Looking for a women's bike

[AmyC]

Hello all,

I'm looking for some input on purchasing a women's bike as there don't seem to be many out there for us shorter people. I'm 5' 3", 120 lbs, over 50 and looking for my first 'real' eBike. I've been riding an electric fat tire but now that my husband and I are starting to ride with neighbors in the mountains, on more challenging trails, it's been obvious our current bikes don't handle well. And testing out a bike seems to be out of the question as there is very limited inventory. Should I just take a chance on the Liv XS Embolden E+1? Thoughts?

 

[Winger]

Hi
I hope I can give you a little help
We are motorbike people and rode normal mountain bikes, but during Covid we would go out more when we could and my husband would moan for having to wait for me to catch up (only talking a few mins) but you know what men are like
after lockdown decided to get me a electric mountain bike, so after he had done a lot of homework for which motor, wheel size etc (bless him) I went to our local bicycle shop and purchased a Whyte 140 27.5 wheel, Bosch motor after looking at a few different e bikes.
I had this bike for about 10 months which I loved and went into the bicycle shop for a visit and saw a Cube 160 Stereo Hybrid Actionteam on display so after a chap with hubby and guys in the shop thought yes this is for me.
After riding it for a few times having good forks the updated Bosch motor it was so far better for me, I found it gave me lots more confidence would try out doing different things I did not do on my Whyte follow my husband and sometimes he was amazed with what I had learned and this just gave me so much confidence and a real pleasure in riding
My husband had a specialised 29er e bike Brose motor and he changed to a mullet after a couple of years and as my cube was getting on for nearing two years old decided to try a Specialised Levo Turbo mullet myself,
I did not find it any harder to ride if fact having a 29 inch front really helps with going over raised kerbs etc and the 27.5 back wheel just giving you that bit more help with grip going up hills I find it a real real pleasure to ride (hubby stopped moaning) as I am only a couple of feet off his back wheel yippee
I am 5ft 7 have a medium size bike and with my levo which is slightly higher, when stop to get off I get hubby to press on my seat so I can lower it and this makes such a difference and before I get on it lower my seat and stand on pedal and press lever to raise my seat
Go and try a few different ones thinking what you need and what sort of riding you are going to do and then once decided go and enjoy your ride

 

[theremotejuggernaut]

I'd find one to sit on to get a feel for the sizing. My missus is about the same height as you and rides a small frame (its a hardtail so not entirely comparable) XS would be too small for her.

The giant size chart had me on a small Trance but it was hilariously small when I sat on it. I tried the Trance and the Reign and medium was good on both. I could have even got away with a large at a push. I'm 5'7" with a 30" inseam.

Looking at the sizing and geometry charts for the Giants, I could compare them to what I was currently riding and it was obvious that a Medium frame would be closer to what I was riding at the time.

I'd say look at the geometry and sizing if what you've got and compare the numbers. You might find that a small frame from a lot of manufactures would be okay for you.

 

[RustyIron]

I'm looking for some input on purchasing a women's bike as there don't seem to be many out there for us shorter people.

I'm not a lady, nor have I ever identified as anything other than a boy or a man in my time on the planet. The women I know all ride "normal" bikes, and don't bother with "women specific" bikes. Some of them ride at a level that is FAR higher than I could ever aspire to achieve. That might be a clue.

Ignoring the hype of the advertisements and salesmen, a "women's specific" bike doesn't offer anything different than a "normal bike," with the exception of a limited range of styles and options. I don't think the bike-buying experience is much different no matter what pronouns you use to identify yourself:

1. Find a bike with the right specs in the size you need.
2. Install pedals you like.
3. Replace the saddle because the one that came not he bike doesn't fit your "pronoun parts."
4. Slap on some grips that you like better.
5. When the tires wear out, put on something else, because the grass is always greener.

You'll probably find a better selection of bikes if you visit a shop down here in the flatlands, rather than way up there on the mountain.

