Best women’s hybrid bikes - town bikes designed for women

Whether you're planning to cycle to work or go on some leisurely weekend rides, the best women's hybrid bikes are designed to do almost anything you want them to. As their name suggests, the best hybrid bikes borrow aspects of road and mountain bikes to deliver a ride that feels comfortable and can handle most weather and road conditions. It's for this reason that hybrids often make the best commuter bikes. They offer simplicity, function and fun while covering the entire pricing spectrum so there’s something for everyone.

When it comes to women's specific bikes, there are certain design aspects that will differ from unisex bikes. They won't always work for everyone, as everybody is different, but body geometry data tends to suggest that the average woman's proportions require different frame geometry. Plus they'll often be fitted with the best women's saddles for anatomically-considered comfort.

Read on for our picks of the best women’s hybrid bikes you can buy today, or skip down to our rundown of key things to know when shopping for the best women’s hybrid bikes.

If you're looking for something that will both get you around town and help you build your fitness, the women's model of the Cannondale Quick is a great place to start. Taking many of its design cues from road bikes, this flat-bar fitness-focused speed machine puts the 'fun' in functional and does exactly what it says on the tin.

Reviewer Mildred found the aluminium frame to be lightweight and stiff, delivering a smooth and comfortable ride while allowing you to accelerate quickly. If you're constantly sleeping through your alarm and rushing to work, this bike could help you shave a bit of time off that commute. 

The Quick offers pretty good value for money, delivering high performance, pre-installed speed sensors for easy app compatibility, an integrated SP-Connect mount on the stem for a smartphone dashboard, and a beautiful emerald green metallic paint job to boot.

To keep the price down, Cannondale opts for a mixed array of branded drivetrain components, including Shimano, Prowheel and Sunrace, but the end result is still an efficient, fun and zippy ride with precise handling that's sure to boost your confidence (if you need it).

Liv Cycling makes its bikes for women, by women, and so it is the obvious brand to check out if you’re looking for a women-specific model. Its 3F Design Philosophy draws upon women’s body dimensions data to tailor bikes for the perfect fit, form and function. It blends urban style with road bike agility, thanks to its lightweight design and stable, confident ride quality. Of course, all bodies are different, so it won't suit everyone's proportions. If you have a shorter reach and slightly longer legs than your upper half, you'll most likely love the way Livs fit. However, if you've got a longer torso and reach, you might find the Liv geometry a little cramped.

The Liv Alight DD Disc is the most up-to-date version of its flagship aluminium hybrid bike, ideal for commuting or casual spinning around town. The 2x8 speed Shimano Altus drivetrain with 11/34T cassette and 46/30T chainrings provides a very nice wide range of gears with a very low gear to help you get up the most challenging hills in your area. With all the mounts needed to add racks and mudguards, it is suitable to carry luggage and ride year-round in wet conditions.

The bike comes stock with 38mm wide puncture-resistant tyres, but the frame can accommodate up to 42mm tyre width, so if you're riding in all weathers (or even taking in some off-road trails), throwing on some thicker rubber will help you maintain traction and boost your confidence.

Specialized notably moved away from gendered bike models a few years back, and instead introduced a wide array of sizes to cater for as many people as possible. 

The unisex Sirrus 2.0 is designed to be a practical, but speedy and fun way to get around town on two wheels. Its sporty looks tell you all you need to know: this bike is nippy and nimble, making it a great choice for those who like to tear up the streets (or are often running late!). 

The A1 alloy frame is sturdy and forgiving on bumpy roads, and the dropped seat stay design adds some flex and comfort. The cables are routed internally for a neat finish, while mounts for mudguards and racks make it possible to turn the Sirrus into a year-round functional workhorse. The stock 42mm tyres should also help smooth out the ride, and feel super plush on even the worst road surfaces.

Stopping power comes in the form of hydraulic disc brakes, helping you modulate your braking regardless of the weather. Finally, the 1x8 MicroSHIFT drivetrain shifts reliably and smoothly and, while there are fewer gears than some other options on this list, means it's much simpler to handle and is still a capable climber.

Technically this belongs on the list of the best touring bikes, but when you're looking at do-it-all hybrids, a tourer is worth considering. We recognise that a huge amount of women carry out a lot of unpaid labour, from childcare to running errands, so you don't need to travel the world to get the most out of this workhorse.

The Cube Touring EXC is designed for urban riding and comes readily fitted with all the accessories you could possibly need for a year-round all-weather commuter, shopper and do-everything-er. From mudguards and a rear rack to a kickstand and dynamo-fed lighting, there's hardly anything you'll need to add.

Being a technical tourer, the Touring EXC comes with the now rather untrendy (but still incredibly practical) triple chainset, offering an enormous range of gears to deal with even the most undulating journeys. The short-travel Suntour suspension fork allows for extra comfort and features a lockout if you want to make it rigid.

If you're looking for something simple and comfortable, this entry-level urban bike from the GT Transeo range has a sloping step-through frame to make mounting and dismounting as easy and convenient as possible. This can be especially handy for anyone who has limited mobility, especially in the hips.

It’s designed for comfort, with nice wide 40mm tyres to cushion bumpy road surfaces, as well as ‘floating’ seat stays, which add flexibility to the rear of the bike below the saddle. This acts as a kind of suspension below the point where your weight is supported, to help absorb shocks in the road and keep you comfortable for longer.

