Getting on and off women's frame bike (especially in skirts)?

[Bimbleberries]

I'm considering a new bike; I'm not sure I really want a step-through yet (I know there was a recent thread on this, which was useful), as I'm not sure I want the really upright position they usually have, but it is a possibility if needed. This is for every day cycling, not off-road or racing or anything like that. (But maybe cycles into the countryside on paved paths, etc)

I have a women's frame (lowered top bar) at the moment (not the really low step-through), and things on the back of the bike, which means not swinging my leg over the back. So I have to step over the bar, and I find it a bit hard. My balance is poor at the best of time. Getting on is OK, as I can lean the bike far enough over, but getting off is harder. I usually put one foot down and try to get it as far away from the bike as possible to give space to lean the bike a bit, and then raise my knee in front to get my heel high enough to get over. But somehow it's harder than getting on. I often catch my heel on the bar or cables or something. And it's really very inelegant in a skirt as I have to hitch it up a long way to do that, or can't lean the bike far enough as the skirt's not that wide.

Today I saw someone doing it by standing to start, like I do, but then bending her knee with her heel behind her, turning to the side a bit, and still stepping over the crossbar - and it make me wonder if that was more usual than the knee in front method. And I know some people stay standing on one pedal and then step the other leg over that way, missing the saddle and rear baskets/seats. Not sure if that would be difficult if the bike is loaded, though, nor how it would work in a skirt.

I'd mostly have trousers, so I would probably be fine with a women's frame, but sometimes I wear knee length skirt or dress, and would like to be able to do it in those too. I thought I was quite flexible, but maybe less so than I think! Or maybe I'm just doing it weirdly.

What do other people do when you can't swing over the back because of basket/seats, or clothing restrictions? Is a step-through the only way?

Hi Bimbleberries. I was just going to say, i gave up on the step through frame as there were so few available, half the bike stores closed and bikes selling out everywhere.

My hybrid has a kind of slightly low bar and I can just step over it by lifting a bent knee behind. Hopefully will get easier with practice, theres probably some yoga move for it. I dont think theres much hope with a slim and non stretchy skirt. Some outfits just are not made for cycling.

I can’t imagine ever cycling in a skirt TBH!

Who is cycling in a skirt?? Madness I tell you

thanks. I feel like I ought to be able to bend further. When you say lifting a knee behind, you mean with your heel behind your knee, so that knee kind of goes over first? I've been trying to get my knee up - a bit like marching position - and get my heel over that way.

I suspect nothing really works for skirts, although I see lots of people manage it. They're either more flexible than me, or their skirts are shorter or stretchier, or they don't mind hoiking it up to their waists. Mine aren't really slim or tight, but sort of knee length, bit of space to put my legs apart, but not enough to swing over or lean the bike too far.

I think also having stuff in rear baskets or panniers or anything mounted on the back puts my balance off enough that it's harder to lean the bike, too. My balance isn't very good at the best of times!

Maybe it just needs more practice - I want to know for sure what I can or can't do before I decide on a new bike, not go immediately for step through if I don't have to.

I wear trousers 90% of the time, but sometimes it's the occasions where I might want to cycle, so that I can have a drink, where I might want to wear something smarter like a skirt.

How high up do you reckon you have to lift your foot? I’m just working out what I do!

I wear shorts under my (shortish) dresses

I do what you've described the other person do. Bend knee, twist ankle, get ankle/foot over first followed by rest of leg. Never given it much thought or found it complicated. I guess it's just habit you develop & master.

I think the standover height is about 62cm.

Shorts under dresses is OK, but I still have to be able to do it! (I find it hard even in trousers). And in a skirt, would still need to be able to stretch far/wide enough.

So, bend knee with heel towards the back, rather than bringing it up in front? Maybe I can learn that habit.

I didn't think I used to find it complicated, but I've always found that I get my foot caught, which is why I don't like cycling much. Trying to do it more now, though! I assumed my bike is just the wrong size, but measured it and the standover height is the same as all the other women's frames I see online. so either I need to go to a step through, or I need to work on my technique!

I do the step backwards thing too. And cycle in swooshy voluminous skirts. I have a fabric skirt guard on the back wheel.

oh yes, skirt guard, that might be another thing I should get, if I did actually cycle in skirts. I have a chain guard, but that might not be enough.

It's not just a skirt issue, though, it's more just being able to get off comfortably whatever I'm wearing. I think my current bike is too small, but I don't think that affects the actual height that I need to be able to lift my leg up to, as that seems to be pretty similar from bike to bike. however, a larger bike might have more room between the seat and handlebars, and maybe that would give me more room to put my heel backwards instead of lifting my leg straight up (knee forwards). hmmm.

Maybe yoga is a good idea, once I've worked out the right method I should be aiming for! I do think I'm particularly awkward at it, so maybe I really am doing it backwards compared to most people, with my knee in front!

