I apologize if this question is asked all the time. Why are bikes for men designed with that bar down the middle that looks like it could do some serious damage to a guy in a quick stop while bikes for women have the lowered bar? Would the reverse make more sense?
JunrGatr
Since when has “sense” had anything to do with it?
The lowered bar on womens’ bikes has to do with women in long dresses getting on and off them with the least loss of privacy. Mens’ bikes apparently don’t need this feature, since men tend to swing their leg up and over.
In case you’re wondering, the “straight” men’s style of frame is actually a lot stronger than the “ladies” style.
What you really MUST avoid (man or womean) is the gear shifters that are positioned on the handle bar stem - just think where they could end up in a crash - OUCH!!
“Why are bikes for men designed with that bar down the middle that looks like it could do some serious damage to a guy in a quick stop…”
FYI, that bar is called the top tube. To answer your question, yes, that bar could do some serious damage, but it almost always never does. I’ve an avid bike rider. I began BMXing when I was 7, and I now mountain bike. I’ve taken many spills. I have never once landed on my top tube. Probably because my legs are taller than the height of the top tube.
“…while bikes for women have the lowered bar?”
The lowered top tube has been addressed by a previous post. I’ll reiterate – simply because in the old days, women wore dresses. The top tube was lowered so that the dress could hang down over it.
“Would the reverse make more sense?”
I have yet to see a woman ride a bike in a dress or a skirt.
No woman who rides a bike seriously uses a frame with a dropped top tube. All women bike racers use “men’s” style frames. Women DO have specific needs when it comes to bicycle frames, though. Their torsos are much shorter relative to their legs than are the torsos of men. Women generally need shorter top tubes and shorter stems than men do. Also, women’s saddles, such as those made by Terry, are much more accomodating to womens’ wider pelvises.
Shift levers mounted on the stem haven’t been common for the last twelve years or so.
One reason men don’t bounce off of top tubes that often is because the vast majority of bicycles sold these days are mountain bikes, which tend to have sloping top tubes, i.e., they slope down on their way from the handlebars to the seat. This greatly increases clearance.
Yours in all things with two wheels,
Anthros
Nobody got it quite right…
REAL men aren’t afraid of getting their nuts crushed…and wouldn’t be caught dead on a GIRL’S bike!
Wild-ass guess comin’ right up: As bikes were starting to become popular while and important mode of transport was the horse, could the differing style not have something to do with the different way a “lady” is supposed to ride a horse, that is, side-saddle? IIRC the side sadle riding is not just because of the long dresses, but also because of the importance, back then, of retaining visible proof of a woman’s virginity before marriage.
Ricepad… speak for yourself (about the former).
A traditional Diamond frame is much stronger given the same materials, it can therefore be made lighter.
With modern steel alloys the weight of the frame is not that much and the differance between the two constructions is small but on veteran machines the differance could be as much as twenty pounds.
A long time friend collects old machines and I’ve ridden a couple(never had the courage for the penny farthing [ also called an ordinary])Then frame tubes often had narrow outside diameters but very thick internal walls.
Having ridden Cannondales with their huge o/d tubes which are incredibly light and then getting on one of these 70 lb monsters the experience was quite disconcerting.
For racing then the diamond frame is the only way to go as it is stiffer and goes round corners better, crucial if you are heading down a mountain pass at over 50mph.
An interesting variation on the crossbar theme was the Dursley-Pederson machine which was cunningly designed so that all the frame tubes were in either compression or tension, no bending stresses.I have seen old track versions of this,with bamboo cane wheels, weighing less than 25pounds which was astonishing in an age when everthing else weighed at least 10-15pounds more.
This machine had no crossbar and the saddle was a hammock affair slung between the points where the crossbar is usually found.
It would be most interesting to see this design ressurrected using modern cutting-edge materials.
In the late 70’s there was a design which sought to compromise between the ladies frame and the diamond Called the ‘mixte’ where a pair of lateral tubes ran from the top of the head (steering) tube sloping down toward the rear axle.
The problem was that it was awkward to mass manufacture to get the price down and serious athletes still preferred the suprior diamond.
Mens Health magazine had an article a few years ago suggesting that men ride womens bikes, because of a serious number of testicle injuries. Sorry, I can’t remeber the numbers. Also they suggested putting padding on the top bar if you ride a mens bike.
The article also suggested getting a special forked seat to take pressure off of the penis when you ride. It stated that the front part of a regular seat can cut off blood flow to the penis.
Well, it’s easy for me to say, because Mrs. ricepad keeps mine in a little velvet bag in her nightstand…