 

[Zimmerframe]

There is a thread which may help you :

The Womens EMTB Thread - come on in ladies!

Bikes are taking off globally with more women getting into MTB riding, now EMTBs are more populare than ever amongst women. I thought its time we tried to get some more ladies in here with me.. I'm sure there's plenty watching along side the few ladies that are also posting. We can also...

www.emtbforums.com

 

[steve_sordy]

@AmyC I agree with what @RustyIron said. Of course the average man is a different shape to the average man of the same height! But then most men are a different shape to the average man of the same height. We have different length arms or different length legs for the same height. That means the reach and stack we each need for comfort are different. Fortunately, the bike makers all produce differently proportioned bikes, so there is always a bike to fit every single person (apart from the unusually tall, I suppose).

Apart from maybe a different saddle or maybe slightly narrower bars, the female of the species should be able to buy a bike not officially designated for females.

 

[RustyMTB]

Demurring from the above, there are women specific brands, Liv & Juliana. Don't think Juliana do ebikes although Liv definitely do, Trek, Spesh, Giant & Canondale also do women specific bikes & they say they take anatomical stuff into account, wider hips, narrower shouders etc. All of that you could do by swapping stuff around on any old bike but maybe worth checking out anyway.

 

[irie]

Hello all,

I'm looking for some input on purchasing a women's bike as there don't seem to be many out there for us shorter people. I'm 5' 3", 120 lbs, over 50 and looking for my first 'real' eBike. I've been riding an electric fat tire but now that my husband and I are starting to ride with neighbors in the mountains, on more challenging trails, it's been obvious our current bikes don't handle well. And testing out a bike seems to be out of the question as there is very limited inventory. Should I just take a chance on the Liv XS Embolden E+1? Thoughts?

My wife is 5'7" and a grandmother. She didn't want a "ladies" bike. She bought a 2022 Trek Rail 5 Medium which she was comfortable on and a colour she liked. Then I changed the dropper so that she could drop the seat with her feet flat on the ground, stem and bars so she got the reach and sweep she liked, pedals and saddle which she liked, and so on. Lesson: get a bike you are comfortable on and a colour you like, then change the bits you don't like.

 

[Plummet]

In my opinion "womens" bikes are a marketing ploy. Particularly with today's low seat tube heights.

All you need to do us find a bike with a short enough reach and top tube measurement so you are not too stretched at your height and you will be good.

The difficult part is finding a short reach bike these days, as manufacturers keep upsizing bikes with longer and longer reach. It makes it a real challenge for shorter people.

Fyi, my wife is 5'1 and daughters 52 and 5'3. The orbea rise fits my 5'3 daughter quite nicely.

 

[theremotejuggernaut]

In general, the women's bikes that I looked at when buying my other half's bike were a different size to the equivalent men's frames. A generalisation is that if you take a man and a woman of the same height, the woman would likely have a shorter torso and longer legs. The women's frames I looked at were generally shorter in reach that the men's frames. This could obviously be partly offset with shorter stem or whatever but on modern bikes where you tend to get short ones as standard, it might not always be possible.

Obviously, it's a generalisation and everyone is different but there is a good reason for the WSD frames beyond marketing and pink paint.

Whether a person is better suited to a men's or women's frame is entirely subjective.

 

[AmyC]

I'm not a lady, nor have I ever identified as anything other than a boy or a man in my time on the planet. The women I know all ride "normal" bikes, and don't bother with "women specific" bikes. Some of them ride at a level that is FAR higher than I could ever aspire to achieve. That might be a clue.

Ignoring the hype of the advertisements and salesmen, a "women's specific" bike doesn't offer anything different than a "normal bike," with the exception of a limited range of styles and options. I don't think the bike-buying experience is much different no matter what pronouns you use to identify yourself:

1. Find a bike with the right specs in the size you need.
2. Install pedals you like.
3. Replace the saddle because the one that came not he bike doesn't fit your "pronoun parts."
4. Slap on some grips that you like better.
5. When the tires wear out, put on something else, because the grass is always greener.

