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- Crowland, Lincolnshire, UK.
I have both a wife and a mother-in-law (not an unusual combination I know ), both of whom we are trying to source new bikes for. The problem seems to be the spec.
They have both decided they like the look of Dutch-style bikes for their sit-up-and-beg seating positions as they have both said they find themselves sitting as upright as possible when riding. I know there are a myriad of other factors influencing this but hey, what do I know?
Anyhoo, their current bikes each weight roughly the same as an aircraft carrier due to them being made from gas-pipe steel, so I'd like the replacements to be aluminium. I'd like 700c wheels, vee brakes, thumb gearshifts, at least 18 speeds and a rear rack or front basket. The kicker is they need to be a large-is frame size, as M-I-L is 5ft 10in, wifey is 6ft and both currently have bikes with too-small frames which mean they don't get full leg extension whilst pedalling, leading to hip/leg pains, fatigue etc.
I really want the multitude of gears as wifey really struggles when we go anywhere on holiday and we hit a hill as her 20-some-year-old Raleight Pioneer only has 12 speeds so no granny ring and thus no low speed/high cadence pedalling provision for hills. Budget will be £500 max as I can't persuade them to spend any more. I thought I'd found nirvana earlier looking at the Koga Prominence (D) 'till I saw it was nearly £1600!!!
Any ideas/suggestion gratefully received.
Oh, and if any were stocked by bike shops in/near Cambridge so we could go for a look/test-ride that would be an added bonus
They have both decided they like the look of Dutch-style bikes for their sit-up-and-beg seating positions as they have both said they find themselves sitting as upright as possible when riding. I know there are a myriad of other factors influencing this but hey, what do I know?
Anyhoo, their current bikes each weight roughly the same as an aircraft carrier due to them being made from gas-pipe steel, so I'd like the replacements to be aluminium. I'd like 700c wheels, vee brakes, thumb gearshifts, at least 18 speeds and a rear rack or front basket. The kicker is they need to be a large-is frame size, as M-I-L is 5ft 10in, wifey is 6ft and both currently have bikes with too-small frames which mean they don't get full leg extension whilst pedalling, leading to hip/leg pains, fatigue etc.
I really want the multitude of gears as wifey really struggles when we go anywhere on holiday and we hit a hill as her 20-some-year-old Raleight Pioneer only has 12 speeds so no granny ring and thus no low speed/high cadence pedalling provision for hills. Budget will be £500 max as I can't persuade them to spend any more. I thought I'd found nirvana earlier looking at the Koga Prominence (D) 'till I saw it was nearly £1600!!!
Any ideas/suggestion gratefully received.
Oh, and if any were stocked by bike shops in/near Cambridge so we could go for a look/test-ride that would be an added bonus