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Do I need a female specific bike to get started in cycling?

 In July, we celebrate Le Tour de Femmes, the first women’s Tour de France in over a decade. If you’re feeling inspired, it’s a great time to get on your bike – whether it’s for the first time or the first time in a long time. Find out what you need to get started…

When the last women’s Tour de France took place there was little in the way of female specific cycle clothing or bikes. Bike shops were male dominated environments and women riders needed to make do with smaller versions of the clothing and tech that male riders were using. Thankfully, that has now changed. There is a wide range of kit to suit every style of rider shape, size and taste. Here are some tips to help you choose the things you need to enjoy your cycling…

Choosing your bike

Not everybody needs a gender specific bike, but for some people it can be beneficial. If you are quite short, for example, you may find that the typical range of bike sizes doesn’t go small enough to accommodate you.

Female specific geometry focuses on having a slightly shorter top tube, meaning a shorter reach to the bars, to make allowance for women having different body proportions. It can be interesting to compare bikes with different geometry and test ride them. Choose the bike that fits you best rather than deciding based on whether it is aimed at female riders.

Some models may have exactly the same frame geometry but have different parts on the female specific version, such as a women’s saddle.

Generally, women have narrower shoulders so benefit from having narrower handlebars, while smaller hands require the brakes to be positioned slightly differently. This helps to ensure you are in a comfortable position to confidently steer and brake, making bike riding a pleasure.

Choosing your saddle

There are numerous solutions to saddle comfort. Finding the right saddle – whatever your comfort issue – is largely down to trial and error. You need a saddle that fits with your own unique soft tissue presentation.

There are some general rules of thumb for female saddle choice. Firstly, your saddle offers best support when its width correlates with the width of your sit bones. This can be measured in a bike shop as it doesn’t necessarily relate to how wide your hips are. Secondly, women tend to prefer a shorter and wider style of saddle than a male rider would use. Gap saddles, ones with a cut-away section in the middle designed to relieve pressure, can work for some women, but not all. For some, the sensitive areas fit within the gap. For others, their tissue folds overlap the gaps, actually increasing pressure.

Ask if you can try some saddles before you buy. Just sitting on a saddle for a few minutes will let you know if it is ‘wrong’ but a saddle that feels right for a few minutes can become less comfortable during a long ride. It can be a frustrating process. So much so that when you find a saddle that works for you – buy two!

Padded shorts

Padded shorts are an essential for all cyclists, even if you are only riding short distances, they will make a real difference to how comfortable you feel. Padded shorts are designed to be worn next to skin (no knickers!) and be seam-free to avoid chafing or rubbing.

Shorts come in two styles; those that finish at the waist and ‘bib’ shorts, which have a body or broad straps to hold them up. Bib shorts are in some ways easier to wear as there is no restrictive waistband or pressure on your stomach, but they can be more complicated for toilet breaks.

And everything else

You’ll find everything from shoes, to gloves, to helmets and glasses are now available in female specific versions. Having smaller and narrower sizes can help some women riders to find kit with a better fit but it is far from essential if the ‘standard’ sizes and colours suit your body shape and tastes. For an outstanding selection of women’s cycle kit and accessories – along with brilliant advice from other female riders – Velovixen.com is the site to visit.

Watch the best in the world

Don’t forget to tune into Tour de Femmes 2022 from 24th -31st July and watch the best female racers in the world battle it out in the mountains of France. It promises to be one of the most exciting and inspiring female cycling events ever seen. Share your experiences of the race plus any female specific kit you really love on our social channels.

 

 

 

Written By:

Emily Pheysey

Litigation Executive

Emily has over 7 years of experience in the legal sector, handling road traffic accident claims to recover compensation and support her clients. Her focus is to ensure all clients feel comfortable and at ease with the claims process so that they can focus on their recovery.

Emily considers rapport to be an essential part of the role and strives to always provide excellent client care.

Away from work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling as much possible.

Diane Holderness

Litigation Executive

Diane is a Ministry of Justice (TOJ) Team Leader within our Cycle Department. She has 11 years’ experience managing road traffic accident claims, and 6 years’ experience managing MOJ claims.

