How to get more women into cycling

[Koronin]

I generally stay away from these conversations...but my button has been pushed.
I hate to see someone avoid the best bike for them simply because they are angry that the bike industry dares create some difference between bikes that are MARKETED for women. It's MARKETING.

All I know is the bike shop and bike riding used to be a very lonely place for women. Now, there are TONS of women riding. I fail to see the huge problem.
Maybe the industry needs to change the name of the bikes designed for 5'6" and under people.


Many of today's women's bikes are coming stock with REALLY short stems. This is a marketing move so they can show off a very short cockpit. It has NOTHING to do with the way a bike SHOULD be set up.

My customers frequently ask for a larger size to get a more appropriate cockpit length. Often the better fit solution is to take the silly 60mm stem off and replace it with an 80 or 90.
What we try to do is ride both sizes then take the cockpit length off the larger bike and "build it into" the smaller bike.

You do realize that maybe the best bike is NOT a WSD. I bought a Felt F-5 (They do NOT make the F series is WSD to begin with). This bike fits me perfectly. I've tested both the Lexa and the Dolce and they do NOT work. They are way to cramped of a feeling and NOT comfortable. Do NOT assume that someone must have a WSD because they are a women. Geometry is what should determine what someone needs. Granted most unisex/men's bikes do NOT come in a small enough size for me to even look at. WSD bikes assume that women have long legs, short torso/arm reach and narrow shoulders. I am exactly the opposite in all three, I have short legs, longer torso/arm reach AND have broader shoulders. I don't have an issue with the WSD lable, just don't expect all women to be able to ride one. Also don't expect all women to even want the colors that are in the WSD bikes. On the other hand my crusier and mountain bike are WSD frames and they fit fine, but for road bikes the WSD frames do NOT work at all. Just like women's shirts typically do not work at all. My shoulders are too broad. If I can find a shirt to fit my shoulders, it WAY too big everywhere else, so I go for men's clothing as they actually fit.

Also need to add that not everyone can even ride all different brands of bikes. My husband made a big mistaken when he bought his first road bike. It never fit him correctly no matter what was done to it. We even dragged it halfway across the state to our old LBS (whom we trust) and they tried everything different stems, seats, seatposts, and some of things, and could not get him comfortable on that bike no matter what we did. He ended up selling it and got a Felt F-5 (larger size than mine) and it fits him great. Only a few minor fitting tweaks and he's very comfortable on it.