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63-497: Since mounting or dismounting a step-through does not require swinging one leg to hip-height, they are widely used as delivery bicycles, and for other purposes where the rider has to mount and dismount frequently. Traditionally, bicycles with a step-through frame were known as "ladies ' ", "women's" or "girls' bicycles", as they allow skirts or dresses to hang fairly normally. Bicycles with a high top tube (cross-bar), known as a, were known as "men's", "gents", or "boys' bicycles". Even in

126-458: A sport . Other named French styles of step-through frames, in addition to mixte and sport , include berceau , Anglais , jumele , col de cygne and double col de cygne . Another type of step-through frame is called a cross . The cross frame consists mainly of two tubes that form a cross : a seat tube from the bottom bracket to the saddle, and a backbone from the head tube to the rear hub. Bicycle frame#Top tube A bicycle frame

189-492: A utility bicycle emphasizes comfort and has higher handlebars resulting in an upright riding position. Frame geometry also affects handling characteristics. For more information, see the articles on bicycle and motorcycle geometry and bicycle and motorcycle dynamics . Frame size was traditionally measured along the seat tube from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the top tube. Typical "medium" sizes are 54 or 56 cm (approximately 21.2 or 22 inches) for

252-415: A European men's racing bicycle or 46 cm (about 18.5 inches) for a men's mountain bike . The wider range of frame geometries that now exist has also led to other methods of measuring frame size. Touring frames tend to be longer, while racing frames are more compact. A road racing bicycle is designed for efficient power transfer at minimum weight and drag. Broadly speaking, the road bicycle geometry

315-598: A garment initially known as the "Turkish dress", which featured a knee-length skirt over Turkish-style pantaloons. Bloomer came to advocate and promote the dress, including instructions for making it, in The Lily , a newspaper dedicated to the "Emancipation of Woman from Intemperance, Injustice, Prejudice, and Bigotry". This inspired a craze for the dress, which came to be known as bloomers . Elizabeth Cady Stanton , Susan B. Anthony , and Lucy Stone , other early advocates for women's rights, also adopted this style of dress in

378-443: A hollow shell with no internal structure. Folding bicycle frames are characterized by the ability to fold into a compact shape for transportation or storage. Penny-farthing frames are characterized by a large front wheel and a small rear wheel. Tandem and sociable frames support multiple riders. There are many variations on the basic diamond frame design. The cycle types article describes additional variations. It

441-499: A means of injecting novelty into male attire, most famously the sarong seen on David Beckham . There are a number of garments marketed to men which fall under the category of "skirt" or "dress". These go by a variety of names and form part of the traditional dress for men from various cultures. Usage varies – the dhoti is part of everyday dress on the Indian subcontinent while the kilt is more usually restricted to occasional wear and

504-446: A stronger stroking position. The trade-off is comfort. Touring and comfort bicycles tend to have more slack (less vertical) seat tube angle traditionally. This positions the rider more on the sit bones and takes weight off the wrists, arms and neck, and, for men, improves circulation to the urinary and reproductive areas. With a slacker angle, designers lengthen the chain stay so that the center of gravity (that would otherwise be farther to

567-402: A top tube that connected in the middle of the seat tube instead of the top, resulting in a lower standover height . This was to allow the rider to dismount while wearing a skirt or dress . The design has since been used in unisex utility bikes to facilitate easy mounting and dismounting, and is also known as a step-through frame or an open frame. Another style that accomplishes similar results

630-423: A top tube that slopes down steeply to allow the rider to mount and dismount the bicycle more easily. Alternative step-through designs may include leaving out the top tube out completely, as in monocoque mainframe designs using a separated or hinged seat tube, and twin top tubes that continue to the rear fork ends as with the mixte frame. These alternatives to the diamond frame provide greater versatility, though at

