Why do men's bikes have a bar and women's don't?

I have always been of the “Why the hell do I need a so-called Women’s bike?” persuasion. But since I’ve been commuting by bike I’m getting really fed up with changing in and out of bike shorts and skirt everywhere I go.

My next bike will be a women’s bike.

What sort of skirts do you wear? I find skirts (loose, ankle length or short and slightly stretchy) among the better things to wear on a guys bike. The bar keeps the material out of the way of the gears (unlike long trousers, which get crunched on a depressingly regular basis) and unless there’s a very strong wind I find the skirt pretty much stays where it is without flying around much.

On a girls bike, I’m sure my skirts would get tangled in the gears all the time. I’m sticking with my blokes’ model!