On average, if you were to take a man and a woman, who, when stood
side-by-side, were of equal height, you’d have two people that were the
same height (I know, duh). However, what you’d also get are two people
who would fit very differently on a bicycle. Men and women are
proportioned differently from one another – in other words, a man and
woman of the same height are not built the same. Now, it's largely
believed that women have longer legs and shorter torsos than men, thus
creating a shorter reach which makes fitting women to typically
designed bicycles difficult - they're simply not comfortable. However,
statistics tell us something that's both different and the same. Uh,
What? Yeah, I know, read on and I'll explain...
Why Do We Need Women’s Specific Bikes?
On average, women do have a shorter reach than men, but according to note:
I’m about to use a big word here folks – just wanted to let you know.
I’m actually quite proud of the fact that I can use this word, and even
know it’s definition! For you, my reader &/or customer, it should
tell you just how much effort & time I put into women’s fit on a
bicycle, but otherwise I’m sure you’re not as impressed with me as I am
with myself. Now, back to the show… As I was saying, according to
anthropometric data
(I know, thank you) the difference isn't shorter torsos, it's in the
arms and hands. For the longest time, there’s been a misnomer that
women have longer legs and shorter torsos than men, and that difference
accounted for the reach difference between the sexes, but it’s simply
not true. In fact, men and women’s leg length, in relation to total
height, is within seven tenths of one percent of one another – not
much. Ahh, yes, you say, but don’t women have longer thighs/femurs
than men? Well, no, not really. On average, a women’s femur length
makes up about 46% of her leg length, while a man’s is about, oh, hmmm,
46%. So much for that myth. So, where’s the difference? Let’s take a
quick look.
We’ll
compare a man and woman who are the same height - let's just say
they're both 5'8". As stated above, statistically you'll find both
have pretty equal leg and torso lengths, but the woman tends to have an
inch-and-a-half less reach than the man. It’s mostly arm and hand
length that makes up the difference, and let me tell you ladies, an
inch-and-a-half is a mile when it comes to bike fit. It’s more than
significant, it completely changes the geometry of the bike our man and
women should ride, despite their equal stature. Reach is not the only
reason for this, but it is the most noteworthy. I won’t go into some
of the other reasons because, a.) it would be long and boring, and, b.)
I can’t give away all my bike fitting secrets!
The
difference in reach between men and women is why it’s necessary to not
only have women’s specific bicycles, but bicycle components, too. One
of the most important rules of bike fit is to make the bike fit the
rider, not the other way around. Women are uncomfortable on their
bikes because, for too long, they’ve been forced to fit on bicycles and
bicycle components designed not for them, but for men. Most of the
discomfort comes from women having to reach too far to the handlebars.
This creates all sorts of issues for a woman’s body, and discomfort, or
possibly injury, are the result. The first issue stemming from too long
a reach is discomfort in the, umm, ummmmmm, hmm, let’s see how do I put
this? Uhg, let’s just use the word Nick, my 4 year-old son uses…your
“pirates” – you know, that area which touches the seat. Some of you
may know this as your “privates” but Nick has obviously found a word
which everyone can use with comfort. Reaching too far to the
handlebars creates undue pressure on this area, and a great deal of
discomfort. One thing I know, if your “pirate” area is not
comfortable, you’re not going to ride all that much. Part of this
issue can be dealt with by having a seat that fits you properly, but if
you’re reaching too far, it’s gonna hurt no matter what your bumm is
on. That’s not the only affected area, however, reaching too far can
also create problems with your back, hips, shoulders, and arms, and
when your start adjusting yourself to relieve one area of discomfort,
you tend to create problems in other areas. Bike fit is so important
when it comes to enjoying the sport of cycling, and trying to fit a
woman to a “man’s bike” just doesn’t always work – at least not the way
it should. The goods news, however, is that women don’t have to ride
bikes designed and built for men, because the cycling industry is
finally waking up to the needs of women, and designing bikes just for
them, or YOU! And it’s not only bikes. Saddles (really the first bike
part made specifically for women), handlebars, and other components are
also being made for you ladies, and together they create a comfortable
cycling experience for everyone – really, I’m not kidding, it is
possible!
So, I think it’s pretty clear that there’s a need for women’s specific
bikes and components, but let me also say that not every women needs a
women’s specific anything when it comes to cycling. The anthropometric
(you didn’t think I was gonna use it just once, did you?) data I’ve
quoted is based on averages, and there’s really no one person who is
completely average. How do you know if you need women’s specific?
Well, that’s where having a professional fitter you trust comes in,
because a person who understands what I’ve been writing about can help
you with your existing fit, or with the fit of a new bicycle and/or
component. It’s
now commonplace to have women come to us from over 100 miles away…in
Southern California! I’m quite proud of that, and we’re constantly
striving to do a better job for you ladies. It’s become a passion for
us, and we love to hear from women, who had endured pain for far too
long, tell us how comfortable and powerful their new positions feel.
We spend roughly twice as long fitting women to bikes than we do men,
and we feel like it’s time well invested in our customers. We hope you
feel the same way.