Step-through bikes - Lightweight & fast
 

It looks like most step-through bikes are advertised for casual, leisurely rides. I want a step-through bike but I want to be able to keep up with people riding on regular bikes. Are there any models out there that are fast and lightweight? Available in North America preferably - but curious about any that are anywhere, really.

The Liv Alight may meet your needs. Liv is a brand of Giant, and the Alight series is analagous to the Giant Escape. Trek also have a few FX Stagger models that may meet your needs. Jamis also sells a Coda Step-Over that may be suitable.

Another option is building something from scratch. Soma makes the Buena Vista, a modern twist on the classic mixte frame.

Most of the time it is more about the motor being able to keep up with others rather than what the bike brings to the table. Now if you take a "heavy" lower end womens step thru frame and want to lower the rolling resistance, then by far, tire size should be the biggest consideration. There is an old saying that "saving a pound in your wheels is like saving 5 pounds in the frame": This morning I was out on my steel women's Bianchi with 700 x 35 tires, and had no problem "keeping up" with a friend on his 700 x 25 cc Dura Ace bike.

I suspect the question was more about bike geometry than weight. Many step-through frames are designed with shorter reaches and taller stacks, meaning the rider is often sitting fairly upright. This is usually relatively inefficient from both an aerodynamic and a physiological standpoint (muscle positioning, etc.). Fitness can overcome some of this to a degree, but it's always nice to minimize as many impediments as possible.

I'd say > Custom frame builder..

But the Bike Friday Pocket rocket is essentially a step through Mini Velo built around 451 narrow 20" wheels''

& they fold to fit in a suitcase for your Brevet ambitions overseas..

Made in a company in Oregon who build a bike around your size & component desires, from a Menu of options.

then like food at the diner, your bike is built when your menu ticket is at the front of the queue.


https://www.bikefriday.com/folding-b...cket-road-bike


...

an example of what one buyer wanted : {of Many options are available}

http://static.shoplightspeed.com/sho...ket-rocket.jpg

they wanted drop bars what do you want?








..:foo:

When you find step-thru frames, they are usually marketed as "women's" bikes. Whether the geometry is actually different or not, I don't know. But Trek has some step-thru FX models, and Cannondale has some step-thru Quick models. FX and Quick model bikes should do what you want. I know a couple of riders with FX's (men's), and they're definitely not slow. https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...olorCode=black & https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bik...ku=c31351u10lg To be fair, guess I should have mentioned Specialized makes a step-thru version of the Sirrus (marketed as a woman's bike). Again-whether the geometry is diff., or if just narrower bars or diff seat, I didn't look into, but guess a rider would need to try to see if the fit is good anyway. I know I want to ride a bike before buying, others may feel differently.

geezus fietsbob you sound like a shill.
did you ignore my thread topic and discussion? this is the hybrid bike forum and i specifically asked about step-thru bicycles. a folding bike is not a step-thru bike. sure that bike is a nice bike (ultra expensive though) but it is completely 100% not what i'm asking about.

how odd, i've read that the upright seating position is more comfortable and even healthier for your body. like, you don't sit at a desk hunched over - you sit upright cuz it's physiologically better for you, just like i'm sure riding a bike upright is physiologically better for you.

yes, i saw that lots of step-through bicycles have "balloon" tires - more air and wider, all about the "comfort" aspect when you hit potholes on your ride around the city.
this is a "stupid" question, but i'm guessing that i can't just buy a bicycle with thick wheels and just swap in thinner lighter wheels. i want a step-through that's nimble and fast.

my current top picks are
Opus: Classico Lightweight Step-Thru
Norco: Scene IGH N8
Kona: Coco
Specialized: Sirrus 2.0 Step-Through *
Specialized: Crossroads 3.0 Step-Through
Specialized: Roll Elite - Low-Entry
Opus Orpheo 3 Step-Thru

can't go try them out yet cuz of the restrictions plus everything is out of stock everywhere.

* this one seemed very promising, but two reviews specifically mentioned bad brakes. :mad:

I didn't say an upright riding position isn't more comfortable. All of my bikes are set up more upright than I suspect many here ride. However, an upright position is patently not as efficient at power transfer to the pedals. That's one reason riders who value speed don't sit upright on bikes.

You cited your desire to keep up with roadies, and an apparent frustration that most step-through frames are setup for casual rides, which I inferred to mean you wanted speed. In general, the more upright you sit, the more difficult it is to put power through the pedals.

Some of your choices may be good for speed. The Roll probably won't be -- it has a very slack seat tube angle that puts the bike into sort of a "crank forward" geometry. Similar to an upright seating position, this will not be conducive to fast riding.

Here is an article by Jan Heine regarding the upright position: https://www.renehersecycles.com/myth...e-comfortable/ It explains what hokiefyd said in more detail. There is an advantage in building from the frame (e.g., Buena Vista which he suggested) -- you can leave the steerer longer than you need keeping the possibility of moving the bars up and down depending on the type of riding you do.

You can mount thinner (or thick tires with less rolling resistance) tires on a bike like Specialized Roll, but this is only a part of the equation...

Sitting upright is (more) comfortable only for short rides, but isn't 'physiologically better' for you for extended periods of time; for the simple fact that when sitting upright, almost all of your upper body weight rests on your bum and spine. Also any bumps encountered on the road get transferred directly to your spine which doesn't happen as much if it is at an forward angle - that's the reason 'dutch bikes' usually have springed saddles.

I have a Roll low entry 21 speed. I routinely cruise around my neighborhood at 11-12 mph on it. I have no hills here. I am currently shopping for something a bit nimbler and faster.

Assuming you have a hard time swinging a leg over the saddle, have you considered a dropper post? If you can swing your leg from the rear on a low seatpost, it might work out. Even if not, it will make mounting easier on any type of frame.

Very interesting bike. I never considered a "folding bike" but the way this one is set up..... it intrigues me.
Anyone have any experience riding one of these in this config? How does it compare.....

[yak] google group is posted for Bike Friday owners to chat.. & there is a Facebook group too..

yak@bikefriday.com ... https://www.facebook.com/groups/bikefriday





...

oh. when you said "This is usually relatively inefficient from both an aerodynamic and a physiological standpoint (muscle positioning, etc.)" I thought you were saying that step-through bikes were generally bad from a physiological standpoint. But I get what you're saying now.
And thanks for the insight on which of those bikes aren't suitable for me.

Yes, I am talking about speed. I want a step-through bike that is fast. Seating position isn't a significant factor - it's just that lower crossbar that I need.
Good point from subgrade about the shock going straight into your spine. :)

Try out the Jamis: https://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/codas3_stepover.html