tafkam

Just thought I would run this by the group as my LBS has a pretty good sale on a 2010 Cannondale but I was told this was a "woman's specific" bike.

I started out riding a road bike to lose weight, and I am happy to say that thanks for my 2009 Masi Speciale 105 (steel w/ 105 stuff) elliptical, and walking I have gone from around 250 to 190 since June.

I now have the bike upgrade bug and my LBS has a cool looking Cannondale ( I swear is was a CAAD 6 but I can't find it on their site or catalog and bike shop is closed today can't call them)

It is a 54 cm, white and has full Ultegra 6700, and carbon frame, I think even the wheel set is carbon. It is marked as originally $2700 down to 2K and I am tempted to put it in layaway as the owner says that even though it is a woman's specific bike that all that would be required is maybe changing out the stem and making sure the handlebars are not too narrow (I forgot to check crank arm length).

It is a beautiful bike but I wonder, first with so much carbon and even carbon wheels I do have to be concerned with my weight, I am still at 190 and worry about the carbon cracking.

The other thing is are women's specific bikes made any "weaker" i.e. I would assume that the Cannondale did not design this bike for a 200 lb woman, but that is in effect what would happen if I bought it, weight wise.

Maybe the whole idea of a women specific bike is dumb, and I will keep my eye out for any men's Cannondales that may come in but this one looks like a heck of a deal for the money.

Since I have to take a grain of salt with the stuff the LBS is telling me, as obviously they want to make a sale, I thought I would run it by the folks here to see what you had to say,

Thanks

Spudd

I think the geometry of a woman's bike is designed for people with longer legs, shorter torsos. Generally speaking, women have relatively longer legs for their height than men. Obviously within a given sex this varies from person to person - you'll see men with long legs and women with short but as a general rule it holds true. If you're a short-legged man, then the geometry might not work for you.

However, I'm a woman with average length legs for a woman, and both my "real" bikes are men's bikes. I don't know if the geometry would have been better on a woman's bike because nowhere I shopped had a woman's bike in my size in stock, so I ended up just getting men's bikes. The reason I say this is because, if it feels comfortable, who cares what sex it is for?

Also, I would HOPE a woman's bike could hold 200lb. I was 200lb when I started biking. I think you'll be fine. I doubt they make the frames weaker, I think it's just a different geometry.

damnable

If it fits, it doesn't matter whether it's advertised as womens specific or not, go for it. At your weight you won't have a problem with overloading the frame either. Crank length will depend on the size of the frame.

What concerns me is that it sounds like you haven't actually gone on a test ride. There's no point in drooling over the best deal in the LBS if it doesn't actually fit you properly. Go take it for a spin, if it fits go ahead and buy it. If it doesn't fit, keep looking.

If you do take it for a test ride and perhaps buy it, take in your old bike as well. That way you can compare things like stem length and handlebar width to help you determine which you like better and if it's worth swapping parts around.

zonatandem

If it fits and rides and the way you want, go for it!
Many women are riding men's bikes; so what?

Neil_B

If the bike fits, ride it. If not, don't.

Jefffred05

Only if you want to be called Sally by people who wear spandex.

bradtx

tafkam, As Spudd wrote, it's all in the geometry with a shorter top tube/ seat tube ratio. The build strength is the same.

Brad

chasm54

You'll probably want them to swap the female-specific saddle for a male version. Other than that, if it fits it's fine.

tafkam

Thank you all for the replies, I appreciate it. And yes, I was planning on a test ride, I just was not sure of a couple of the other things that have been answered now.

If I did get it then the only one that would know it was a woman's specific is me and maybe somebody who had the whole Cannondale line memorized. I assumed it was a mens bike until told otherwise.


May be a moot point anyway, by the time I come up with the 20 percent down to put it in layaway it will probably be gone, but they may get some more in, so in the meantime I appreciate everyone's advice.

Neil_B

I was given a valuable piece of advice when I was getting into cycling: if a 'woman's' bike or saddle works for you, ignore the label and make it your own.

Snapperhead

Especially if it's pink!

Neil_B

They make "pink" mountain bikes. Hard to imagine anything more 'masculine' than that.

ScottStr

My only concerns about a women's specific bike are: 1)Does it fit? 2)Does it look to girly? 3)Will it make me become too girly? If my boobs get any bigger, that'l be a bad thing.

thestoutdog

CraigB

The only thing specific to "women's specific" bikes is the geometry (which includes length of parts like stems and crank arms, width of bars, etc.), type of saddle (sometimes, but not always) and color (depending on the manufacturer and your own notions of such things). Nothing about the materials they use is any different, when compared with men's bikes at the same price point.

Peter_C

Even if it's a pair of shorts with the word "J U I C Y" across the butt?

/snicker

CraigB

Or the one I saw the other day: "University of Pink"

nkfrench 

Don't worry about your weight on the bike. You should be fine as long as you don't abuse the bike (no crashes! or hopping curbs).

I got a great deal on a new women's bike that was a couple of model years old. Both the bike store and I were delighted when I bought it.
Several guys offered to buy the bike from me just to strip it for the wheels/components (full Dura-Ace) regardless of whether the frame fit or not as long as the cranks were the right size.

The bike store should be willing to give you a free trade on the saddle.

Check that the handlebars fit also. They may be for narrower shoulders and smaller hands with shorter-reach drops.

Also check for foot clearance both heel and toes. Women are assumed to have smaller feet.

While my previous road bikes had been men's, they did not fit me as well as my current bike's women's frame does. I have very short torso, long arms and 33" inseam legs. I do have wide shoulders, big hands, big feet for a 5'7" girl.

exile

Like CraigB mentioned, "Women Specific" can mean a number of things to different manufacturers. It could be the exact same bike spec and geometry wise as a "man's bike", but only be a different color.

Your best bet is to go out and ride it to see if it fits. I wouldn't worry about the frame or material, but I would still check with the manufacturer to see if they have a weight limit. Although don't take it as gospel. If a manufacturer states it can handle 250lb, and you add another pound due to a big breakfast, your bike suddenly won't break.

I remember reading somewhere that marketing people want the weight limit as high as possible to get more people on the bike. However lawyers want the number as low as possible to avoid potential lawsuits or liability issues.

Wogster

That can be fixed, a spray bomb or two and no more pink.... What's interesting though, my significant other wants a pink bike, and there are not that many of them around...

ScottStr

When I repaint my wife's bike, it's going to have "WSG" on the frame. That stands for "Women's Specific Graphics."

boneshake

There you go.

boneshake

There's nothing more manly than wearing or riding pink. It says "I don't give a damn what you think of my manhood."

redvespablur

Here is my 62 me-specific bike.

It happens to be pink.

I'm probably faster and stronger than anybody who would offer an opinion one way or the other!

LarDasse74

Pink bikes are fine, but I think yours is more 'lavender' then pink. That is sooooooo gay!