Blog speculates why there are fewer women riding bikes than men. Perhaps one reason is that even now women find it harder to get a bike that really fits.
Some people may feel that, being of the ‘wrong’ gender, I’m not qualified to comment on the subject of bicycles for women. Well, it’s arguable, but I’m going to risk it anyway. It’s a major subject, of course, and in the near future I’ll be posting several linked articles.
I don’t think there’s much doubt that the development of practical, rideable bicycles played an important role in the emancipation of women in the late 19th and early 20th century. That being so, it seems doubly regrettable that women are still in a minority among active and serious cyclists. It’s certainly true that probably at least eighty percent of the riders I see on main roads, country lanes and mountain bike trails in my part of the world are male.
The reasons for this are complex, and all sorts of social factors may be involved. But I can’t help wondering if one factor that stops more women becoming more actively involved in cycling is, or has been, the difficulty of finding bikes, and other kit, that are appropriately designed and comfortable and efficient to ride. Which is where I’ll start this series of articles, in particular by looking at some basic frame designs.
