I'm 70, and I ride a high-end carbon road bike for workouts, but I also wanted a comfort bike to recapture the fun of riding leisurely with my wife, especially when we take trips with our RV. She's had back surgery. So originally we bought a Townie 7D for both of us. She loves her Townie, but because of my road biking experience, I got bored with it. So after researching and thinking long and hard about it, I bought myself a Verve 2 with disk brakes. It has 24 gears, is lighter than the Townie, extends the distance and types of riding that I'll be able to do. I think that when the day comes that I'll have to give up my road bike, I'll still enjoy the Verve. The good thing about the Townie is the forward pedal placement which allows you to stop with feet on the ground. The bad thing about the Townie is the forward pedal placement which doesn't allow you to have as efficient power transfer from your legs to the bike, which limits your distance. Hope this helps.