Buying advice: Women's road bikes - questions that female cyclists should ask themselves before buying a bike

1. what does a decent road bike cost?

From around 1,000 euros, you can get perfectly functional and durable road bikes: stable marathon bikes with aluminium frames, Shimano gears with sufficient gearing for steep hills and usually even rim brakes. Large brands in particular offer a wide range of bikes in all price categories with decent materials: for example Giant/Liv, Canyon, Rose or Cube. The higher the demands, the higher the price: bikes with modern disc brakes - including gravel bikes - cost from 1,500 euros, models with lighter carbon frames from 2,000 euros. Racing technology in particular can be really expensive: The world of aero frames, carbon rims and electric gears starts at 4,000 euros. If you want everything and a really light bike to boot, you can get rid of more than 10,000 euros. Buying by mail order online is generally a little cheaper than from a dealer, but there is no direct contact for advice and service on site. By the way: The rumour that women's racing bikes are generally more expensive than unisex bikes is not true.

2. competition or marathon bike, gravel bike or aero racer: what suits me?

The decision is simple: it depends on what you want to do with your bike. Accordingly, there are different categories. But it is also true that the boundaries are fluid. Of course, you can simply go touring on a competition bike that you like - or race on a marathon bike because the riding position suits you well.

• Training or even racing: Then the classic competition racing bike is the right choice. Depending on the type or route, there is a choice of lightweight all-round racing bikes or, for largely flat routes, special aero bikes. The riding position is long and stretched, the gearing is fast and the tyres are usually narrow. Disadvantage: The bikes are often expensive (from 3,000 euros) and sometimes only suitable for everyday use to a limited extent. Adjusting or replacing integrated handlebars and seat posts can be time-consuming and expensive. Interesting fact: Women with sporting ambitions usually rode unisex competition bikes, even when there were still many women's bikes in this category.
• Touring and travelling: So-called marathon or endurance bikes were developed for this purpose. You sit a little more comfortably on them because they are more upright, and most bikes also offer a little more suspension comfort. Wider tyres (28-30 millimetres) make the bikes safer and more comfortable, while the lower gear ratios are suitable for less trained riders or steep climbs. The prices tend to be lower, and the bikes are easier to modify in areas that are crucial for the riding position, such as handlebars, stem and seat post.
• Also ride on forest or gravel paths: The gravel bike makes it possible. With tyres from 40 millimetres wide, you can ride sportily on the road and off-road. You usually sit in a similar position to an endurance racing bike or even more upright, the gear ratios are even smaller and also suitable for off-road riding. Antribe bikes with a single chainring are also popular, as they are much easier to use. These very robust bikes are also ideal as everyday or touring bikes, as mudguards and pannier racks can often be fitted. Disadvantages: Speed on the road is limited due to the tyres and gearing, and the bikes are somewhat heavier.

3. how do I find the right size?

Unfortunately, the sizes can only be compared with each other to a limited extent. Some manufacturers specify the frame size in S, M and L, others in centimetres. It is important to test ride or at least study the geometry tables on the manufacturer's website. Perhaps you have a suitable bike of your own or one in your circle of friends that you can use as a guide?

The most important dimensions:

• The (virtual) Top tube lengthas a rough guide for the length of the bike. The seat post, stem length and handlebar shape also influence the seat length.
• The Head tube length as an indication of the minimum height of the handlebars - i.e. how flat or upright you are sitting on the bike. However, this only works reliably on bikes with rim brakes. The head tube length may differ for disc brakes. Gravel bikes in particular have shorter head tubes than is usual for road bikes due to the large tyre clearance.
• The dimensions Stack and reach indicate the seat position quite precisely. They indicate the coordinates of the upper edge of the head tube from the bottom bracket. The ratio also indicates how upright or stretched you are sitting on the bike.
• In addition, bikes can be customised somewhat via the add-on parts. The saddle position and stem can be used to Seat lengththe front of the bike via intermediate rings under the stem Handlebar height can be varied slightly. However, this only makes sense within a range of a few centimetres.

4. what do smaller women need to look out for when buying a road bike?

With the exception of special women's bikes, the frame sizes are based on the body size distribution of men. For this reason, only the bike sizes for people between 1.70 and 1.90 metres tall are often finely graduated. In addition, more bikes are produced in the medium sizes (54 to 56). It can be difficult for short women to find the right size bike for them. It is also important how coherently manufacturers develop bikes in small sizes. Because the same wheels are usually used as for larger sizes, very small frames are sometimes excessively long, or the front wheel is so close to the frame that you can easily hit it with your foot when steering. Tip: Canyon and Rose also offer selected models in small sizes with smaller wheels.

5. all road bikes are also women's bikes - why?

Studies as well as our long-term comparisons with many female test riders show that the differences in body proportions are not so great that women need special frames. Only the preferences are slightly different. Many female hobby riders are less competition-orientated and prefer to sit a little more upright, which is why they prefer marathon bikes. However, sporty female riders also get along wonderfully with unisex racing bikes. This is another reason why manufacturers have moved away from offering special frames for women. If a "woman" is on a modern bike, only components such as the saddle and handlebars are usually adapted to female needs and painted differently. In some cases, there is an additional smallest size, while the largest sizes are not offered. Beyond that, the bikes do not differ from their unisex counterparts.

6 Which add-on parts should I put to the test?

For women's models, manufacturers adapt some components to better meet female needs. This means that even normal racing bikes can be converted:

• Saddle: Women often have a larger sit bone distance, which is why women's saddles are wider; some have hollows or holes to relieve the pubic area. However, many manufacturers now offer saddles in different widths and optionally with hollows.
• Handlebars: It should be shoulder-width, which is why many women like to ride narrower handlebars than usual for their bike size (standard bikes usually come with 40 or 42 cm wide handlebars). There are also handlebars with a smaller pre-bend, allowing you to sit more upright.
• Stem: With a shorter stem, you sit more upright and relaxed. However, many gravel bikes already have very short stems anyway.
• Brake lever: On most modern drivetrains, the brake levers can be adjusted so that small hands can reach them better. There are also special levers for Shimano's 105 groupset (suitable for all Shimano's mechanical eleven-speed drivetrains) that are closer to the handlebars.

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