It’s not all about the pink color and the cute basket. Might be obvious for people who have been living around bikes for their whole life. But I, for example, grew up in a non-cyclist-friendly city. I learned how to ride a bike when I was a kid and left my bike forever in the garage until I went to college.

But when I moved to the Netherlands I needed a bike and I couldn’t even hop in one that was “bigger” than me.

These facts may help you to recognize and categorize a bike from men and women bikes.

Frame: horizontal or diagonal

It all began in the early times of biking. Men used trousers and woman wear dresses. With the horizontal bar in the frame if a woman wanted to ride they would need to pull up their dresses and show some leg skin and maybe underwear. Scandalous for the era, so bike-makers where like: ok, let’s incline the tube in the frame so ladies don’t show their undies.

Even though this weaken the frame, it didn’t weaken it enough to not let ladies ride. Women’s bikes were now the ones with the mid tube of the frame in a diagonal position. This is the main difference of the frames between men and women. The practice became popular and holds nowadays.

The design and materials of bikes have changed over time, but now with the down peak of wearing big dresses (we should bring that back though) and more women in the cyclist scenario, sport bike makers are more focus on getting high quality and light materials. Now the shape of the frame is not that important but the design.

Take a seat and ride

There are indeed different seats for men and woman. This is basic biology and quoting Shakira, hips don’t lie. Men and women have different hips. So, if you’re using a bike for a long period it is advisable to choose a saddle that fits your body. Women saddles are wider and shorter, while men’s saddles are longer and narrow. But if you’re just renting a bike for a few hours to check the city there are unisex saddles that fit perfectly for both men and women. Hurray for equality!

General difference

Men and women have different body shapes. I’m not against equality but I promise, trying to ride a guy’s bike was a way of modern torture when I had a flat tire.

Bikes for the males are bigger. Full stop. Men have longer arms and longer legs so, the distance between the saddle and the handlebar is bigger. Bicycles for women are smaller with less distance between the saddle and the handlebar. You’re ready to go! If you’re in Amsterdam and you see a cute girl get in a shop you can leave a note with your number in her bike.

TIP: It is always important to think about your height when you want a bike. This will make the bike fit your body and avoid any discomforts while riding.

Rent a bike Anywhere Anytime!

Written by Mirie.

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