Female bike

MTBlood said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few
and far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my
girlfriend wants to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune
in case she doesn't adapt to it, so what would be a recommended
beginner bike for a girl?

One that fits and that has a decent component set. While "WSD" Women
Specific design has things to be considered, do not look at WSD bikes
exclusively. The first thing to know about WSD is that is if for a specific
body type, a certain torso/leg porportion: long legs, short torso. Not every
female is built like this. The second thing is that you generally have a
more crappy ( crappier?) component set as compared to a like-prices non WSD
bike. Pick a budget, look at everything in that price range, and go for
fit/component set. If a regular frame fits better than WSD, you can switch
out things like handle bars, saddle etc for a women's if that works better
for her. Do not get her a comfort bike!!! And take her out on easy trails,
maybe find a beginner's ride for her.

penny

On 2005-07-20, MTBlood penned:

Quoted message said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are
few and far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my
girlfriend wants to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune
in case she doesn't adapt to it, so what would be a recommended
beginner bike for a girl?

What you're talking about are typically called "WSD," Women's Specific
Design. They're very good for some women, but not all. There are
actually quite a few options out there, at least compared to a few
years ago. WSD seems especially good for very short women. Me, so
far the "men's" bikes have fit me best, so that's what I ride.

My recommendation would be to find a bike that fits, and I can't tell
you what will fit your gf best. Scope out your local bike stores and
have her try some out.

--
monique

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live."
-- Mark Twain

Monique Y. Mudama said:

On 2005-07-20, MTBlood penned:

Quoted message said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are
few and far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my
girlfriend wants to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune
in case she doesn't adapt to it, so what would be a recommended
beginner bike for a girl?

What you're talking about are typically called "WSD," Women's Specific
Design.

"WSD" and "Women's Specific Design" Are Registered Trademarks of Trek,

Other than that ...it is a spot on answer.

Quoted message said:

They're very good for some women, but not all. There are
actually quite a few options out there, at least compared to a few
years ago. WSD seems especially good for very short women. Me, so
far the "men's" bikes have fit me best, so that's what I ride.

My recommendation would be to find a bike that fits,

<snip>

R

"MTBlood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few and
far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my girlfriend wants
to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune in case she doesn't
adapt
to it, so what would be a recommended beginner bike for a girl?

http://www.fisherbikes.com/bikes/bike_detail.asp?bike=Wahoo

--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.

Quoted message said:

MTBlood said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few
and far between.

Much like bugs and weasels, you have to look /really closely/ to see if a
bike is male or female. (Hell, I had mine for years before I realized she
was out to get me.)

I suggest inspecting the bottom bracket area; but buy some flowers first.

Bill "filling space and killing time" S.

MTBlood said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few and
far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my girlfriend wants
to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune in case she doesn't adapt
to it, so what would be a recommended beginner bike for a girl?

Male fantasies like this are best left as fantasies. The reality of
having your g/f getting stuck into a female mountainbike is quite
different from the fantasy. For starters, you have no control over
reality like you do in your fantasy. What happens if she likes it more
than you do? What happens if she keeps seeing this bike outside of your
relationship? Can you handle her stepping out with the bike when you're
not there? I certainly wouldn't spend a fortune on a female bike. If
you insist on continuing with this foolishness, try a few different
brands and see what fits her best regardless of it's sexual preferences.
Five hundred pounds will get you a good bike and hopefully isn't a
financial disaster if the relationship doesn't survive the fantasy being
acted out.
--
Westie

Westie said:

MTBlood said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few and
far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my girlfriend
wants
to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune in case she doesn't
adapt
to it, so what would be a recommended beginner bike for a girl?

Male fantasies like this are best left as fantasies. The reality of
having your g/f getting stuck into a female mountainbike is quite
different from the fantasy. For starters, you have no control over
reality like you do in your fantasy. What happens if she likes it more
than you do? What happens if she keeps seeing this bike outside of your
relationship? Can you handle her stepping out with the bike when you're
not there? I certainly wouldn't spend a fortune on a female bike. If
you insist on continuing with this foolishness, try a few different
brands and see what fits her best regardless of it's sexual preferences.
Five hundred pounds will get you a good bike and hopefully isn't a
financial disaster if the relationship doesn't survive the fantasy being
acted out.
--
Westie

For what it's worth my wife has a WSD Bike and she loves it. It's set
up with a little more flex than mine and has a slightly lower top tube
angle. I think you could work to achieve this with any bike (softer
preload in the fork, less pounds in the rear shock, not-so-rigid bars,
heck - even a spring loaded seat post...) But, obviously the key is
will you guys enjoy riding together. Or - will she feel like she's
holding you up and/or will you feel like she's holding you up.
LP

Theres a joke in here somewhere about the specialised epic 'brains'
shock, but I can't quite figure it...