693-485: A type of fur skirt tied to a belt. The term originally referred to a sheep's fleece , but eventually came to be applied to the garment itself. Eventually, the animal pelts were replaced by "kaunakes cloth", a textile that imitated fleecy sheepskin. Kaunakes cloth also served as a symbol in religious iconography, such as in the fleecy cloak of John the Baptist . Ancient Egyptian garments were mainly made of linen. For

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756-453: Is also possible to add couplers either during manufacturing or as a retrofit so that the frame can be disassembled into smaller pieces to facilitate packing and travel. The diamond frame consists of two triangles, a main triangle and a paired rear triangle. The main triangle consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube and seat tube. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube, and paired chain stays and seat stays. The head tube contains

819-474: Is also routed along the chain stay. Occasionally (principally on frames made since the late 1990s) mountings for disc brakes will be attached to the chain stays. There may be a small brace that connects the chain stays in front of the rear wheel and behind the bottom bracket shell, called a "chainstay bridge". Chain stays may be designed using tapered or untapered tubing. They may be relieved, ovalized, crimped, S-shaped, or elevated to allow additional clearance for

882-468: Is categorized as either a traditional geometry with a horizontal top tube, or a compact geometry with a sloping top tube. Traditional geometry road frames are often associated with more comfort and greater stability, and tend to have a longer wheelbase which contributes to these two aspects. Compact geometry allows the top of the head tube to be above the top of the seat tube, decreasing standover height, and thus increasing standover clearance and lowering

945-404: Is most appropriate when used as part of a rear triangle subframe on a bicycle with independent rear suspension. A dual seat stay refers to seat stays which meet the front triangle of the bicycle at two separate points, usually side-by-side. Fastback seat stays meet the seat tube at the back instead of the sides of the tube. On most seat stays, a bridge or brace is typically used to connect

1008-423: Is replaced with a pair of smaller tubes ( lateral tubes , or lats ) running from the top of the head tube all the way back to the rear axle, connecting at the seat tube on the way. The normal seat stays and chain stays are retained. This provides the lower standover height of a step-through frame bicycle with a strong diamond-frame geometry. Mixte (pronounced [mikst] ) is a direct appropriation of

1071-451: Is the mixte . In a cantilever bicycle frame the seat stays continue past the seat post and curve downwards to meet with the down tube. Cantilever frames are popular on the cruiser bicycle , the lowrider bicycle , and the wheelie bike . In many cantilever frames the only straight tubes are the seat tube and the head tube. The recumbent bicycle moves the cranks to a position forward of the rider instead of underneath, generally improving

1134-566: Is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards. At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos ). However, most skirts are fitted to the body at the waist or hips and fuller below, with the fullness introduced by means of darts , gores , pleats , or panels. Modern skirts are usually made of light to mid-weight fabrics , such as denim , jersey , worsted , or poplin . Skirts of thin or clingy fabrics are often worn with slips to make

1197-445: Is the main component of a bicycle , onto which wheels and other components are fitted. The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle , and consists of two triangles : a main triangle and a paired rear triangle. This is known as the diamond frame . Frames are required to be strong, stiff and light, which they do by combining different materials and shapes. A frameset consists of

1260-570: Is typically larger, unthreaded, and sometimes split. The chain stays, seat tube, and down tube all typically connect to the bottom bracket shell. There are a few traditional standard shell widths (68, 70 or 73 mm). Road bikes usually use 68 mm; Italian road bikes use 70 mm; Early model mountain bikes use 73 mm; later models (1995 and newer) use 68 mm more commonly. Some modern bicycles have shell widths of 83 or 100 mm and these are for specialised downhill mountain biking or snowbiking applications. The shell width influences

1323-914: The New Kingdom of Egypt , kilts with a pleated triangular section became fashionable for men. Beneath these, a shente, or triangular loincloth whose ends were fastened with cord ties, were worn. During the Bronze Age , in the Southern parts of Western and Central Europe, wraparound dress-like garments were preferred. However, in Northern Europe, people also wore skirts and blouses. In the Middle Ages , men and women preferred dress-like garments. The lower part of men's dresses were much shorter in length compared to those for women. They were wide cut and often pleated or gored so that horse riding

