Foldable Bikes Party: Best women's bikes: a buyers guide to find what you need

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In the market to buy a new women's bike but not sure where to start? Want to know what the difference is between women's and unisex or men's bikes? Looking for some guidance on what bike is best for you? You've come to the right place.

The BikeRadar buyer's guide to women's bikes will run you through everything you need to know, including how to work out what size bike you need and some simple tweaks you can make to ensure it's comfortable. And once you've chosen the best bike for you, we can also help with choosing the right saddle, cycle clothing or accessories.

BikeRadar Women: women's cycling product reviews, buyer's guides, training advice and fitness tips

Looking for more in-depth information? We've also got lots more detailed advice on many of the types of bikes mentioned below, including mountain bikes, road bikes, commuter or hybrid bikes and folding bikes. Our buyer's guide will run you through everything you need to know, from how much you should spend to what kind of mountain bike will be best for you.

What's the difference between women's and men's (or unisex) bikes?

In general, bikes for women tend to have two main differences from unisex bikes (also often referred to as men's bikes) which are designed to make them more comfortable.

A shorter reach – a shorter distance from the saddle to the handlebars, usually achieved by having a shorter top tube, steeper seat tube angle and/or a shorter stem on the handlebars. This can give the rider a more 'upright' feel on the bike.
Smaller sizes – women's bikes will usually go down to small and extra small sizes, to cater to smaller riders. These can also have the shorter reach as described above, or simply be smaller versions of the men's or unisex frame the company in question produces.
Lowered top tube – a lower or sloping top tube allows a lower standover height, and mostly applies to women's hybrid and mountain bikes.

They may also have some of the following additional differences, though this will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer:

Shorter crank arms – for riders with shorter legs, shorter crank arms (the part linking the pedals to the spindle around which they move) can reduce the stretch the leg needs around the pedal stroke, which can reduce strain and make pedalling more comfortable. Shorter cranks will also affect what gearing the bike needs.
Different gearing or gear ratios – some women's bikes may run double or triple cranksets (so two or three chainrings next to the pedals) where unisex equivalents have a single ring, or may have a gear ratio that provides lower gears than the unisex equivalent, both of which help less powerful riders claw their way up steep hills. This is also influenced by the length of the cranks, as mentioned.
Narrower handlebars, shallower drops on road handlebars – narrower handlebars are designed to suit the narrower shoulders women have on average, and the shallower drop on road handlebars means a shorter reach.
Fewer bikes within each range – where there might be four or five bikes unisex bikes at different price points within each range, women's bikes typically have two or three. This can mean less choice for women if they are looking for bikes with a particular spec of parts, or at a certain price point.

Do I need a women's bike?

Do I need a women's bike?

What kind of bike should I buy?

What is a road bike?

Best mountain bike: how to choose the right one for you

What is a hybrid bike?

Quiz: What type of bike should I buy for commuting?

Best women's road bikes

Disc brakes: everything you need to know

Under £500 – Alloy frame and fork, a seven-speed double crankset (giving you 14 gears), with alloy bars and stem.
£500 to £700 – Alloy frame with carbon fibre or alloy forks, and eight- or nine-speed gears (often Shimano Sora or Claris) with a double or triple crankset.
£700 to £1000 – Alloy frame with carbon fibre or alloy forks, 10-speed Shimano Tiagra (or similar) with a double crankset, and in some cases with mechanical disc brakes.
£1000 to £1500 – Alloy frame with carbon fork, Shimano Tiagra or similar 10-speed gearing, rising to Shimano 105 11-speed (so 22 gears) at the higher end of the price scale. Hydraulic disc brake options and lighter components are likely to feature around this price point.
£1500 to £2000 – Carbon frame and carbon forks, lightweight and high-end Shimano Ultegra or similar 11-speed gearing, carbon bars.
£2000 and upwards – This is getting towards the level of kit used by professional racers. Expect carbon frames and forks, carbon parts, hydraulic disc brakes or quality rim brakes, lightweight wheels, plus Shimano Di2 electronic gear shifting.

Best women's mountain bikes

Best mountain bike: how to choose the right one for you

Under £300 – Alloy frame and steel-forked rigid bike (no suspension) or hardtail. Around 18 gears with a triple crankset, and V-brakes.
£350 to £500 – Alloy frame hardtail with around 100mm travel on forks, 21 to 24 gears with a double or triple crankset, and either hydraulic or mechanical disc brakes.
£550 to £950 – Alloy frame hard tails, with better quality suspension forks by brands such as RockShox and Suntour. Often have triple cranksets giving a huge range of 27 to 30 gears, using SRAM X5 or equivalent.
£1000 to £2000 – Full-suspension trail bikes, with around 120mm travel, alloy bars and stem and hydraulic disc brakes. Alternatively, high-quality cross country hardtails (these are lighter and designed to go faster rather than take on the roughest ground), with carbon or alloy frame, quality forks such as RockShox Reba RL, and 10-speed gearing such as Shimano Deore.
£2000 to £2500 – High-grade alloy frame with quality suspension components including Fox 32 or 34, or RockShox Pike forks, and Fox Evolution rear suspension shock. 10- or 11-speed chainset, wheels designed to take tubeless tyres (which are less puncture prone and can be run at lower pressures for more grip), and more suspension travel options up to 150mm.
£2500 upwards – High quality alloy or carbon fibre frame with top of the range suspension from Fox or RockShox. Wide-ranging 11-speed gearing with a single-ring crankset, high-end tubeless ready wheels.

Best women's hybrid and urban bikes

£150 to £300 - Expect steel or aluminium frames with steel forks, V-brakes and 21 gears with a triple crankset on the front. At this price point bikes are likely to be weighty but robust.
£300 to £400 – There are a huge number of great quality hybrid bikes available in this price range, with everything from mountain-inspired bikes with front suspension, bright-coloured cruisers and vintage-styled Dutch bikes to hybrids already equipped with mudguards and pannier racks. Expect aluminium or steel frames and forks and gears ranging from 7 to 27.
£400 to £600 – You'll start to see bikes with mechanical disc brakes or, at the higher end, hydraulic disc brakes plus higher-quality suspension and gearing.
£600 to £800 – This is getting towards the high end of hybrid bikes. Expect higher quality parts such as Brooks saddles, Sturmey Archer internal hub gears, premium aluminium frames and/or 10-speed Shimano Deore gears.
£800 to £1000 – Top of the range machines, where you'll begin to see overlap between road bikes and mountain bikes at the same price. Expect high quality alloy frames, alloy or carbon and alloy forks. Spend up to £1500 and you're looking at carbon-framed premium hybrids with Shimano Tiagra or equivalent gearing.