Dear Bike Companies:

[gnat23]

I, as a representative of the "other" side, usually rant about how difficult it is to find high-end equipment that is pink. I'll fuss about how the lower-end frames have the pink and the flowers and the swirlies, but after a certain price range it goes all primary colors and daggers again.

Of course, there's really not much choice in frame color schemes in any given year, period. Even the guys may only get "silver" or "blue" for a particular model. Either we can wait it out and see what they offer for next season, or have it custom painted, or beg and plead that more places offer things like Trek's Project One engine.

Don't get me started on shoe color availability. Hello, Sidi, we need to talk.

-- gnat! (I miss my T-Mobile Magenta Men. *snif!*)

[kfergos]

Funny that this thread popped up when it did... My mother just bought a brand-new Giant OCR w 3, and her only complaint: "It's girly blue! I hate that color!" Personally I thought it could've been much worse, but she wanted a zippy red bike (which is the color I happen to have, and yes, it does feel faster)... I don't have much to add, except that I wouldn't let color dictate my choice, but given a choice I would tend to avoid flowers, traditionally feminine colors, and suchlike decoration.

Several people have mentioned custom paint jobs on bikes. I'm curious: How much does that usually cost? Where does one find a custom bike-painter? (I've thought for a long time flames would be *so* cool on my bike; plus I've had a lifelong love affair with that iridescent green/purple/blue color that you see on really customized cars and motorcycles (I hear that costs $$$ per pint, but how many pints would you need to paint a bike anyway?))

[aicabsolut]

http://www.joesbicyclepainting.com/

[Kimmyt]

I hate the color on my bike. It's what I like to call 'My Little Pony Teal'. I'm considering putting pink or orange or purple handlebar tape on it, to complete the obnoxious color scheme thing.

I figure, if it's already ugly, I might as well have a little fun with it.

K.

[SouthernBelle]

Lynskey has their frames painted by motorcycle customizing shops.

[kat_h]

Honestly I don't even like the term WSD. I'd rather see them identified by what actually makes them different, smaller frames, narrower bars, whatever. I'm friends with a guy who is fairly short and really struggled to find a touring bike that fit. He probably would have done well with a WSD bike, but it didn't occur to him to look at them, and it didn't occur to bike shop guys to point him towards them. If they'd been labelled purely by size he might have checked them out.

[li10up]

Just to throw in my 2 cents... I too don't like the color schemes on most WSD bikes. I'm not 10 anymore and don't typically like my sporting equipment to look like they are marketed to young girls.

My other pet peeve about marketing to women....why do all the jerseys in the catalogs look like they belong on a woman with scoliosis? I and none of the women I know have ever stood in that position - all bent to the side.... I think it looks rediciculos....like we wouldn't know it's a woman's jersey if she wasn't posed all crooked...geez!

[OakLeaf]

even with my love of the helmet I was completely annoyed with the Giro "Women's" Packaging.

What's different about a women's specific helmet???

(honest question from someone who's never heard that the crowns of women's heads are shaped differently from men's)

ETA, my 2 cents: Women and men ARE shaped differently, and not just from chest to crotch, and I think manufacturers SHOULD label their products when they're made to fit a set of proportions that is much more likely to belong to a woman than to a man (and my understanding is that the difference in frames is more in the STA and the top tube length). What I have a problem with, is when WSD products are labeled as such, but products designed specifically for men's bodies are not labeled. As though everything is "really" unisex but there are some b*tchy feminists who refuse to accommodate their bodies to wearing men's clothes and riding men's bikes.

[GLC1968]

What's different about a women's specific helmet???

(honest question from someone who's never heard that the crowns of women's heads are shaped differently from men's)

In my experience? Nothing, except that they are in 'pretty' colors and they don't come in 'Large'!

I'd be curious of the real difference, too...maybe they have ponytail openings?

[BarbaraAlys]

[QUOTE=farrellcollie;191925]I somewhat agree (actually I really want an orange bike -


My new Trek is orange and cream It is a 2.1 WSD (not the Pilot 2.1, just 2.1)

Barbara

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

In my experience? Nothing, except that they are in 'pretty' colors and they don't come in 'Large'!

I'd be curious of the real difference, too...maybe they have ponytail openings?

Men's helmets in small are too large for me. Women's helmets in small fit me just right.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What I have a problem with, is when WSD products are labeled as such, but products designed specifically for men's bodies are not labeled. As though everything is "really" unisex but there are some b*tchy feminists who refuse to accommodate their bodies to wearing men's clothes and riding men's bikes.

Tell me about it. I was in a nice bike shop 3 weeks ago helping a woman friend to bike shop- she's not overly bike savvy. I asked the man there (who seemed very nice and somewhat knowledgeable) if they had any women specific bikes there, and he said "No, but all these bikes are Unisex and we can fit them to either men or women."....(basically meaning that all the MEN'S bikes in the store would fit all women).
GGGGRRRRRR.........
It's the old syndrome of thinking that any body can be made to 'fit' any bike in their general size regardless of frame geometry or body proportions....it can all be made to fit perfectly by tweaking stems and other minor adjustments. Hogwash I say. This dogma is all to the advantage of bike shops wanting to sell what they have on the floor- which is usually an abundance of long top-tube men's bikes made for long armed guys. Pfffftt.
My friend is still shopping around, but she knows more now than she did 3 weeks ago.

[indigoiis]

Dear Bike company (okay, Specialized...)

Did you really need to put a bright red sticker that says, "Always wear a helmet for safety sake" on the top tube of my bike? A non-removable sticker? I tried to get it off and it was like removing nail polish.

The red doesn't match the blue.

I ride along and look down and read that and then, as is the way with thoughts while riding, it becomes a chant. "Always. Wear. a helmet..."

And then my brain screams out, "I AM ALREADY!!!"

It's all wrong.

*SIGH.*

[GLC1968]

Men's helmets in small are too large for me. Women's helmets in small fit me just right.

Really? Interesting! I never bothered trying on any women's helmets for the reason I mentioned before - they never come in Large. Well, then...even more reason for me not to bother looking at them.

But see, now that pisses me off! Women have smaller heads? Says who? Jeeze!! Why can't they just make helmets in head sizes like they do hats? Why should a men's small be any larger than a women's small? That's just stupid unless there is a real shape difference (like for shoes).

[Flybye]

Dear Bike Company,

Thank you for making such a wonderful bike. You put hours of research and design into putting together a great bike. It is evident that many in your company must love to ride as much, if not more than I. I love everything about the bike. I love the freedom that I get from riding such a great piece of equipment. I love to walk by it when it waits in the rack. I love the way it looks. I love that I can ride it 75 miles without worrying that it is going to fall apart. I love the fact that the women's specific brakes are easy on my hands. Thanks for putting a great seat on the bike, too. How great is that? Thanks for having such a passion to build something so awesome and sturdy that can bring so much delight, freedom, and fun to my life. You have done a fantastic job with metal, rubber, carbon and grease!

In Gratitude - Fly