Embarking on the journey of finding the perfect road bike is an exciting venture for any cyclist, and the right fit is paramount.
In this comprehensive guide, we demystify women’s road bike sizes. Navigating through the nuances specific to women’s anatomy, we provide valuable insights to help you choose the ideal road bike size.
While plenty of women will find that unisex or men’s road bikes will fit them well (or can be adjusted to fit them), in my career as a professional bike fitter, I’ve also come across many cases with female cyclists who found women’s road bikes fitted them much better.
Accompanied by a detailed Women’s Road Bike Size Chart, this guide aims to provide female cyclists with the knowledge needed to ensure a comfortable ride tailored to individual preferences and body proportions.
Women’s Road Bike Size Chart
Here’s our women’s road bike size chart. While it offers you a good start point, it shouldn’t be taken as gospel. Always test ride to make sure the bike and its geometry are a good fit for you!
Why The Correct Road Bike Size Is Essential
Comfort
Riding the wrong bike size can be very uncomfortable. Not only will this cause you not to enjoy the riding you’re doing much, but it will also stop you from doing longer rides by being in pain.
Injury Prevention
Being on the wrong size bike means there’s a strong chance you will get injured. This generally results from the fact that the bike angles and tubing size just don’t work for your body’s anatomy.
Handling And Performance
If the bike is the incorrect size, it will heavily affect how it handles for you as a rider. It will not put you in the correct position, making it harder to move around the bike and gain that aerodynamic advantage.
Key Measurements On Women’s Road Bike Sizes
Understanding how a road bike is measured is very important and gives a clear insight into what to expect. As a bike fitter, I look at key measurements when sizing a bike for a client. Here are the main three.
Effective Top Tube Length
The effective top tube measurement is the horizontal distance between the top of the seat tube and the head tube. It’s the main sizing measurement and tells you the amount of space you have to sit on the bike.
The reason we use the effective top tube measurement instead of the actual top tube length is that many modern road bikes feature a sloping top tube, increasing its length without extending the distance from the seat tube to the head tube.
Seat Tube Length
The seat tube measurement is the distance from the center of the bottom bracket up the seat tube to where your seat post goes in the bike. The right seat tube measurement means you can adjust the bike for the correct angle on the knee.
Head Tube Length
The head tube is the length from where the fork goes into the frame to where it comes out the other side. It is a good indicator of a bike’s size but varies greatly depending on its type.
How Do Women’s Road Bike Sizes Differ From Unisex/Men’s Road Bikes?
Bikes designed specifically for women differ slightly from unisex or men’s bikes. There are only small, subtle differences, but they can go a very long way if you’re struggling to get the perfect fit without a female-specific bike design. Here’s what you can expect.
- Smaller Stack Height
- Shorter Reach
- Lower Standover Height
- Cranks Often Shorter As Standard
- Narrower Handlebars
- Shorter, Wider Saddle
The most important differences are the shorter stack and reach. Everything else can be adjusted, such as levers, handlebars, and cranks, with tools or replacement parts.
Can Women Ride Men’s Bikes?
Absolutely yes, women can ride men’s bikes, and men can ride women’s bikes. When it comes down to it, whatever bike you’re more comfortable on is going to be right for you.
Most bikes are considered unisex, although it’s worth recognizing that historically there has been a flawed tendency for bike designers to overlook this point, and consider the “standard” cyclist’s body to effectively be a male one.
This is finally starting to change, and modern unisex bikes tend to be designed with equal consideration for male and female anatomies, but it does mean there is room in the market for bikes specifically tailored to women’s body shapes instead of men’s.
At the end of the day, every cyclist’s body is different. For some women, a unisex bike will fit them just fine, but for others, opting for a women’s road bike might be the key to finding the perfect bike fit.
4 Methods to Find The Correct Women’s Road Bike Size
There are many methods for picking the correct road bike size. Here’s what I recommend to get the right size women’s road bike for you.
Manufacturers Guidelines
Bike manufacturers want you to have the right size bike and often have many recommendations regarding what you should use. If you visit their websites, you will find sizing information that will help. Some websites go on height, others on inseam.
A Bike Fitter’s Advice
A lot of bike fitters offer a pre-buying bike service where they can help you size a new bike, rather than taking your bike to them to be adjusted after you’ve bought it.
They get you on a stationary bike and size you up, then recommend the correct bike size. They will take measurements such as inseam, height, reach, and much more. This is the best way to get a perfect bike fit, but it adds to the overall cost if you’re on a budget.
Test Ride
Another route you can go down is testing. If you are near a big bike shop close and they have the bike you want to test, head down and give it a try. This will give you a proper feel for the bike and see if it’s right for you.
A General Women’s Road Bike Sizing Chart
Finally, we have a general sizing chart for you at the top of this guide.
This is a great way to get a rough idea of the bike you should be on and great information to compare with the manufacturer’s recommendations if they have any, but should only be used as a rough guide to give you a starting point when searching for your next bike.
Should You Size Up Or Down With Women’s Bikes?
A common question we get asked here at BikeTips is, “What do I do if I’m in between bike sizes?” This can leave you in a tough place, especially when buying an expensive bike. It’s important to remember bikes are very adjustable, but which way do you go?
When I get asked this question as a bike fitter, I always ask the client what kind of riding they want to be doing because, in my eyes, that’s the important factor. If you plan on long-distance riding, go for size up up for the more relaxed position.
If you are planning on racing, I recommend sizing women’s bikes down for a more aggressive position.
Your flexibility is also a factor. If you’re fairly flexible, sizing down shouldn’t pose too much of a problem, but if not you may be better sizing up instead for the more relaxed riding position.
