Bicycle advice

DocHolliday said:
Just got done talking to her and we'll hit up a local bike shop thats been around 40 years. See what we can figure out. More I read the more I really do not wanna order something off the internet. Like you're saying comfort is all about getting the right fit and I am no pro to guess.

She's about 5'8".
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Good man!

To further confuse matters, it also depends on how she's using it. When I was racing off road I preferred a long top tube, flat narrow handlebars, and a long drop handlebar stem. On a steep uphill the handlebars would come up and back into a great position for shit stomping up hills, and I was able to keep weight in front of the back wheel on anything that wasn't vertical. I spent most races passing people in the hills. That bike also sucks complete ass on fast downhills for the converse reasons.

Sounds like she's going to use it on flatter bike paths, so keep that in mind at the bike shop.
Every bike has compromises, so you need to pick a decent one that fits the intended use.
 
Plasmatic said:
Good man!

To further confuse matters, it also depends on how she's using it. When I was racing off road I preferred a long top tube, flat narrow handlebars, and a long drop handlebar stem. On a steep uphill the handlebars would come up and back into a great position for shit stomping up hills, and I was able to keep weight in front of the back wheel on anything that wasn't vertical. I spent most races passing people in the hills. That bike also sucks complete ass on fast downhills for the converse reasons.

Sounds like she's going to use it on flatter bike paths, so keep that in mind at the bike shop.
Every bike has compromises, so you need to pick a decent one that fits the intended use.
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Yup flat trails for the most part. Very little elevation changes here. She just wants the most comfortable bike one can find. No need for speed or offroad.
 
Plasmatic said:
Most people have no clue how to adjust seat height, let alone the rest of it. Just raising the seat may be enough to help her knees.
How to Find Your Ideal Saddle Height - I Love Bicycling
Pedal goes under the ball of your foot when biking, not the arch or heel.
Seat-right-height-1024x683.jpeg



Good illustration on knee extension, but this goober isn't on the pedal correctly in either picture.
correct-bike-seat-height-without-knee-pain.jpg
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I feel so uneasy on bikes that I can't put both my feet on the ground.
I was gifted one that was the "correct" height in the late 2000s, rode it once down the block and never rode it again.

What to do in this situations? I'm not a "cyclist" I just want a laid back ride when I ride a bike.
 
SINep said:
I feel so uneasy on bikes that I can't put both my feet on the ground.
I was gifted one that was the "correct" height in the late 2000s, rode it once down the block and never rode it again.

What to do in this situations? I'm not a "cyclist" I just want a laid back ride when I ride a bike.
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U just get used to it because improper height is going to fuck ur knees up
 
KittyCat said:
So whats the min you can spend on a bike these days that's not a total pos
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I got mine for 750 used(1500 new at the time), but that was a long time ago, like 2013. I probably would look for something a few years old in that ballpark tho. A lot of ppl buy nice bikes, ride them once and let it sit in the garage for a few years only to get rid of it, so there is value there. I probably wouldn't buy a brand new bike unless I was spending giga dollars(5-10k) personally.bike maintenance is pretty easy and if you just cant be bothered u can take them into a bike shop once per season to get it checked up and they should pretty much last you forever. I put thousands of kms on mine per year and just cleaning it and replacing the chain every year or so has been all I've needed
 
if your local bike paths are paved and flat a three speed cruiser would be the balls. just a nice chill way to ride around when the weather's nice.
 
DocHolliday said:
So the woman wants an easy/comfy bike for cruising around the neighborhood and short rides on the local bike path. We're getting older and her Trek isn't comfortable for her any longer. Back and knee issues on occasion. She wants something with a larger seat and more upright riding position.

I am thinking something like a geared beach cruiser, but my lack of knowledge on bikes makes me think I should ask around first before pulling any strings. What say you?
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Best thing to do is take her to the local bike shop and have her test ride everything, and then get the one she likes. There is no way to accurately recommend whatever Specialized or whatever and be confident she will like it.
 
KittyCat said:
So whats the min you can spend on a bike these days that's not a total pos
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That depends on what you consider a pos. $300- $500 will get you something decent. Look for aluminum frame and wheels if you're finding one second hand. Wheels can make or break a bike. I strongly dislike grip shifters, but for a casual pleeb they're not terrible. On rough terrain it's too easy to inadvertently shift.
 
lemontw said:
used you might find something decent in that range but no way new

my mtb hubs cost more than $500 for the pair

local made though and oh so very nice

White Industries From hubs to cranks, headsets to freewheels, we make all of our products in Petaluma, CA
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I meant for someone obviously not serious about cycling. No one needs a full capacity cassette or a fully semiautomatic platform shock on their long travel assault bike to ride flat trails in Shitcago. In fact it's probably best to ride something you're not spending a ton on.

