Bike Fitting for Women

[kelownagirl]

Found this website while searching online. The guy has some interesting articles on bike fitting for women. I wanted to cut and paste the part about saddles and "sensitive parts" but can't because it's a pdf. If anyone is interested in reading the article, here's a link. Part Two of Sensitive Issues has the part I was referring to. I'd be interested if any of you more experienced women have an opinion on his theories...

http://www.cyclefitcentre.com/further%20reading.htm

Thanks,

barb

[mimitabby]

thanks for finding this. Someone else found part one already, and I read it,
wishing there was a part II.
Thanks!
Comments later!

[mimitabby]

Thanks again for finding this.
He has some great ideas and an amazing understanding of the problems that women have on bikes. Too bad he's in New Zealand!

I am going to look up some of the parts he suggested for women to use on their bikes.

I will bookmark this as well.

[Denise223]

Hi Barb!

Thanks for posting that article.

I need/want to get a new saddle, BUT...... there are soooooo many to choose from.

My 2004 Gary Fisher Nirvana has an "oasis" saddle, and it is not the most comfy thing -- that is FOR SURE!!!
I don't like "the nose" part of it --

I'll have to search "saddles", and check out all the wonderful information that I'm sure is there!!

Have a good day!!

Denise

[KnottedYet]

thank you for that link! I bookmarked it, and will be reading it later today. I'm staying home from work with a wicked sore throat and achey bod. Can't ride....dang. A whole day home free, it's not even raining, and I'm too sick to ride! I guess that's why they call it a "sick day".:mad:

[kaybee]

Thanks, Barb, for posting this. I'm having saddle issues, so tonight we'll be taking the little test and trying to determine if the bike is actually adjusted properly. Thanks again for the info.

KB

[caligurl]

anyone know where part 2 of "backyard fit" is?

[mimitabby]

anyone know where part 2 of "backyard fit" is?

I wrote to Steve Hogg; who wrote these articles, and he wrote back!!
here's what he said about the articles!

G'day Mimi,
Love the name and thank you for the interest. That was a
series of articles and between the magazine they were published in and me,
we have lost the rest of them somehow. At the time they were written, I used
to hand write them rather than type and I have misplaced the hard copies.
For what ever reason the mag doesn't have anything from those articles
stored and the issues that they appeared in were sell outs, so I am afraid
that I can't help.
Re your problem. The key first is get the seat position fore and aft sorted
out so that you can support your weight while riding under load with little
upper body enlistment. If you are sure that you have achieved that, then you
need enough foot over the pedal ( for more info regarding that have a look
at http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=2004/letters07-26#Cleat and
http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=2004/letters10-11) as cleat position
plays a large part on how weight is distributed on a bike.
Equally, there is a lot of good stuff in the archives of Cyclingnews.com at
http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=default#qa If you scroll down there
are 3 years of posts about all sorts of subjects to do with cycling
including position.
Re your steering problem; a shorter stem will quicken the steering but a
longer fork will leave you with a higher but longer stem for a similar reach
to the bars as you would have with the shorter stem. There are problems with
both. As you say, the shorter stem quickens the steering but a really high
stem tends to do the same thing because as the bars come up, there is a
transfer of weight from the front wheel to the back wheel, which lightens
the steering and gives a feeling of instability.
It sounds like perhaps your bike doesn't fit too well?
If I can help further let me know.
Where are you located?
COMFORT+EFFICENCY=PERFORMANCE
steve hogg copyright 2004
FOR MORE ABOUT US, VISIT www.cyclefitcentre.com

[caligurl]

wow! awesome that he was so helpful!

too bad he doesn' have the other articles...

[mimitabby]

yeah, it's too bad; but he sort of implies that if you read through all those posts that he has there you can find the questions and answers you need.

[mimitabby]

G'day Mimi,
don't be surprised. I make a conscientious effort to try
and answer all correspondence but it is getting to the point where I am
devoting far too much time for no reward. I get so many requests from the
States to go over there that sooner or later someone will come up with the
right offer. I have been told that Seattle is a cycling hot bed so that if I
am ever going to be in your part of the world, I will let you know.
I'm not used to people as polite as you are so don't spoil me.
I don't know what size you are but you sound petite. A bike that fits with
650c wheels is far preferable to one that doesn't with 700c wheels. Women,
particularly small women are a group neglected by the cycling industry.
There are plenty of 'marketing' solutions and a dearth of real solutions.
The only thing I can say is that when dealing with bike shops, don't be shy,
be frank about your problems as no one will be able to really offer help
unless they know exactly what you mean.
I learned fairly early on to that when a woman told me that her 'bottom'
hurt to ask whether she meant her bottom at the front or at the back if you
know what I mean.
The other problem is that most bike mechanics, coaches etc are men. If they
were built like women they would likely not fob off womens problems as being
relatively unimportant.
I wish you the best with your bike.
Regards,
Steve Hogg

[Triskeliongirl]

A REALLY GOOD ARTICLE on the problem can be found here:

http://www.myra-simon.com/myra/bike/womens-fit.html

(there is a small error though, the smaller framed terry bikes have a 700c rear and 24" front, not 26" rear as she states)