Best 9 inexpensive Bike Components for Ladies

Terry Bicycles Butterfly Carbon Saddle – Women’s

In 1985, upon introducing a women’s specific bicycle frame design to the industry, Georgena Terry created a company destined to become a household name among women cyclists throughout the world. True to her passion for cycling gear that specifically addresses the fit and needs of women, she expanded the line to include saddles, the primary touch-point while riding. And while the company has expanded and the line of saddles has grown exponentially, the Butterfly Carbon Saddle retains all of the characteristics embodied in the original Butterfly that is loved the world over. 

The original women’s saddle, the Butterfly, was designed in 1999. While it has gone through revisions over the years, the basic design and profile have remained the same. There are now several versions of the Butterfly each one with unique features.

Terry’s Butterfly Carbon Saddle was placed on Carbon rails. Unique to the saddle is the oval shape of the rails. They measure 9.6mm high by 7mm wide. This shape provides extra durability and stiffness. The carbon rails also make it the lightest of all the Butterfly saddles. The base is the same multi-density injection molded foam featured in the entire Butterfly line placing stiffer padding over the paddles and softer foam along the full length channel and cut-out to relieve pressure against soft tissue areas. Additionally, a thin layer of gel is laid over the padding for a little extra comfort during long rides.

Covered in real leather with an embossed butterfly pattern, the saddle is sure to turn heads perched on your prized steed.

The Terry Butterfly Carbon Saddle measures 262mm long by 155mm wide at the paddle. It weighs 218grams and is available in the color Black.

Syncros XR1.5 Saddle – Women’s

If you like the feel and low weight of Syncros’ XR1.0 saddles but aren’t as enamored with the higher price, consider Syncros’ XR1.5 Women’s Saddle. With the same women’s-specific shape and race-ready weight, the saddle is constructed with hollow titanium rails instead of carbon to absorb vibrations as you crush through rock gardens and pedal over gravel. Though heavier than its pricier counterpart, titanium is less delicate, and it doesn’t require you to use a torque wrench when making adjustments like carbon does.

Aside from the titanium rails, the carbon-injected nylon base and light layer of PU cushioning on the XR1.5 are both the same as those featured on the XR1.0, so you’ll gain the same comfort over long days on the trails without sacrificing overall efficiency. The soft microfiber cover around the saddle will resist wear from the elements over time, and a female-specific pressure-relief channel down the center of the XR1.5 encourages healthy circulation and support where you need it while riding. As with many of its other saddles, Syncros offers the XR1.5 in two width options to make sure riders aren’t forced to settle with one standard size.

Mavic XA Elite WTS 29in Boost Wheelset

The mid-travel 29er is no longer a novelty, and Mavic’s 29in XA Elite WTS Boost Wheelset adds the final element to push wagon wheels into proper all-mountain territory: rim width. The rim’s 25mm internal width lets 2.35in tires fill out with more air volume. More volume means lower PSI, which in turn translates to more traction, more cushion, and—when paired with the durable Crossmax Quest tires—fewer flats. The wide rims are matched with equally wide Boost hubs, which improve spoke bracing angle and overall wheel stiffness to eliminate the one issue we’ve had with wagon wheels: noodliness.

Despite its huge diameter and width, the rim is still classically Mavic: light, stiff, and as durable as alloy hoops come. The low weight comes courtesy of Mavic’s oh-so-French ISM 4D process of extruding and machining the rim, a process that’s now in its fourth generation. With each successive iteration, ISM has gotten more and more extreme, removing extra material and rounding off the squared edges of previous verisons. The strategic milling ensures that lost material doesn’t equate to lost stiffness; however, this new generation is admittedly helped in the stiffness department by the wider rim and the improved spoke bracing angle of Boost hubs.

The XA Elite’s rims also lose a bit of material from the inside, where Mavic has eliminated the bead hook in an update to its original Universal Standard Tubeless (UST) tire bed design. UST first surfaced in the late ’90s, when Mavic teamed up with Michelin and Hutchinson to effectively kill the tube. As with most things bike-related, Mavic proved that it was ahead of its time, and it took tubeless a while to catch on in the popular imagination.

Now, of course, it’s everywhere, and Mavic celebrated the technology’s renaissance by introducing yet another development; namely, the hookless beads mentioned above. Though it’s counterintuitive at first, eliminating the apparent security of a bead hook actually makes the tire more secure. Stronger tire beads, bead channels in the rim’s tire bed, the elimination of an artificial weak point at the base of the bead hook—the reasons are legion and we could go on for pages about it. But we’ll spare you the details by noting that Mavic’s hookless UST design reduces burping and makes installation easier.

