Bikes for my gf's parents - 60 or thereabouts.

daniel_b

Hello all,

my gf's parents are making noises that they might want to invest in some bicycles soon.

They will both be 60 relatively soon, and generally pretty fit I would say.

I'm thinking it will likely be some rides around the new forest, and hopefully some road rides of a reasonable distance eventually.

My first thoughts have been:

Hybrid/flat bars
Full mudguards (probably retro fit)
Rack perhaps (Retro fit)
Triple, probably 48/38/28
No suspension

Any comments?

My gf's mum is relatively small, so not sure we could find a small enough mens frame for her, any decent bikes that have ladies stepthrough frames, or do they not really exist?

Any suggestions as to likely candidates, I imagine pricewise something reasonable could be had for around £300 a pop?

Dan

SteK

This probably isn't the most helpful post you'll get - but a mate of mine (who's 50 and sounds like is at a similar level of use/fitness) has just picked up one of the Boardman 'performance' hybrids. Think he paid just over £400 for it - but having bought it from Halfords - got a £50 voucher with it to redeem on accessories. He got some mudguards and rack/panniers etc...

Looks like a nice bit of kit....

daniel_b

Thanks Stephen,

good call, the boardman bikes do get good reviews, will check them out.

Carrera subway 8 springs to mind, but expect it will be a bit heavy, and probably not low geared enough.

Dan

meagain

Let's see, I collect MY bus pass in just over 4 weeks and this is my favourite bike at the moment (but I'm very fickle!):



OTOH, I've had a Carrera Subway 8 and I reckon that they are one of the most under-rated all-round bikes on the market. I've devoted hours to finding an alternative (even at 3-4 times the monry) that provides hub gears/brakes/mudguard capability) and haver come to the conclusion that there simply isn't one. And the bottom gearing is pretty low!

snakehips

My family clubbed together and bought me a Tifosi CK7 to commemorate my 60th.

Very nice of them too. I have always thought they were a decent bunch.

I have just completed my second Dun Run on it.

Somebody mention bus pass ? Mine is gathering dust on the shelf. Might have another crack at the RPTLC later

Snake

choppertron

My dad's 60 and my mum's not far off, they both do a fair bit of cycling around Devon and go on the odd cycle tour . My dad used to do a lot more in the past, he did LEJOG about 7 years ago.

My dad has a Thorn Brevet he finds great and my mum rides a Dawes Karakum,
My mum really appreciates the "butterfly/multipsition/trekking-bars" as she doesn't like drops but wants more than 1/2 positions on the bars - my girlfriend borrowed it when we visited and liked them loads, she now has them on her trek hybrid.

the Karakum may be a bit out of the £300 price range you mentioned, but I'd recommend the bars, they have increased the enjoyment of cycling for both my mum and girlfriend. I think they both like the more upright positions that are available.

Get a hybrid with rack/mudguards and retrofit the bars.

for you gf's mum something like this and some bars should come in at under £300, stepthrough frame too.

Stuck on a Giant

daniel, I think you're on the right track. Make sure it's reasonably upright, and I'd suggest riser bars rather than real straight ones.

Front suspension wouldn't be a bad thing but not essential. On the gearing front, if anything I'd go lower, maybe MTB gearing would be good. If they're not regular cyclists now, they may appreciate the lower gearing just to twiddle up the hills, I think it's harder to build strength at older ages.

daniel_b

Thankyou very much for those useful replies, some interesting angles, such as those butterfly bars, I hadn't even considered - great stuff

I shall continue to research, but that's a big help, thankyou kindly.

Dan

TheBoyBilly

JEJames Cycles - www.jejamescycles.co.uk - sell Acor butterfly Trekking bars for £12.99 (saving £4 on the RRP)

Bill

mercsport

This is the pic' I always seem to post here . It reminds me I should take some of the 'finished' machine sometime . It was only an hour or so later that I had indeed finished it , but for some reason I didn't get around to recording it .
I 'm 62 years old btw .

ride_whenever

that is quite hot indeed

mercsport

ride_whenever wrote:

that is quite hot indeed

That is 'Hot ' as in ' Cool ' ? Hope so . Thanks .
Unsure why I posted it actually . An idle moment likely . The implication that the thread head suggested to me perhaps that old git's would have to ride a lump of lead perhaps ? I 've forgotten .
At any rate , after my ride this afternoon , I certainly feel like an old git . Definitely past it . Still , it's nice to ride a nice bike no matter what .

jibi

I am 60 in January!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

will I have to stop my world tour and buy a hybrid?????????????????????????


Not bloody likely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thorn Raven Catalyst for me and highly recommended

george

ps I love South East Asia