Ladies Bikes - What are you riding?

I ride an OTP. It's a Specialized Vita Elite - small. I strongly suspect it's a tad too big for me as I'm below average height, but Corinne/Scheritt's bikefit helped a lot. I may well get a shorter stem as I feel a little too stretched.

My ideal would be custom builds, but until I have the money I'll have to track down WSD bikes that come in XS or XXS - they ain't too common apparently.

Have you given up on the yellow 650 frame? Every now and then I wonder what's happening with it.

A few stupid questions:

Are or why are OTP that hard to find for girls? What is the problem? Is it the physical shape of the frame ie wrong BB to top tube lengths or is it something else and can you say what?

In general, it's that ladies' legs are proportionally longer than torso compared to men. Therefore bikes that are the "right size" (according to leg measurements) are gonna be too long in the top tube. The solution with my current bike is get a "too small" frame and jack the saddle up; other bikes I've owned have used the "use a tiny stem and get used to twitchy handling" method.

I'm not any good at any of it.

thrrrrrrrrrrrrpt

Respectfully, this is untrue.

can...not...resist......

Just saw this forum. Nice idea people. Though, jesus, but there's a lot of the word 'ladies' all over it – it's making me feel like I'm in a golf club in Surrey. Well done tho'.

I ride an old British track bike (Falcon I think, though it's been resprayed) around town, and a modernish pinarello road bike around the countryside whilst wearing unflattering lycra. Both are 54 square (I'm 5'6.5, so both are probably slightly too big, but I'm used to that size and I must have longish limbs, as both are comfortable) – and both are as gaudy as fuck frankly.

hi Julia! how are you?
when are you coming back?

'Ello love. Back in Sept hopefully. York is nice enough, though I don't know how many more scones I can take, frankly.

it will be good to see you again and go for some rides

Just saw this forum. Nice idea people. Though, jesus, but there's a lot of the word 'ladies' all over it – it's making me feel like I'm in a golf club in Surrey. Well done tho'.

That was chosen by the mods:

Claire and I had a word tonight, we like the idea of "lfgss ladies" as a name. We are (seat) post-modern and like the idea that A) we are ladies and B) it's a bit subversive.

York is nice enough, though I don't know how many more scones I can take, frankly.

Hilarious!

caught in ladies forum
sneaks out of ladies fourm

+1 on Islabikes, seem like a really groovy company, making groovy things. Started by a woman (or laydy if you insist Nhatt) and really getting small-peoples' bike nailed.

Anyone know where I can get a set of these bars?

They're Nitto Promenade handlebar, you can get them in Condor (if they have any in stock), or Freshtripe.

There are three version with slightly different shape and rise.

Great, thanks Ed. I have seen similar ones about without the rise. My gf's back hurts with standard drops so I think these might do the trick.

It might be a bit of a stretch but does anyone have a set they would swap for some Cinelli Campione del Mundo drops in perfect condition?

Gav, where have you been?

Have you given up on the yellow 650 frame? Every now and then I wonder what's happening with it.

Lardyboy, I still have it. In fact, I'm taking to BC shortly so Nhatt can advise me as my local lbs swore it could only take 700c wheels, which disappointed me somewhat.

My hopes are raised again......

What don't I ride?!

I have a Brompton, my cyclocross bike is a Salsa La Cruz, my road bike is a carbon Felt, my track bike is by a bike shop from NYC that sponsors me called Continuum, I have a 1970's Bianchi touring bike, my day to day commuter is a Surly Steamroller with a coaster brake and sit up and beg bars, and I've just been given a steel Kona Explosif MTB.

I ride everything, all the time.

I'm not any good at any of it.

One of my biggest regrets in life was selling my steel Explosif, is it a purple one?

I have a Globe Vienna (the 2009 version with the wavy top tube that looks a bit steampunk!) that I use for commuting to work on and a 1980/90s(?) Batavus Champion Mixte that I use for shorter distances. I was involved in a serious cycling accident just over a year ago and am just getting back into cycling regularly.

Gav, where have you been?

I've been all over! Had a couple of weekends away and went to Glastonbury this last weekend so have missed a few Souths sessions, plus I got a new job so have been unable to bludge on the internet all day. I'll be down this Monday for a catch up though!

In fact, I'm taking to BC shortly so Nhatt can advise me as my local lbs swore it could only take 700c wheels, which disappointed me somewhat.

Sounds unlikely, as it looks in proportion to my untrained eyes, rather than the massively sloping top tube which small 700c bikes have.

If you want to double check, my GFs bike has 650 wheels which we could throw in, and I've got a set of brakes that would fit to check clearances.

Sounds unlikely, as it looks in proportion to my untrained eyes, rather than the massively sloping top tube which small 700c bikes have.

If you want to double check, my GFs bike has 650 wheels which we could throw in, and I've got a set of brakes that would fit to check clearances.

Tell your girlfriend I love you both!!!

I saw Nhatt and she confirmed the 650c wheel size. I have to get the (rear) dropout widened and she's given me the name of someone who can do that for me. When can I come with 'Parrot' (tentative name) to check out the wheels? I live in Balham.

Ooh I'm so excited I could drink a Guinness if I had any - lol

I'm not quite up to riding a fixie or SS yet as I only started cycling a couple of months ago, but maybe one day I'll get to join the elite...
In the mean time, I'm riding 'Tiny Tim'. He's a custom Paul Hewitt frame (bought on ebay and fettled on by the boyf) with 650 wheels - I'm a shortie and have an inside leg of 27", so found it really difficult to get a good fit on the usual 700 wheels.
Love the bike and loving cycling!

Where are you based Heather? There are quite a few of the ladies who frequent the various compass point beers. South's seems to be full of us at the moment!

South's the best though, actually South is defintely the friendest of all Beers.

Heather, joining this site doesn't mean you need to own a SS/fixed wheel bicycles, it's a general bicycle site that happen to have people who like fixed wheel bicycle.

Keep riding what you feel comfortable in.

I'm 5'6 and ride a 54cm top tube (ladies frame with riser bars)...sounds a little big after reading this thread? But it is so comfortable. go figure
Track frame is 54cm and will have drops (will being the operative word as I'm currently in the middle of building it!)