What are city bikes and which types are there?

City bikes come as women’s bikes, men’s bikes and unisex bikes. The main difference between women’s and men’s bikes is the horizontal top tube on a men’s bike, which a women’s bike doesn’t have. Some city bikes are also available as unisex models. These don’t have a tube in the middle of the frame, or it is positioned lower, so women can mount and dismount easily. Unisex bikes also often have an extra low step-through. The size of a unisex frame is about 54 cm. The advantage of this type of city bike is that you and your partner can share a single bike. Features: simple, suitable for everyday use (for school, work and around town), very comfortable, prices start at around 250 euros, low maintenance, suitable for fitting child seats front and back, steel frame so the bike is sturdy and can take a knock. It is relatively heavy, though, and therefore less suitable if you live in a flat.

Men’s vs women’s bikes

Regular bikes are often divided into a men’s and a women’s model. The first modern bicycles were built in the 19th century with a more or less horizontal top tube. Because these were difficult to ride for skirt-wearing women, manufacturers lowered the top tube until it almost ran parallel to the down tube. This is how the women’s model came into being. The traditional model (actually incorrectly referred to as a men’s bike) is stronger than the women’s model thanks to the triangular construction of the tubes. If you want to make the women’s model just as strong, the construction has to be heavier. If you were to saw the top tube out of a men’s bike, the remaining frame would soon break in two. Out of sheer tradition, both men and women still tend to choose either a men’s or a women’s bike, even though there is often no real reason for this. Many women never wear a skirt and many men do not realise that a men’s bike is sturdier. These days there are even manufacturers that make “women’s bikes with a top tube”. They do this to keep the differences between the various production types to a minimum. In this case it is a bike with an extra thick down tube that is rideable even without a top tube. A top tube is added because male buyers prefer it that way. An in-between form was the mixte frame, where the top tube was lowered to halfway down the seat tube. Sometimes the top tube then continues all the way to the rear axle. This construction is stronger than a “real” women’s frame and was mainly used in the 1970s and 1980s for sporty women’s bikes. Because today’s standard for racing and sports bikes is the sloping frame, the mixte frame has fallen out of use. Women’s bikes are still popular, sometimes in an adapted form or under a different name such as senior bike, especially among older riders because of the easier step-through. A women’s bike is also more practical and easier to mount when you want to cycle with children.

Buying a city bike

Buying a city bike online is easy, inexpensive and quick. Various bike shops, such as Internet-bikes, Fietsenstunt and 123Damesfietsen, offer their bikes online. You choose the right bike shop by comparing online retailers based on other people’s experiences, reviews and complaints. Here you will find more information.