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1386-451: The Q factor or tread of the bike. There are a few standard shell diameters (34.798 – 36 mm) with associated thread pitches (24 - 28 tpi). On some gearbox bicycles , the bottom bracket shell may be replaced by an integrated gearbox or a mounting location for a detachable gearbox. The length of the tubes, and the angles at which they are attached define a frame geometry . In comparing different frame geometries, designers often compare

1449-779: The fustanella is used almost exclusively as costume. Robes, which are a type of dress for men, have existed in many cultures, including the Japanese kimono , the Chinese cheongsam , the Arabic thobe , and the African Senegalese kaftan . Robes are also used in some religious orders, such as the cassock in Christianity and various robes and cloaks that may be used in pagan rituals. Examples of men's skirts and skirt-like garments from various cultures include: Aside from

1512-449: The seatpost of the bike, which connects to the saddle. The saddle height is adjustable by changing how far the seatpost is inserted into the seat tube. On some bikes, this is achieved using a quick release lever. The seatpost must be inserted at least a certain length; this is marked with a minimum insertion mark . The seat tube also may have braze-on mounts for a bottle cage or front derailleur . The chain stays run parallel to

1575-408: The 1800s, women often rode "men's" bicycles and vice-versa; from the 1890s onwards, women commonly wore bloomers to cycle. Since the late 20th century, descriptions that describe the frame style, rather than the presumed gender of the rider, are becoming increasingly common. One particular type of step-through frame is called a mixte . In a mixte frame, the top tube of the traditional diamond frame

1638-531: The 1850s, referring to it as the "freedom dress". Concurrently, some female labourers, notably the pit brow women working at coal pits in the Wigan area, began wearing trousers beneath a short skirt as a practical component of their uniform. This attracted the attention of the public, and various photographers produced records of the women's unconventional manner of dress through the mid to late 19th century. After 1915, ankle-length skirts were not generally worn in

1701-465: The French word meaning "mixed" or "unisex". The usual North American bicycle industry pronunciation of this loan word is / ˈ m ɪ k s t iː / . A variant on the mixte uses a single, full sized top tube running from the upper head tube to the seat tube, but retains the middle set of stays. The FNCRM (Fédération Nationale du Commerce et de la Réparation du Cycle et du Motocycle) calls this style

1764-521: The back over the wheel) is more ideally repositioned over the middle of the bike frame. The longer wheelbase contributes to effective shock absorption. In modern mass-manufactured touring and comfort bikes, the seat-tube angle is negligibly slacker, perhaps in order to reduce manufacturing costs by avoiding the need to reset welding jigs in automated processes, and thus do not provide the comfort of traditionally made or custom-made frames which do have noticeably slacker seat-tube angles. Skirt A skirt

1827-432: The bottom. At the other extreme, the miniskirts of the 1960s were minimal garments that may have barely covered the underwear when the woman was seated. Costume historians typically use the word " petticoat " to describe skirt-like garments of the 18th century or earlier. During the 19th century, the cut of women's dresses in western culture varied more widely than in any other century. Waistlines started just below

1890-474: The bust (the Empire silhouette ) and gradually sank to the natural waist. Skirts started fairly narrow and increased dramatically to the hoopskirt and crinoline -supported styles of the 1860s; then fullness was draped and drawn to the back by means of bustles . In the 1890s, the rainy daisy skirt was introduced for walking or sportswear. It had a significantly shorter hemline measuring as much as six inches off

1953-408: The cables from damage and dirt, which can e.g. make gear shifting unreliable. The space between the top tube and the rider's groin while straddling the bike and standing on the ground is called clearance. The total height from the ground to this point is called the height lever. The down tube connects the head tube to the bottom bracket shell. On racing bicycles and some mountain and hybrid bikes,

