Why do female bicycles have lower top tubes. Shouldnt it be the other way around?

Question

Men are the ones in danger of racking themselves.

Answer 1

The top tube has been lowered for women in the old days because women on bicycles needed room for their dresses / skirts. The trend still stays on some bikes for that same purpose (usually casual bikes).

Just imagine what would happen on a windy day with a dress on a bike with a high top tube!

Answer 2

So that trolls like you will have an inexhaustible supply of inane questions.  Keep up the good work.

Answer 3

true about the men thing,

long ago it was considering that a woman would wear a dress, or a long skirt, so they needed something suitable, nowadays its just because a woman doesnt have big sized muscles as a male enough to spread the legs right and left all over again time after time,

PS : to me this is just a load of c**p, both look the same

Answer 4

Designs with a fundamental difference between men's and women's bicycles are either obsolete or just for marketing reasons. One top-level bicycle maker, Cervelo, claims that the whole woman specific design is marketing c**p. What does make sense to me is that a woman's bike would have the adjustable brake levers or the ones with the smaller reach to account for hand size. Woman specific saddles also make sense.

HTH

Answer 5

as has been stated, it is the dress thing...

as for modern 'women specific' bikes.  there is some truth to it, as women generally do have longer legs and shorter torsoes, so a shorter top tube isn't a bad idea.  smaller break and shift levers for smaller hands isn't a bad idea either... women are generally shorter, so bikes that come in smaller sizes are also good ideas, but as each of us are individuals, each should get fitted accordingly.  if your proportions are more even, get a regular bike.