WSD vs Men's Bikes

[pooks]

Other than step-throughs, what are the differences between WSD and Men's bikes? A lot of women ride Men's, right? Is there a certain kind of body type that is more suited to a Men's frame?

[salsabike]

Major diff---shorter top tube in WSDs, for those of us with relatively short arms and torsos. It was definitely something I needed to get. So, conversely, women with longer arms and/or torsos may do fine or better with men's frames.

[pooks]

Ah, okay! That makes sense. I think I have longish arms and torso probably average for my height -- 5'8". Of course, I'll find out for sure when I start actually testing new bikes.

Thanks for the info.

[SadieKate]

WSD is does not mean step-through. Step-through is simply a type of frame, commonly called a mixte or the woman's version of a hybrid. Waterford, Bob Jackon, Mercian, etc. are a few of the very short list of companies that I know of that actually make serious road bikes in a step-through or mixte design; you probably won't run into any of these unless you try really, really hard. Many standard road bikes today have sloping top tubes but not enough to be called a mixte.

Shorter top tube, maybe shorter cranks, narrower bars, shorter reach brakes, maybe lighter tubing, different saddle. There are a number of things that may make a bike "WSD." Of course, some companies simply paint it a different color and call it WSD.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ah, okay! That makes sense. I think I have longish arms and torso probably average for my height -- 5'8". Of course, I'll find out for sure when I start actually testing new bikes.

Thanks for the info.

If you are 5'8" with longish arms, in my opinion the odds are that you can be comfortably fit to a "regular" bike. You might consider getting a "slightly" shorter stem than they would normally put on for a man though- like maybe 2cm shorter than their usual stem. Of course everyone is different...

[pooks]

Thanks again, more good info!

[DarcyInOregon]

I am 5'8" and ride a WSD. Suzie is 5'9" and with longer arms than I have, and she rides a WSD. Suzie and I ride Pilots that are the same frame size. I had my stem and handlebars swapped out to make the bike fit me well. Suzie is having problems with her saddle, that is all, and she doesn't appear to have any fit problems.

Pooks, when I selected my WSD last year, it was based more on having had bikes in my past that were men's bikes, and there was always something about those bikes that made my rides uncomfortable. I biked anyway because cycling brings me great joy, but I hated it that the bikes were designed for a male, and not for a female. The bike I have now is the best bike of my life and I will need a dramatic change in my physical condition to make me desire another bike.

When you go to look at bikes, keep an open mind. A men's bike might suit you, but then again, a WSD might suit you too. Since you are brand new to road bikes, you might consider renting one first to get used to a road bike, before you look to purchase.

Darcy

[silver]

If you are 5'8" with longish arms, in my opinion the odds are that you can be comfortably fit to a "regular" bike. You might consider getting a "slightly" shorter stem than they would normally put on for a man though- like maybe 2cm shorter than their usual stem. Of course everyone is different...

Very good Lisa!!!!

I'm 5'8" have very long arms and a regular torso. I ride a 58 cm regular (not WSD) bike. And I've replaced the 110 mm stem with a 90mm.

[aicabsolut]

It's not just arm length. It's about effective torso length, which has to do with the reach of your arms, your actual torso length, lower back flexibility, etc. A lot of long waisted people need to sit more upright for lower back comfort and even though the torso is tall, the effective reach is shorter than another person their height.

Femur length may also be a factor. A woman with longer femurs may need to sit back farther to get the proper knee position relative to the pedal axle, and thus the bars get even farther away.

The best thing is to go sit on a bunch of different bikes. Women's components like bars and saddles can be added easily to a regular bike.

If the top tube is too short, you may feel stiffness in your shoulders (you may tend to hunch the shoulders to have straighter elbows and take weight off your hands and pressure off your triceps), or you may feel that your elbows are in your lap, or that there's a hunch in your back.

[pooks]

Okay -- so there's no shortcut to know! That means when I'm surfing the web looking at bikes, I need to look at both until I know better what kind of bike fits me, or probably until I finally find the right bike.

Long femurs? I wonder if that's my problem. I can't sit far enough back on my current bike to be really comfortable.

[7rider]

You can surf the web for initial research, but please don't buy your bike on the web. A bike could look great on paper, but when you start turning the wheels, it won't be right for you.
The ONLY way you will know if a WSD or a "regular" bike is right for you is to test ride!!! Make an appointment with a shop that carries a few of the bikes that make your short list, and have them set up for you to demo (and be open to their suggestions of bikes that you didn't even consider). Don't just ride around the parking lot. Take it out for a ride. Try hills. Flats. Fast. Slow. Turns. How does it feel? Think you won't be able to tell the difference between one bike and another?? You might surprise yourself.

[Thorn]

I was having a chat with our LBS about bike fit. He was complaining that he dislikes the label of WSD and the typical color choices of WSD bikes. Not, however, because the rare woman like me comes in and says, "No way am I buying a pink bike!!!"

His complaint is that he gets men in his shop who have short arms/torsos and fit perfectly on a WSD bike. Once or twice he got the guy to buy a neutral colored WSD model, but most men won't even consider a "girl's" bike.

Anwyay, it all comes down to fit. Your build and the build of the bike. Be open minded. Find a LBS you trust and a fitter that knows how to fit.

[pooks]

I definitely won't be buying another bike on the internet. The bike I have was bought that way because it is chainless and that's what my husband wanted, and so he ordered them. He said he didn't want to have to deal with chains. I guess when I get a road bike, I'll have to learn how to deal with them. Urrrrgh.

On the other hand, I love the bike I have and will continue to use it for utility cycling, which is all nearby. I don't think I'll want to put baskets and such on my road bike. Even though my funds will be limited and I won't be buying an expensive bike, I think I'll be wanting to keep the road bike as lightweight as possible.

[bike4ever]

Pooks -

Please keep in mind that not all bikes companies have a different frame for their WSD bikes in comparison to their "regular" bikes. One prime example is Giant. If you look at the actual frame measurements between their two small sizes, the frames are exactly the same. Their women's versions have smaller handlebars and different component sizes than their "regular" versions. Be careful to research frame size before settling completely on a WSD bike.

Good luck.

[pooks]

I'll definitely be test-riding any bike I buy and not buying until I'm certain it is a great fit. The surfing I did last night was looking at bikes in my price range, and then (okay, shoot me) colors. I figured I'd test ride the bikes that I loved the color of, just in case it actually turned out to be that great fit.

But I also know once I actually get to the bike shop, all bets are off and I will likely end up on totally different bikes. It was just a bit of "window shopping" before the serious shopping begins.

However, this test ride thing. When I test rode bikes before, nobody offered to let me go off for a few miles; it was just a matter of riding around the parking lot. Is that something they don't offer unless you ask?

And of course I don't know how to change gears or anything, so that's going to be problematical, unless I stick to the kind that are in the twist-handle. Does that make me a big weenie?