Bike for the wife

[dmcummins]

The wife has mentioned that she would like a bicycle for those long 1/2 mile trips to the library or our local market. I know nothing about bikes.

Any brands to look at or avoid? Where is the best place to buy? Any idea's?

[herr_oberst]

Avoid Huffy. (okay, that was mean.) Avoid department store bikes. Target, Sears, Costco, junk all of it.

Go to a real bike shop. Tell them what you want. Repeat until you find what feels right to her. (and your wallet.) Good bike shop people will not oversell you, but you need to get a vibe. And you will if you give it a chance.

Once you get a list of candidates, then bring the list to the Pelican board, we'll check it over for you and her.

[LakeCleElum]

Assemble a list of good name brand bikes and then find a used one on Craigslist.....

[Jim Bremner]

e l e c t r a

IF your wife has STYLE!

[Tobra]

If she is going to ride it to the market, a three wheeler with a basket might be nice. I had a buddy who had a bike that had been used to sell popsicles and ice cream, he put a tap on it and a keg of beer in it. Not bad on the flat, but a little hill could be tough.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Tobra

If she is going to ride it to the market, a three wheeler with a basket might be nice. I had a buddy who had a bike that had been used to sell popsicles and ice cream, he put a tap on it and a keg of beer in it. Not bad on the flat, but a little hill could be tough.

The guy across the street in San Diego had a three wheeler keg coozie setup, and used it until they banned kegs on the beach.

Then, he built the motorized cabana bar. We were 6 blocks to the ocean. It was a full bar. He sold "memberships", since he couldn't sell the booze. It had a small flat screen lcd TV ( in 2003) with DVD player, along with space for 10 cases of beer and ice. I think the motors were based on a motorized pallet jack. It was at least 10 feet square. He would park the bar in a new beach location every weekend and day off.

Back on topic. Some sort of hybrid, since she won't be on the bike much. If she is going to be grocery shopping, some paneers would be good.

[on2wheels52]

Sorry, thought you were talking about a trade and I had a couple of bikes to sell.
Jim

[dmcummins]

The electra looks nice, and they have a dealer nearby. I'll go take a look. I am in no hurry yet. Its still cold here. I'm also sure she dosn't want a 3-wheeler. She is not going to carry a load of grocery's, just stop for a drink or sandwich. Most likely just a trip to the library for a book, or to visit her friends.

[KaptKaos]

Sometimes craigslist is a great place to find gear at a big discount. This is helpful if your wife is not certain that she'll stick with the bike riding.

[dmcummins]

Originally Posted by KaptKaos

Sometimes craigslist is a great place to find gear at a big discount. This is helpful if your wife is not certain that she'll stick with the bike riding.

I can look at craigslist, but I know nothing about bikes. I think she would like the cruiser style.

What brands should I be looking for. Does it make much difference? What kind of price should I expect to pay for a decent bike? Will $500 do the job?

Thanks.

[john70t]

A three-wheeler with a back basket will carry 2-4 bags of groceries, but they will tip. Depending on her riding style(i.e. personality) a helmet and elbow pads might be useful.
Else, you can put a narrower double-basket on anything.

Look into a "green wheel" electric assist front hub which helps on the hills.
(Given Toyota's current problems you might install a kill-switch though ) .

[Scooter]

First, go to a real bike shop and find out the correct size of bike. At the same time, have her test ride the different styles. From the limited info provided, she sounds like a candidate for a hybrid/city/commuter bike. Easy to ride and comfortable. The usual suspects for a not too expensive, nicely prepped bike would be Specialized and Trek. Heck, they own most of the other bike companies anyway. I also would second the Craigslist comments. Once you find the style and size, you may find it for half the price on Craigslist.

Here is an example of a hybrid/city/commuter bike: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCExperience.jsp?eid=4356&menuItemId=12189 or View the 2010 - Carmel 700 3 at http://www.greggscycles.com

[Jim Bremner]

If you do go to a bike shop PLEASE don't use them to size up her bike and then buy it elsewhere.

Do try a few shops out. See who takes care of here the best SHOP there!

Most shop owners will never afford a porsche

Trek is a good brand, ELECTRA has style and QUALITY

[Schrup]

I bought my wife an Electra Towne 3 from REI a couple years ago. She loves it. The riding position is more relaxed, nearly recumbent.

[VincentVega]

$500 will surely do, but I bet $350 would too. If you have a $500 budget, spend ~$350 on the bike and the rest on a comfy helmet, a dent lock, a couple small lights and a basket or two.

[looneybin]

Originally Posted by Schrup

I bought my wife an Electra Towne 3 from REI a couple years ago. She loves it. The riding position is more relaxed, nearly recumbent.

same here, the townie is a very nice riding comfortable bike, but i purchased from the local bike shop, not REI

[bell]

we got my wife a schwinn from target which has all schimano components, for about $150........she's had it for about 4 years now and have had zero issues......
get something with name brand components......stay away from "next" and the like.....
she now wants a beach cruiser type with coaster brake and i've found some nice ones at the local bike shop for about $350......i believe they were also schwinns....

[m21sniper]

I always bought my 10 speeds at SEARS. They always served me well for what i needed them for, which was absolutely no frills around the neighborhood (and army post) transportation as a teen and young adult.

I never had one single problem with any cheap bike i ever bought, and i never bought a bike that cost over about $150. Of course that was a long time ago. So maybe $300 todays prices?

Anyway, bike people will scoff, but my story is what it is. (Bell's seems similar)

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I had a buddy who had a bike that had been used to sell popsicles and ice cream, he put a tap on it and a keg of beer in it. Not bad on the flat, but a little hill could be tough.

PIX or BAN!!! I would love to have one of those!!!

Jim is correct, and make sure she gets a propper saddle. Nothing wrong with buying new as a good shop will take care of you..

But if she is just planning on shopping, get her one of these..

[EarlyPorsche]

What about a Sportster?