Specialized has redefined how they design bikes. Bikes are designed for riders, not genders!
For years, bike manufacturers were designing different bikes for men and women. They were working off of the claim that men have longer arms and a longer torso than a woman of comparable height.
In 2012, Specialized started working closely with RETUL, a leading bike fit company, and compiled data from the professional bike fits that were performed.
What Specialized discovered is that those claims were largely inaccurate and that all riders are unique. There is just as much of a chance of variability between two men or two women as there is between a man and a woman.
Designing bikes based on the intended use and different riding types is much more important than designing bikes around gender stereotypes. Going forward, Specialized is going to design the best bikes for all riders, regardless of gender.
There are real anatomical differences between men and women. Therefore, Specialized does still make different products where there is an actual difference. There will still be women’s-specific saddles and clothing to address these true differences. For example, on average, women are shorter than men and have wider sit bones. Therefore, Specialized outfits wider saddles on the smaller-sized frames to accommodate those averages. But there will be no difference between men’s and women’s shoes or handlebars, as there is no data to back up any real differences between genders.
You can view one of the first examples of the Beyond Gender philosophy in the Specialized Roubaix!