Diane enjoys a challenge and always strives for the very best results for her customers; something that is clear in the way her team continually adapts its strategies in order to secure the most desired outcome. Diane has worked her way through the legal ranks here, and is proud to now have a strong, specialist team that is committed to customer satisfaction.

Diane believes that happy clients make a happy working environment, and it is this that ensures a productive and efficient workforce.

Nina Haddock

Chartered Legal Executive

Nina has over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. She specialises in recovering compensation for injury claimants as a result of road traffic accidents. Her focus for each and every claim is to help her clients secure the funding that they need to pay for ongoing treatment and support.

Nina became a CILEX Fellow in 2006 and now helps her clients and their families at a time when they have been through a traumatic experience, and everything they hold dear to them appears to be changing.

One case Nina is particularly proud of is supporting a client who had successfully sought asylum in the UK, following a road traffic accident. The claim was successfully pursued through the MIB and the client was left with significant injuries. Her client was able to use the compensation to aid family members with their applications to seek asylum in the UK.

Julian Fox

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Julian qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and has worked in all areas of personal injury since 2000. Julian has a well-rounded understanding of personal injury law, having represented both claimants and defendants.

Julian always aims for maximum damages to meet his clients’ needs for injury and rehabilitation expenses, and can often secure interim payments to help meet clients’ financial needs. Julian is highly proactive in ensuring cases are progressed, ensuring a timely conclusion.

When not at the office, Julian is a keen cyclist, both on roads and virtually -he will often do an hour of ‘Zwifting’ in the mornings before starting work.

Richard Atherton

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Richard has 12 years of legal experience and qualified as a Solicitor in February 2014. He has been a Team Manager with us since 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in personal injury, handling an array of Road Traffic Accident cases, in addition to employer and public liability.

Richard prides himself on his very strong strategic and planning skills, which come into their own in complex injury cases where more technical arguments are involved. On every case, he is committed to ensuring that his clients receive full compensation for their injuries.

Away from work, Richard enjoys sport; he is a season ticket holder at St Helens Rugby Club and a Liverpool FC fan. Not only a spectator, Richard also likes going to play golf as often as he can.

Dave Gardner

Litigation Executive

Dave has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. His specialism is personal injury and he has dealt with hundreds of cycling injury claims during his career. Excellent client care and communication is paramount to Dave. He prides himself on being accessible and available, attending court hearings where damages are in dispute to ensure the best outcome for his clients. One case Dave is particularly proud of is when he supported an elderly client who suffered serious injuries following a road traffic incident. The police had not taken any action against the defendant, so Dave had to be proactive and act within a 24-hour window. The case proceeded and the client was in receipt of £30,000 in damages, which he would not have been entitled to had the client not approached Dave. He is also an avid supporter of Glasgow Rangers and travelled abroad on many occasions to see them play in European competitions.

Gerard Horton

Partner

Gerard is a Senior Solicitor at Cycle SOS. In his 13 years of experience, Gerard has built a national reputation in the catastrophic injury sector, dealing with high value and complex cases. Alongside his legal role, Gerard supports several charities including Headway Central Lancashire, Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre and spinal injury charity, Back Up.

Julia Eyton

Partner

Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Cycle SOS team.

Specialising in representing those who have had life changing injuries, Julia handles some of the most serious and complex personal injury cases both within Cycle SOS and nationally.

She often works on high value claims and is skilled in winning complex liability cases.

NADIA KERR

Partner

Nadia has over 30 years of legal expertise and has represented hundreds of vulnerable road users. With a focus on ensuring timely rehabilitation, speedy repair or replacement of bikes and kit, and securing fair compensation, Nadia is committed to advocating for justice and client rights. Alongside her legal career, Nadia actively participates in national campaigns to benefit vulnerable road users and acts as a Trustee/Director for the national cycling charity, Cycling UK. Nadia was named in Cycling UK’s ‘100 women’ and was a founding member, now running a women’s cycling group, TeamGlow in South Manchester. Among her many achievements, Nadia takes pride in her spot on BBC Breakfast, where she provided expert commentary on long term government funding for pothole repairs.

Caroline Morris

DIRECTOR OF SERIOUS INJURY

Caroline has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years, recovering more than £56 million in damages during that time, to help clients rebuild their lives after injury.

Caroline is committed to achieving rehabilitation options early, meaning her clients benefits from the best care and treatment at the earliest stage possible.