The perfect ladies' city bike should fulfill several basic tasks.

It has to be universal and comfortable so that both daily commutes and those weekend trips out of the city won't be an issue for it.

Practical solutions and accessories are also a must! Thanks to such details, you'll be able to enjoy your ladies' bike in all conditions, and no single piece of luggage will ever beat it.

A very important element is the design. After all, a ladies’ city bike shouldn’t just be fun to ride, it should also be pleasing to the eye. Let's not deny it, beautifully designed, minimalist bikes have become a permanent fixture in big cities.

Quality - what to choose to make our ladies' bicycle worthy of our service

Nobody likes it when their ride keeps breaking down every other day.Especially after deciding to go on a trip out of town, away from civilization, or when we’re in a hurry to get to work. That's why it is essential to have good quality, durable parts.

Planetary hubs on a ladies’ bike

Instead of usual derailleur gears, solutions such as Shimano Nexus or Shimano Alfine are ideal. They are maintenance-free and have up to 11 gears that will for sure come in useful when riding uphill.

The closed design and absence of a cassette puts an end to a chain that always falls off and those endless visits to a bicycle workshop to make adjustments to the drivetrain!

Together with a chain guard, this will eliminate the problem of getting grease stains on your pants.

Weight

If we’re looking for a ladies' city bike, we can keep it simple by assuming weight is a parameter that will in some way indicate the quality of the bike. The most important being the weight of the frame and wheels.

First of all, these are usually the most expensive elements of a ladies' city bike, so they're hard to change.

Secondly, the wheels will have the greatest influence on how quickly we’ll accelerate. A light, ladies' city bike will simply be more agile and more enjoyable to ride. You can read here about how the weight of the wheels affects your ride.

Loca Bikes city bikes have triple butted aluminum frames. They are much lighter than their steel counterparts. Apart from a faster ride, it'll be much easier to carry upstairs.

Saddle

Firstly, it has to be appropriate for the position we’ll be riding in. This wide "couch", contrary to popular belief, is not always the most comfortable thing to sit on. A more inclined position and a sporty saddle will relieve our backs and won’t cause discomfort on longer rides.

It's also worth noting the cut-out in the middle of the saddle. For many people, models with this solution are a great way of relieving pressure on sensitive areas during longer trips.

Handlebar

A high rise handlebar will give us more comfort for recreational rides in the city. With an adjustable stem, we can adjust the height of our handlebar exactly to where we need it.

A back angle of about 70% will add a little more sportiness to the way we ride. A position like this will also distribute the weight evenly over our hands, back, and buttocks.

The Loca Bikes ladies' city bikes are set up for each client individually to ensure that they’ll be riding in the most comfortable position and to ensure that they feel at their best. If you have a bad back for example, we can also install a special suspension seatpost.

The ladies' bicycle - qualities that we often overlook

Some seemingly unimportant elements of the bike play a key role in the comfort of our ride. So, what decisions do we have to ensure our ladies' bike will take us everywhere?

Tires for a ladies' city bike

The ideal compromise will be a fairly wide road tire (about 35c-40c).

If we’re mainly riding around the city, we don't need the aggressive rubber that we use on mountain trails. This kind of tire creates more resistance, and its weight will effectively slow down the bike. Any tire with a light tread will expel water efficiently enough.
 

And let's not forget that our tires should also have anti-puncture inserts. Such models have a specially reinforced strip of material inside, which prevents broken glass from becoming an issue for us. You can read more about this topic here.

No suspension

A good shock absorber is a great companion for riding in the mountains, but it costs a lot, and it’s not going to be an ideal solution on our ladies' bike.

Cheaper counterparts weigh tons, notoriously fail, and absorb the energy that we would naturally transfer to the bike's drivetrain with a simple rigid fork.  

A much better solution is having a suspension seatpost, the right tires, and good grips (rubber handlebar caps). A lightweight ladies' city bike like this will ride better, faster, and will be easier to carry.

Gearing on a ladies’ bicycle

What exactly does this mean? Simply put, it's the relationship between the size of the gears on our bike. It's the value that determines whether we'll have to pedal harder or faster to reach the same speed. We've described this matter in more detail in another article.