You'll probably find a better selection of bikes if you visit a shop down here in the flatlands, rather than way up there on the mountain.

That's why I was leaning towards Liv, becuase they (and Specialized) offer XS. Giant (same thing) starts at size small. Even down the hill finding shops to try what I like seems non-existent, especially in an XS.

 

[AmyC]

In my opinion "womens" bikes are a marketing ploy. Particularly with today's low seat tube heights.

All you need to do us find a bike with a short enough reach and top tube measurement so you are not too stretched at your height and you will be good.

The difficult part is finding a short reach bike these days, as manufacturers keep upsizing bikes with longer and longer reach. It makes it a real challenge for shorter people.

Fyi, my wife is 5'1 and daughters 52 and 5'3. The orbea rise fits my 5'3 daughter quite nicely.

Thx. What size and model Orbea? The problem I'm having is no-one has them in stock to test out. Everything has to be ordered. I'm torn between an XS (they all seem to have 27.5 wheels) or an S (29 wheels). I'm afraid of getting a small and struggling to be able to stay on the seat and touch my feet on the ground.

 

[AmyC]

In general, the women's bikes that I looked at when buying my other half's bike were a different size to the equivalent men's frames. A generalisation is that if you take a man and a woman of the same height, the woman would likely have a shorter torso and longer legs. The women's frames I looked at were generally shorter in reach that the men's frames. This could obviously be partly offset with shorter stem or whatever but on modern bikes where you tend to get short ones as standard, it might not always be possible.

Obviously, it's a generalisation and everyone is different but there is a good reason for the WSD frames beyond marketing and pink paint.

Whether a person is better suited to a men's or women's frame is entirely subjective.

Thx. The only reason I was leaning towards a women's bike was if I go with an XS. None of the mens come that small. And it's the touching of the ground I'm worried about. I sat on a Giant Small and I could touch, but not comfortably. Reach was fine.

 

[AmyC]

That's why I was leaning towards Liv, becuase they (and Specialized) offer XS. Giant (same thing) starts at size small. Even down the hill finding shops to try what I like seems non-existent, especially in an XS.

BTW, if you know of any bike shops in the area that carry EMTB bikes, please share! I'm down in LA all the time for work.

 

[AmyC]

There is a thread which may help you :

The Womens EMTB Thread - come on in ladies!

Bikes are taking off globally with more women getting into MTB riding, now EMTBs are more populare than ever amongst women. I thought its time we tried to get some more ladies in here with me.. I'm sure there's plenty watching along side the few ladies that are also posting. We can also...

www.emtbforums.com

Thank you!

 

[Plummet]

Thx. What size and model Orbea? The problem I'm having is no-one has them in stock to test out. Everything has to be ordered. I'm torn between an XS (they all seem to have 27.5 wheels) or an S (29 wheels). I'm afraid of getting a small and struggling to be able to stay on the seat and touch my feet on the ground.

Here's my daughter, wifes and boys bikes geo stats. They are all similar height to you. My wife is 5'1 so she is the shortest and on the intense tracer (not an ebike).

The key geometry measurements to look at are

Reach = Standing cockpit (standup up riding down hill). Between 395 and 425 will be suitable.
Top tube = Seated cockpit (sitting down pedalling up). 560 or less will be good.
Seat tube. = how low you can put the seat down. The lower the better. 380 or less
Standover height = standing in front of the seat.

If you want to compare bikes geometries the check this web site out.

Geometry Geeks

The world's biggest open geometry database. Find bikes by name or numbers. Easily compare bike geometry side-by-side.

geometrygeeks.bike

You can't really just go and by a size small or extra small because there is such a wild range of sizing out there you sould end up a bike thats way too big,

As far as wheel size is concerned. If you are doing any technical riding then buy either a mullet or full 27.5. If you mainly ride easy tracks then a full 29er will be fine.

