unionmade

So my significant other has asked for a bike for her 35th birthday. She hasn't ridden since she was a kid. This bike will be primarily to ride on weekends, mostly on MUPs and quiet roads.
I'm thinking a City type bike. I'm interested in the igh bikes on bikesdirect. Can't decide on 3 v. 8. Maybe one of these three, which would you recommend? (or what else would you recommend?)

Mercier Elle Save up to 60% Off Town Bikes | Classic, Stylish Three Speed City Bikes | Urban Bikes | Commuter Road Bikes | Mercier Elle City from bikesdirect.com
Windsor Oxford Save Up To 60% Off City Bikes | Classic, Stylish Three Speed City Bikes | Urban Bikes | Commuter Road Bikes | Windsor Oxford from bikesdirect.com
Windsor Kensington Save Up to 60% Off Town Bikes | Classic, Stylish Eight Speed City Bikes | Urban Bikes | Commuter Road Bikes | Windsor Kensington 8 from bikesdirect.com

I'm leaning to the Kensington, a full 8 gears for an extra $100 seems like a good proposition. What does BF have to say?

Darth Lefty 

The advantage of the 8-speed is that it has lower gears. That's good for starting out from no biking in a while, and it's good for hills.


My wife picked a bike with a 27-speed derailleur drivetrain, we have some steep hills around here.

bmthom.gis

It all depends on what SHE likes!

tjspiel

I agree that 3 vs 8 would depend on hills. You might want to show her some pictures of the styles you have in mind and let that narrow down your choices. Getting her a bike she thinks is ugly is something you want to avoid, - unless you're pretty confident that aesthetics don't matter to her.

To someone who just wants to ride and doesn't a crap about bikes otherwise, I think IGHs or 1 X bikes are good choices. Even a single speed may work well if the terrain is flat enough.

ShortLegCyclist

How about a nice 650b bike instead of 700c?

Just in case you haven't tried one, you can get a little taste of 650b yourself, maybe get some Grand Bois Hetres for it, because you know you are curious!

Save Up to 60% Off Disc Brake 27.5 / 650B Comfort Bikes Up to 60% Off - MTB - Motobecane Jubilee Comfort Bikes

CrankyOne

The Mercier has the advantage of being step-thru instead of mixte or step-over. Do they have that frame with an 8-speed?

I'd also strongly recommend going by Bicycle Belle in Somerville before buying anything. My wife has ridden city bikes all over the world and the Gr8 is her all time favorite. They also have some other good options. The owner is a very cool woman and if insuring that she likes riding a bicycle is important then going by there will be well worth it. Better to spend a bit on a bike that she'll really like than to waste money on one that she won't like so much.

unionmade

thanks for the comments so far. Keep em coming!

Marc40a

I don't know man, the city/Dutch bikes are certainly cool for urban/city/utility use but there's something to be said for other designs.


For my wife, we went with a used Jamis Coda Femme:


JAMIS BICYCLES


32 indexed gears and 32mm tires can get her a lot of places.


Granted, we're in a rural area, but the riding you describe, MUPs and quiet roads, is identical. With this bike I have the confidence that we can go to any MUP from here to Maine. We actually did Franconia Notch and Niagara Falls this year. We've even done some relatively mild single track stuff.


I want to get her to transition to a drop bar bike, but I think we're a ways away from that at this point.


Now, when I got a used bike for my 30 year old cousin, living in Brookline and commuting down Comm. Ave to the hospital district, I went with any easy to use, urban-assault bike. A ladies steel trek mountain bike from the 90s with 2" slicks on it. A ton of indexed gears and enough rubber to get her over a curb or across a rail track, if need be. She recently took it to the Cape MUP.


Just throwing around some ideas.

What kind of bike do you have?

martianone

My life partner is also my best riding partner. She owns and rides (at different times) four bikes. I strongly suggest that you let her pick out the bike. On her birthday, go to a local bike shop, ask her to try several bikes, get a good fit, most importantly - get exactly what she feels best with and wants (you can be sort of a guide in this process). Then take her out to eat for her birthday. You will be investing in your own cycling future.

Marc40a

Words of wisdom.

Marlin

+1

TenSpeedV2

Unless you are an expert at a proper fit, there is no way that I would be ordering online from BD. Go to a LBS and see what they have first. Bikes start to go on sale right about now so you may find a better deal than you can online, and some shops include things like free minor adjustments or tune ups for the time you own the bike.

unionmade

I've got a Jamis Sputnik (the 2011 with 631 frame). I'm a big Jamis fan (I also have a coda sport and got my daughter a Satelitte). I was thinking about the city bikes because I'm intrigued by the igh.

I agree that her happiness is paramount. I'll talk to her a bit. I want her to like biking, but not necessarily so much that she wants to get a road bike and join in my weekend rides.

martianone

. Why not ? Afraid she will drop you ?

.

unionmade

Of course she'd drop me. Everyone drops me. But I like my biking alone time. It's calming.

EllDC

That's pretty common - partners having separate hobbies for some alone time. Do you really think it'd stay that way though?

What kind of bike does has she expressed a desire for? Raleigh, Torker, Electra.... There's plenty of options for city bikes if that's what she wants.

hig4s

Just got my wife this Cypress DX W (2015) (2014) | Giant Bicycles | United States

jade408

100% this.

She needs to go on some test rides of different types of bikes. You are looking online here and picking randomly based on specs. We don't know anything about what she likes and feels comfortable with. Test a bunch of types with her, then make a short list.

I posted this thread last week!

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cy...ant-other.html