My full suspension bike was $2200, but technology and material improvements have brought nice bikes within reach.
 
2009 Electra Amsterdam Balloon 8d - My wife loves this bike!

The bottom bracket is much more forward than typical which results in a seat height that allows her to easily put her feet on the ground.

The step through frame also lets her stand over the bike.

It has roller brakes which are absolute garbage.

1935981_114571035778_4977669_n.jpg
 
Don't get a "geared beach cruiser".

Cruisers typically have shit geometry and geared (pun) to sell for looks cause slack angles look cool. See how the bottom bracket is set quite forward of the seat? That's shit ergonomics unless you live on a super flat area or it's power assisted with coal fired recharged battery e-bike

Basic bike for someone is a "hybrid", but depending how much you want to spend I'd be inclined to get low-end big-brand hardtail mountain bike. In the shop ask them about a longer stem and bar shapes to get her more vertical.

You are going to feel more vertical on a shorter frame. For example if she is in the range where M and L sizes overlap, she is going to be faster, lower centre of gravity and more horizontal on the L, and more agile and upright and squished a little on the M.

You can achieve a lot of what you are trying to do by sliding seat forward and back on seat rails, increased stem length, and bar shape. One of these fat wide seats might be good for her. Don't pick a bike cause of the bars and seat. Just change them.

A cross country racer in mountain biking will have much shorter stem (lower) and flatter bars, sweep down (lower) and a higher seat and stretched out a more horizontal cause top bar length in frame geometry

A dude doing jumps n shit will have smaller more agile bike, short top bar, longer stem, more sweep back, super low seat.

Find out what the widest tires you can fit on the bike you choose. Some of those hybrids look a bit skinny for me.

With seats there is marketing bs.. walking around squeezing seats with your fingers is bs. You really want to talk to a shop and find out where you but bones are. There are good women's seats available.

Giant make Liz women's range:

Womens Commuter and Hybrid City Bikes | Liv Cycling Australia

If hardtail too extreme for her maybe this:

MY21-Flourish-FS-2_Color-A-Eclipse.jpg


Get her to sit on these seats

Tempt (2022) | Liv Cycling Australia

After first few rides her ass will hurt, like light bruising, it goes away and then you become immune to it. If you ram her hard from behind frequently she will be more prepared for the sore butt muscles.

Tempt 4:

Low end decent brand MTB

MY22Tempt294_ColorBTerraRoza.jpg
 
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Plasmatic said:
Good illustration on knee extension, but this goober isn't on the pedal correctly in either picture.
correct-bike-seat-height-without-knee-pain.jpg
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I always crack up when I see average people riding bicycles with their legs almost fully extended. It's so idiotically uncomfortable and a waste of min-maxing for casual riding.

The left example is the correct choice for 99% of the riding population. Ironically, the right picture shows his foot placement in the wrong spot.
 
Personally for me its very important to research the shit out of a bike purchase to ensure it's the one I want. Have to bond with the bike. She should love the bike. Out there on a path or where ever it's just you and the bike. Compare the hydraulic disc brakes on low end mountain bikes and the hybrid cable rim brakes. Compare the drive train on mtb and the hybrid. That rear mech, the chain, the cassette and the cranks are important. You can drop a post on a mtb, and you can change bars easily. You can change the seat. You can sell all the bits you removed. Here there is huge market in 2nd hand mtb stuff. Also you can get bargain 2nd hand hardtails or even a decent dually for her. Duelly much less fatiguing and you can get low travel too. Having a dropper seat post is gold. Even if you pay for a new one, or get a reco. They help a lot. When i buy a bike I buy the whole bike cause most companies put together some really good packages with their purchasing power. Giant Trek, Specialized etc. Then change some bits and sell the old bits fresh as new and they sell quick. One bike I bought years ago was popular bike to buy just for the kit and then strip it and sell the frame with the rear shock and put all that shit on a high end frame and shock. Bike mechanics charge peanuts to work on bike compared to car mechanics but the mtb parts (esp here) are a rip off compared to car parts.

2 high end wheels for my mtb cost nearly double 4 alloy rims with good tires for my car.

It's likely you get better value (better parts) out of the low end mtb hardtail than the low end hybrid.

also consider more ram and some water cooling
 
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