I am looking for a woman's bike. And I found a 2014 Specialized Sectour double. Is this a men's bike? If so what are the disadvantages of a women riding it ?
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4There is no fundamental difference between a "men's" bike and a "women's" bike, other than women tend to be shorter (on average) and hence need smaller bikes (on average).– Daniel R HicksNov 25, 2014 at 1:10
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(And note that the Secteur Elite Double comes in 7 different sizes. It's not a "one size fits all" sort of thing.)– Daniel R HicksNov 25, 2014 at 1:16
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I forgot to mention that this bike is a 54cm. When I went to a bike shop they told my girlfriend that she is 54cm. So would this bike size be good for her? I know a little bit about the group components and I was looking at a beginners bike and for the price I think this is it.– CodeEngineNov 25, 2014 at 2:09
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2It's a bike. Seems decent. But be sure it's what she wants, and not what you want.– Daniel R HicksNov 25, 2014 at 2:16
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That is not true for most manufacturers Daniel. What they do is adjust their geometry (top tube length) for the typical female build. If they were just smaller, they would serve no purpose. Females "tend" toward different proportioning than males, and most female specific bikes take this into account.– Deleted UserNov 25, 2014 at 17:10
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3 Answers
I would say that whether a bike is Unisex (men's) or women's specific it is of fairly little relevance. What matters more is an individual's fit on an individual bike. Tall people need big bikes, short people need smaller bikes, regardless of gender.
As it says here: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/h/option/bikesizeguide#women-bike
A women's bike is built to fit the average woman but a lot people aren't average.
The punchline is this: try the bike out before you buy it, if it fits.. it fits!
NOTE: The photographed frame is a compact frame so you are expected to have a lot of seat-post exposed. If you have to lower the seat way down below the handlebars to reach the pedals, that's not a good fit.
I sold Specialized bikes for a lot of years, they do make gender specific frames, women's bikes have shorter top tubes relative to the seat tubes, this is because women on average have shorter backs and longer legs than men do, they also come with womens saddles, and sometimes women specific grips (for feminine hands). The Sectour is considered a men's frame. Not everyone is built the same though, my wife rides a men's frame because she is really tall in the body. The only other difference between men and women's Specialized frames is that women's frames sometimes have "girlier" colours and paint details.
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Most manufacturers women's models sport a shorter top tube to compensate for "typical" female geometry. Despite it being common, it always amazed me when some female who was four to five inches shorter than me rode the same sized frame I did. Nov 25, 2014 at 17:07
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1Ya, because of their inseam length eh? But they have a shorter stem to compensate I bet. Different manufacturers have different geometries too. Giant bikes for example have longer top tubes and shorter seat tubes compared to Specialized. Buying the right bike is a lot like shopping for hiking boots, you need to find the brand that suits your body type. Nov 25, 2014 at 17:18
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Correct. When the shop that I worked at sold all three brands, top tubes were Kona > Specialized > Trek. So maybe if you had typical female geometry, you could buy a Kona women's, or just a Trek. Bicycle sizing is only useful when you are comparing the same model of bike to itself. Nov 25, 2014 at 17:24
Naturally you would want to put a women's seat on it. A shop will typically switch our for free.
This is a comparable women's in Specialized. DOLCE
answered Nov 25, 2014 at 13:25
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Vita isn't the right equivalent - I'd guess its something like the Dolce or something (vita elite doesn't have even drop bars).– BatmanNov 25, 2014 at 13:51
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