 

[theremotejuggernaut]

BTW, if you know of any bike shops in the area that carry EMTB bikes, please share! I'm down in LA all the time for work.

I'm about 5000 miles away from LA so can't help in that regard afraid. However, the Giant shop that I visited said they could order in anything I wanted from Giant so it might be worth seeing if you can find a Giant store and see what they can do for you?

I sat on a Giant Small and I could touch, but not comfortably. Reach was fine.

Do you mean standing over the top tube? Or sat on the saddle?

 

[AmyC]

I'm about 5000 miles away from LA so can't help in that regard afraid. However, the Giant shop that I visited said they could order in anything I wanted from Giant so it might be worth seeing if you can find a Giant store and see what they can do for you?

Do you mean standing over the top tube? Or sat on the saddle?

While sitting on the saddle.

 

[theremotejuggernaut]

While sitting on the saddle.

Ah cool.

That might be where your struggling size wise. Generally, you wouldn't be able to get your feet down while you're on the saddle.

Obviously, dropper posts make it a bit easier these days but generally, the technique is to scoot forward off the saddle when you come to a stop. It's a bit unnatural at first and it can be a bit worrying knowing you can't get your foot down but once you're used to the technique, it becomes second nature.

This is particularly relevant if you have your saddle at the optimum height for pedaling. Your leg at full extension (bottom of the stroke) is miles off the floor.

Having your saddle down low enough that you can reach the floor usually gives you a pretty inefficient pedal stroke and can give your legs a real hard time on even short rides. It's usually the muscles just above your knee that will start screaming at you if the saddle is too low.

If you can adopt the, shuffle forwards and straddle the top tube, idea then it should open up a whole load more options for you frame and size wise.

 

[EmtbChar]

5’2” woman here.. I’ve got a mullet turbo Levo size small. The dropper post is a must have. You can’t touch the ground with it extended but you get max pedal stroke. When coming to a stop, drop the seat and you can easily touch the ground. Once you get going pop the seat back up and ride. The only modifications I have made to the bike are new grips and shortened the handlebar.

This is the first “real” mountain bike I’ve purchased. First e-bike and first bike not purchased from Walmart. Bought it to keep up with the bf on his acoustic. Now I leave him in the dust on hill climbs

 

[steve_sordy]

..................... I'm torn between an XS (they all seem to have 27.5 wheels) or an S (29 wheels). I'm afraid of getting a small and struggling to be able to stay on the seat and touch my feet on the ground.

A dropper post will solve that problem! When coming to a stop, just let the seat down at the pull of the remote and down you go by an amount equal to the dropper travel. When you set off, take your weight off the saddle and up it comes to your preset perfect riding position.

The bigger problem when buying a bike unseen is to work out whether the saddle will be too high for you. Assume that dropper body is fully inserted into the seat tube and that the dropper is fully extended. The problem arises when the saddle is higher than the perfect riding position for you when just riding along on a flat road. Yes, you can use the dropper function to reduce the saddle height slightly to your ideal position, but trust me on this, although you can live with it, it is NOT ideal and becomes old very quickly.

Use the geometry table of the bike for your chosen size and your inside leg measurement (with riding boots on). Work out the distance from the top of the pedal when it's at the bottom of its stroke all the way up to the top of the saddle. You will also need to know the geometry of the dropper seat post. If you can see any size of your chosen bike, measure the dropper dimensions. Push it all the way in, measure from the top of the bit that sticks out all the way to the top of the saddle. Note the dropper travel. You will have enough info then.

I did this to work out that a YT Capra size large would be 5mm too high for me, but that I thought I could live with it. I had to live with it for 6 months (but it was a confounded nuisance). Then the dropper failed and I persuaded the supplier to provide a dropper with a 125mm stroke replacement instead of the standard 150mm. Happiness abundance!

 

[AmyC]

5’2” woman here.. I’ve got a mullet turbo Levo size small. The dropper post is a must have. You can’t touch the ground with it extended but you get max pedal stroke. When coming to a stop, drop the seat and you can easily touch the ground. Once you get going pop the seat back up and ride. The only modifications I have made to the bike are new grips and shortened the handlebar.

