank you for an ugly bike if yours is pretty!

actually I want this bike that I've just described. Please, anyone?

from what i know just splash a bit of pink on there and she'll go bandy for it what ever it is
try tour de ville they have some real nice laydeez bikes old style classics

from what i know just splash a bit of pink on there and she'll go bandy for it what ever it is
try tour de ville they have some real nice laydeez bikes old style classics

dicki's school of seduction!

I'm a girl, and both of my bikes have are for boys , part from the tiny frame sizes.....

Depends what she likes and wants from a bike ?

I'm most definitely a Tom Boy, so I want Good/solid/light/long-lasting/fast..... that doesnt mean I dont want it in metallic fushia pink though ;)

yeh, get down a few bike shops and get her to try some out......

from what i know just splash a bit of pink on there and she'll go bandy for it what ever it is
try tour de ville they have some real nice laydeez bikes old style classics

good point, tour de ville have some lust ladies bike.

quick question, what are you prepare to spend?

I'd also echo what Ed said.

My Mrs started off with a Dutch bike, which she is still madly in love with, but it is just too big and heavy to move up and down from our 4th floor flat (I really struggle with it) and also not ideal now we live in forest hill - those hills with a Dutch bike are a no go. She won't sell it, because it is exactly how she wants a bike to be, but she just can't ride it.

So, as she was still showing a (faint) interest I got an old Pug from ebay and have spent the last few months slowly converting it into a SS, which was completed a couple of nights ago. It is no where near as pretty as the Dutchie, but far more practical and so she is starting to ride it (even going to start riding to work next week).

If you can find a balance of looks and comfort you'll be onto a winner. I think we've spent between £150-175ish on the pug in total, which is more than I wanted to, but could be worse.

Sorry about the crappy phone pics. I'll get some proper shots at the weekend and then update myself (bike has changed) and add Abby in the names and face thread.

2 Attachments

Ed, have you got a pic of the bike you built for your mrs to hand..?

If anyone is interested I've an old Holdworth 531 mixte frame (like the miss Mercian above) it is a bit taty and could use new paint 21.5" C-C seat tube.

Not looking for much.

No I don't have pics.

at spitalfields market this morning i spotted a lady pushing a dark green mixte framed fixed wheel with silver components and brooks saddle. the cycle looked devine, so refined and unclutered. i wanted to take a picture but sadly she didnt return.
i have a vintage ladies frame for sale, light metalic blue, columbus tubing going in the classified section in a day or two

@ Ed, very nice work man. real beauty.