Why are ladies frames still built?

[slacker]

All of my girlie's bikes are step-thru or mixte frames. I have tried to get her riding a diamond frame, but she won't have it!

I sell a ton of step-thru frames every year. The college girls love 'em. As such, I am always seen test riding a vintage girl's bike through the neighborhood. Man, do I get some priceless looks! People are all like, "How did they train a gorilla to ride a girl's bike?"

Angie's AMF Saturn

 

[expjawa]

My mother can't get her leg over or around the top tube on a typical men's frame. She's neither flexible or coordinated enough. Someone like her has to use a step-through frame. Also, I'll note that I spent most of last week at the AACA fall meet in Hershey, PA. A lot of older guys riding around the flea market area were riding step-through frame bikes. In fact, I'd say that 3 out every 4 or so were. The best I can guess is that an older person also isn't flexible enough to get on anything else. It probably varies from person to person a lot, but I bet that there is common trend there.

 

[yoothgeye]

So the overall theme is that we should call them Elderly Frames. :lol: (I kid, I kid!)

 

[Bize]

Another element of why they may still be popular could be that there are females out there who want a "girl's bike". I mean we all think of those bikes as girl's bikes when we see them, so by virtue of that they could be considered a feminine style now, even if any practical considerations have become redundant.

Just a though.

 

[yoothgeye]

Another element of why they may still be popular could be that there are females out there who want a "girl's bike". I mean we all think of those bikes as girl's bikes when we see them, so by virtue of that they could be considered a feminine style now, even if any practical considerations have become redundant.

Just a though.

As far as I'm concerned, you just won this conversation. Excellent observation.

 

[dougfisk]

In my observation, most girls, like my daughters, still choose "girls bikes"

 

[expjawa]

In my observation, most girls, like my daughters, still choose "girls bikes"

Agreed. My mother, for example, had to have one not only for the reasons I mentioned before, but because of the reason bize brought up as well. There are exceptions, though. My niece, who is all of 5'1", detests step-through frames. She's an avid cyclist (at 22, she doesn't have a drivers license and would rather ride everywhere). She really wants a Sunset Orange '72 Varsity that I have in my basement, but can't easily straddle the 19" frame. But she wouldn't consider finding a female frame version either, so she's sort of painted herself into a corner...