Step-through frame - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-404: The center of gravity. Opinion is divided on the riding merits of the compact frame, but several manufacturers claim that a reduced range of sizes can fit most riders, and that it is easier to build a frame without a perfectly level top tube. Road bicycles for racing tend to have a steeper seat tube angle , measured from the horizontal plane. This positions the rider aerodynamically and arguably in

2079-413: The chain, connecting the bottom bracket shell (which holds the axis around which the pedals and cranks rotate) to the rear fork ends or dropouts. A shorter chain stay generally means that the bike will accelerate faster and be easier to ride uphill, at least while the rider can avoid the front wheel losing contact with the ground. When the rear derailleur cable is routed partially along the down tube, it

2142-420: The cranks to the rear of the rider, resulting in a head-forward, chest-down riding position. A cross frame consists mainly of two tubes that form a cross: a seat tube from the bottom bracket to the saddle, and a backbone from the head tube to the rear hub. A truss frame uses additional tubes to form a truss . Examples include Humbers , Pedersens , and the one pictured. A monocoque frame consists only of

2205-491: The daytime. For the next fifty years fashionable skirts became short (1920s), then long (1930s), then shorter (in the War Years with their restrictions on fabric), then long (the " New Look "), then shortest of all from 1967 to 1970, when skirts became as short as possible while avoiding exposure of underwear , which was considered taboo . Since the 1970s and the rise of pants/trousers for women as an option for all but

2268-735: The decision of allowing girls to wear trousers is with individual schools. In the 1980s in Puerto Rico, Ana Irma Rivera Lassén was not allowed to enter court in trousers and was told to wear a skirt. She sued the judge and won. In 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled against the Charter Day School in North Carolina, which had required girls to wear skirts due to

2331-441: The derailleur cables run along the down tube, or inside the down tube. On older racing bicycles, the shift levers were mounted on the down tube. On newer ones, they are mounted with the brake levers on the handlebars. Bottle cage mounts are also on the down tube, usually on the top side, sometimes also on the bottom side. In addition to bottle cages, small air pumps may be fitted to these mounts as well. The seat tube contains

2394-520: The earliest known cultures to have females wear clothing resembling miniskirts were the Duan Qun Miao ( Chinese : 短裙苗 ), which literally means "Short Skirt Miao". This was in reference to the short miniskirts "that barely cover the buttocks" worn by women of the tribe, and which were probably shocking to observers in premodern and early modern times. In the Middle Ages , some upper-class women wore skirts over three meters in diameter at

2457-411: The expense of added weight to achieve equivalent strength and rigidity. Control cables are routed along mounts on the top tube, or sometimes inside the top tube. Most commonly, this includes the cable for the rear brake, but some mountain bikes and hybrid bicycles also route the front and rear derailleur cables along the top tube. Inside routing, once only present in the highest price ranges, protects

2520-426: The frame and fork of a bicycle and sometimes includes the headset and seat post . Frame builders will often produce the frame and fork together as a paired set. Besides the ubiquitous diamond frame, many different frame types have been developed for the bicycle, several of which are still in common use today. In the diamond frame, the main "triangle" is not actually a triangle because it consists of four tubes:

2583-709: The ground and would eventually influence the wider introduction of shorter hemlines in the early 20th century. In the 19th century, in the United States and United Kingdom, there was a movement against skirts as part of the Victorian dress reform movement , and in the United States, the National Dress Reform Association . There was also the invention of different ways to wear skirts. For example, in 1851, early women's rights advocate Elizabeth Smith Miller introduced Amelia Bloomer to

Step-through frame - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-448: The head tube to the bottom bracket shell. The rear triangle connects to the rear fork ends , where the rear wheel is attached. It consists of the seat tube and paired chain stays and seat stays. The chain stays run connecting the bottom bracket to the rear fork ends. The seat stays connect the top of the seat tube (often at or near the same point as the top tube) to the rear fork ends. Historically, bicycle frames designed for women had

