Choosing the right bike can be difficult as a man or a woman it’s not all about colors and we all know it I researched a lot as my own girlfriend wanted one for herself as well and the thing that she repeated over and over again was something comfortable yet durable and affordable, not something that has different color schemes and looks pretty, so I did the research in her place to find what will suit her the best and decided to write about it since no one was taking it serious ad brushing it as women can ride the same bike men.
Here’s what to look for in a women’s mountain bike
- Reach (from the saddle to handle and paddles)
- top tube (generally shorter tube is best)
- wheel size (24, 26 to 27.5)
- adjustable seat (important)
- stem (usually shorter the better)
- narrow bars
- stand over height consideration
If you don’t know why women bikes were made as an exception it was mostly due to their center of gravity weight, height, and reach
This article is not about pink it and shrinking it, it’s based solely to help you out what will help you better provide more comfort and help you with the info which is readily not available on the web.
Here’s the explanation on the things that I pointed out that you should look up before buying any bike and also some guides on sizes and what would be best even if you decided to go for a men’s bike.
Reach :
Usually, women’s reach is shorter than men if you don’t know what reach means it means arm length when you sit down on the saddle or seat of your bike and bent down to grab the handle it refers to as reach.
As I was saying women’s reach is usually shorter than men so it’s best that before buying a bike you should check if the reach doesn’t make you uncomfortable if it is it does it’s probably best considering other sizes or considering other bikes altogether.
top tube :
Top tube refers to the tube that is directly connected with your saddle/seat post and this is the main reason for reach going for a shorter tube tends to be more comfortable for women because of the arms reach. you might sometimes see a bump in the top tube it was made by the manufacturer this way it wasn’t bent on purpose or on delivery it is for your stand over height that I have explained below
wheel size :
wheel sizes are important especially if your height is short you don’t want to roll on the trails with no way to keep your feet on the ground usually women’s bikes offer more wheel sizing like a 24,26,27 and 27.5 choose the wheel size depending on your height.
if you are wondering how big and small size wheels differ? well, its bigger wheels provide more movement diameter and roll over the rocks and bumps easily while smaller wheels tend to be light and fast, But don’t get beat up too much in wheel sizes because once you start riding you will know your way around them it will become easier and on trails its more about the lines than the tires/wheels.
Adjustable seats :
Almost all-mountain bikes come with a dropper post is basically a hydraulic system that pushes the seat down with the push of a click for you to ride more freely on jumps and bumps
It is really handy as I said almost all mountain bikes come with a hydraulic dropper post but a quick check through the specs will help.
stem :
The stem is the part where your handle is adjusted with your frame stem on women bikes is usually a little shorter for the reach but the little margin is not so much noticeable but I thought its worth mentioning if you have competitive nature it may make some difference but still it is usually considered while making mountain bikes for women.
Narrow bars :
Narrow bars play a major role in reach and comfortability narrower bars tend to provide more reach they are good for men as well in some cases, but majorly they are better for women and tend to provide more comfortability in their case.
Stand over height :
Standover height is the height when your feet are on the ground with the bike between your legs standover height provides more stability if the bike has a larger standover height than you it can get cringy and make you uncomfortable so always go for the bike that fits between your legs and things don’t get uncomfortable on the trails for you.
Other Noticeable things to look out for :
Saddle :
it is most likely that the new bike may lack saddle comfortability and you may need to find one that’s more suitable and comfortable for you but that’s not something to throw over a good deal if you are getting a bike that is good value for the money then the saddle is a little adjustment that you can upgrade at any time.
Bump in the top tube :
Mountain bike manufacturers are always evolving to provide more comfortable rides on better budget terms and tend to improve their quality and make adjustments, If you see a bump in the top tube it’s a good sign the manufacturer put real thought into the bike that bumps in the tube is for your standover height as it provides you with more space to stand over your bike and don’t get uncomfortable
if you see that bump it’s a bonus than a fault.
Shocks/suspensions :
Women tend to be lighter than men and the shocks on the mountain bikes for both men and women are almost the same it is due to the shocks/suspensions adjustability a rigid shock/suspension can do more damage to you than good especially if you know nothing about them.
Mostly women mountain bike suspensions are air shocks it is due to the reason that they can be adjusted as women are lighter they can adjust the shocks according to their weight rigid suspensions may be better for the harsh trails but if you have lightweight they could backfire so as a beginner you should always try air shocks before going for the coil shocks that you may see on some bikes.
But mostly coil shocks are on the higher-end pricey mountain bikes so again you won’t see much of them in the listings.
Front cassette :
Most of the new mountain bikes come with 3 cogs cassette on the front cassette some are detachable and others or not if you are a beginner that could be more confusing for you than helpful so its better to go for the single cog on the front and that might harden your search for the perfect bike but it is an option to consider.
how 1 cog is better than 3 on the front cassette :
3 cogs on the front cassette can be a little too much for a beginner you would quickly get confused on trails while you are changing your front and rear gears and forget which gear to apply where that could lead to creek sounds of cassette crying out loud don’t put me in this misery please so better watch out.
if there’s one cog on the front wheel it’s best you can just remember which gears to use when to use and how to utilize and get the most out of the gears.
It increases your speed on the learning curve and you are more confident in yourself you can always upgrade to 2 gears on the front sprocket but I don’t personally recommend 3 they do improve your biking by some margin but still, 2 cogs on the front are more than enough for a mountain biker.
Are men’s mountain bikes good for women as well
you can use men’s mountain bikes as well try riding some see what makes you more comfortable you can go to your local trail or ask some friends if they already own a mountain bike if your height and frame is bigger than usual you should definitely try riding men’s mountain bikes they will suite you much better.
Conclusion :
Ride what makes you comfortable rather than finding what is made for who ride a few bikes and see what works for you best that would be the best way to go about it.
Let me know if this article was helpful to you and what did you decided to buy and how it turned out for you?
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