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Demystifying
Cycling Clothing, Part 3, Shoes
Women's
specific this and women's specific that- how to find
your way through the muddle of women's specific cycling
clothing... like Shoes!
Do
you need to buy women's specific cycling shoes? Once
again, it depends! Women's specific shoes are typically
narrower than the men's shoes, and also typically are
avaiable in smaller sizes. The key to finding the right
shoe? Try them on. Shoes should fit snugly, but with
room in the "toe box" or the area around your
toes. You should not feel your toes touching the sides
(too narrow) or the end (too small) of the shoes.
If
you are in-between sizes, and half sizes are not offered,
or if the shoe is just a little too wide, try a custom
footbed. Custom footbeds will eliminate any kind of
alignment problems you may have- and not know about-
and reduce the likelihood of knee injuries caused by
overuse.
Women's
Specific Bicycles and Equipment: Deconstructing the
Myth, Part 1, Clothing
There
has been a tsunami of women's specific bicycles, women's
specific bike components, women's specific saddles and
more in the past couple of years. One thing for sure,
women's specfic sells. But how do you know that what
you are buying is really women's specific, or if you
really need women's specific cycling equipment? Let's
look at a few of the products out there, made specifically
for women and you can decide for yourself whether it's
worth it for you.
1.
Clothing. One thing i always buy in women's sizing
is clothing. In cycling, it ususally means a better
fitting top, in proportion with the female frame. While
some women's jerseys are just smaller versions of the
men's, the shorts, are where you need to use serious
scrutiny. Many women's shorts are merely men's shorts,
maybe with a shorter inseam, and a much smaller-too
short waist. The problem is that women have more width
to the quads, fuller hips with a small waist. Men's
shorts have small "leg holes". This does not
work for women. It is simply not comfortable. Of course,
one of the biggest problems with women's cycling clothing
is that it is made for tiny people. Don't get frustrated
if you can't find clothes to fit. Try junonia.com for
14+ sizes.
The
bigger issue than basic fit, however, is the chamois
(pronounced "shammy"). This is the pad inside
the shorts that is integral to a comfortable bike ride.
Many men's chamois have a terry pad in the front. This
is extra bulk that can cause discomfort to a female
cyclist. Many women's chamois are narrower in the center,
and wider in the rear to accomodate for the women's
wider seat bones. The chamois should be treated to help
prevent yeast infections. Let's review:
1.
Go to the local bike shop and try on shorts, make sure
they feel good all around and that the chamois is not
too bulky. it is better to buy in person than to buy
online when it comes to clothing, if you have a choice.
2.
Scrutinize the chamois... Castelli makes a wonderful
women's specific chamois, and their clothes are made
for women, really!
3.
For women's sizes 14+, go to
junonia.com for a great selection!
Women's
Specific Bicycles and Equipment: Deconstructing the
Myth, Part 2, Frames
There
has been a lot of hype of late around women's specific
bike frames. How do you trudge through that hype and
get to the truth?
1.
Let's face it- all people are proportioned differently.
Some men have short torsos and long legs, while some
women may have long torsos and short legs- the opposite
of the norm. So perhaps a women's frame will fit most
women better than a regular bike frame, but certainly
not all women. And chances are, there are a few men
out there who would fit better on a women's specific
bike- but wouldn't buy it if it has flowers on it, or
says on it "women's specific", am i right???
2.
Each bike company uses its own geometry to construct
a bicycle frame. This means that some bikes may fit
you better than others. The geometry of the bike refers
to the angles that are used to create the shape of the
frame. Some frames have longer top tubes, while some
have longer chain stays, and so on. SO- different geometry
fits different people.
3.
Many women's specific bikes are made only for smaller
women. If you are 5'5" or over, chances are you'll
be on a regular bike no matter what.
4.
Another consideration- many women's specific mountian
bikes are set up too high in the front end to be good
for mountain biking. This position is not aggressive
enough for safe mountain biking. If you feel like you
are on a beach cruiser when test riding a women's specific
bike, then it is probably not the right geometry for
mountian biking.
5.
Many pro women race on regular bikes and have superior
fits.
When
looking for a new bike, I cannot stress enough- TEST
RIDE!!!! Find a bike that fits you right.
