Bike for my mother

[saab2000]

My mother is looking for a new bike in the $500 range. More might be a possibility.

She uses it to ride around Appleton, WI and the only hill she has to climb is a highway overpass. But at 70, that is no longer such a tiny obstacle.

Today she went to the LBS and tried out one which she said had a very awkward handlebar position.

She would like an 'old fashioned style' (her words) cruiser style women's bike she can step through and which she can ride on rides of 5 miles or so into the city and back.

She wants to have a basket.
She wants a few gears (Shimano Nexus?).
She wants fenders.
She wants to be able to straddle it easily at a stop light.

She doesn't want bikes like we want.

Suggestions? Links?

[malcolm]

We have townies that we ride in the neighborhood and they have been great. They have 7speed nexus so far no trouble.

[weisan]

http://alicehui.com/serotta/electra/electra.jpg

http://www.electrabike.com/

[Ginger]

Yep. Electra. Maybe a Townie 21, you can get it with fenders, and some of them come with a basket, the rest probably have a basket as optional equipment.
Even has V brakes. Careful though, some have v brake front, coaster rear...

and yes, they are heavy. But even with brakes, fenders, and basket they can be had for under 500

My only issue with them is the braking...ANYONE is better off with a hand operated brake than coaster brakes.

[SoCalSteve]

Bianchi Milano...

http://www.bianchiusa.com/06_milano.html

My wife and I both own Milano's and they are great for doing just what she is looking for (and, they have a bit of class too).

We ride them on Sunday mornings to the local coffee house and/or breakfast place.

She can get it in black or Celeste, tres coolio!

Good luck,

Steve

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . for one of those new "coasting bikes" Shimano came up with and being built by Trek and several others. Trek's is called "Lime" . . .

http://www2.trekbikes.com/lime/

BBD

[saab2000]

Thanks for the ideas!

I like the Bianchi and my buddy in St. Paul is a dealer.

Tomorrow we will go look at Electrabikes and maybe at the Trek store. I know the leader of the Trek place and am not too keen on buying a bike from him. But we'll see.

The Electra looks promising.

Thanks!!

I know she really wants a C-50 with Record and Bora wheels. In my size. :D

[Ginger]

Oh...I forgot...

Your mom is looking for a new bike at 70! More power to her!

[saab2000]

Oh...I forgot...

Your mom is looking for a new bike at 70! More power to her!

Oh yeah!! Bike family here! She likes to get some exercise and such. But she finally admits she is not as limber as she used to be. She has a 'ladies' bike now and even it is a bit hard for her to get onto. She needs an easy bike to ride.

The current one I bought with her about 15 years ago when I was back here on a trip from Switzerland and promptly took it to another buddies shop where I disassembled it nearly completely and did a complete hub and BB overhaul (yup, cups and cones!), shortened and greased all cables, installed some appropriate tires, etc. That has paid off. It works perfectly to this day. But she wants a new bike.

And when Mom wants a new bike she gets a new bike. It has happened about 3 times in my lifetime. So I want to be helpful.

[swoop]

this says 'mom' to me.

[swoop]

seriously though.. at that age.. why not a tricycle just to play it safe?
*i worry about broken hips and a momentary loss of balance.

[saab2000]

seriously though.. at that age.. why not a tricycle just to play it safe?


Well, she can still ride a 'normal' bike with no problems. Not a bad idea. But she still does fine on the 2-wheeler. We'll be checking out the Electra tomorrow.

[Ginger]

Those low three wheel recumbent trikes scare me...and they provide no draft, even if there's a big guy riding it.

[Kevan]

http://www.spoke.co.uk/1.jpg

Granted, they ain't so easy to come by around here.

[Ginger]

http://www.spoke.co.uk/1.jpg

Granted, they ain't so easy to come by around here.

Hey, that's another electra.

coaster brakes. blech.

[Kevan]

http://www.spoke.co.uk/pashleyprincess_sovereign.jpg

[erikbrooks]

My wife took a lady freind to a shop yesterday to help get the friend back into cycling. I was playing driving instructor for our daughter, and missed out on an interesting outing. The friend had her hips crushed between a car and a brick wall about 20 years ago - that REALLY slowed her down, and she can walk OK now, but hasn't been on a bike since then, and has put on substantial weight. There are also some balance issues.

I knew of some bikes where you can put both feet on the ground when stopped, and they tried out several at a local shop that specializes in recombents and other non-standard wheeled vehicles. They both rode several models of Rans bikes, and the friend had a bike smile "I can ride a bike again!". She didn't purchace, at least yet. These are pretty high end (~$1400 to $2500), and I think she'd like something similar but cheaper. It also needs to be light enough for a non-athletic 50+ lady to get on the roof of a Honda CRV. I should get her to consider a different bike rack too.

http://www.ransbikes.com/Dynamik07.htm
These bikes look pretty odd without a rider on them, but look more 'normal' when ridden.

Saab2000 - Rans also makes airplanes! That may appeal to you.

http://www.rans.com/

Anyone know of a similar bike for less money? The shop also carries Giant, which offers these models:
http://www.giantbicycles.com/en-US/bikes/lifestyle/
They didn't have these in-store, but they might work. Even stranger looking, tho.....

[cleavel]

Bianchi Milano...

http://www.bianchiusa.com/06_milano.html

My wife and I both own Milano's and they are great for doing just what she is looking for (and, they have a bit of class too).

We ride them on Sunday mornings to the local coffee house and/or breakfast place.

She can get it in black or Celeste, tres coolio!

Good luck,

Steve
+1 on the Milano. Three of them in my household. One is mine. :)

[csm]

ditto on the milano. I want one! but I have to get two.

[Steve Hampsten]

If I could get my mother off her 40 year-old Alex Moulton (really) with the beer box carrier, I would buy her either a Goodrich mixte or an ANT/Mike Flanigan lady's city bike.

So those are my picks.

ymmv

[scrooge]

Don't you love your mother? Custom Vanilla/Mariposa/ANT townie is the way to go... :D

[Kevan]

coaster brakes. blech.

for the slightly more senior ridership? Coaster brakes might be the better solution for folks dealing with weaker grip strength. Braking might not be the best place to apply muscle toning exercises.

[Ginger]

for the slightly more senior ridership? Coaster brakes might be the better solution for folks dealing with weaker grip strength. Braking might not be the best place to apply muscle toning exercises.


Ok...picture this, happens to little kids all the time.

Crank speed increases on a downhill run, rider "looses the pedals."

There is no option for stopping the runaway bike, rider panics, rider crashes.

(we're talking kids and older folks here, not messengers or hipsters on fixtes...)

Perhaps the rear coaster with the front hand brake is the best option for those riders?

I just know that coaster brakes alone isn't necessarily the best idea for those folks.

[palincss]

My mother is looking for a new bike in the $500 range. More might be a possibility.

She uses it to ride around Appleton, WI and the only hill she has to climb is a highway overpass. But at 70, that is no longer such a tiny obstacle.

Today she went to the LBS and tried out one which she said had a very awkward handlebar position.

She would like an 'old fashioned style' (her words) cruiser style women's bike she can step through and which she can ride on rides of 5 miles or so into the city and back.

She wants to have a basket.
She wants a few gears (Shimano Nexus?).
She wants fenders.
She wants to be able to straddle it easily at a stop light.

She doesn't want bikes like we want.

Suggestions? Links?

This might just be the ticket: http://www.dutchbikes.us/opa_oma.html