Wifey biking?
 

Dear fellow BF members, my dear wife has expressed an interest in moving up from her Fuji Crosstown One 1 mixte frame bike (image below). She's looking for something with similar bars, but with lower rolling resistance and generally faster with perhaps a less pedestrian appearance. Could I ask for your advice? I am of no use as my biking preferences are firmly rooted in the 1970s - 1980s but am very keen to foster her interest in riding with me more.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c7b2eef800.jpg

Rigid fork, skinnier (or slicker/faster) tires.

What bike shops do you have in your area where you could try out some bikes. Just for a couple of examples (there are more)-you can get a women's bike in Trek's FX series and also Specialized Sirrus. Both brands can be had with a step thru frame or more standard triangle. LInks: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...AfacetGender2# & https://www.specialized.com/us/en/sh...irrus/c/sirrus Check to see who carries what in your area, then do a search for that brand of bike, and you'll most likely find lots that will meet your needs. The links I provided are just two of the larger brands-and the bikes are in their "fitness" range. Sounds to me like bikes in the "fitness" category may be what she's looking for.

Thank you so much for this - she definitely likes the look of the lurid green Trek mixte/stagger. We will take a look at these at our LBS!

Spec makes one just like that. 1X drivetrain with 8 speeds, ridged fork, step through, kind of the same but with no suspension. Wife loves hers. I think its called the Roll? I think we got it on sale for $399ish

Extend the budget a bit and buy two bikes, one like is being suggested above and the second a tandem. 35 years ago my wife was just beginning to enter cycling and we decided on a Santana tandem without much knowledge of what we were doing and whether we would enjoy it. Let me say that for more than 20 years, it was practically the only bike we rode (when we both rode). All the adages are true; she will never be dropped, or lost. Both riders will ride at the same speed, and conversation/interactions will be facilitated. However an important point is don't do this if you don't want your wife to ride with you. BTW dont try to get by with someone's old beater Schwinn tandem. Buy a tandem as good as your single or even better. She still rides but mounting the tandem after double hip replacement is a bit tougher than getting on the single. Good luck.