*Women's
Specific Bicycles and Equipment: Deconstructing the
Myth, Part 3, Saddles 6.mar.04
Ahh
the choices in saddles. Women's saddles are all the
rage now, and for good reason. Men's saddles are typically
very narrow and very hard- made to fit a man's narrow
hips. For those of us with a wider hip - it's more comfortable
to have bit wider of a saddle. But there is a fine line
between comfortable and ceasing to function as a mountain
bike saddle. Here are some tips:
1.
Most women's saddles are too wide. So wide that when
you try to move behind your saddle, which you will do
while mountain biking, you can't get there because your
thighs get caught on the saddle.
2.
Cut outs are prevalent. They only work if they are in
the right place.
3.
Saddles with too much cushion can cause a lot of rubbing,
making some nasty saddle sores and swelling from chaffing.
(of course this can also be caused by your shorts).
4.
Men's saddles are typically too long tip to tail.
Look
for: not too wide, but not so narrow your seat bones
don't have a place to rest, a cut out that fits your
parts and not too long.
Before
you buy: sit on it! Go to the shop and try it out. Do
not buy it if you can't try it out first in the store.
A
comfortable saddle may cost you over $100. Spend the
money. The more comfortable your bike is, the more you
will ride, the happier you will be!
Demystifying
Cycling Clothing, Part 1, Shorts
Yes, you need a pair of bike shorts. Bike shorts for
women are designed to have no seam down the middle of
the shorts; a seam would cause massive rubbing and chaffing
and pain. 6-panel means the shorts are made of 6 vertical
panels. 8-panel means just that. The difference? Comfort.
Noticable? Varies form brand to brand. I recommend trying
on shorts before you buy.
Avoid
basic Lycra shorts as they will wear out more quickly.
Also avoid anything with cotton in it for outdoor riding.
this is fine indoors/Spinning, but the cotton/lycra
shorts do not hold up well for mountain biking. If you
feel uncomfortable in tight shorts, look for baggies...
a pair of casual shorts with a bike short inside for
comfort! the best of both worlds. Don't be afraid to
spend $80 on a pair of shorts. It's well worth the money,
as shorts last for years if they are taken care of properly
(line dried).
One
important note about bike shorts. Get out of them as
soon as your ride is over. Change in the parking lot?
Yes! If you have trouble doing this while sitting in
your car, take a sarape or a large towel with you, wrap
it around your waist, and pull your shorts off without
anyone seeing you. So why is it so important to get
out of the shorts? Yeast infections. The moisture from
sweating produced from riding your bike can fester into
an infection fairly quickly. So don't stand around!
Change and get cleaned up as soon as you are able.
One
more thing about cycling shorts. You are not supposed
to wear underwear under you r shorts! Underwear can
move around causing discomfort and chaffing. This may
be a strange concept to the neophyte, i know it took
me a while to get used to... but once you try it, you'll
agree.. it's a lot more comfortable, and that is how
the shorts are designed. Yes, you'll feel naked at first,
but just think of how sexy that is!
Demystifying
Cycling Clothing, Part 2, Gloves
Gloves
are a necessity for the cyclist, whether a mountain
biker, casual rider or road rider. Besides protecting
your soft, beautiful hands, gloves provide cushion for
your palms, as well as preventing blisters and sore
spots from holding the handlebar.
Here's
the scoop on women specific sized gloves. If you have
small hands- they work great. Many women still prefer
to use a men's size small simply because the women's
gloves are someitmes way too small! The fingers are
generally very short, and the glove itself is narrow.
this is a piece of clothing you must try before you
buy!
Fingerless
v. full finger. When mountain biking, there is no reason
to not have a full finger glove. A full finger glove
provides prtection for the entire hand. When mountain
biking, you may have to brush up against small branches
and bushes- so having that added protection is key.
Of course, in the event of a fall- you also want that
full protection- unless you like getting dirt and rocks
and leaves wedged into the finger of your fingerless
gloves!
Gel
padding? Gel is the new rage in the pads of gloves.
I highly recommend gel padding as itprovides the best
comfort for all kinds of riding. The Pearl Izumi full
finger gel-lite gloves are long time favorite gloves
of mine. The gel lasts for years, and doesn't smash
down like other types of padding. Avoid gloves with
no padding- like some full finger gloves, especially
ones used for BMX.
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