Conference noted::bicycle

1988.0. "RFC on women's hybrid-type bikes" by MUNICH::URBAN () Thu Jul 04 1991 14:29

    Hi folks,                                 
    
    My girlfriend is planning to buy a bike and has been looking at women's
    sort-of-hybrids.  by "sort-of" i mean they have women's frames (no
    horizontal toptube, rather a tube that goes down at an angle).  Some of
    these have a thicker, heavier-duty, straight tube, and some have a bent
    tube, and some have two small tubes or rods that bend as they go down.  My
    feeling is that anything with a bend isn't as strong as a straight
    tube. Has anyone experience with such bikes?  The reason for the choice
    is, of course, that she wants a compromise.  She wants to be able to
    ride to work in a skirt, and also do some very moderate trail riding. 
    She has firmly vetoed the suggestion of owning *two* bikes. By the way,
    we have only been looking at local brands (germany), as brands like
    trek and so on are out of her price range.
    
    The frame looks something like this:
    
                            H
            handlebars ->  /    "top" tube
                           |H      |
                           |--     |     SSSS   <-- seat
                           |\ --   |      /
                           / \  -- v     /
                          /   \   --    / \
                         /     \    -- /   \
                        /       \     /     \
                       /         \   /       \
                      o           \ /     ----o
                                   O------
                      ^            ^          ^
                      |            |          |
                front axel         BB        rear axel
    
    
    thanks,
    -Rob Urban

    If you must have a frame with a lowered top tube,
    the best compromise is what's called a "mixte" frame.

    It's the kind where the tube that runs from the top
    of the head tube to seat tube splits and continues to
    the rear dropouts.  It makes for a stronger frame.

    I've edited your drawing.  The = and # characters are the
    tubes I mean.

    
                            H
            handlebars ->  /    "top" tube
                           |H      |
                           |-_     |     SSSS   <-- seat
                           |\ -_   |      /
                           / \  -_ v     /
                          /   \   -_    / \
                         /     \    -_ /   \
                        /       \     /==   \
                       /         \   /   ==  \
                      o           \ / ______##o
                                   O--
                      ^            ^          ^
                      |            |          |
                front axle         BB        rear axle
    
    

    
    Real off-road bikes have a sloping top-tube.  That may not be enough.
    
    The real answer is...
    
    
    
    kulottes!

    Many old-style "mixte" frames are very flexible and uncomfortable
    to ride.  However, I think the mountain bike versions are much better.
    Not only does the frame itself tend to be smaller for the same size
    rider (making it stiffer), but the tubing itself is stiff.  The only
    problem with them is that they limit your options to the models that
    are offered with "mixte" style tubing: usually the poorest-quality
    bikes.
    
    
    MATT

    Check out a UniVega "Country"  
    
    My wife just bought one .. likes it a lot.