Women’s Specific Mountain Bikes | Do We Really Need Them?!

you didn't address the old practice of the angled top tube on women specific frames of the past. I'm a guy, and I pulled up to Dunkin donuts on my Surly big fat dummy just as an old guy was climbing out of his pickup truck and after the usual exclamation about how big the bike is he asked me if it was a "woman's bike" when I looked confused he clarified that the top tube wasn't horizontal. and then I had to explain that the only reason that was ever a thing was so women can climb on while wearing a dress, and women riding a bicycle in a dress hasn't been a thing in a very long time, but also this is more of a mountain bike frame, in modern mountain bikes are pretty much thrown that old design aesthetic out the window

I did, once, buy a women's road bike. It didn't fit me at all and was very frustrating. I do not have wide hips, I do ride in an aggressive position, and I do have wide shoulders. Would like smaller cranks on smaller bikes just as a rule. Not women specific, but smaller rider specific

Isn't it mainly a different shock tune for women – with a bit of branding as well e.g. Juliana is Santa Cruz but just marketed at women riders.

i am a dude, bought a "ladies" economy bike. It works very well for me.

So last evening I discovered Doddy's new MTB channel and this morning Anna does her best video yet, life is good. And I agree, Anna, great to see the options and choices and specific products for all body types and needs. And cheers to all the companies crafting these products and bikes and sure, some may not be perfect or officially necessary, yet I'd think they would certainly make cycling more inviting to women new to the sport or new to themselves as they grow out of unisex child's bikes. And i sure recall with fondness when colors or streamers or whatever made all the difference between a boy's bike and a girl's model and I'm talking about that glorious couple of decades when 20" bikes with banana seats were all the rage for boys and girls here in the States. And I always liked that banana seat. You could get your weight back and really fly down steep streets or through corners in the dirt with a leg out like the motocross riders. O and as I think back on it, girls' bikes sometimes had baskets and bells, something that we boys would never put on our bikes. We were too cool for that. But I will happily admit that the sight of a girl on a bike was one of the best of my childhood. I thought it was great that they were out having fun like us and once, in an impromptu jumping contest with a bunch of kids who had set up a ramp at the end of a nearby court, one of the participants was a girl and that really impressed me. She hit that ramp like a champion, streamers flyin' in the breeze. 😀

My partner wanted a new hardtail, and she tried a nukeproof scout. She really didn't like it, so last week she tried a women's specific Liv Lurra. It's a perfect fit and she loves it.

I think at any size the arm to leg ratio is something I don't think anybody really talks about I'm 5'10 as a man and I slot between medium and large on most companies bikes recommendations but especially these days with reach getting really long and my arms not being the longest I almost always fit better on a medium but if I hopped on a women specific model and it fit me better I would have no problem buying it I honestly like the look of the Liv bikes. I am quite heavy though so I would need a stiffer shock

Very good advice, Anna. Completely fair and accurate…

Anna breaking it down is great. Her little stack though just added to the video. It's a good stack if you're not hurt and you're too busy giggling and untangling yourself from the bike to talk. For smaller lighter women Anna's information on set up is right on point. As a much bigger and heavier male rider I know a light set up won't work for me. Bottoming out suspension all the time will lead to equipment failure. She's spot on, set your bike up for you, your measurements and weight. Hopefully Anna's advice will get more women into riding and dialling in their bikes for fun.

My wife always gets my old bike when I get a new 1 , win win realy 🚲

I have a unisex frame built with smaller components and definitely set up my suspension for my weight. Smaller cranks and thinner grips are key, plus I have a mullet 26 in the back 27.5 in the front. I cannot imagine riding a 29'r. As for clothing I am not super curvy, but like women's pants/shorts because there isn't the extra room in the crotch that looks funny! Smaller gloves are key too. Nice video!

Canyon neuron al 6 and wmns small mens and womens have exactly the same stack and reach. No mention of changed tune on suspension. Saddle change and narrower bars but that's it's.

Being a 5'1" man I looked at Women MTB just for XS size frame….Since I wanted a gearbox bike had it custom made….

Nope. Women’s options generally have shittier specs and colours. Just more sizes and suspension tunes correctly for how you ride and weight. Makes sense to have women’s and men’s specific saddles for the… different parts 🎉

If I'm a bloke and I decide to identify as a woman does that mean I need to buy a woman's specific bike now?

I love the fact that we have mostly moved away from pink/purple/sky blue but I'm always underwhelmed by the size options on womens mtb clothes ….if the average female in the uk is size 16 why do some brands really not cater for that and certainly not beyond it for most of them (Dharco some of the best colours but barely above 14 for most products and TSG what on earth is going on with your trouser sizing if you have size 14 hips you need to be 6ft tall?)

At least they no longer not only shrink n pink but cot back the components as well like they used to do

In the 90's a lot of guys would buy a certain GT bike I can't remember which one it was that was a woman's bike that had a lower top tube that had a curve in it but wasn't really sized shorter for women. I remember my friend got one that was like $1300 and he made maybe $14 an hour

I see this as back peddling or white washing or keep making women invisible
This is dribble and unhelpful
Should be focusing on women’s bikes and why there is a need for them and yes there are short men and yes there are men with vaginas who are also short
Can we just be inclusive instead of dismissive

Was that a woman specific crash?

I have a everything I can in pink…Because it stops my younger brother nicking things. Yes, I have politely asked him to respect boundaries but things have gone missing. So for me pink is defensive lol.

As a below average height guy with slightly strange proportions, I bought a women's geometry entry level mountain bike without even considering that it was a women's bike. It is the first bike I've had that actually fits me well. I also think I prefer the women's geometry since it has saved my family jewels more than a few times now.

And I think it just looks so much sleeker and cooler with the curving upper tube, gives it an aggressive look so even if I suck at mountain biking it looks kinda cool 😎