I checked, basically I do take my foot over thr back of the bike, bloke style, leaning the bike towards me so lower.
Look on Youtube for how to get on a bike.

Thanks. I can't really go over the back if there are baskets/seats there, so I think I will have to go over the crossbar (or is that what you mean? over the cross bar, in front of the saddle, but with bent leg behind you?). Videos seem to mostly be men's bikes and men's dismounts, though some women with very low step-through. Or lots of amazing trick dismounts that look very cool, but not practical for someone short, with stuff on the back of the bike (and possibly in a skirt!!)

I can lean the bike over quite a bit for getting on, but somehow it's harder for getting off - harder to get the outside foot far enough away or to have the control to lean the bike in that position if there is stuff in the front or back baskets. Probably easier on days when I don't have to carry much though.

Most of the step-through ones are really very hard to find right now, at least the ones I'm looking at, and there are other reasons I'm not sure I want one, but I will have to be sure I can get on and off a women's normal frame well enough before I get one - or otherwise wait and look at step throughs more carefully.

So is it the getting your leg over the bar that is tricky or getting onto the saddle?

Sorry, you said the dismount. So are you ok getting off the saddle? It’s the getting your foot over that’s the problem?

Yes, getting my foot over. I can get off the saddle and have my feet on the ground OK, but it's leaning the bike and getting my foot over that's hard. I can do it, but it always seems quite awkward and easy to get my heel caught on the bar or the cables, or for the bike to overbalance more than I intend, or something. I get there in the end, but it's never very comfortable or elegant, and I either want to find a better way of doing it, or decide if I have to go for a step-through.

Have you tried not leaning it, putting the stand down and then you can use it for balance?

In your house can you step over 60cm ish? Maybe you just need a bit of confidence.

Oh gawd I need to wake up. I mean use the bike to lean on.

You mean put the kickstand down? My current bike doesn't have one, but the new ones I was looking at do. I didn't think about putting it down while I was still on the bike, but maybe it's possible.

I can sort of step over 60cm in the house - the side of the armchair! - but much easier for the 'getting on' position than trying to do it in reverse, because it's harder to get my outside leg as far away. It still seems awkward.

But it might help that the bike I was looking at ordering is probably lighter than my old bike. The possible new ones say 14kg, and while I don't know what the old one is (it's a very old mountain bike), it might be somewhat heavier than that, so harder to tilt and keep control of.

Or I could go for the step through, was looking at the Liv Flourish, but it too would have to be ordered, as nowhere nearby has them in stock. But not sure I want one quite as upright as that - I don't know why, just seems like it would be harder work in that position, and one upright I did try (Avenida) was very uncomfortable (but that was likely the saddle as much as the riding position, I suppose). I'm trying to identify the things that make me less than keen to cycle at the moment, and trying to fix them so that I'll be more likely to do it in the future.

Yes, I mean put the kick stand down when you’re on it. Then you can use the bike to lean on to help with your balance. I don’t think tilting the bike is the way to go if you can at all avoid it.

Just had another thought. It’s harder to get your outside leg far enough away as you dismount because you’re also trying to hold onto the bike.

yes somehow holding the bike is harder when you're astride it than when you're on one side getting on! I'm always trying to hop the outside foot further away.

Interesting idea about the kickstand, though. All the potential bikes I've been looking at seem to have one, so that might help. And IF the new one is lighter, it might balance better with one (I don't actually know how heavy my old bike is, as I've not got a scale but I'm guessing maybe more than 14kg).

And it sounds like I should try to get my heel behind me, rather than me knee in front. I'll practise those exercises where you have to try to kick back and touch your bottom with your foot (I don't get anywhere close, my leg barely goes to 90 degrees from my knee, which might be the root of the problem!).

I don’t know, I think I do knee up (in front) and foot over, so it’s possible. If you can gently use the bike for balance it’s a lot easier. Like this

yes, that's how I've been doing it. I just always seem to get caught a bit as my foot goes over. I always get there in the end, but it just is never comfortable and catch my heel on the cables or the bike falls more. 62cm feels quite high to lift it, but obviously easier with support, and perhaps with the kickstand down, that would help. It had never occurred to me that a kickstand would be something I could put down while I was still on it! The bike I have now is a fairly small frame, so less distance between seat and handlebars, so it could be that a bigger frame will give a bit more space to move around.

I've realised why it's harder to tilt the bike when getting off, as well - you are trying to hold it from above. When you're getting on, you are slightly pushing from underneath and can support it better, I think. For that reason, a lighter bike might be better, though I have no guarantee that a newer one would be lighter.

Shame that most shops are closed for now and are out of stock of a lot of bikes anyway, as it's not an easy decision to make online, though I know they can be returned in some cases if needed. I suppose I'd probably just get used to whatever I picked, though. I can't see why I should be much worse than anyone else at it!!