Ladies cycling.....what is wrong?

I was in Manchester yesterday for a client meeting and quite delighted to find their offices very close to the Pinarallo store.....once I stopped licking the windows I popped in. It was quiet, 5 staff and me. So I did not feel too bad about having a chat knowing I was not going to be buying one today....it would not fit in my bag.

So I asked about a ladies specific geometry......errrmmm nope, we can change the stem and you can put the seat down. Oh here we go again........"Yes but the top tubes are usually different lengths on ladies frames and how about the crank length and what gears is it running?" errrrmmmmm. So one of the top cycle manufacturers in the world and a shop with 50 bikes in it and there is not one that is made for us ladies. Do we not deserve a top bike then? Will we not spend that kind of money on a one off purchase? I beg to differ.

Sir Chris Hoy launched a range of new road bikes today.......none for the ladies.
Ah but Victoria Pendleton has a range.....if you want a kitten in a basket that is, no road bikes there either.

And I also popped into Evans to see what they had......not a single ladies road bike in the store.

So two stores, over 70 bikes and not a single one a ladies fit road bike. Two product launches from our former Olympians....same thing.

Now I do understand that there are certain market economics at play here and manfacturers and retailers are unlikey to want to end up with redundant stock if these things don't sell. But how the hell can we buy them if they either don't exist or you don't stock them?

So we are meant to buy online and not have the same opportunity to sit on the bike or even test ride it? Thank heavens for the few places around that DO recognise that us ladies would actually like to part with some cash and stock more than one model.

After all we are supposed to be very good at shopping, just give us a chance to buy!