Improving Cycling Comfort For Women

What women need to know to make cycling more comfortable



Women tend to have different proportions to men and as such need bikes that fit differently. My wife is the perfect example of this. Long legs, short upper body and short arms means she needs bike set up with a higher seat, short reach to the bars and the handle bar higher in relation to the saddle. When I put a new mountain bike together for her last year, we used a narrower handle bar, shorter cranks, short stem, a bike frame with a shorter top tube and saddle that properly supported her sit bones.



Bike fitting is as much an art as science.



While your proportions are different than men, the general principles of bike fit are the same. You want to end up in a balanced position on the bike with no undue pressure points. In some cases this can be accomplished on a unisex bike with some parts changes, but a women's specific frame may be the only answer. Women's specific frames will usually have shorter top tubes and longer headtubes allowing for the shorter reach to the bars that is needed.



Saddles



While there are many women's specific saddles on the market, just because you are a woman doesn't mean they are the best seat for you.



The key is to get a saddle that is the right width and shape to support you pelvis and get it positioned properly. I've seen many women set up with their seat too far forward with puts more pressure on the nose of the saddle leading to crotch pain or numbness. Saddle positioning is one of the keys to comfortable and fast riding.



Cranks



As women are generally shorter than men, it stands that as the length of the legs decreases so should the crank length. In many cases, stock bikes come with cranks that are too long for smaller riders limiting the ability to spin smooth circles.



Cranks that are too long also increase the loading on the knees at the top of the pedals stroke. If your legs are 30″ or shorter your bike probably has cranks that are too long.