Bike Fitting Issues for Women by Bob Cabot

Bike fitting for women raises a number of specific issues, many of which are highlighted below. It is not a definitive list, but will hopefully supply some "food for thought" that can be used when purchasing a bicycle or reviewing your current bike set-up.

Frame Size 

A number of bicycle manufacturers now produce smaller "women specific" frames. The problem with small frames is that design compromises have to be made, the main one of which is a more upright seat tube. This results in the rider being pushed further forward on the saddle and off their sit bones. Weight is transferred to the upper body and genital area. This is not conducive to rider comfort and compromises have to be made to saddle position and stem length, which can affect pedaling efficiency and bike control. Therefore, when choosing a frame it should not be assumed that a "women specific" design is the best option.  

N.b. It is not ALL about weight!!

Saddles

Women have wider sit bones than men so a ladies saddle has to accommodate this. It should have a wide flat back and firm padding for stability. If the saddle rolls down from the center, it will spread the pelvis and ride up under the genital area causing discomfort. Seat position fore and aft is crucial. An ideal position will give the best balance of weight on the sit bones against weight on arms and hands. Bad seat position can result in too much weight being borne by the upper body.

Saddle height should be set so that the bottom of the pedal stroke can be reached with ease. This will allow a controlled fluid pedaling action.

For a review of saddles, click here.

Handlebars

The function of the handlebars is purely to steer and control the bike and not to support body weight. They should be slightly wider than the rider’s shoulders and set at a height and position so that the upper body does not bear any unnecessary weight and the arms are not over extended. The radial bend of the bars should not be too tight as the positioning of the brakes may result in the rider being unable to reach the levers. The top of the bars should not have a sharp "drop away" as this again affects lever position which can lead to over extension of the arms and hands.

Cleat Position

Shoe cleats should not be set too far forward as this causes saddle discomfort in the genital area due to the pedaling action. A cleat position slightly behind the pedal axle shortens the lever of the foot and the calf muscle does not have to work as hard to stabilize the foot. It can therefore concentrate on assisting the quadriceps and hamstrings, which leads to more efficient pedalling action.

Flexibility & Core Strength

Flexibility and core body strength are two important areas that are often neglected by cyclists. Weaknesses in one or both of these areas can result in bad cycling posture, which can lead to discomfort in a number of areas of the body. Women tend to be naturally more flexible than men, however, they often lack core strength. Yoga and pilatis are two activities that can help to build core body strength and which may appeal to women more than weight training in a gym. Flexibility can easily be improved by the implementation of a daily stretching regime.