"MTBlood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few and
far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my girlfriend wants
to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune in case she doesn't

adapt

Quoted message said:

to it, so what would be a recommended beginner bike for a girl?

You will find plenty of comments and posts about this topic through a deja
search. I've said my piece about it many times...

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

Westie said:

MTBlood said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are
few and far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my
girlfriend wants to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune
in case she doesn't adapt to it, so what would be a recommended
beginner bike for a girl?

What happens if she likes it

Quoted message said:

more than you do? What happens if she keeps seeing this bike outside
of your relationship? Can you handle her stepping out with the bike
when you're not there? I

LOL, Westie, have you been talking to my hubby?

ps

Look under the bottom bracket for genitalia. That'll tell you if it's
a male or female bike.

JD

On 2005-07-21, [email hidden] penned:

Quoted message said:

Monique Y. Mudama said:

What you're talking about are typically called "WSD," Women's
Specific Design.

"WSD" and "Women's Specific Design" Are Registered Trademarks of
Trek,

While I'm sure you're right, from what I've seen online, WSD is often
used to describe what we're talking about. The manufacturers may not
call it that, but the riders often do. Kind of like Kleenex vs.
tissue.

--
monique

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live."
-- Mark Twain

Bill Sornson said:

MTBlood said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few
and far between.

Much like bugs and weasels, you have to look /really closely/ to see if a
bike is male or female. (Hell, I had mine for years before I realized she
was out to get me.)

I suggest inspecting the bottom bracket area; but buy some flowers first.

Bill "filling space and killing time" S.

Just use plenty of lube if she's running a little dry.

Ba dum dum!

Matt

I was gonna post it - right down to the bottom bracket reference. Damn, I'm
getting slow...

p.s. What about a ladybug?

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

MTBlood said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few
and far between.

Much like bugs and weasels, you have to look /really closely/ to see if a
bike is male or female. (Hell, I had mine for years before I realized she
was out to get me.)

I suggest inspecting the bottom bracket area; but buy some flowers first.

Bill "filling space and killing time" S.

"MTBlood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I don't know much about female mountain bikes other than they are few and
far between. I've been an avid rider for years and now my girlfriend wants
to get into it. I'm not looking to spend a fortune in case she doesn't

adapt

Quoted message said:

to it, so what would be a recommended beginner bike for a girl?

The first thing I would do before slapping down a ton of money is borrow a
friend's mountain bike that's approximately her size. You don't want to
"guilt" her into being a mountain biker. She should do it because she thinks
its fun.

Or go somewhere for the weekend and rent a bike.

Is she proficient on the bicycle? As you well know, mtb'ing is very
different. Can she hop up a curb? Do a wheelie? If she can't, teaching her a
few basic skills before you hit the singletrack might make her experience
more fun.

Paul

On 2005-07-21, Paul R penned:

Quoted message said:

Is she proficient on the bicycle? As you well know, mtb'ing is very
different. Can she hop up a curb? Do a wheelie? If she can't,
teaching her a few basic skills before you hit the singletrack might
make her experience more fun.

This isn't a bad idea, but I don't think it's necessary and might
freak her out a bit.

When I got my first mountain bike two years ago, I hadn't ridden a
bike at all in several years and had never been particularly skilled.
I couldn't hop up a curb, I couldn't do a wheelie, and frankly I still
can't do either reliably. But I've ridden some fairly technical stuff
in the Front Range. Granted, I have a full suspension bike, so it's
pretty easy to just roll over stuff even if I don't have the technique
right. But I've also learned a lot about technique and body position.

