dtech

soliticing advice whether to buy my wife a marin sausalito e bike, it's has mid range shimano components, and the geometry is more like a road bike, the other bike I'm considering is a ride1up lmt'd which has lower level components but it's more powerful and costs $500 less. A few comaprisons:

weight - sausalito is 43 lbs , ride1up limited is 53 lbs

frame sizing - sausalito comes in s,m or large whereas the lmt'd offer 2 frames - step up and step through

marin is 11 speeds , class 2 bike , lmt'd is 8 speeds, class 3

Wife is 67 yrs old, buying the bike so we can ride togehter as I've been too fast for her, use would be on paved bike path and beginner dirt trails, we live in Grand Junction CO and there is lots of bike trails here.

My biggest concern is with the riding position - ltm'd more upright, sausalito more traditional riding position, some say at 67 yrs an upright position is better.

appreciate any comments

2old

I own neither, but unequivocally would go with the Marin if only for the weight difference for a woman "approaching middle age". Nothing wrong with "Ride's" products, but the other aspects of owning an OEM are tangible.

Wildwood 

Marin is 10# lighter, better components, more sizes.
Do each have good local service/repairs in GJ?

If she can ride each, the decision is made easier?
I have bought 2 bikes for my wife, based on her input, down to the color. Neither got ridden.

Bet this doesn't help. Sorry.
The right answer is beholden to the rider.

dtech

thanks, that's a big part of the decision - risk factor as to how much she'll use the bike, if I knew she would ride a lot the marin would be an easy choice. But in the end I think I'll go with the marin, they do make decent bikes.

late

Have the shop put on a shorter stem, which you can also raise a bit. Ask the shop to do a fitting. You can also consider bars with more sweep back.

My wifes bike has a shock absorbing seatpost, that can make a big difference. We went through a few saddles before finding one she liked.

It's a process..

Smaug1

I'd go with the ride1up. It will still have a slight forward lean. The Marin has a more aggressive "urban commuter" type forward lean, which will give more power to the pedals, but which she probably won't like. (unless she's the really sporty type)

Torque sensing is a nice feature for the typical lady; it feels natural, like you've always got a strong tailwind.

With the money you save, get a Suntour NCX seatpost fitted to take the shocks out. Rack and fenders if she'll use it for practical purposes. I find it pretty rewarding to do quick shopping trips on my eBikes with saddlebags.

dtech

Thanks for all of the responses, I ended up buying the Marin Sausalito, the primary reason was weight, approx 40 lbs vs 53 lbs , secondary was the marin had 4 frame sizes s,m,l, xl , wife is 5'3" . The Marin does have nice components - including 11 speeds so if one removed the battery the bike could be ridden as a non e bike, I bought an e bike for the wife so we can ride together as I've been cycling for over 50 yrs, 1st decent bike I owned was a Viscount Aerospace - early aluminum frame, 10 speed bike which I put many many miles on. Now I ride a > 20 yrs old Fuji Absolute which is getting long in the tooth so my next bike may be an e bike as well, I'm 72 yrs old with a really bad back.
Now gotta make sure the wife rides it, The ride1up though is a pretty good bike for the price and does get good ratings except for occasional shipment and parts missing issues.

Doc_Wui

Well chosen! You can't lose with the lighter weight, plus the better fitting frame.

Smaug1

Be ready to swap to an adjustable stem; I bet she will feel like it's too much of a forward lean.

Us road cyclists have gotten used to it, but we have long since forgotten the pain of our body adapting to these positions.

Wildwood 

@dtech - 72 years old here as well and a 40 continuous years road cyclist. E-bike is good, hope the wife rides. I (selfishly) wanted to ride more/further with less pain - and bought a class 1, rear hub motor, drop bar e-roadie. After nearly a year of use, I bought an extra battery for mountain rides in the Cascades. Fun. Do it.
You have the Monument and the Mesa - enough reason alone!

10mi, about 2000 ft elevation gain. I think. Couple of months ago, lucked in to a good weather 3 day riding session in the mountains. Leisurely. My heaven.