Can someone explain what a "man bike" is?

[hurleygirl]

I've seen this term used a lot here, but I can't figure out exactly what it means.

Does it mean any bike with a straight top-tube?

Does it mean any bike that's not a women's specific design?

Or something else?

[mimitabby]

it's a bike that isn't woman's specific design. We coined that term right here on TE :)
:D :D :D

[hurleygirl]

Ah, thanks for explaining. I don't ride a man-bike because mine is a WSD. The shop actually measured me and said because of my height and build I didn't need a WSD, but then they sold me one anyway.

At first I was offended because the WSD bike came standard with a triple, while the men's verson came with a double. That's highly insulting. But then I started riding some hills, and was very grateful for that granny gear. :)

[mary9761]

A triple ring is definitely something I will be wanting to keep if at all possible when I'm able to upgrade to a road bike. I like my granny gear for the hills as well.

[Bad JuJu]

Granny gears rock--especially for those of us who've scaled the menopause mountain and need to be even kinder to our knees than when we were younger. :rolleyes:

[eclectic]

I love my granny gears! This past week I was riding w/ a gal that had doubles, she could rock on the flats and the beginning of hills but as soon as we geared down to Granny we blew by her and our knees were the better for it

[bcipam]

Man Bikes can also come with triples... as WSD bikes can be built or come with doubles. It's preference.

I'm also a member of the triple chainring gang. My guy friends all tease me about changing my triple to a double so I can suffer like them... I remind them they don't have to suffer - it's their choice - they can always ride with a triple.

PS I changed out the rear cassette and derailleur to XTR so I ride with a 30 - 34 - super granny!!!

[DeniseGoldberg]

Man bikes?
I know it wasn't meant to be a derogatory term, but that term really rubs me the wrong way. Bikes are bikes, and they all have different geometry. Yes, there are bikes that are labeled WSD - which makes it easier for people (not only women) to find a bike that fits when the individual needs those proportions. Not all of us fit in that category though.

I hope that women new to the cycling world don't assume that because they are women that they should be riding a WSD-frame and should not be riding what you are calling a "man bike".

[mimitabby]

this came up in conversations where people identified their own beloved bikes as manbikes. So i don't think anyone's going to think that they HAVE to have the WSG bikes, especially when they check the prices.

[Veronica]

I know it wasn't meant to be a derogatory term, but that term really rubs me the wrong way.

Yeah... I don't much like it either. But if someone wants to describe their own bike that way, that's okay. Just don't tell me I ride a man bike. :D

V.

[bcipam]

I know it wasn't meant to be a derogatory term, but that term really rubs me the wrong way. Bikes are bikes, and they all have different geometry. Yes, there are bikes that are labeled WSD - which makes it easier for people (not only women) to find a bike that fits when the individual needs those proportions. Not all of us fit in that category though.

I hope that women new to the cycling world don't assume that because they are women that they should be riding a WSD-frame and should not be riding what you are calling a "man bike".

I ride Man Bikes (my body type does not work with WSD) so hopefully women won't think they must be on WSD - I've always used the term sort as a joke; a "funny" to explain what a WSD bike is. A Man Bike obviously doesn't mean it's just for men - it's generic as opposed to bikes for women only (although I guess men can ride a WSD bike but I know no man who has ever bought one - most have girlly colors, patterns and designs).

Do any of you out there know of a guy who bought a WSD bike? I have a guy friend with "girly" geometry (long legs, shorter torso and arms) that refuses to buy WSD - he has his bikes built custom!

[Lifesgreat]

I don't ride a manbike or a womanbike, I ride mybike ;)

With a wonderful granny gear!

[Trekhawk]

See I call my bikes Man bikes but I had no idea it would offend anybody. I just thought it was a funny way to explain it was not a WSD frame.

Sorry if it confused or offended just blame my wacky sense of humour.