The newbie riders, including myself, all female, that I've encountered
have primarily been concerned with figuring out their brakes and their
gears. If she hasn't been on a bicycle in a while, starting out with
curbs and wheelies may be serious information overload. Just get out
on an easy dirt road and have some fun. Don't do anything that
requires serious technical skills until she's comfortable on the bike.
In fact, the one thing I wish I'd been told when I started out is,
"it's okay to walk something if you don't think you can ride it." My
first two rides, I had this idea that once I was on the bike, I was
committed and couldn't bail no matter what. Silly, I know, but
somehow that's what I thought.

--
monique

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live."
-- Mark Twain

"Monique Y. Mudama" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 2005-07-21, Paul R penned:

Quoted message said:

Is she proficient on the bicycle? As you well know, mtb'ing is very
different. Can she hop up a curb? Do a wheelie? If she can't,
teaching her a few basic skills before you hit the singletrack might
make her experience more fun.

This isn't a bad idea, but I don't think it's necessary and might
freak her out a bit.

Heh heh, shows me! I guess, as I've been a cyclist for not much less time
than I've been a walker, I didn't realize that these skills may be
relatively advanced for some.

Anyway, the point I wanted to make is that it should be fun for the new
rider. As such, I think it's a good idea to spend a bit of time on grass or
something learning some basics before hitting the trail.

All it takes is one nasty wipe out at the wrong time for a beginner to give
up on mtb'ing alltogether.

Every keen male mountain biker has fantasized about having a mtb'ing
partner. But we have to keep in mind that it's not a sport for everyone and
there is a rather sharp and scary learning curve, most especially for people
who aren't cyclists in their day to day life.

Quoted message said:

When I got my first mountain bike two years ago, I hadn't ridden a
bike at all in several years and had never been particularly skilled.
I couldn't hop up a curb, I couldn't do a wheelie, and frankly I still
can't do either reliably. But I've ridden some fairly technical stuff
in the Front Range. Granted, I have a full suspension bike, so it's
pretty easy to just roll over stuff even if I don't have the technique
right. But I've also learned a lot about technique and body position.

That's why I always recommend trying out a used non-suspension hardtail for
beginners. Much cheaper, lighter and it forces you to learn technical skills
right away. I think it makes for a better experience in the long run. (Of
course, that's the kind of bike I taught myself to ride on, so my opinion is
biased).

Then, if the new rider decide their keen, then they can easily re-sell the
used bike and spend a little more money on a bike they know they'll ride.

Quoted message said:

In fact, the one thing I wish I'd been told when I started out is,
"it's okay to walk something if you don't think you can ride it." My
first two rides, I had this idea that once I was on the bike, I was
committed and couldn't bail no matter what. Silly, I know, but
somehow that's what I thought.

re: silly idea - definitely and it probably made your rides much less fun.
Any idea where you got that idea?

p

"Paul R" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Monique Y. Mudama" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 2005-07-21, Paul R penned:

Quoted message said:

Is she proficient on the bicycle? As you well know, mtb'ing is very
different. Can she hop up a curb? Do a wheelie? If she can't,
teaching her a few basic skills before you hit the singletrack might
make her experience more fun.

This isn't a bad idea, but I don't think it's necessary and might
freak her out a bit.

Heh heh, shows me! I guess, as I've been a cyclist for not much less time
than I've been a walker, I didn't realize that these skills may be
relatively advanced for some.

Wow, you sound so 1337. Being a "cyclist" at the age of 2 or 3 is amazing!

Greg

"G.T." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Paul R" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Monique Y. Mudama" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

On 2005-07-21, Paul R penned:
>
> Is she proficient on the bicycle? As you well know, mtb'ing is very
> different. Can she hop up a curb? Do a wheelie? If she can't,
> teaching her a few basic skills before you hit the singletrack might
> make her experience more fun.

This isn't a bad idea, but I don't think it's necessary and might
freak her out a bit.

Heh heh, shows me! I guess, as I've been a cyclist for not much less

time

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

than I've been a walker, I didn't realize that these skills may be
relatively advanced for some.

Wow, you sound so 1337. Being a "cyclist" at the age of 2 or 3 is

amazing!

Quoted message said:

Greg

If you're gonna criticize my posts (as, of course you are welcome to),
please have the courtesy to read them first and at least make your criticism
relevant - I said "not much less time than I've been a walker". I remember
having my first (and only) car-bike collision when I was in junior
kindergarden - so I must have been 4-5.

Why is this so hard for you to believe?

When did you first learn to ride? And what does this have to do with the OP?

paul