A new online database has set out to make cycling more accessible by creating a micro site which allows  women of all sizes to search for cycling clothing of any style, size and colour in one place.

Bikesy is a bike price comparison tool, which collects stock data from the UKs leading online bike stores. Recently they added a new women’s page, allowing shoppers to search by dress size and colour along with traditional facets such as brand and genre.

Founder Tony James believes the page is unique in the UK and explained: “We knew we were sitting on a huge amount of bike related data but it wasn’t until we were out riding with my partner and a few of her female friends that we kept hearing how hard it is for women to find a full range of kit in their local bike shops, and that’s especially true if they don’t conform to the ideal ‘sporty’ or ‘athletic’ shape that the media feeds us.

“We kept hearing that a lot of girls that would normally wear a size 16 or 18 or larger were all too often getting a small selection of ill-fitting kit in their local stores because the owners were saying there wasn’t the demand.

“Of course, it’s a catch 22 situation, but that doesn’t help get more women out on bikes. We had a quick look, realised that if you pool all the retailers we’re working with into a huge women’s page then we can help women find hundreds or thousands of things that are going to fit and look good.”

The page is now live and kicking here and can be used to search for anything from ‘padded shorts size 16’  to ‘yellow jersey size 18’. The tool will collect the available items at the cheapest price – and James adds that the range will grow as more retailers sign up to appear on Bikesy.

Currently the Bikesy network contains around 1500 items of women’s clothing in size 14, around 1000 items in size 16 and around 600 in size 18, along with 900 pairs of shoes and 300 helmets for women. Users can also use the site to compare prices on bikes, components and accessories.

James went on to explain the philosophy behind the dedicated page and the Bikesy brand – saying: “We’ve always been about cycling for all. I think between us we’ve collectively been involved in local cycling projects.”

He added: “We love initiatives like “This Girl Can”. We genuinely think cycling is one of those things that can bring people together and make their lives all the richer for it, so anything we can do to aid that, especially amongst groups that might be under represented at the moment, is worth it.

“We know there’s a lot of factors that need to be addressed to get more women cycling in the UK, both for sport and for leisure. We can’t fix them all but for us, using technology to make cheap women’s bike kit available easily accessible to the masses is our contribution to the bigger picture.”

Check out the page here and see if you can find the kit you’re looking for. For more advice on shopping for plus sized cycling clothing, check out this article. 

Image: Fat Lass at the Back, who make quality plus sized clothing for men and women.