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In 2022, people are looking more and more for fun things to do outdoors. So is it any wonder that bike riding is coming back in style?
Cycling has several advantages for women, whether they use their bikes for transportation or ride for exercise. If you haven't purchased a new bike in a while, though, you should familiarize yourself with all of the options available—and there are plenty. There are electric, mountain, hybrid, and road bikes to pick from, and the best one for you will depend on your lifestyle and unique demands.
Once you are up-to-date on what today’s bike offers, consider what we think are the top bikes for women in 2022.
Why Bike Riding?
Let’s face it, there are many things women could do outdoors that are fun and will help keep them fit, so why bike riding? Bike riding relaxes you in a way that helps improve your physical and mental health.
Physical activity is required to be fit and healthy. Obesity, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, diabetes, and arthritis may be prevented with regular physical activity. Cycling daily is one of the best strategies to lower your risk of health problems related to a sedentary lifestyle.
It’s All About Heart Health
Today’s modern woman is proactive about her health, especially when it affects one of the most critical organs in the human body – the heart. Bike riding helps to promote heart, blood vessel, and lung health. In addition, while riding, you tend to breathe deeply, sweat more, and raise your body temperature in a way that improves your overall health.
Regular bike riding helps to strengthen and improves your heart and circulation. That exercise could potentially lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. It helps build up the heart muscle, which decreases your resting pulse and reduces blood fat levels.
Strong Muscles, Leaner Body
Biking helps you lose weight, too. It will increase how fast you burn calories and improve your muscle mass and body fat all at once. It is also a relaxing exercise that allows you to ride fast when you want and slow when you need to rest, so you can avoid overdoing it and injuring your muscles and joints.
Staying Well In 2022
Avoiding illness is on everyone’s minds these days as we continue to battle COVID. The immune system is a multicellular network of tissues and organs. They work together to protect your body from infections like COVID or flu. Keeping the immune system strong is critical for good health.
Regular bike rides can help your immune system work better by improving blood flow, lowering stress and inflammation, and strengthening antibodies. Biking helps the immune system move white blood cells around the body by enhancing circulation.
Exercise is the key to improved self-esteem, reduced depression, and lower anxiety and stress, meaning bike riding is suitable for both the mind and the heart. Bike riding boosts your mood. Regular bikers often talk about the riding high they get on a bike. It is similar to the runner's high that keeps joggers on the road. Bike riding helps circulate the blood throughout your body, boosting endorphins, so chemicals that make you feel good like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin spread more quickly.
That extra activity will lead to better sleep, too. Regular riding helps manage your circadian rhythms and lower stress hormone levels, which means more restorative sleep.
Bike riding can enhance memory. Riding a bike stimulates new brain cell formation, essential for memory. It will also improve your creative thinking.
Finding That Perfect Bike
You know why you need one, but how do you find the right bike? Before purchasing a bike, be sure it can handle the sort of cycling you want to perform. For example, are you searching for a low-cost cruiser or a high-performance mountain bike that can tackle rough terrain?
Bike Styles
There are many types of bikes out there, so choosing a style is an excellent place to start your search for the perfect bike.
Road Bikes
As the name implies, a road bike is intended for use on the road or other paved surfaces. It has thinner tires and "drop bars" which are handlebars that slope downward.
Road bikes are ideal for riding long distances, participating in planned group rides, or bike vacations. However, they're not always the best choice for casual cycling or city commuting.
Mountain Bikes
Mountain bikes are built for riding on dirt trails and often contain suspension systems, either on the front fork only or on the front and rear. In addition, they have large, knobby tires for off-road traction.
Mountain bikes are classified into numerous varieties, including cross-country bikes for racing or calm trail riding, bikes for conquering tough ups and downs, and downhill bikes for lift-served riding.
Hybrid Bikes
A hybrid bike is exactly what it sounds like: a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. As a result, the hybrid is excellent for general-purpose riding over a variety of terrain, which is why most hybrids are used for commuting. In addition, it features tires that can handle both paved and dirt terrain.
Cruiser Bikes
A cruiser bike, sometimes known as a beach cruiser, is a popular type of bike built for recreational and pleasant cycling. The comfortable riding posture provided by the frame's geometry is one of the distinguishing qualities that set a cruiser bike apart from other bike designs.
Electric Bikes
Electric bikes or e-bikes come in all the above styles like cruisers or mountain bikes but with added features that make them easier to ride like a motor. Electric bikes also peddle and handle similarly to traditional bicycles.
In general, an electric bike has the same basic parts. However, the electric component is intended to supplement your bike riding effort. The added power makes difficulties like slopes and headwinds more tolerable, allowing you to travel longer without becoming exhausted.
Tricycles
Adult tricycles, or trikes, have three wheels instead of two. That makes them a good choice for someone who has balance problems but still wants to bike ride. They usually sit upright and have three huge wheels—one in the front of the bike and two in the back for better stability.
What to Look for In a Bike
Picking the style bike you want is just half the battle. Women will need to look deeper at the features to find that perfect bike for them.
Fit
It is critical to have the proper sized bike to ride comfortably and stay safe. One that is too big will be more challenging to handle, but one that is too small will not allow you to raise the saddle high enough for comfortable pedaling, and you will feel cramped.
While standing over the bike's frame, there should be a few inches of leeway between your torso and the bike. This is because the frame size does not just represent the height of the bike. The frames are also longer as they get bigger. So, if a bike is an incorrect size for your body type, the handlebars won’t be in the right spot for you and will become uncomfortable the longer you ride.
Brakes
Disc brakes provide more consistent stopping, especially in rainy conditions, as well as greater control over how hard you brake. They are, however, a little heavier than rim brakes.
Hydraulic disc brakes are more common on more costly bikes, whereas mechanical disc brakes are usually on less expensive bikes. Hydraulic brakes provide better modulation and are a good improvement if you have the money.
Gears
While it is impressive to have a bike with lots of gears, most people don’t use them. Some riders prefer single-speed bikes with just one gear. They are ideal for flat-land urban transit.
The more likely option for most is a bike with just a few gears, so you can change if you want. The woman interested in recreational bike riding will only need a few gears.
2022 Top 5 Best Bikes for Women
To make things a little easier, we came up with some of what we think are the top bikes for women in 2022.
4. Schwinn Women's GTX 3 Hybrid Bike
The combination of a lightweight aluminum frame and a 21-speed drivetrain put this bike at the top of the list. Schwinn’s Women's GTX 3 Hybrid Bike comes with a few standout features that will appeal to women like all-terrain tires and alloy-V brakes for a smooth ride.
More features of this model include:
Schwinn also offers this bike in three colors.
5. REI Electra Cruiser 1 Step-Through Bike
The REI Electra Cruiser has a trendy classic style if you don’t mind paying for it. The cruiser design offers a single-speed drivetrain and a step-through frame.
Other features of this model include:
The REI Electra cruiser also comes in classic colors like French Blue and Spring Green.