Petite fashion clothing for ladies has been commonplace for many years, but it’s not so easy to find cycle clothing that fits a tiny frame properly. While many brands now offer comprehensive ranges of female-specific cycling gear, for both road and mountain bike use, baggy shorts in particular are often too long, and tops have rear pockets that are usually not accessible for shorter arms.
This article offers advice on where to find shorter length shorts and tops in small sizes to fit the petite female cyclist.
XS Cycling Tops
A quick online search won’t give you many options when it comes to petite sized cycling tops, unlike plus-size bike clothing which has a variety of specially made brands to choose from.
The following brands offer cycle tops in extra small or XS sizes:
- Terry Bicycles – made by cycle guru Georgena Terry. Buy direct from the Terry website.
- Adidas – look for the Climalite range of tops with a very short fit, perfect for tiny bodies; available at many online cycle retailers including Chain Reaction Cycles.
- DHB – exclusive to UK-based retailer Wiggle, positive customer reviews about this value-for-money brand highlight the good fit for smaller women of 5 ft 2” and under.
- Brooks – lightweight close-fitting tops available in XS from Wiggle again.
Cycle Shorts for Petite Women
When it comes to cycle shorts for petite women, it can take years to find the perfect pair of comfortable padded shorts. Personally I gave up on trying to find baggy shorts for mountain biking many years ago. If you have short legs, most baggies reach almost to your knees, as that's the way they are styled.
If you only feel comfortable in baggies, my best advice is to find a pair of sports shorts that you love and team them with a good pair of Lycra ones that you can wear underneath; or simply opt for a cheap inner short.
My current favorite padded short is from New Zealand-based Ground Effect. Their Jitterbugs style offers the perfect length for a petite woman and a very comfortable chamois liner that won’t chafe, even on the hottest ride.
Ultimately, though, you need to go and try cycle shorts on to find the perfect length and fit. Once you know what your favorite is, you can then go and order online.
Find a Brand that Fits then Order Cycle Clothing Online
I buy all my petite cycling clothing online as I know the brands that fit me. Keep a look-out for end of line bargains such as the Adidas Climalite tops shown below; these cost less than $20 at the end of last year.
Always look at the size charts before ordering a bargain brand you may not have used before; the length and chest sizes on tops are obviously key but so is the fit, so do read customer reviews to help with decision making.
While it is more challenging to find petite cycle gear online, brands do realize that smaller ladies love to cycle and want cycle gear that fits their shorter torsos properly.
Feel free to add comments on this article if you know of a favorite brand I’ve left out.
Sources:
Helen Smeaton - Helen Smeaton runs a cycling and hiking business and is also a freelance writer and web designer. Read her profile for more information
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