"Your bike doesn’t know your gender, or what you look like, or who you love. Every cyclist—no matter the gender with which they identify—wants a bike that is lightweight, fast, and comfortable."
Does Felt make bikes for specifically for women? Not exactly. We make bikes for all cyclists who are dedicated to the thrill of the ride, regardless of gender, race, creed, color, or lifestyle.
Our very first bike was crafted for the legendary triathlon world champion Paula Newby-Fraser. Over the 30 years since then, we’ve worked with some of the greatest athletes ever to ride a bike, most of whom have been women. These include three-time Olympic gold medal winner Kristin Armstrong; multi-time track racing World Champion Sarah Hammer; three-time triathlon World Champion Mirinda "Rinny" Carfrae; four-time triathlon World Champion and Kona course record holder Daniela Ryf; ten-time world champion on the road, time trial, and track, Chloe Dygert; and the World Championship-winning Team USA Women's Team Pursuit squad.
We’ve always strived to create machines based solely on fit and performance, with form always following function. But, like so many other bicycle companies throughout history, we also engaged in some experimentation to develop bikes focused specifically on exceeding the unique demands of tall riders and short riders, of lightweight riders and heavier riders, of powerful sprinters and long-distance randonneurs, and, yes, of men and women. But like others in the cycling industry, elements of our methodology were misguided. So do you want to know a few of the most significant things we’ve learned over the past three decades?
Your bike knows how much power your legs put out. Your bike knows how tall you are, and how much you weigh. Your bike knows your inseam length, and how often you spend time in the drops versus on the hoods. Your bike knows that you always like to attack up that one particular climb on the weekend group ride. Your bike knows that you want to ride from sunrise to twilight. And your bike knows that it holds a special place in your heart.
But your bike doesn’t know your gender, or what you look like, or who you love.
Discussions of the differences between "men's" or "women's" bikes always come down to geometry. But not all women have long legs and short torsos, and not all men have longer torsos and shorter legs.
Every cyclist—no matter the gender with which they identify—wants a bike that is lightweight, fast, and comfortable. Everyone wants a bike that can climb like an angel and descend like a dream. And everyone wants a bike that will carry them to their finish line, in whatever form that may take. Those are the bikes we make, designed for the most dedicated and passionate cyclists on the planet.
Every human body is different. So the single most important factor to achieving a great ride is proper bike fit. That's why we always recommend working with an authorized Felt retailer, or a reputable fit expert, in order to dial-in your bike's component sizes and styles to suit your needs.
