Bike for my mom
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Bike for my mom
Ok--my mother has decided she wants to get a bike--she hasnt ridden one in 20 yrs. She is overweight and has back problems and doesn't want a bike with a whole lot of gears. She really wants a comfy low maintenance simple bike. I suggested a retro-cruiser type bike--possibly a three speed or single speed. any suggestions on brand?
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My mom's getting a Breezer Villager 8 speed. She's in great shape (yoga, swimming) but still wanted an upright bike. The most important thing is that it fits her, otherwise she won't ride it. www.breezerbikes.com
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Get one of those with the pedals set far forward, so she can pedal easily without sacrificing abiity to put feet on the ground. Trouble is most of those bikes look like heavy cheap crap. Giant have one that looks real cool but $$$$$.
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I'll second the Breezer, great bike, great price. She might also enjoy a folding bike, lots of options there too.
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Giant Cypress. $350.00 of hybrid joy.
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A breezer seems ideal.
Be careful about getting some of the retro-cruiser style bikes . They have a lot of metal doing not much work and can be heavy and inefficient. Heavy to lift and move as well as ride.
An 8 speed hub gear (or at least 5 speed) will give your mother enough gear options for easy pedalling and they are just as easy to use as 3 speed.
Be careful about getting some of the retro-cruiser style bikes . They have a lot of metal doing not much work and can be heavy and inefficient. Heavy to lift and move as well as ride.
An 8 speed hub gear (or at least 5 speed) will give your mother enough gear options for easy pedalling and they are just as easy to use as 3 speed.
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You might want to look into the Fusion line of bikes made by RANS. These are classified as semi-recumbents, very comfy, and fast. You can sit flat footed at a stop and the seating position is upright for good visibility. All of the models have multiple speed gearing of some type. One of the forum members "Sukispop" has one and really likes it. RANS is a major manufacturer of recumbent bikes and aircraft and has been around for quite a while.
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Originally Posted by koffee brown
An Electra Townie. They have such cool bikes, and they are great for folks like your mom. I want one! Koffee
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Another vote for the Townie. If your mother is anything like mine, she has to be able to stand flat footed
while on the saddle and has to have coaster brakes. I bought my mom a BEAUTIFUL green Retro Glide, even built a wheel with a nexus 7 hub. She still won't ride it, she can't touch the ground enough to feel safe. So shes getting the Townie next.
while on the saddle and has to have coaster brakes. I bought my mom a BEAUTIFUL green Retro Glide, even built a wheel with a nexus 7 hub. She still won't ride it, she can't touch the ground enough to feel safe. So shes getting the Townie next.
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Giants are a fine brand and if she'll deal with hand brakes, go for it. Just make sure it has a suspension seatpost.
The Townies are great but a little pricey.
The Townies are great but a little pricey.
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Trek sells a wonderful "lady's" style one speed beach cruiser. Two things make it quite different than the typical one speed beach cruiser. First, the frame, hubs, rims, and bearings are of high quality. It is in a much higher class than the typical beach cruiser.
More importantly, it is geared for easy beach riding - the ONLY single speed beach cruiser I've ridden that is geared for off-road riding. It has about a fifty inch gear, as opposed to the sixty-five or seventy-five inch gearing on some beach cruisers. The easy gearing enables even an "out of shape" rider to comfortably pedal the Trek across a sandy beach, or on a smooth dirt trail.
The "easy" gearing means you need to spin your legs at 70 RPM's or 80 RPM's to get moving with any degree of speed. That sort of "high speed" spinning in an easy gear provides an excellent cardio workout without stressing the legs or knees. It is very stable - a bike you can easily ride "with no hands". It reminds me of the very best of the Chicago Schwinn's, back when Schwinn was the "King of the Hill".
And, about the only thing the owner needs to do is put air in the tires. No gears, no cables. Just pedal and go. I gave one of these Trek's to a friend, and when I visit her, I'm prone to borrowing it for a spin around the neighborhood. A very enjoyable bike to ride.
More importantly, it is geared for easy beach riding - the ONLY single speed beach cruiser I've ridden that is geared for off-road riding. It has about a fifty inch gear, as opposed to the sixty-five or seventy-five inch gearing on some beach cruisers. The easy gearing enables even an "out of shape" rider to comfortably pedal the Trek across a sandy beach, or on a smooth dirt trail.
The "easy" gearing means you need to spin your legs at 70 RPM's or 80 RPM's to get moving with any degree of speed. That sort of "high speed" spinning in an easy gear provides an excellent cardio workout without stressing the legs or knees. It is very stable - a bike you can easily ride "with no hands". It reminds me of the very best of the Chicago Schwinn's, back when Schwinn was the "King of the Hill".
And, about the only thing the owner needs to do is put air in the tires. No gears, no cables. Just pedal and go. I gave one of these Trek's to a friend, and when I visit her, I'm prone to borrowing it for a spin around the neighborhood. A very enjoyable bike to ride.
Last edited by alanbikehouston; 06-04-05 at 09:34 PM.