5 Best Bikes for Short Women in 2021

Cycling is one of the best ways to exercise; it engages your core and helps tone your muscles. You could ride to work every day and bask in the cool fresh air, or you could explore with a few friends. Cycling is also a great way to connect with nature; it takes your mind off the daily hassle so you can breathe for a minute.

What better way to enjoy your time with nature than enjoying leisure rides on the most comfortable bike that best suits your height and body. As a woman with petite stature, shopping for a comfortable bike is not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, most bikes are designed to be comfortable for use by short people. Their handlebars are well within reach, and the top tubes are low enough to comfortably standover.

However, some manufacturing companies design bikes that only fit average height women with long legs. This is why research has to be done before purchasing a bike. In this review, we’ll discuss some factors to consider when shopping for a bike and ways to make the most of your shopping experience.

First, for more articles on the best bikes and bike accessories, read

Best Bikes For Big and Tall Men

Best Touring Bikes

Best Hybrid Bikes Under 300

Best Bikes for Short Women Buyer’s Guide

If this is your first time shopping for a bike, there are a bunch of things you need to put into consideration. You need to be sure about the type of bike you want to buy, the size of bike you need, and how to properly maintain your new bike. Below are some factors to consider when looking to buy a bike

Types of Bikes

There are about six different types of bikes, some of which you may have seen around. The most common ones are road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, gravel or adventure bikes, electric bikes, and touring bike)

Road Bikes:

Road bikes have a very lightweight and slim frame. They are designed with aerodynamic handlebars, slim tires, and a very lightweight frame. These bikes are majorly used for speed and long-distance cycling and are mostly used in races or road cycling events where speed is required. Some road bikes, however, are built for more comfort and endurance. The aerodynamic design improves the speed of the bike, making it the best option for races.

Mountain Bikes:

Mountain bikes are rather rugged and versatile. They are designed to be used off the road and on uneven ground with rocks. The tires are designed for balance and grip on the ground. It is built with wider tires, flatter handlebars and always has suspensions on the front or rear end of the bike, that is, rigid rail or full suspension. These suspensions make it easier to ride on uneven terrain and provide a pulling force when climbing or riding on muddy ground.

Hybrid Bikes:

Hybrid bikes are kind of a mix between road and mountain bikes. They are also known as city bikes or commuter bikes because they are popularly used in an urban setting. This type of bike is your everyday bike with flat handlebars and chairs that maintain an upright sitting position when riding. Hybrid bikes have a considerably lightweight design like road bikes but are also designed to handle rough terrain and off-road paths. This type of bike is designed for speed and also for balance.

Gravel or Adventure Bikes:

Adventure bikes look just like road bikes, but their tires are designed for rougher or gravel roads. They are flatter and more well-balanced. It is also built with handlebars with drops and a lightweight frame. It can be ridden on grass, trail, and in mud; it also has attachment points for luggage.

Before going ahead to purchase a bike, you need to think about the purpose of the bike. Road bikes are best for long-distance road travels or bike races. If you need a bike for an adventure, go for the mountain or adventure bike, and if you want a bike to ride to work or the supermarket, opt for the hybrid bikes.

Electric Bikes:

E-bikes or ebike are also built with an electric motor at the bottom of the bike or the hub on the rear wheel. The electric motor helps to propel the bike either by aiding the pedal power or using a throttle. It is much different from electric motorcycles because it still requires the user to pedal. Electric bikes could come as road bikes, hybrid, or mountain bikes.

How to Choose the Appropriate Bike Size

Bikes sizes are usually numerical like centimeters or inches or could come in Large, medium, or small sizes just like clothes. To get the appropriate size for you, most brands have online-sized guides based on the user’s height or length of the inner leg. Just like with clothing brands, don’t expect consistent sizes with different models. To get the most comfortable bike for your bike, you should note your height, the length of your inner leg, and the frame size of the bike you might want.

There are also many ways to make your bike fit better; you could change the seat post, adjust the width of the handlebars or change the stem of the handlebar to a shorter one; you could also adjust the reach of the brakes. These adjustments can be made if you ride your bike frequently and need it to be more comfortable.

Men’s Bike vs. Women’s Bikes

At first sight, it’s hard to tell the difference between men’s and women’s bicycles. This is because the differences are quite subtle and hard to point out. Women generally have a smaller stature than men and a shorter torso; most of the difference is seen in the geometry of the bike. These differences are seen in the

• Stem: The stem is one of the parts that’s changed in a bike store. You can change the stem to a longer or shorter one to make it easier to reach. A changed stem may also affect the handlebar making it more comfortable.
• Handlebar: Women’s bikes have narrower handlebars than men because women have narrower shoulders than men. If your shoulders get sore when you ride, you can have the handlebar adjusted to suit you better.
• Seat: Women prefer shorter and narrower saddles that make it easier to pedal. The saddle is very easy to change, so if you purchase a bike with an uncomfortable seat, you can get that checked.
• Crank Arms: This is the part that connects the pedal to the spindle that rotates. For women with short legs, a shorter spindle is usually preferred. This reduces strain in the legs by making it easy to stretch the legs around the pedal stroke. Shorter crankarms also help the user pedal faster.
• Suspension: This feature is mostly seen in mountain bikes. Lightweight riders need the suspension to accommodate their weight. Since women have a lower bone density than men, women’s mountain bikes are designed to accommodate an average light or medium weight woman.

