What to Wear Biking – Women’s Cycling Kit

Cycling gear is different for men and women. We’re not simply talking colour-ways here with girls in pink and boys in blue jerseys. Rather, it comes down to the technical design of the clothing specific to the differences in male and female anatomy. In the past, women were forced to wear men’s cycling clothing because they had no other options. Women’s cycling kit did not exist. Way back in the day, one of women cyclists’ earliest advocates, Kittie Knox disrupted the Victorian dress-code ideals for women by cycling in men’s bloomers—much more practical than a long skirt! Nowadays, brands have developed gender specific ranges that differ in five key areas:

• Cut
• Length
• Size
• Padding
• Bib Short Suspenders

Cut

Women’s jerseys have a more curved shape, wider chest area, and a narrower waist than men’s. Likewise, women’s shorts have narrower waistbands that taper upwards from the hip.

Length

Women’s cycling shorts tend to be a little shorter at the thigh than men’s but this can vary depending on the model and the range.

Size

Women’s sizes tend to be smaller than men’s. However, sizes can vary per brand, so taking your own body measurements and comparing them to the brand-specific size chart is always a good idea.

Padding

The shape and style of the chamois (pronounced shammy) pad is the main difference between women’s and men’s shorts. To put it bluntly, men and women have dramatically different genital anatomy. The different chamois pads have been designed to divert pressure from the specific areas of sensitivity. Women’s chamois pads tend to be wider to accommodate their wider sit bones, shorter in length, without a middle channel and with a thicker padded area.

Bib Short Suspenders

Both men and women can wear bib shorts, although the traditional design with straight-down suspenders caused discomfort with the female anatomy, leading to more women opting for the non-bibs style.

Now, however, cycling clothing brands have designed bib shorts with suspenders that fit the shape of a female chest.

Road Biking

Cycling clothes for a road bike are supposed to be tight-fitting. The key is to balance being tight enough to prevent any slippage or movement of the chamois pad or jersey whilst remaining comfortable and unrestrictive. Road cycling gear is usually made from an elastic, often lyrca, fabric designed to hug your body and stretch as you move.

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking clothes tend to be a looser fit because aerodynamics is less important. However, at the same time, you don’t want gear that’s too loose that it might catch on something as you ride. Mountain bikers are constantly moving up and down in the saddle, so having clothing that moves with your body and that’s sweat-wicking is critical. Many mountain bikers wear a looser pair of shorts over their fitted chamois.

In the past, women’s bikes had a low, step-thru frame so they could easily mount and dismount whilst wearing long skirts and dresses. Later, bike companies marketed women’s bikes that were in fact, the same as men’s, just smaller and in “girly” colours.

Nowadays, some companies have worked to design bikes that match the average female anatomy. Generally, women tend to be shorter, with smaller torsos and hands and narrower shoulders. As such, bikes designed as women-specific account for this with smaller frames, a shorter top tube, narrower handlebars, female saddles, shorter crank arms, stem, and brake lever reach.

One Size Does Not Fit All

While these adjustments can be helpful for some women, the only real difference in men’s and women’s bikes relates to the size and fit. In reality, all bikes are unisex and can be adjusted to suit the anatomy of the individual in question. The differentiation made by companies selling men’s versus women’s is based on an average or generalisation of gender-specific anatomy. These will not fit every person.

If you are a women with longer arms than average, you might swap out for a longer stem. Likewise, if your shoulders are wider, you might opt for wider handlebars. All of these are customisations that can be made to any bike be it a women’s, men’s or unisex model.

To put it bluntly, focus less on whether the bike is marketed as a men’s or women’s model and more on whether it fits or can be adjusted to your specific anatomy.

Saddles

For the same reason that chamois pads have been designed for the female anatomy, so too have female saddles. Women’s saddles are typically wider than means to accommodate for wider sit-bones and more pelvic rotation. They also tend to have a cut-out section to relieve pressure on soft tissues. However, at the end of the day, the best saddle will be whichever is the most comfortable, whether it’s women-specific or not. Most bike shops will let you test out saddles to figure out your fit.

Helmets

Although shops sell both women’s and men’s helmet, helmets are actually unisex, and the most important thing is to get the right size for your head. You should fit two fingers under the strap at your chin, which should fit snugly, covering almost half of your forehead.

The better helmets will have a mechanism to tighten it at the back.