12 Bikes for Girls
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While men can get away with the “fixed-gear as accessory” look, sometimes a lady wants to look like a lady when riding a bike. Fortunately, stylish options meeting the particular needs of women prevail these days. We’ve gathered up a few of the best and chicest here. The best way to buy a bike is always a test ride, but finding a bike online is easy enough if you know the type of bike that will suit you. A step-through frame and chain guards might help you if you plan on riding with a skirt. Also, know the size of frame you will need for a comfortable ride. City and coaster bikes are most well-suited to women and they come in fixed, single and multiple speeds, so choose what fits your riding style best. If you need speed, go with the sportier road and track styles. If you like a mellow ride, coaster bikes offer a laid back, comfortable seating position and ride. Coasters are best for flat areas as they’re heavier and the upright riding style makes steep inclines more difficult (but not completely impossible). Image courtesy of
Specialized Langster Seattle Sweetpea Custom Bobbin Bicycles Schwinn Sid and Nancy Pake Urban Six-Speed Bianchi Milano Café Racer The Purse Raleigh Coasting Retrovelo DIY Chanel
Specialized’s
For an authentic European bike, check out
Named for the notorious punk couple, Schwinn’s
With four different sizes, the
Danish designer Rasmus Gjesing’s bike features a clean design, a touch of bling and the finest craftmanship and materials. It’s $4300 from
Boasting automatic Shimano shifters,
A German cycle-maker known for their “balloon racers,”
If you are more of a DIY type, search for a vintage bike online and really make it your own with fresh paint, components and accessories.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Chanel’s contribution ($12,000) that comes complete with quilting and the iconic double-C logo detailing. Part of the Spring/Summer 2008 collection, the bike celebrates the heritage of the house, which is steeped in Coco Chanel’s love of sport.
COOL HUNTING always gets permission to use the images we publish; however, as an independent publication, we cannot afford to continue fighting unfair claims of copyright infringement, so the images have been removed from this post.
