Bike recommendation....

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rusky

CC Addict
Location
Hove
If she can stretch to it, the Marin Kentfield FS?
http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=9378
 

battered

Guru
OK, you know, I know she's better with well desined rigid forks than cheap suspension but she'll never believe you so yield. Some battles aren't worth winning.

My money's on a £300 MTB flavoured hybrid, 26x 1.7 tyres etc. The rest all works so I wouldn't sweat the groupset issues, thgis type of user is unlikely to detect thedifference. Just make sure she buys big bouncy tyres and only inflates them to 50 psi.
 

adscrim

Veteran
Location
Perth
Why steer her away from halfords? The Carrera crossfire 1 or 2 would seem to fit the bill (with the exception of no of gears) and there really is nothing wrong with Carrera bikes. You could check the set-up for her while explaining the extra gears!
 

battered

Guru
That Edin bike looks great. Does the budget run to a Nexus hub, or similar? That would address the gearing issues. If she stops on a hill in the wrong gear, no problem, she clicks the gear shifter until she comes up with one she's happy to set off in.
 

bauldbairn

New Member
Location
Falkirk
battered said:
That Edin bike looks great. Does the budget run to a Nexus hub, or similar? That would address the gearing issues. If she stops on a hill in the wrong gear, no problem, she clicks the gear shifter until she comes up with one she's happy to set off in.

+1, The Pathfinder Nexus in the next EBC sale(must be due soon) will be about £320.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f_ProductID=12415&f%
 

battered

Guru
Hmmm, Nexus bikes seem to be £400 up, the hub is £200.

There must be some Sturmey Archer offerings or similar, it's hardly a unique brief. "Middle aged woman wants a reasonably priced bike for trundling around on, key activities are going to the shops, exploring the countryside and stopping to look at the view. Century rides, heavy duty off road and lycra not envisaged."
 

battered

Guru
bauldbairn said:
+1, The Pathfinder Nexus in the next EBC sale(must be due soon) will be about £320.

Now that's a winner. Very comfortable, not sporty, weighs a ton but she won't be bothered, job done.
 

shrew

New Member
Location
St Neots , Cambs
Rutlands have this on sale for cheap £199, down from £320 and would leave a good amount in your budget for a nice fork and any other changes you might want, might be worth a look.

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/17873/Kona-Smoke-700c-Hybrid-Commuter-Bike.html

some like these; Rock shox Dart 3, £95 new from Jejames Cycles,

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/rockshox-dart-30mm-item97107.html

together would make a really nice bike for £294, hard to find more for less )

2k9_smoke.jpg


£60-ish would get you a decent Dart 2 or 3 or Tora (rockshox) fork off ebay that is off a new bike that someone has changed, they come up all the time and are better then the basic ones you usually get with cheaper bikes.
 

battered

Guru
That Kona Smoke at £200 is lovely. I'm currently dreaming of getting hold of an old Kona steel with project forks and building somethig similar, and there it is, bew and ready to go at £200. I doubt I could build it for that, in fact I know I couldn't even dragging all the junk, sorry, incredibly valuable used cycle parts, out of the loft.

I think that's a better bike than the Nexus comfort bike, but I think it ticks fewer boxes for our 50 yr old woman leisure cyclist brief.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
If she has problems with her wrists then probably front suspension will dampen that for her, I certainly notice a difference between the vibrations from my bikes, one with, one without suspension.

If she is really worried about the gears and its one with gears could you adjust the limiters so she can't move it if she is really really worried or just tell her not to touch the ones on the left.

Not wishing to offend her but how fit is she... the reason I ask is that 2 friends of mine are having hip problems, one has just had her hip replacement (not yet allowed back on the bike and going mad) and another is just at the stage where she is having problems getting on her standard framed bike. Both are at the point where they are considering new ladies framed bikes.
 
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