Why are women's bikes step-through?

Those dresses and long skirts were impossible to wear when riding a bike with a horizontal top tube. The step-through frame allowed women to ride on bikes easily and ride them safely. This is why step-through bikes became popular with women and came to become known as the preferred ride for women.

What is the purpose of a step-through bike?

Step-through bikes offer riders the most upright riding position and will also be the easiest for riders to mount and dismount by simply stepping through the curved frame. Step-thru bicycles are ideal for fun, casual rides, or your everyday commute to and from work and provide comfort and style with every ride.

Why are women's bikes designed the way they are?

Traditionally, a frame for a man has a high crossbar between the wheels, whereas women bikes were built with drop down frames. There are two popular reasons for why drop down frames were designed for women. First, when women started riding bicycles they primarily wore dresses.

Are step-through bikes unstable?

When you ride uphill, your bike's frame is put under significant pressure that can cause it to bend slightly. Due to the construction of a step-through bike, this sensation can feel pretty unstable when you're going uphill and could even cause you to lose your balance.

Why are women's bikes shaped differently?

Women tend to be shorter than men, have proportionally shorter torsos and longer legs, smaller hands, and narrower shoulders. That means that women's-specific bikes are designed to address these differences in body shapes.

Everything You Need to Know About Step-Through Bicycles

Is it OK for a man to ride a women's bike?

Despite these gender-specific differences, most bikes are unisex. Men can ride women's bikes and vice versa, although this may depend on your body type. Although gendered bikes are designed to suit the anatomical differences between each gender, no two bodies are the same.

Is it OK for a woman to ride a men's bike?

That said, another way to view a “woman's bike” is that it's any bike that fits her: That's why plenty of women can often get a better ride on a man's bike (aka unisex bike). A good bike shop will ignore marketing and concentrate on bikes that fit your body proportions.

Is a step thru bike for girls?

This is why step-through bikes became popular with women and came to become known as the preferred ride for women. It has nothing to do with women's bodies or men's bodies—the bicycle was designed solely because women were required to wear dresses at the time bicycles became popular.

Are step-through bikes heavier?

Step-through bikes are heavier and thicker than the traditional Step-Over bikes, the main reason is their construction. These bikes don't have that top bar, so conventional support and protection, which also make them less sturdy by comparison.

What is a mid step bike?

The mid-step frame is a newer hybrid style frame that sits somewhere between low and high-step frames. Also known as a mixte or step-through frame, this design has some unique advantages.

Why do female bikes have a slanted bar?

Thus, bike makers began making bike models just for women that slanted the top crossbar down so that the women could mount and dismount the bikes without lifting their legs very high.

Why do men's bikes have a bar and women's don t?

? Thus, to protect a women's virtue, they originally made bikes with slanted crossbars for women to make it easy for the ladies to modestly mount their bike. This obviously reduced the structural integrity of the bike, but better to be injured than potentially show the world your legs or lady bits, apparently.

What is a low step bike?

A low-step frame typically has a very low top tube, or no top tube at all, which allows for easy mounting and dismounting as well as a comfortable, casual upright riding position.

What does St mean in bikes?

The seat tube angle refers to the angle of the seat tube in relation to the ground. An easy way to think of this is to measure the seat tube angle against an imaginary straight line between the front and rear dropouts.

What is the meaning of step-through?

step-through (plural step-throughs) An open space in an otherwise solid object through which a person can step or walk.

What is a Mixtie?

The mixte – pronounced meext in French, but MIX-tee in English – is a step-through frame with a twist. The top tube is replaced by smaller-diameter twin stays that run from the top of the bike's head tube down to its rear dropouts, bisecting the rear triangle.

Does Trek make a comfort bike?

Comfort first

Dual Sport bikes are efficient pedaling machines, but they are designed with features that reduce strain on the rider for a comfortable ride every time. Trek Dual Sport hybrids feature upright seating positions and grips, saddles, and other touchpoints optimized for comfort on even the longest rides.

What is diamond frame bike?

A bicycle frame is the main component of a bicycle, onto which wheels and other components are fitted. The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle, and consists of two triangles: a main triangle and a paired rear triangle. This is known as the diamond frame.

Is there a difference between men's and women's mountain bikes?

There are no real universal differences between men's and women's mountain bikes since body geometries vary among all humans. There are some common adjustments that some women might require, such as frame size (height and reach), wheel size, saddle type, stem length and handlebar dimensions.

How do I stop my bum from hurting when cycling?

You apply chamois cream directly to the pad in your shorts and to your perineum before riding and, although it might initially feel a little strange and squishy, its effectiveness in preventing saddle soreness is almost miraculous. It reduces friction, hydrates the skin and prevents cracking.

How can you tell if a bike is a boy or girl?

Boys' bikes have a straight top tube – the bar that runs between handlebar and seat stems – while girls' are a U-shape.

Why are womens bike bars lower?

The bar is a matter of tradition. According to Andrea at Bike City Recyclery, when women began riding bikes in the 1800s, they were required to wear heavy skirts. The low bar allowed them to mount the bikes “modestly” and was a space for their skirts to go.

Why was a girls bike bar lower?

Long Dresses and High Bars Don't Mix

Since it wasn't possible to make the clothing more bicycle-friendly, the logical step was to make girls bicycles more clothing-friendly. The result was the frame with the low top tube that could accommodate the dress.

Why do mens bikes have a bar across?

A crossbar is a horizontal bar positioned between the seat post and the handlebars of a bicycle. The purpose of a crossbar is to provide extra support for the frame. Bicycle frames are designed to support a lot of weight, but even a strong steel frame can begin to buckle after years of heavy-duty use.