The Shimano Tourney drivetrain and mechanical disc brakes are basic, but at this price point, they provide good value for money. Similarly to the Cube Touring above, the GT Transeo comes with a triple chainset and seven gears at the back, so there’s ample range to get you up your local hills while also maintaining speed on the flat, for an efficient ride that won’t break the bank.

With its slightly retro look and paintwork, the Cannondale Treadwell 3 is a women’s sports hybrid that brings fun and style into the daily run-around. It brings together several traits across the cycling spectrum into one well-thought-out package. 

It's an especially good option if you're someone who loves to track their ride data and have connectivity wherever they go. With its integrated stem mount, it’s easier than ever to connect your smartphone to your cockpit and load up the free Cannondale App. Use this as a dashboard so you can see your speed, and the distance you’ve covered and gather other ride data to monitor your fitness progress. Better than that, it’s a great way to help navigate your journeys when you’re travelling somewhere new.

Our reviewer, Mildred, found the Treadwell to be a really enjoyable and comfortable cruiser about town, and she particularly appreciated the plush thick tyres, the comfortable cruising position provided by the BMX-inspired handlebars, and the quilted saddle and ribbed grips that keep everything plush and comfy. 

Bearing the name of Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman, this women’s hybrid offers superb value for money and is pretty easy on the eyes as well. Many of its design cues are borrowed from the brand's higher-tiered SLR road range, including a carbon fork, which not only reduces the overall weight of the bike but also helps to soak up the buzz from the road.

With 1x10 Shimano Deore gearing, combined with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, the Boardman HYB 8.8 is a reliable and versatile bike that provides hassle-free riding. As an added bonus, the stock tyres are 35mm wide Schwalbe Citizens, which feature Kevlar puncture protection. These should keep you riding for longer all year round, while mounts for mudguards and racks help make it even more versatile and great value for money.

The contact points have been chosen with women's comfort in mind, including soft-touch ergonomic grips that work well for smaller hands, and Boardman's own women's saddle design.

The Whyte Victoria Compact is the women's version of the brand's Portobello hybrid bike. The Victoria comes with a more compact frame geometry, as the name suggests, which means a shorter reach and lower standover height. This makes it a perfect option for shorter riders.

While we're yet to officially review it on the site, reviewer Mildred spent several years riding one and found it to be an incredibly comfortable and capable hybrid. The frame geometry suited her 5'2/156cm build in a size XS, while the slightly smaller 650B wheels keep everything in proportion. The plush 47mm WTB Horizon tyres soak up almost all the bumps in uneven road surfaces, delivering a super smooth ride.

Since Mildred's older version, the Victoria has been modernised somewhat, now complete with a lighter alloy fork. Hydraulic brakes help to modulate speed, while Shimano's reliable Deore 1x10 gearing delivers smooth shifting and efficient pacing regardless of the gradient.

Whether you like to stand out with something completely different, or just want the most comfortable ride possible, the Marin Larkspur is an interesting choice. Visually it's striking, with its mixte-inspired step-thru frame, wide and swept back flat handlebars, and incredibly chunky 27.5 x 2.35in tyres.

Reviewer Mildred currently rides one of these around Bristol, with all its hills, and takes full advantage of the massive cassette and low gearing. Everything about the bike screams 'supple', from the super plush GPVee tyres to the CroMo steel frame and fork, and the flexible alloy Sweeper bars. If you want comfort, this is a goer. 

Another super interesting feature is the inclusion of a short-travel dropper post. Why have a dropper on a town bike, you may ask? Simple. Whether you're a little wobbly while coming to a stop, or just like to have a well-earned rest whenever possible, dropping the saddle at a red light means you can land with both feet flat on the ground.

Despite its looks, the Larkspur is very versatile, can go off-road if you want it to, or you can do what Mildred did: attach a basket to the front and take it on the grocery run.

If you live in a flat area (or love a challenge) then another low-maintenance way to go is to opt for a single-speed bike, which literally has one gear. This takes away all the fuss of shifting up and down gears to match the gradient you’re on and puts all the focus back into simply pedalling and getting out of the saddle to climb. 

With the flip-flop hub, you can also turn the rear wheel around to convert it into a fixed-gear bike for even more of a challenge. The Fuji Declaration is designed to make cycling fun and challenging, particularly when your city is flat as a pancake and needs a bit of spicing up. It’s certainly great if you’re on a budget as well.

For some, this may not make it the best commuter option (especially if there are no showers at the other end), but it is a fantastic way to get fit quickly, and riding single-speed or fixed can be super fun and challenging.

How to choose the best women’s hybrid bike

The sheer range and variety of women's hybrid bikes on offer can be overwhelming, but it doesn't need to be. Many of them share similar features already, so the key is knowing what you want to use the bike for, and deciding which qualities are the most important to you. 

For example, do you need to carry a lot with you, or can you get away with a minimal setup and travelling light? If you need lots of accessories, like racks, mudguards, kickstands and lights, you might want to opt for something that's ready to roll with everything pre-installed. Or, depending on where you live and what the landscape is like, you may need to prioritise practical gearing and braking over everything else.

Here are some frequently asked questions about how to choose the best women's hybrid bike, to help you narrow down your options.