How to Assemble a Bike

You can send your bike to a local store to have it assembled, or you could get it done yourself. People these days enjoy DIY projects. Putting your bike together could be your little project. Assembling a bike is not at all difficult; you just need the appropriate tools and a guideline to follow.

1. Read the Instruction Manual:The first thing to do is to read the instruction manual. Every bike model comes with a specific instruction booklet that contains a set of dos and don’ts. If your bike didn’t come with an instruction manual, you could check the brand’s website for instructions on how to assemble the product.
2. Check the box for all the parts:Next, you should check the box to ensure all the bike parts have been included in the package. The parts should be listed in the instruction manual, compare, and double-check to make sure nothing is missing. If there’s a missing part, you contact the seller to notify them. Be careful not to misplace or throw any parts out, no matter how small it is.
3. Arrange your tools:You’ll need a wrench, Philips head screwdriver, Allen cutters, and cable cutters. You should check the instruction manual for information on the other tools you need to assemble your bike.
4. Attach the seat:To attach the seat, you should first check the saddle for the insertion mark, that is, how far the seat should be inserted. It can be inserted deeper than the mark depending on the height of the user.

After locating the mark, lubricate the seat post and slide it into the corresponding tube. Ensure it reaches the insertion mark depth or lower to suit your height.

There should be a bolt on the exterior of the seat tube that allows you to tighten the seat post at the desired depth. Ensure the seat is tightly secured, so it doesn’t move out of place when riding. Adjust and tighten the saddle at the center of the post.

1. Move on to the handlebar:Handlebars could come with a quill stem or an A head. For either, ensure the wheel and axle on the fork are facing forward, away from the bike itself. Tighten the handlebar, so it doesn’t move on the stem. Check all the cables, including the brake or shaft cables to ensure they are attached well to the handlebar and are not tangled. If you have an A-head, remove the bolt and the cap, fix the handlebar on the stem. Replace the bolt and cap and tighten it. For the quill stem, lubricate the stem and insert the handlebar at the mark on the lower part. Ensure it is aligned with the fork before tightening the stem bolt.
2. Mount the wheels: attach the wheels to the rear and front end rims. Pump the tires until they are solid and properly positioned. You can adjust it a couple of times to get the best position.
3. Attach the pedals and ensure they face the correct sides. Locate the sides that have L and R and fix it facing the left and right sides, respectively.
4. Test the brake pads and readjust the levers and reflectors. Ensure the levers are at 45 degrees between the ground and the bar. Also, check the angles of the front and back reflectors and adjust them if necessary.

How to Clean and Maintain your Bike

Maintenance is a huge part of owning a bike. You have to treat your bike with care so it can remain in shape and serve you for a long time. Here are our top six bike maintenance tips

Clean your bike regularly:

The major and easiest part of maintaining a bike is ensuring it remains clean. Bike tires tend to be very dirty because of the different paths it’s driven in; you need to ensure the tires and other parts of the bike are entirely dirt-free. To keep your bike clean, you need to purchase cleaning tools like a brush set which works better than a rag or sponge, and cleaning products. Clean the drive chain and keep it lubricated to avoid squeaking sounds; doing this will save you a lot of money.

Keep your tires inflated:

Tires have to be inflated at high pressure at all times to avoid getting flats or punctures. If you have a mountain bike, keep the pressure at about 30 – 50 PSI, 50 – 70 PSI for hybrid bikes, and 80 – 130 PSI for road bikes. You could also check the side of your tire for the required PSI and keep it at that pressure at all times. Ditch the hand pumps for track pumps with pressure gauges.

Keep all screws tight but not too tight:

Inspect the screws when you are doing your maintenance check and ensure they are all tight. Tighten the ones that are loose but be careful not to over-tighten them.

Check the brakes regularly:

Check the breaks to ensure they are correctly adjusted and change the brake pads if worn out. If your brake has an adjusting barrel, make sure it is tightened. Also, tighten the wire, do this by first untightening the bolt holding it. Untwist the adjuster holding the wire to its housing until it’s loose and then tighten the wire; screw the bolt back in to make sure it’s secure. Keep the brake pads very clean and dirt-free. If it looks worn out or the grooves have flattened out, you need to replace it. Brake pads are easy to fix; all you need is a new brake pad and a set of Allen keys.

Lubricate the parts of your bike as often as possible:

Buy lubricant that’s specific to your bike; you could check the instruction booklet or the brand’s website for more information on that. Lubricates the parts that have metals rubbing against each other to prevent rust.

Service your bike:

As much as DIY maintenance is fun, your bike needs to be serviced professionally at least twice a year.

There are countless bike production brands producing different types and models of bikes yearly. This makes looking for the perfect one for you a bit of a headache. This review was written to help you through that shopping process by making it much less difficult. We have provided you with a review on the five best bikes for short or petite women available on this market, along with a bunch of questions we think may be of great help to you.

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