You may ride a bike designed for a man, but would you want to wear his shorts? Probably not, for any number of good reasons, the two most important being that they wouldn't fit and they'd be hideously uncomfortable. The right sized bike can be tuned to fit, but when it comes to technical clothing no amount of 'tuning' will get around the basic anatomical differences between men and women.
So what's different about women's cycling kit?
Shorts: should have a narrower waist and be cut longer at the back from the crotch to the waist, leg lengths are generally shorter than men's shorts but with wider openings. The padded insert is also smaller and a slightly different shape - wider at the back and narrower in the centre.
Shoes and gloves: women's hands and feet tend to be narrower and smaller than men's so look for shoes and gloves designed with that in mind: Specialized and Shimano both make cycling shoes for women. Specialized, Altura, Gore Bike Wear and Pearl Izumi make women's gloves.
Jackets, jerseys and base layers: it's all about the cut. Narrower waists and deeper chests enable more freedom of movement in all the right places. This isn't just about giving a more feminine shape, for technical clothing to work properly each layer needs to hug the layer below, with no bulges or gaps, so it can shift moisture away from your skin efficiently.
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Combine the right clothing with a good saddle and a bike that fits and you've got the formula for happy cycling - and one that works whatever your gender.
Click here to view Women's Bikes
Click here to view Women's Clothing
Click here to view Women's Helmets
Click here to view Women's Saddles
Click here to view Women's Shoes
