Why do womens bike frames have have the top bar mounted lower than the mens bikes? On the mens bikes the top frame goes straight across and is parallel to the ground, on the womens bikes it is typically at an angle.
If its since Women are typically shorter, isnt that why the womens bikes are smaller? Also if you reflect about it.. due to the “male anatomy” wouldnt it make more sense for the mens bikes to have the lower bar? For a safety buffer? Now I like how the mens bikes are designed right now.. but I was just curious as to why they are like this.
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It goes back to when women wore skirts all of the time.
womens bikes come in all flavors now
what you are discussion about went out in the 1930s
it’s for skirts and modesty
no serious bike has this design
the ‘double diamond’ design is the strongest and lightest possible
wle
Symon
I agree with the bar theory… I always wanted a lower bar when I slipped of the pedals! But the lower bar was for the ladies who wore skirts while cycling in the ancient days…. or maybe for scotsman in kilts
….. So they would not flash all the world on their cycling ventures.
Soccerref
The skirt theory went out the window in the mid 60’s. During the bikeboom of the 60s/70s, they are celebrated as a “Mixte” frame or simply a “step-thru” frame. It was simply a small simpler for women to mount a bike when they were heaving themselves over the bar. The skirt theory is only right on more traditional bikes that are also equipped with a skirtguard to protect the rear wheel from sucking in the fabric. During the 70’s, alot of bikes were touted as men’s and women’s for marketing as well, and as a way to differentiate between the two. It was soon apparent that these frames had different characteristics and the mixte was inadequate for competitive cycling, and more women were comfortable with the “mens” style. Often, even now, women’s frames have a sloping toptube to accomodate smaller framed women, and alot of brands like Electra still use a class step-thru design for comfort bikes. So you are partially right with the shorter women theory