Ladies shopping style bike?

Donkeywings
Donkeywings Posts: 79
edited September 2013 in Family & kids cycling forum
I hope no-one takes the pee out of this :-)

Having had mountain bikes for ages (I now have a Sunn Kern S1 Full Suss after destroying my Massi Akin at Swinley), I spent a very long time researching road bikes and ended up with a Trek Madone 3.1 Carbon which I absolutely love. My girlfriend feels a bit left out that I can go out for hours by myself, so we bought her a Halfords mountain bike for around £250. Which she doesn't like - wrong riding position, hurts back, etc.

She now wants a bike with a basket, so that we can go out together for a pootle around the New Forest or whatever. She has seen the Pendleton and Raleigh Caprice bikes and now wants one of those.

I have absolutely no idea what to look for in this sort of bike, and don't want to throw more money at something that is just junk (which is what I think of the Apollo and Carrera bikes we bought for her and the kids which, even being kind, are utter utter junk despite spending £200+ each) By junk I mean, weigh a ton, and have useless v-brakes that don't work, and just generally poor quality)

So anyway - any recommendation on a ladies, step-through bike? From the little research I have done they have between 3 and 7 gears. Does this matter at this level? Looking to spend a couple of hundred quid, and will consider second hand if it's worth while.

cheers!
Trek Madone 3.1 Carbon 2012 Road
Sunn Kern S1 2011 MTB
"Mellow Johnny's" water bottle from Lance's shop in Austin

Comments

  • zn533
    zn533 Posts: 66
    Check out the Pinnacle Californium bikes from Evans. My girlfriend loves hers - they're a good price, have strong (road!) brakes and an aluminium frame so are a little bit lighter than others of their ilk.

    HTH
  • baudman
    baudman Posts: 757
    To a fair degree, the one SHE likes the best will be the best bike for her.

    If she loves her bike, she'll ride it more often. If it's some amazing vehicle with all of the best bits, but she's not enamoured with it, then meh - it won't get used.

    Of course, veto any boatanchors she may become enamoured with.

    Look at Ghost. They do an amazing step-thru with a triple and a chain guard. (A good mate bought one online - Ghost aren't distributed in Aust - or at least not at the time).
    Commute - MASI Souville3 | Road/CX - MASI Speciale CX | Family - 80s ugly | Utility - Cargobike
  • Levi_501
    Levi_501 Posts: 1,105
    If she likes the colour, she will like the bike, it is as simple as that!
  • Daz555
    Daz555 Posts: 3,976
    My wife has the Pendleton - absolutely loves it.
    You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
    If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
    If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.
  • Alitogata
    Alitogata Posts: 148
    I agree with the ....floors above. :) Whatever she likes the most she will ride most.

    Check Raleigh Denmark and let her choose one of their models, which are made specially for Denmark market. I'm sure that she will find something that will like, and most important whatever you'll buy from there it will be of excellent quality, with good parts and a warranty.
    http://www.raleighbikes.dk/
  • I have to say i wandered passed Halfords the other day and saw this little cutie in the window was rather taken with it haha http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165534