Short Version (2 min read)
We hear it time and again… pink it and shrink it. With some small exceptions, the bike industry builds for men first and then scales down for women’s smaller average frame. But, as Stacy Sims says, “women are not smaller men.” It is true that on average, women are smaller in stature, but our shorter height is only one way that women are different than men. On average, women have narrower shoulders, wider hips, smaller hands, and shorter legs.
The good news is that there are some easy and cost-effective solutions for ladies that can seriously level up your cycling game.
Our 5 favorite bike modifications and adjustments to improve riding for women:
- Saddle - The single most important contact point between your bike and your body is your bike seat. If there is one adjustment you invest in, this should be it.
- Handlebar Width – If you’re using the stock handlebar, it almost certainly is wider than recommended for the typical female frame (most stock handlebars range between 40-44 cm vs. 36-42 cm for female specific design). To make sure your handlebar is sized right for your unique body, check to see if your hands can comfortably rest on your hoods, with your wrists aligned with your shoulders.
- Hood Positioning – In or out and front to back. Our hoods should be oriented to enable comfortable, safe and quick braking, shifting, and steering. Here is a video to demo how to make this adjustment.
- Break Lever Reach - If you have smaller hands and suffer from fatigue or cramping, you can very easily shorten the break lever reach. This video is a great demo of how to make this adjustment yourself.
- Crank Arm Length – Your crank arm is that lever that connects between your front chain ring(s) and your pedal. As we pedal, our power transfers to the crank arm to rotate the gears of the bike and propel us forward. Longer crank arms that come stock on most bikes require more power to drive a single rotation. Shortening your crank arm can enable a faster cadence (the number of pedal rotations per minute) but can also change / improve ergonomics.
Never settle for feeling uncomfortable on your bike. If you’re finding numbness, pain, discomfort, non-effort related fatigue – IT CAN BE FIXED. We always recommend a comprehensive bike fit but if that’s not in your budget, you’ve now got an arsenal of adjustments to explore on your own.
Longer Version (6 min Read)
We hear it time and again… pink it and shrink it. With some small exceptions, the bike industry builds for men first and then scales down for women’s smaller average frame. But, as Stacy Sims says, “women are not smaller men.” It is true that on average, women are smaller in stature, but our shorter height is only one way that women are different than men. On average, women have narrower shoulders, wider hips, smaller hands, and shorter legs.
Most bike manufacturers simply shrink the size of the bike frame making it possible for a shorter person to comfortably stand over the top tube and reach the handle bars. Unfortunately, this limited approach from bike makers can leave many women cyclists sub-optimized for comfort and performance.
The good news is that there are some easy and cost-effective solutions for ladies that can seriously level up your cycling game. Read on for our 5 favorite bike modifications and adjustments to improve riding for women.
It should be said, that not only are we women not smaller men, but we aren’t all the same either. This guide is for all fabulous female cyclists, regardless of your shape or size.
- Saddle
The single most important contact point between your bike and your body is your bike seat. If there is one adjustment you invest in, this should be it.
The majority of your body weight is perched on this tiny platform that seems almost intentionally design to inflict discomfort. The truth is that no matter how perfect your seat is for your body, there will almost certainly be an adjustment period when you get started, after a long period off, or when significantly increasing your time on the bike. This adjustment period is TEMPORARY. If you are experiencing consistent discomfort during or after riding and it’s been a couple weeks, it is not normal.
The unfortunate reality is that most stock saddles on new bikes are not built for unique female anatomy… a perfect example of how “women are not just smaller men.” Fortunately, there are options out there designed for us female cyclists.
If you’re shopping for a new bike, ask your bike shop if you can swap the stock saddle to get one that is comfortable for you. Or, you could purchase your bike without a saddle.
Get Fit! For all saddle seekers, ask your bike shop if they have a saddle fit expert. See if you can get measured for a proper fit. You wouldn’t buy a bra without knowing your bra size, and we shouldn’t buy a bike saddle without knowing our saddle size.
Try before you buy! Ask if they have a demo program so that you can try the saddle for a few rides to make sure it works. If they don’t, check their return policy to make sure you can return after using it for a few rides. Many shops either have a demo program or a return for store credit program.
2. Handlebar Width
If you’re using the stock handlebar, it almost certainly is wider than recommended for the typical female frame (most stock handlebars range between 40-44 cm vs. 36-42 cm for female specific design). To make sure your handle bar is sized right for your unique body, check to see if your hands can comfortably rest on your hoods, with your wrists aligned with your shoulders.
If you are looking to purchase a new handlebar online, you can measure between the two pointy bones in your shoulders.
We should note – that narrower is not always better. If you get too narrow, while it can improve aerodynamics, it can constrict your chest and ability to breathe freely and also decrease stability and handling.
3. Break Lever Reach
Do you feel your hand fatigue or cramp when you’re slowing down on a longer descent? Or maybe you feel more confident riding with your hands always gently resting on your break levers but the stretched out position of your hands gets tired?
The distance between the open and closed break lever position is actually adjustable in most bikes. If you have smaller hands and suffer from fatigue or cramping, you can very easily shorten the break lever reach.
If you don’t feel comfortable trying this on your own, drop by your favorite local bike shop and they can take care of you. Even better though, if you’re here with us in Boulder, stop by our velo spa and we’ll be happy to show you how.
4. Hood Positioning
Your hoods are the top extension of your break / shifting levers and as bikes have evolved, they have gotten quite a bit larger to support new technology. Unfortunately, this isn’t great for us ladies who typically have smaller hands. It can make it difficult to reach our break levers which is not ideal for safety.
There are several ways to adjust the hood placement and what works for you will be as unique as your fingerprint. Optimal hood placement will vary based on your body, ergonomics and specific riding style.
Your riding style will impact where your hoods feel most comfortable. For example, if you ride a lot in the drops, you may prefer to have your hoods rotated forward and down on your bars to make it easier to reach when in the lower position.
You can also adjust the internal or external rotation of the hoods (flaring in or out) to create the most comfortable wrist position that doesn’t cause numbness, pain, or fatigue.
This is a great video showing how to adjust your hood placement, but as always, stop by our velo spa and we’ll be happy to help you do it for yourself.
5. Crank Arm Length
Before you explore swapping your crank arms, make sure you have dialed in the other key elements of your fit. This adjustment might be worth working with your favorite bike fitter to dial in and try different lengths.
Conclusion
Never settle for feeling uncomfortable on your bike. If you’re having numbness, pain, discomfort, non-effort related fatigue – IT CAN BE FIXED. We always recommend a comprehensive bike fit but if that’s not in your budget, you’ve now got an arsenal of adjustments to explore on your own.