how to buy a bicycle for women

Before buying a bike the first question you need to ask is, what am I going to use it for? For off-road competition the frame geometry should be totally different to the average leisure user. Similarly if you are a leisure user who plans to cycle for long rides, sitting on a bike for a time puts different demands on both bike and anatomy.

Traditionally bikes have been sold on one measurement only, the length of the seat tube. Actually this measurement is far less important than the distance between the saddle and the handlebars (top tube length). This measurement is the one that dictates your cycling style. On average women have shorter arms than men and as such the top tube needs to be sufficiently short to accommodate a comfortable cycling position.

That cycling position is a function of what you want to use the bike for. A prone aggressive stance with a longer top tube is normally used by those who want to maximise leg, arm and shoulder muscles to maximise speed. But lying forward in that position puts more stress on upper body muscles, particularly the wrists. The other crucial measurement that is often overlooked is the width of the handlebars. Within reason wide handlebars give more control but again most people find that stance more tiring. Women will necessarily need narrower bars than men, this can be easily achieved by simply cutting bars shorter. To try the best width just cycle a bike with your hands in from the end of the bars. A position slightly wider than the shoulder width is probably about right.

My advice for an average cyclist who uses a bike for short regular rides and some longer would be to go for a frame geometry that gives a more upright cycling position. For modern bikes where the handlebars are attached to a bracket clamped onto the top of the forks it is easy to adjust positions. A longer handlebar stem gives more reach and stem raisers give more height. If you are planning on longer cycle trips, a metal frame has more give and flexibility than aluminium.

From long experience on mountain bikes, I would strongly recommend the schwinn discover women's hybrid bike.