Women specific handlebars

**PatT5261** · 03-23-2006, 04:07 AM

Hi,

I just found this forum, hope it's ok to jump in with a question. Does anyone here know much about, or have much experience with the road handlebars designed for women?

Thanks a lot ,

Pat

**doc** · 03-23-2006, 05:59 AM

I have never specifically heard of WS handlebars, but my guess would be they are narrower and have a smaller diameter. More important I think, would be WSD brake/shifter levers. If your hand is tiny, reaching the standard sized ones can be difficult.

**Pax** · 03-23-2006, 06:08 AM

Hi Pat and welcome!

I have a WSD Trek and the bars are much narrower than the same bike in non-WSD trim. I've got shoulder problems and find it much more comfortable.

**tatormc** · 03-23-2006, 06:51 AM

I had the handlebars changed on my road bike when I bought it. The LBS suggested girl bars. This is what the receipt says "38 4 Girls Bar, Brand: Deda Piega."

**Sparky** · 03-23-2006, 07:20 AM

I do not have wsd ,but also needed to switch to 38 because of shoulder issues.

**bouncybouncy** · 03-23-2006, 07:44 AM

not only is the bar narrower but the downward bend is shorter...lessening the reach

***it is hard to explain without visuals!

i have "salsa" brand...did not see that any were labeled WSD but the sizes varied. i have narrow bar (not sure of the deminsions) but it was definitely imparative...i have a very short reach and small hands (not extremely but my fingers are short!!!!)

i am having difficulty with reaching my brakes...on long downhills my hands get cramped and i do not feel like i have a good reach to my levers...i feel i have to let go of the bar sort of speak to squeeze the levers (i have the levers for smaller hands...the smallest they make)
*any ideas on positioning that would help??? ie: levers lowered?

**SadieKate** · 03-23-2006, 07:49 AM

The bars can have indentations to shorten the reach to the levers. The bar may also be shallower front to back and top and bottom. I don't think the overall diameter itself is smaller but critical spots are manipulated to decrease the reach. The diameter would need to remain the same as other bars so that your components will clamp properly.

Here is a sample.
http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail....&item_no=22000

TTT is also known for making a women's bar. Salsa used to. It was called the Poco (I think

).

**Fuji Girl** · 03-23-2006, 08:20 AM

The bars that came with my WSD bike are 38cm, and I love the fact that they're so much narrower than normal. It's much more comfortable. I think you can buy 38 cm bars or smaller - you just have to look for them. Specialized makes some, for example:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=13542

Originally Posted by bouncybouncy

i am having difficulty with reaching my brakes...on long downhills my hands get cramped and i do not feel like i have a good reach to my levers...i feel i have to let go of the bar sort of speak to squeeze the levers (i have the levers for smaller hands...the smallest they make)
*any ideas on positioning that would help??? ie: levers lowered?

Have you tried shims to bring the brake levers closer to your hands? I've read about a lot of women with small hands liking them. Specialized makes some too:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=14922

**ACG** · 03-23-2006, 08:42 AM

I switched out the handlebars on my bike to a wsd handlebars. No more shoulder pain, back pain, etc. Made a huge difference for me.

**Susie** · 03-23-2006, 10:21 AM

My old bike is a men's frame with 40 cm men's bars. My new bike is a women's frame with 40 cm women's bars. While both bars are the same width across, there are very noticable differences -- the circumfrence of the women's bars is thinner and the drops are much shallower. I have a much easier time riding in the drops on my new bike and have a much easier time reaching the brake levers and shifters (and yes -- I have spacers in the levers on both bikes).

Susie

**velogirl** · 03-23-2006, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by SadieKate

Salsa used to. It was called the Poco (I think

).

Salsa still makes the poco (means little, not slow like pokey). I do a ton of women's bike fit and this is the bar I recommend. It comes in both a 36cm and 38cm width. The bike shop where I work carries it in stock now because I recommend it so much. Everyone I've fit with it just loves it!

**kiwi girl** · 03-23-2006, 03:09 PM

I really like the handlebars on my new wsd bike which are narrower and have a shollower drop than my old bike. I am not sure how much is the handlebars, or how much is that overall the bike just fits better - but I find it so much more comfortable riding in the drops on my new bike

**Kathi** · 03-23-2006, 04:31 PM

I'm researching new bars for the bike that I'm building. Here's the list I've come up with so far.

Deda 4Girls, currently using and like very much/w Record Brifters.
Deda Piega
Salsa, Short and Shallow
Morphe TTT, 3T Eva
Bontrager Race, XXX Lite, X Lite and Race Lite
S Works F.A.C.T. Carbon Ergo Women's
ITM K-Sword Carbon, Itm Elle
Modolo Venus

My hands are pretty small and I'm looking for a better reach to the brakes. I saw the Deda Piega today and liked it, its smaller than the 4girls but not sure if it solves the brake from drop reach problems. The Specialized bar I saw brings the brifters up very high on the bar, I do not care for this look. I liked how small the ITM Elle is in diameter across the flat part of the bar.

2 interesting bars are the 3T Eva and the Modolo Venus. Both are designed to bring the brake lever closer to the bar.
The Eva brings the brake lever 77m closer to the bar and the Venus 1-1.5 cm closer.

The smallest size many of these bars come in is 38cm. The Modolo Venus measures as small as 34.

My LBS recommends the Salsa bars and Shimano R-700 brifters but I'm having a difficult time convincing my self to switch from Campy Record to Shimano.

**kiwi girl** · 03-23-2006, 05:11 PM

The proportions/angles/perspective of these two photos (my bike and the mens version of the same thing) are probably not that great (and the guys bike is bigger full stop) butwhen I look at them the difference in handlebar set up is quite clear (although some of it might be a shorter stem too)

http://www.emc2bikes.com/index.php/pi_pageid/27

http://www.emc2bikes.com/index.php/pi_pageid/30

**Jen** · 03-24-2006, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by Fuji Girl

The bars that came with my WSD bike are 38cm, and I love the fact that they're so much narrower than normal. It's much more comfortable. I think you can buy 38 cm bars or smaller - you just have to look for them. Specialized makes some, for example:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=13542

Have you tried shims to bring the brake levers closer to your hands? I've read about a lot of women with small hands liking them. Specialized makes some too:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=14922

I was looking at at the shims on the link you provided. How do they attach to the bike? How do you use them?

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