2709-452: The head tube, top tube, down tube and seat tube. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube joined by paired chain stays and seat stays. The head tube contains the headset , the interface with the fork . The top tube connects the head tube to the seat tube at the top. The top tube may be positioned horizontally (parallel to the ground), or it may slope downwards towards the seat tube for additional stand-over clearance. The down tube connects

2772-431: The headset, the bearings for the fork via its steerer tube . In an integrated headset, cartridge bearings interface directly with the surface on the inside of the head tube, on non-integrated headsets the bearings (in a cartridge or not) interface with "cups" pressed into the head tube. The top tube , or cross-bar , connects the top of the head tube to the top of the seat tube. In a traditional-geometry diamond frame,

2835-511: The idea that girls are "fragile vessels" deserving "gentle" treatment from boys. The court ruled the requirement was unconstitutional. Since 2004, the International Skating Union has allowed women to wear trousers instead of skirts in competition if they wish. Many forms of dancing require women to wear skirts or dresses, either by convention or competition rules. In Scottish highland dancing , for example, women wear

2898-492: The material of the skirt drape better and for modesty. In modern times, skirts are very commonly worn by women and girls. Some exceptions include the izaar , worn by many Muslim cultures, and the kilt , a traditional men's garment in Scotland, Ireland, and sometimes England. The hemline of skirts can vary from micro to floor-length and can vary according to cultural conceptions of modesty and aesthetics as well as

2961-415: The most formal of occasions, no one skirt length has dominated fashion for long, with short and ankle-length styles often appearing side by side in fashion magazines and catalogs. Fashion designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier , Vivienne Westwood , Kenzo and Marc Jacobs have also shown men's skirts . Transgressing social codes, Gaultier frequently introduces the skirt into his men's wear collections as

3024-457: The most publicised possibly being Jo Hale vs Whickham Comprehensive in 2000. Although it is commonly accepted that girls may wear trousers to school, no test case is known to have been brought before the courts, making the legal position uncertain on requiring skirts as part of girls' uniforms. The rule is still enforced in many schools, particularly independent and selective state schools. In fact, United Kingdom government guidelines expressly state

3087-412: The other tubes in the frame, that runs side to side and holds the bottom bracket . It is usually threaded, often left-hand threaded on the right (drive) side of the bike to prevent loosening by fretting induced precession , and right-hand threaded on the left (non-drive) side. There are many variations, such as an eccentric bottom bracket, which allows for adjustment in tension of the bicycle's chain. It

3150-430: The rear wheel, chain, crankarms, or the heel of the foot. The seat stays connect the top of the seat tube (often at or near the same point as the top tube) to the rear fork dropouts. A traditional frame uses a simple set of paralleled tubes connected by a bridge above the rear wheel. When the rear derailleur cable is routed partially along the top tube, it is also usually routed along the seat stay. Many alternatives to

3213-434: The seat tube angle, head tube angle, (virtual) top tube length, and seat tube length. To complete the specification of a bicycle for use, the rider adjusts the relative positions of the saddle, pedals and handlebars: The geometry of the frame depends on the intended use. For instance, a road bicycle will place the handlebars in a lower and further position relative to the saddle giving a more crouched riding position; whereas

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3276-470: The slipstream around the rider without the characteristic sharp bend at the waist used by racers of diamond-frame bicycles. Banned from bicycle racing in France in 1934 to avoid rendering diamond-frame bicycles obsolete in racing, manufacturing of recumbent bicycles remained depressed for another half century, but many models from a range of manufacturers were available by 2000. The uncommon prone bike moves

3339-399: The stays above the rear wheel and below the connection with the seat tube. Besides providing lateral rigidity, this bridge provides a mounting point for rear brakes, fenders, and racks. The seat stays themselves may also be fitted with brake mounts. Brake mounts are often absent from fixed-gear or track bike seat stays. The bottom bracket shell is a short and large diameter tube, relative to

