female specific?

[bumble]

Hola!

I'm the US correspondent for three magazines (see below). I live in Santa Cruz, California, but most of my articles are published in Spain and read both in Spain and Latin America

I'm preparing an article on female specific gear, discussing, among other topics, whether all the women's MTB gear that is put out is really helpful to women or a mere fashion / marketing tool. Or inversely, if there are needs for specific gear that you think have not been addressed properly by the industry.

I was wondering if you have any good and bad stories to share and some input regarding for which components female specific design is really important.

Any other personal view or input would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

Manuel

US Correspondent, Mundo MTB Magazine, Spain
US Correspondent, Outdoor Magazine, Spain
US Correspondent, Ciclismo en Ruta Magazine, Spain
Santa Cruz, California 95062
USA

PS: To prove that I'm legit, here are links to some of my articles (in Spanish) and my friendster profile, from which you can also reach me.

http://reportajesmountainbike.blogspot.com/
http://tirandomillas.blogspot.com/
http://americantoys.blogspot.com/
http://www.friendster.com/user.php?uid=7715574

[Eden]

Being quite petite I can appreciate women specific gear, as much of the unisex stuff is just too big for me. Not that I think it has to be made for *women*, but certainly made for small folks, the major proportion of which probably are women.
Being cute, or pink or girlie I think is just a gimmick if that's all they've done. The item has to have been redesigned for a real reason. If it was offered I wouldn't buy a "women specific" water bottle for example - what would be the point.
The design of the bike is a different matter. I'm a roadie so some of this stuff may not apply - but I have short reach levers, narrow handlebars and shorter cranks, all of which make my bike more comfortable for me to ride, faster and safer and are generally only available on bikes designed for women! The overall design of my bike takes into account that women generally have shorter torsos and arms, thus need a shorter top tube - its the shortest I could find and I'm still getting a shorter stem. For me I think it really has more to do with being small - if I were bigger it probably would not matter to me at all if the equipment was unisex or not - I actally prefer less girly looking gear - but I need to buy stuff that fits.

[Dirt Girl]

For me, Eden hits the nail on the head by pointing out that it's not about being made specifically for women but rather smaller people. The smaller frames, handlebars, levers, cranks, etc., are what draw shorter, smaller, more petite women to the WSDs. Everyone I know who is an average-size woman or taller is able to find non-WSD gear that works for them. The only reason my first two full suspension mountain bikes were WSD is the fit. But companies are finally becoming wiser. Now that it's available in extra small, I own a new non-WSD bike that is practically identical in size specs to my older one. Short top tubes are critical to bike fit for me.

Most mountain biking women are not concerned about fashion. Fit, performance, durability...those are the things we need and want. Though I will have to admit that given two items identical in everything except color, I will pick the one with a color I like best.

[Duck on Wheels]

While I do agree with Eden, Dirt Girl, and many other petite women, I also wish there were more women specific gear also for tall women. I'm 5'9", which was tall when I was a teen, but taller still is quite normal in my daughter's generation. She and I, and many of her friends, find it hard to get gear that is long enough in the sleeves while also slim enough in the shoulders and wide enough in the hips. For jackets and the like I tend to buy Men's Large Tall, but then the hips are often too narrow and of course the cut is pretty much flat, i.e. same width in front and back, whereas a looser front would fit better on a woman. Also men's backpacks will fit my spine length well, but the shoulder straps chafe at my boobs and the hip belt rides up off my hips. So, yes, even for taller women, it is often a relief to find women specific gear -- unless it's specific only in that it's smaller. And then there's the shoe problem. Luckily (men's) athletic shoes are often somewhat narrower than, say, dress shoes, but not really enough for my feet. Unluckily almost no women's shoes, sport or otherwise, come in 11 1/2. AA. Wearing men's trainers day in and day out has done some damage to my feet -- fallen arches from shoes that are too wide. I would say that WSD is not merely about fashion, but neither is it a guarantee for gear that fits.

[Veronica]

Fashion wise my biggest beef is color. It's hard to find a women's jacket that is a bright color - not dark blue, purple or black. Hint to clothing manufacturers - if I want to wear a jacket, it's a good chance it's overcast, raining or flatout dark outside and I'd like to be seen.

V.

[caligurl]

another ditto of the smaller frames and COMPONETS for smaller people! all three of my bikes are WSD cuz i NEED them to be!

as for clothing.... not every female who rides wants flowers and pink! i want nice colors.... but not the flower prints.... pink has to be done right... again.. no flowers or polka dots or spots or whatever.... i'm not 10! i don't do flowers! a nice solid or two-toned... a bit of contrast... tasteful but bold is good! makes us seen!

[Eaglewalker]

Ditto objections to the childish colors and patterns. I am a woman, not a girl.

Problems with fit: I am tall, big-boned, hourglass-shaped (long torso, short legs, big difference between hip and waist), and run to muscle. Men's clothes aren't built for this, nor are most women's. Anything that fits the hips is generally three inches too large in the waist. Anything that fits close to the torso (which I prefer) is too tight in the shoulders and arms. My problem with women's clothes is that they just aren't "womanly" enough. Everything appears to be designed with Alyssa Milano in mind.

(Shoes are beyond useless, but that's not a woman-specific problem. NOBODY makes ANYTHING in 8.5 EE/B for either men or women. I just figure I'm a mutant, and let it go at that.)

I ride a standard fit mountain bike. Women's bikes don't fit.

Pearl Izumi is great for the shorts, but I haven't yet solved the jersey problem yet.

[DirtDiva]

...Anything that fits the hips is generally three inches too large in the waist... Pearl Izumi is great for the shorts, but I haven't yet solved the jersey problem yet...

Heh, I'm guessing I may wish to stay far, far away from PI shorts: I have the exact opposite problem. Going by the size charts (and not just PI's), I need a L in the waist and a S over the rest of me. I don't bother trying on anything that's designed to come right up to my waist because it just ain't gonna work.

I've never ridden WSD, so I can't really comment on that side of things.

[Nanci]

I'm just coming off a period in my life when my measurements were all almost the same. You people with a waist ought to enjoy it!!! At least you can still fit into three inches too big. Three inches too small isn't happening :-(

Nanci