[keanej6]

sup doods. So my uncle wants to by his new wife (my new aunt!) a bicycle but i have no idea about women's bikes. Me and my brother got him into fixed gear bikes and he's been riding that a lot. They're moving into a place in Santa Monica and he wants to buy her a bike. It won't be for long rides, just something comfortable for her for short rides.

Initially i thought of a beach cruiser and suggested that. Reading his reaction though i could tell he wasn't crazy about that. Probably wasn't hip enough. Knowing my uncle he probably has in mind some euro retro bike.

So anyways i like turning here for suggestion because head-fi always pulls through. Oh btw she is very short...like 5'. thank youuuu.

 

[nealric]

It's really hard to make a recommendation without knowing exactly what she wants in a bike, what kind of rides she will be going on, and what the budget is.

If he's into fixed gear bikes though, why not get her one? That way they are on comparable equipment if they ride together.

If he's into retro- he could get one of these:

Track Bikes | Single Speed Bikes | Mercier Bikes - Kilo TT OS Old School

 

[JxK]

What will the bike be used for? Casual city riding, commuting, trails, etc? It's impossible to give a recommendation without knowing how she plans on using it.

 

[francisdemarte]

I never understood this hipster movement for fixed geared bikes. To the casual biker they are terribly inefficient, difficult to control, and put a lot of stress on your knees.

Sounds your aunt would be much more comfortable in a women's cruiser:

http://www.metaefficient.com/bicycle...ser-bikes.html

 

[Drag0n]

Age? Body style? In-shape? What does she want and where will she ride it?
Can she ride on 2 wheels or will she need a tricycle? Will she be bringing home groceries so would require storage? Wears dresses and skirts?

 

[nealric]

Quote:

I never understood this hipster movement for fixed geared bikes. To the casual biker they are terribly inefficient, difficult to control, and put a lot of stress on your knees.

There are a lot of things to like about fixies. I own three bikes (fixie, full-suspension MTB, road racing bike), and I ride my fixie the most (and not for fashion reasons).

#1: They are very low maintenance. Throw some oil on the chain every month or two and go.

#2: They are lightweight (no shifting components to worry about)

#3: They are no more difficult to control than an ordinary bike as long as you are using a front brake. Brakeless fixies belong on the velodrome (indoor racetrack).

#4: Knee strain is only a big problem if you are going brakeless (see above)

#5: They are much cheaper than a geared bike of equivalent quality (big reason why hipsters are into them)


There is nothing wrong with a beach cruiser per-se, but they are for the type of person that pulls their 15 year old bike out of the garage once a year to ride .5 mile down to the park on a nice day. Almost nobody really gets into riding through a beach cruiser. Cruisers are extremely heavy (double or more the weight of most fixies), have high rolling-resistance ties, and are poor at climbing hills due to the riding position.

 

[cheemo]

I would vote for a beach cruiser type if your riding around Santa Monica.

Checkout Electra Bikes, maybe the 'Townie' or 'Cruiser' model with a 3 speed internal hub or 21 speed derailleur drive train.

 

[keanej6]

thanks for your replies! i'll try and answer your questions so you can better suggest me something.

she is 38. Pretty active i'd say; she plays tennis and golf. She is very short japanese lady though, i'd say around 5'. When they ride, i'm sure she'd wear something appropriate (not dresses).

Quote:

There is nothing wrong with a beach cruiser per-se, but they are for the type of person that pulls their 15 year old bike out of the garage once a year to ride .5 mile down to the park on a nice day. Almost nobody really gets into riding through a beach cruiser. Cruisers are extremely heavy (double or more the weight of most fixies), have high rolling-resistance ties, and are poor at climbing hills due to the riding position.

that is exactly what i was thinking. because my uncle rides a lot i'd think that she will eventually want to go on longer rides with him. i'm sorry if this does not narrow anything down but he didn't leave me much to go on either

.

oh and budget is not really an issue but i doubt he'd want to spend much more than $300.

 

[nealric]

Quote:

oh and budget is not really an issue but i doubt he'd want to spend much more than $300.

Quote:

She is very short japanese lady though, i'd say around 5'.

Maybe it's my skewed bike-fi perspective, but $300 is a tiny budget for a bike- especially when you are dealing with an unusual size person. Fit is really important in a bike if you are planning on anything more than a casual ride of a couple of miles. My guess is she would be stuck with children's bikes at that price point.

See what you can find in a 44cm frame. This is the best I could come up with anywhere close to the price point (that isn't a children's bike):

Women Specific Road Bikes - 2010 Windsor Willow

Those components are still really low-end though. But they should work for a casual rider. Come to think of it, I can't think of too many fixie frames that would come small enough. Maybe an old 10-speed could be converted.

 

[keanej6]

Quote:

Maybe it's my skewed bike-fi perspective, but $300 is a tiny budget for a bike

my bad, you are so right. thanks for your suggestions. i'll link my uncle to this thread.

 

[phangtonpower]

Maybe a bike like this. It's a vintage Japanese Miyata pioneer, and made for smaller body builds. The shop is down in San Diego.Forgot what it's called though. Something something Cafe.