The rims are laced to Mavic’s own hubs, and the brand’s meticulous French expertise manifests here in the form of a freehub with two pairs of pawls with contrapuntal engagement. More engagement points mean less dead space between pedal input and forward motion—crucial for popping up rock features or cleaning tricky cruxes. Mavic also supplies the tires, and its mid-sized Quest model is happiest when you’re sitting on the rear brake leading into roosty berms or when it can demonstrate its plush grip on loam-dusted root lattices.

Brooks England B17 Standard S Saddle – Women’s

Ergon SM Sport Gel Saddle – Women’s

Take on the trail with power, confidence, and most importantly — comfort, with the Ergon SM Sport Gel Saddle on your side. This women’s specific saddle is designed for the rowdiest enduro days, all-mountain shred fests, and longer tours, thanks to its large gel pads that absorb vibrations from the trail. The center features a cutout throughout your most sensitive anatomy, designed to alleviate pressure on punchy climbs and through brake-bump laden descents. In back the saddle features a flat section that allows you to move freely and get behind the seat on steep descents with minimal hangup. To top it all off the saddle is equipped with a microfiber cover, and reduced-friction flanks to allow quick position changes through variable terrain.

Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow Saddle – Women’s

Selle Italia recognizes that comfort is often sacrificed in the pursuit of weight reduction. The Diva Gel Flow saddle is a women-specific perch that finds the balance between low weight and comfort, so you can ride efficiently without perpetual agony.

The Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow saddle can be easily recognized by the massive anatomic cutout across the top that relieves the rider’s soft tissue areas. The saddle directs your weight to the sit bones, so they can do what they’re designed do.The Diva Gel Flow also uses plenty of padding—something that most race saddles can’t claim—to provide the rider with a comfortable perch. It’s easy to spot the ladies using the Diva Gel Flow, too—just search the peloton for riders who aren’t in agony.

The Diva Gel Flow starts with a nylon composite base. The saddle is stiff enough for efficient pedaling, but it also gives enough to comfortably conform to your body’s movements. The Vanox rails also allow a bit of flex to dampen road shock and absorb vibration. Finally, the Diva Gel Flow comes in one generous width—152mm—for additional comfort.

Terry Bicycles Butterfly TI Saddle – Women’s

Representing the best in women’s-specific saddles, the Terry Bicycles Butterfly TI Women’s Saddle channels sixteen years of extensive research and design into the making for unparalleled comfort and women’s-specific support. Its textured leather cover features a glossy butterfly graphic for beautiful aesthetics and supple support.

Wider in the rear than race-specific saddles, the Butterfly TI offers excellent sit-bone support. Its center channel cut-out section enhances flexibility and comfort along soft tissue areas during long-distance rides. You’ll also appreciate the multi-density, injection-molded foam that’s stiffer in the rear for extra pedaling power. Rounding things out, ti-nox rails provide lightweight strength for increased longevity.

Terry Bicycles Butterfly LTD Saddle – Women’s

We’re pretty sure that nobody ever said comfort and style have to be mutually exclusive, and Terry Bicycles is quick to prove the point with the Butterfly LTD Saddle. This saddle offers the tried-and-tested support that Terry is known for, with injection-molded multi-density foam, and a women’s specific cut with wide, 155mm rear to support your sit bones, and a full-length channel that alleviates pressure from your sensitive tissue. To bring feminine flair to the Butteryfly, Terry wraps the saddle with printed Dura-Tek featuring limited edition artwork that wraps around with a touch of color, and swooping lines that resemble a butterfly taking flight.

Astute Italia Miss Lite VT Saddle – Women’s

Designed to be as lightweight as possible, the Astute Italia Miss Lite VT Saddle shaves 25 grams from the Miss Line VT Saddle it’s modeled after, thanks to the addition of full carbon rails. The female-specific round shape and center channel help to relieve pressure when you’re pushing out watts while training and racing.

Astute Italia uses a soft, washable Italian microfiber cover for durability and comfort, alongside dual-density Progressive Memory Foam in two selective areas, as to ensure the rear end is a bit firmer to support the sit bones and front is softer for a bit more comfort and mobility. And to ensure you’re not slipping and sliding all over the place, there’s textured areas along the rear and sides for additional security, even if it’s a bit wet outside.