When do women feel comfortable on a road bike? When everything fits. When does everything fit? When bike manufacturers design their models for women, taking into account that women are generally slightly smaller and lighter than men, that they have narrower shoulders and smaller hands and less strength in their legs. To find out whether and how manufacturers master this challenge, we put six bikes to the test, each model in the smallest and largest available frame height.
The central question: do women find a comfortable riding position on these bikes? To find out, the twelve bikes travelled to the 2008 TOUR training camp in Spain, where female readers (and some male readers) were able to thoroughly test the racers on extended training tours.
A persistent cliché also characterises considerations about the right road bike for women. It is rumoured that women usually have a relatively shorter upper body and longer legs compared to men. This image of women is possibly characterised by the current beauty ideals of the fashion and cosmetics industry, but it has little to do with reality. The Hohenstein Institute in Baden-Württemberg, which also conducts research into clothing sizes for the textile industry, points out that there is no scientific evidence to support this theory.
SHORT AND SHORT
According to the practical test and our experience, women do not need road bikes with special women's geometries - but small frames with a consistent comfort geometry that are just as suitable for small men and teenagers. It is much more important to customise a frame with a suitable stem, handlebars, saddle and shift brake levers to the needs of women. Canyon, Specialized and Felt have implemented this best in this test field.
You can find these racing bikes in the PDF download:
Canyon Ultimate AL 7.0 WRX
Felt FW 15
Red Bull Red Rose SL
Specialised Ruby Elite
Stevens Impala
Trek Madone 4.5 WSD
Downloads:
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