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When it comes to selling products, men tend to have
many preconceived notions about what women want. The
truth is, we’re not actually all that picky. Sure,
we occasionally like our purses to match our shoes but,
contrary to popular belief, our lives are not predicated
on such insignificant dilemmas when we clearly have
bigger fish to fry.
We already make personal choices on our education, our
careers, and who we pick for our partners, so when it
comes to bicycles, we really
don’t ask for that much help. We don’t need
a lecture on why we need narrower handlebars because
our shoulders are slimmer or why we
can’t reach our brake levers because our hands
are smaller. But just like men, we prefer the experts
to figure out the scientific stuff so we can
enjoy every aspect of our ride. Our girlfriends set
the standard on problem solving, but when it comes to
frame geometry, body position, gear
ratios and crank lengths, it sure doesn’t hurt
to have a few bicycle engineers on your side.
When Felt set out to develop our all-new Fit Woman (FW)
line of women’s bikes, I jumped at the challenge
to manage the project. After all, a lifetime in the
saddle tells me exactly when and where typical men’s
bikes fall short. We knew the FW line would never be
just a few women-specific components thrown onto a men’s
frame and splashed with an alternative paint job. We
knew it needed to be done right from the ground up,
so we started with a blank sheet of paper.
 Working
with our engineering team, we first started by studying
textbooks on anthropometry (a fancy word for the study
of human body measurements). After all, women are NOT
proportionally smaller than men and therefore simply
reducing a men’s bike proportionally would never
achieve our goal. We knew we needed to achieve the perfect
body position by factoring in the many different features
of a woman’s body. Once we translated the critical
variances in usable, numeric terms, the engineering
team was able to work backwards, maintaining that ideal
body position while adjusting the frame geometry to
properly fit a woman. Beyond the geometry, we also tailored
each individual tube’s wall thickness to maintain
the lively, reactive, comfortable "Felt feel"
regardless of differences in body weight and power.
Speaking on behalf of the many women involved in this
project, I can tell you the result is one amazing ride.
Just as important as the ride is the look. Reflecting
on hundreds of personal
conversations with women riders the world over, coupled
(of course!) with my own
personal cycling and industry experience, I know we
have also chosen colors and
graphics to suit even the most discerning taste.
From the stem size to the saddle, from the crank length
to the Q factor, every
single specification has been carefully selected to
ideally accommodate a woman’s
physique. In short, we have tailored the FW line to
reflect our individual styles and high
standards for quality and excellence, but most importantly,
to give you a bicycle that
loves you as much as you love to ride.
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INTRODUCTION
BY BEVERLY LUCAS: SEASONED CYCLIST, FELT USA MARKETING
MANAGER AND FIT WOMAN PRODUCT MANAGER.
Bikes & Frames