3402-787: The territory of present-day Serbia and neighboring Balkans from the start of the Copper Age show women in skirt-like garments. A straw-woven skirt dating to 3900 BC was discovered in Armenia at the Areni-1 cave . Skirts were the standard attire for men and women in all ancient cultures in the Near East and Egypt . The Sumerians in Mesopotamia wore kaunakes ( Ancient Greek : καυνάκης , romanized :  kaunákēs , ultimately from Sumerian : 𒌆𒄖𒅘𒆪 GU-NAK-KU ),

3465-599: The top tube is horizontal (parallel to the ground). In a compact-geometry frame, the top tube is normally sloped downward toward the seat tube for additional standover clearance. In a mountain bike frame, the top tube is almost always sloped downward toward the seat tube. Radically sloped top tubes that compromise the integrity of the traditional diamond frame may require additional gusseting tubes, alternative frame construction, or different materials for equivalent strength. ( See Road and triathlon bicycles for more information on geometries. ) Step-through frames usually have

3528-548: The top tube was patented by Volagi Cycles . This frame element added length to the traditional design of seat stays, making a softer ride at the sacrifice of frame stiffness. Another common seat stay variant is the wishbone , single seat stay , or mono stay , which joins the stays together just above the rear wheel into a monotube that is joined to the seat tube. A wishbone design adds vertical rigidity without increasing lateral stiffness, generally an undesirable trait for bicycles with unsuspended rear wheels. The wishbone design

3591-505: The traditional seat stay design have been introduced over the years. A style of seat stay that extends forward of the seat tube, below the rear end of the top tube and connects to the top tube in front of the seat tube, creating a small triangle, is called a Hellenic stay after the British frame builder Fred Hellens, who introduced them in 1923. Hellenic seat stays add aesthetic appeal at the expense of added weight. This style of seat stay

3654-550: The upper classes, they were beautifully woven and intricately pleated. Around 2130 BC, during the Old Kingdom of Egypt , men wore wraparound skirts (kilts) known as the shendyt . They were made of a rectangular piece of cloth wrapped around the lower body and tied in front. By the Middle Kingdom of Egypt , longer skirts, reaching from the waist to ankles and sometimes hanging from the armpits, became fashionable. During

3717-470: The wearer's personal taste, which can be influenced by such factors as fashion and social context. Most skirts are complete garments, but some skirt-looking panels may be part of another garment such as leggings , shorts , and swimsuits . Skirts have been worn since prehistoric times as the simplest way to cover the lower body. Figurines produced by the Vinča culture ( c.  5700 –4500 BC) located on

3780-468: The wearing of kilts , in the Western world skirts, dresses, and similar garments are generally viewed exclusively as women's clothing which, historically, was not always the case. However, some Western men have taken up skirts as forms of civil protest. Other Western men advocate skirts as a measure of co-equality between women and men. The skirt is a part of uniforms for girls in many schools around

3843-578: The world, with lengths varying depending on local culture. The pleated tartan skirt began as a component of girls' school uniforms in the early twentieth century in the United Kingdom. Most UK schools now allow girls to wear trousers, but many girls still wear skirts in primary and secondary schools, even where the choice of trousers is given. In the late 20th and early 21st century, many schools began changing their uniform rules to allow trousers for girls amidst opposition to skirts-only policies -

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3906-470: Was more comfortable. Even a knight's armor had a short metal skirt below the breastplate. It covered the straps attaching the upper legs iron cuisse to the breastplate. Technological advances in weaving in the 13th–15th century, like foot-treadle floor looms and scissors with pivoted blades and handles, improved tailoring trousers and tights. They became fashionable for men and henceforth became standard male attire whilst becoming taboo for women. One of

3969-435: Was popularized again in the late 20th century by GT Bicycles (under the moniker "triple triangle"), who had incorporated the design element into their BMX frames, as it also made for a much stiffer rear triangle (an advantage in races); this design element has also been used on their mountain bike frames for similar reasons. In 2012, a variation of the traditional seat stay that bypasses the seat tube and connects further into

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