[Trekhawk]

Oh yep I forgot all my bikes have a triple. The bike shop tried to talk me into a compact double on my new bike but I refused. I must admit I do like the carbon cranks that were on the double but even though my triple may not be as pretty it rocks.:)

[Veronica]

Speaking of triples vs doubles...thread drift warning

Today I did not allow myself to use my smallest gear - 24x27, as the new bike will not go that low. I am happy to say that I was able to still spin well up the two climbs on my ride today. More importantly - no knee pain yet. :)

It was hard mentally to not downshift to that easier gear. But I do wonder how much faster I'll be able to climb with new gearing. :D

V.

[SadieKate]

Uh, the same? Just don't use the smaller gears on your current bike.

OK, you can blow a cyber-raspberry at me now. :D

[Veronica]

I meant like on a long sustained climb like Diablo. It's "easy" to do a short quarter mile climb faster, but ten miles? Will I be able to maintain that cadence? Gosh I hope so!

V.

PS Where's my cyber squirt gun?

[Geonz]

As far as "triples for the WSD" - They make that decision, I suspect, based on marketing statistics pure and simple, not on hi-browed thick-quad assumptions.
THe triple thing could be a compliment, too (or, insulting to the guys instead), if you just figure that if male egos weren't so inhibiting of sensible behaviors, then the default would be a triple for them, too. Anything can be taken any way you want to spin it...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I ride a People Bike...adjustable to various body geometries.

[GLC1968]

All the guys I ride with at work have doubles. Most of them would probably love to ride a triple if it wasn't so ridiculed by other men!

One of these men is also long legged, short torso and would benefit from a WSD...but he'd rather die. He's got a custom frame instead. He's also got uber-expensive race wheels on his bike when he weighs well over 250 lbs. And he wonders why he breaks spokes on any ride over 60 miles. :eek: Men!

We were recently discussing a local mountain century and we joked that the difference between men and women is that the women don't have the ego's preventing them from having the right equipment for the ride! ;)

[Dianyla]

How to tell if you have a ManBike?

ManBikes are the sort of bike that refuses to ask for directions and so you always seem to get lost. At the sight of another bike, they immediately get an aggressive surge and start chasing. They don't need much maintenance, just a little lube and a rag. Oh, and don't let them become too deflated, they require frequent pumping up. They are also notoriously reluctant to pull over for bathroom breaks. In spite of all this, ManBikes are wonderful to own because they are always eager to go riding at any time of day or night. :p

[bcipam]

Very clever!!!! But so true! ;)

[mimitabby]

All the guys I ride with at work have doubles. Most of them would probably love to ride a triple if it wasn't so ridiculed by other men!
;)

This is so funny. The guys I ride with wouldn't be caught dead with a double.
They talk about their gears on their triples all day and all night. a double would mean less gears to talk about
"Wow did you see Jim's bike? it has a 66 on the $@$% and a 30 on the !@#!"
"oh yeah, but i have a 67 on mine"
blablabla.

Then of course we also have the fixie guys...

we have hills. Do you have hills?

[bikerz]

Dianyla - very funny!

This might be partly off topic, but since V drifted, I guess I can too... (maybe more of a "man-on-bike" than "man-bike" story!)

I was talking to my friend Steve last night about cycling - particularly going down hill. Steve used to mountain bike with a friend of his, Bob, and Steve was always faster downhill than Bob. So Bob starts staying things like "Maybe i need to put my saddle back further, lower my handle bars, get different tires, and better wheels, etc., etc." until Steve finally said to him "Dude, maybe you just need to get some bigger balls!" :p

[oxysback]

"Dude, maybe you just need to get some bigger balls!" :p

HA! Well, size does matter....heck, you should see how I smoke everyone down hills! :::snicker:::

[RoadRaven]

OK... call me real stupid but in the over-a-year that I have been here... every time I saw "man-bike" I thought you meant the gender you had ascribed your bike...

Not its geometry :p


Road ~blushing~ Raven