A question - Girls' bikes and boys' bikes - Why the difference?

ShoeFly

I don't bike much, but I do enjoy wowing people with useless
facts, so here recently when someone asked me why boys' bikes have that
horizontal bar between the seat and the handlebar, whereas girls' bikes
have a curved one, I was stumped. I tried searching on Google, but I
couldn't find any answer to this, so I figured I'd get the answer straight
from the horses mouth. Someone care to enlighten me?

Elisa Francesca Roselli

ShoeFly wrote:

> I don't bike much, but I do enjoy wowing people with useless
> facts, so here recently when someone asked me why boys' bikes have that
> horizontal bar between the seat and the handlebar, whereas girls' bikes
> have a curved one, I was stumped. I tried searching on Google, but I
> couldn't find any answer to this, so I figured I'd get the answer straight
> from the horses mouth. Someone care to enlighten me?

uhm, because some girls wear skirts?

EFR
Ile de France

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers

>I don't bike much, but I do enjoy wowing people with useless
>facts, so here recently when someone asked me why boys' bikes have that
>horizontal bar between the seat and the handlebar, whereas girls' bikes
>have a curved one, I was stumped. I tried searching on Google, but I
>couldn't find any answer to this, so I figured I'd get the answer straight
>from the horses mouth. Someone care to enlighten me?

We-ell... when I was a young girl, back in the dim mists of pre-history, the
reason given as why a girl's bike doesn't have a crossbar was that girls wear
skirts. Wearing of a skirt whilst cycling is made easier if the bike isn't the
traditional diamond shape.

Saying that, last summer in Germany, I saw loads of blokes riding what is
ordinarily described as a girls' bike in the UK. It didn't seem to bother them
one jot. Plus, if, to use a phrase, one has difficulty getting one's leg over,
a step-through frame will make going for a ride easier (ooh-err Missus!).

Again, personally speaking I never did like to wear a skirt when cycling and
still don't. So I use a diamond-frame "man's bike" - and have no problem
getting my leg over (ooh-err Missus!).

Cheers, helen s



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Curtis L. Russell

On 20 Apr 2004 13:49:05 GMT, wafflycathcs@aol.comcomcom
(dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote:

>Saying that, last summer in Germany, I saw loads of blokes riding what is
>ordinarily described as a girls' bike in the UK. It didn't seem to bother them
>one jot. Plus, if, to use a phrase, one has difficulty getting one's leg over,
>a step-through frame will make going for a ride easier (ooh-err Missus!).

My Bike Friday Metro is a step through (to fold) and the step through
frame is often easier to use when carrying moderately heavy packages
in downtown traffic with frequent stops and starts. Don't really have
to think much of how the package is attached to the rear, as long as
it is fastened down and fairly balanced.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

Matt O'Toole

dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers wrote:

> Saying that, last summer in Germany, I saw loads of blokes riding
> what is ordinarily described as a girls' bike in the UK. It didn't
> seem to bother them one jot. Plus, if, to use a phrase, one has
> difficulty getting one's leg over, a step-through frame will make
> going for a ride easier (ooh-err Missus!).

Surfers like girls' bikes because it's easier to mount them with a surfboard
under one arm.

Matt O.

Curtis L. Russell

On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 14:53:30 GMT, "Matt O'Toole" <matt@deltanet.com>
wrote:

>Surfers like girls' bikes because it's easier to mount them with a surfboard
>under one arm.

And its dangerous to mount a diamond frame in a speedo...

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

Rick Onanian

On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 10:33:21 -0400, Curtis L. Russell
<curtis@md-bicycling.org> wrote:
>My Bike Friday Metro is a step through (to fold) and the step through
>frame is often easier to use when carrying moderately heavy packages
>in downtown traffic with frequent stops and starts. Don't really have
>to think much of how the package is attached to the rear, as long as
>it is fastened down and fairly balanced.

I don't understand how the top tube affects carrying a package
rear-attached. Or are you saying that you don't have to attach it to
the rear (and hence needn't worry about it there)?
--
Rick Onanian