Your text is almost perfect, but here is a slightly refined version:
Why should a man use the version with the horizontal tube ('male version') instead of the 'female version,' which helps women mount the bike when wearing skirts? We know that the 'female version' is definitely more comfortable to use, even for a man, because it allows for easier mounting and dismounting without having to lift the leg each time. So, what are the advantages of the 'male version'?".
by m615RPM
15 Comments
first one is objectively better than the secpnd one. First of for storage you can add bags and shit. Secondly you can attach a gas powered engine.
I am a dude who prefers a step through Oma style, but the horizontal bars on the Opa do make for a much stronger frame. with a lot less less flex.
They’re stronger (particularly those with the double top tube) and stiffer. You can put a lot more load on a bike with a top tube without it negatively affecting the handling.
For most people this probably doesn’t matter – if you’re an idiot like me who occasionally goes a bit mad at the builder’s merchants before remembering you don’t have a car, it’s nice to be able to save face and get 75kg of cement home in one go.
Because you can load it up with all sorts of bullshit like beer crates and children and it won’t flinch because not only are triangles inherently stable but you also get a second top tube to reduce lateral torsion. Not saying the female version will flex and bend as soon as you look at it wrong, but the male version can definitely take a whole lot more abuse.
Also I like to swing my leg over
Depends on your riding style, and it does matter less for an upright comfort bike, but I use my legs against the top tube to help with steering and handling. You can lean your weight sideways on the bike when cornering without feeling like you’re sliding off the saddle.
all i can say is: if this is still pertinent to your whole “bikepacking on vintage bikes only” pursuit, neither of these bikes are going to be suitable. and also there’s something kind of ironic about buying a new bike that just LOOKS vintage. feel like that kind of defeats the whole point, does it not?
They both look heavy af. The girl version looks heavier.
What about x frame bikes, also known as priest’s bikes? I believe priests rode them because they could wear their cassock and ride, although both the priest bike and the cassock seem to have been relegated to history.
This explains everything!
https://youtu.be/aESqrP3hfi8?si=NGr4jsNJ0H95sT_g
I’m a fan of a good mixte frame. Stability like a “man’s” bike, and easy of mounting like a “lady’s” bike.
The male version is strictly for badassery. When you get wild and go over jumps, you need a more rigid frame.
Aside from that, sometimes I prefer the stepthrough.
For this type of bike, mixte version, IMO. Especially if you put something on the rear rack to carry, getting over top tube is very awkward. I have an old MTB with a basket in the back for basketballs when I ride to park with my kids, and getting on and off without dropping everything is not a pretty sight.
“Male” and “Female” bike terminology is something old sexist folks say. Nowadays it’s just “step-through” or “step-over” because people of both sexes can do both.
For me a big benefit is being able to lift by gripping with one hand on the top tube just in front of the seat and the other on the handlebars when I’m carrying briefly up stairs or other things like that. With the step-through frame, there’s no ideal spot for carrying, the grabbing by the seat feels less stable to me.