Ladies bikes

That'll be one for edscoble, surely?

Blog post about coaster brakes that might be of interest to people:

http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2010/08/coaster-brakes-yay-or-nay.html#comments

hi

I'm looking for a touring bike for my wife. She's about 5 foot 2. Can anyone recommend any decent frames/bikes?

Ta

hi, I'm new to this, but also looking for a cheap decent frame, I'm 5.4 living in London, 19 yr old student so would love to have something set up before I return to uni. thanks.

here is quite a nice lady's road bike for someone in good nic
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-LADIES-PEUGEOT-103-CARBOLITE-RACER-RACING-BIKE_W0QQitemZ180544348602QQcategoryZ33503QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DDLSL%252BSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BIEW%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D8%26pmod%3D230510015722%252B230510015722%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6385450878896458641
ending soon!

hi, I'm new to this, but also looking for a cheap decent frame, I'm 5.4 living in London, 19 yr old student so would love to have something set up before I return to uni. thanks.

A few questions:

1) what's your budget?
2) Do you want to self build,or get a complete bike

I would guess you would need something like a 50-52cm frame (someone please correct me)

Depending on your answers your best bet is to do the following:

1) Trawl the classifieds here and check out ebay (be very careful about gumtree, a lot of stolen bikes are sold there)
2) If you want to build it yourself read http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed/index.html

If time is a constraint then you may want to get a complete - this will prob cost you more but you'll have something quicker.
Building your own is a lot more fun and you'll learn a lot as well, there is plenty of advice resource on here - if you have the time. It will also cost you a lot less.

Good luck

for a 5'4 you'd need an estimate 48-50cm sized frame (700c), depend on how short/long your legs is that is.

top tube is very important are the female species tend to required a shorter top tube than normal.

top tube is very important are the female species tend to required a shorter top tube than normal.

Ed, I know you mean well, but if you're going to be the number one poster in the ladies forum perhaps you could refrain from implying that women's bikes are abnormal?

I didn't implied women's bike are abnormal actually, just general road frame (she's a student after all, her choice is limited to old road frame/step-thru frame).

I posted everywhere because I like to help despite telling everyone that they should be riding dutch bikes and randonnees.

I'm just being annoying.

In fact maybe you can advise. I have been informed according to Adultdata from the DTI whatever way you measure it, average ratio of legs to stature is near enough identical between men and women. So how come we need shorter top tubes?

I have been told it's to do with pelvis but I reckon it's arms. Maybe I just have short arms though.

At a guess I would suggest that it is a combination of both. What does the DTI say on proportional arms lengths.

If pelvic geometry has the impact that I think it does, it'll have a greater impact on a woman's reach as far as cycling is concerned than arm length though.

Also the first thing to consider as abnormal would be Ed's use of language. Sorry Ed. but it's true.

I'm just being annoying.

In fact maybe you can advise. I have been informed according to Adultdata from the DTI whatever way you measure it, average ratio of legs to stature is near enough identical between men and women. So how come we need shorter top tubes?

Because we are LADIES, innit.

I've always been fine on ahem, 'normal', bikes. Loads of men have stumpy little limbs.

No noticeable difference on proportional arm lengths as far as I know. Obviously there is a difference on pelvis.

By this logic if it was arms men with stumpy limbs would be happier on a women specific bike but if it was pelvis they wouldn't...

Plurabelle I think you must have a man's pelvis. :I

... and henceforth banished from this forum for ever?

Ah, but if men were happier on a woman-specific they'd never know it, would they? And neither would I, come to think of it. I will brandish my man's pelvis with pride, nonetheless. Though 'brandish' isn't something I imagine one wants to be doing with a pelvis.

are you back, Julia??

Ist September!

Let's do some rides.

Ah, but if men were happier on a woman-specific they'd never know it, would they? And neither would I, come to think of it. I will brandish my man's pelvis with pride, nonetheless. Though 'brandish' isn't something I imagine one wants to be doing with a pelvis.

Plurabelle, yesterday:

The KingQueen Lives!

I'm just being annoying.

In fact maybe you can advise. I have been informed according to Adultdata from the DTI whatever way you measure it, average ratio of legs to stature is near enough identical between men and women. So how come we need shorter top tubes?

I have been told it's to do with pelvis but I reckon it's arms. Maybe I just have short arms though.

I've heard various theories concerning this. There could be a shoulder factor involved (men using their wider shoulders to stoop forward, making it possible for them to use longer top tubes), or pelvic factors could mean that women are less at ease bending forward as much as men when achieving a sporty position (although that obviously has a lot to do with fitness). Ultimately, I suspect that, strangely enough, women are just as varied as men are in their body geometry. :)

Thanks, Oliver. I am quite overcome.

Ist September!

Let's do some rides.

for sure. i miss you!

Just in case anyone's in the market for a 51cm carbon road bike there's a Look KX Light going on the CTC forum. No price, no pics, and it's in Ireland, but I'd be all over that if I didn't already have a carbon road bike. And if I was rich.

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=41505

None of my bikes are women specific...but they all have 49cm or 50cm frame. The best fitting is my Kona Haole.
I recently took delivery of a hard-to-find 50cm Carlton frame to convert to single speed, but it has front end crash damage :( It's really difficult to find an older small frame.

Tricity,
specialized say that the main difference between men and women is reach, and although some if it could come from shorter torsos most of it comes from shorter arms.

Tricity,
specialized say that the main difference between men and women is reach, and although some if it could come from shorter torsos most of it comes from shorter arms.

Even though my husband has the same inside leg measurement as me, and isn't much taller he also has arms like an ape, so that sounds sensible!