This is the first “real” mountain bike I’ve purchased. First e-bike and first bike not purchased from Walmart. Bought it to keep up with the bf on his acoustic. Now I leave him in the dust on hill climbs

Thank you!

 

[RustyMTB]

Be sure to let us all know what you plump for Amy. This place is always frothing for pictures of freshy new bikes. God, how I love new bike day.

 

[Grendel]

A dropper post will solve that problem! When coming to a stop, just let the seat down at the pull of the remote and down you go by an amount equal to the dropper travel. When you set off, take your weight off the saddle and up it comes to your preset perfect riding position.

The bigger problem when buying a bike unseen is to work out whether the saddle will be too high for you. Assume that dropper body is fully inserted into the seat tube and that the dropper is fully extended. The problem arises when the saddle is higher than the perfect riding position for you when just riding along on a flat road. Yes, you can use the dropper function to reduce the saddle height slightly to your ideal position, but trust me on this, although you can live with it, it is NOT ideal and becomes old very quickly.

Use the geometry table of the bike for your chosen size and your inside leg measurement (with riding boots on). Work out the distance from the top of the pedal when it's at the bottom of its stroke all the way up to the top of the saddle. You will also need to know the geometry of the dropper seat post. If you can see any size of your chosen bike, measure the dropper dimensions. Push it all the way in, measure from the top of the bit that sticks out all the way to the top of the saddle. Note the dropper travel. You will have enough info then.

I did this to work out that a YT Capra size large would be 5mm too high for me, but that I thought I could live with it. I had to live with it for 6 months (but it was a confounded nuisance). Then the dropper failed and I persuaded the supplier to provide a dropper with a 125mm stroke replacement instead of the standard 150mm. Happiness abundance!

I'll second this. You can buy a different dropper post so it is the perfect height when fully extended for riding but you can drop down when coming to a stop to make it easier to reach the ground comfortably when stopped. I bought a One Up dropper that was 150 mm but can be adjusted in 5 mm increments to perfectly dial it in for your height while riding. They come in various starting sizes and you dial them in from there. In addition to pedals, saddle, bars, stem, etc. this is a bike customization that may make a difference for you. Happy riding!

 

[irie]

I bought a One Up dropper that was 150 mm but can be adjusted in 5 mm increments to perfectly dial it in for your height while riding.

Exactly what I bought for my wife's 2022 Trek Rail 5 (M).

 

[Utah Rider]

I agree that you don't need a woman's specific bike. Just throwing this out there since most wouldn't think of this setup. My wife rides a Med Kenevo. Technically it's way overkill since she doesn't jump or do any serious dh. It has a dropper post and the frame allows the seat to go crazy low for stopping. The suspension can be set super plush and I put a big padded seat on it for her. It comes with tires that are soft rubber for great traction. Cheers

 

[Mamacast]

Hello all,

I'm looking for some input on purchasing a women's bike as there don't seem to be many out there for us shorter people. I'm 5' 3", 120 lbs, over 50 and looking for my first 'real' eBike. I've been riding an electric fat tire but now that my husband and I are starting to ride with neighbors in the mountains, on more challenging trails, it's been obvious our current bikes don't handle well. And testing out a bike seems to be out of the question as there is very limited inventory. Should I just take a chance on the Liv XS Embolden E+1? Thoughts?

I would agree with the others here. I purchased an xs Powerfly FS4 during the pandemic and was not able to find one to try. When it arrived I was not able to get this 67 year old leg over it! Make sure you try what you are thinking about. I just purchased a step through that I am much more comfortable on, now the Powerfly goes up for sale :-(

 

[1oldfart]

Liv is a division of Giant they make good Ebikes for short woman.

 

[AmyC]

Liv is a division of Giant they make good Ebikes for short woman.

That's where I'm leaning. Thx!