Easy gearing will allow us to venture outside of the city, where the terrain isn't always completely flat. It'll also be more suitable in hilly places.

If we know that we’re only going to be riding around a flat city, we can go for heavier gearing.

You can also ask at any bicycle workshop for advice when making this decision.

Ladies' bicycle - The selection of parts

Each person has a different build, different preferences, and riding style.

Frame geometry plays a very important part. A steeply sloped top tube will give you the freedom to ride in any outfit, and it’ll make it easier to get off the bike. The gentle angels will make your position on the bike more comfortable.

The right length of the stem and seatpost, even the type of pedals (we use a standard Exustar model, which secures your foot much better than ordinary plastic pedals), all play an important role. When buying a bike from Loca Bikes, we take all these parameters into consideration and set the bike up in the way that's right for you.

The accessories you need on your ladies' bike 

So what to choose to ensure we maximise the functionality of our two-wheeler, while keeping in mind its minimalist design?

Lights

Old city bikes are often fitted with heavy, inefficient dynamos, which slow us down a lot. Lights that you can charge via USB are more convenient to use and more ecological.

The Knog products available in our online store fit city bikes. They're unobtrusive, durable, and waterproof. 

And most importantly, they’re very bright!

There are even models available that we can attach to, e.g., our leg after taking it off the bike. So when we’re walking, we’re still going to be visible. You can find out more about these in the video below.

Full-length fenders

They will guarantee us comfort when riding in all conditions. Old bikes are often fitted with heavy aluminum models.

Let's opt for those made of good quality plastic.

A good bell

We'll be able to warn all the pedestrians in our way. Likewise, we can easily get small, unobtrusive models, which won’t interfere with the simplistic look of our bike.

Luggage racks, and ladies' city bikes

Let's get rid of those old, wobbly baskets. There are now models on the market with secure attachments and with many options when it comes to mounting them.  

Having a sturdy front or rear rack will free your back from unnecessary weight and help you carry large items conveniently. It'll be a great companion for both shopping trips as well as bike trips. We recommend the Basil Portland model available here.

You can put on it a package, backpack, bag, or any other larger item. It's also worth tooling it up further with transportation straps, which will give you more options when it comes to fastening and securing items.

We can also mount panniers to the rack, which we can turn into a backpack or a bag after removing it from the bike. This way, you can easily do some shopping, pack the bag, then clip it back onto the bike and ride home quickly and comfortably. You can find out more about how to carry your luggage here.

Theft

We should feel safe, even leaving the bike unlocked in the city center. But, unfortunately, this isn't the case, and opportunity makes the thief.

What can we do to protect ourselves from potential theft and how can we increase the chances of recovering our bike if such a terrible thing happens?

A good U-lock or folding lock will certainly slow the thief down. But if it's already been stolen, GPS locators placed in, or on the bike will help us out.

A bicycle made especially for us with unique paintwork will surely make it harder for the thief to sell, and if all else fails, we can still be spared by the insurance we bought beforehand to protect against the theft of our two-wheeler.

It's also worth thinking about registering your bike at the police station, which will further increase your chances of finding it if you lose it.

You can read more about bicycle protection in our other article.

Ladies' city bikes - design and simplicity

Let's aim for minimalism. 

A simple bike without unnecessary extras is a bike that suits every occasion, has fewer parts that can potentially break down, costs less money, and has a lower weight.

Personalisation

A unique, light city bike is a great idea, e.g., for a gift. At Loca Bikes, all our projects are custom-made, which gives us almost total design freedom.

Patterns, color combinations, and lettering aren't any bother. Moreover, most of these modifications do not affect the price.

Do you want a ladies' bike with your tattoo redrawn and used as the logo on the frame? No problem! We can turn your crazy ideas into reality!

Let's think about all these elements before making the final purchase, and your ladies' bike will definitely become a daily companion for the city. It’s also something that you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of.

Are you looking for a fast, versatile bike for the city? Get acquainted with our latest range and offers here.