Looking for comfort bicycle recommendations
March 29, 2019 11:34 AM   Subscribe

My wife is in the market for a new bike, and is leaning towards a comfort bicycle. Any brand or model recommendations?

In terms of preferences she wants something upright, cute, comfortable, not too heavy and under $1000 CAD. It will be mostly for urban riding on Toronto streets, which are pretty flat (but often bumpy) for the most part, so switching between tons of gears should not be an issue. Sweet Pete's and The Urbane Cyclist are two stores in town that we've been told are good (and female-friendly).
posted by The Card Cheat to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
My wife loves her Linus Mixte 3. Very "upright" riding posture. Slow and comfortable. Check out this recent thread too.
posted by Mid at 11:42 AM on March 29, 2019 [2 favorites]


I second a mixte. Perfect city bike. I have a vintage mixte and haven't tried any modern brands, but the style is great: riding upright, easy mount/dismount, smooth ride, strong frame. Throw a rack and a collapsible basket or two on back and it's a great commuter/ grocery getter. make sure it has a back fender for wet rides.
posted by Duffington at 11:54 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]


My recommendation is that she go to a few local bike shops and ride at least three or four bikes. Though these aren’t precise categories, I’d suggest she look more at city bikes (usually somewhat upright and often with fenders) versus comfort bikes (often very upright, heavy beach cruisers without fenders).

I’d suggest she test ride each bike for at least 15-20 minutes so she can really get a feel for it. There are lots of options for this style of bike, but you won’t ride your bike if it’s not comfortable. It’s like trying on shoes: a pair that fits me great might not work for you.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:11 PM on March 29, 2019 [2 favorites]




You can get beach cruisers in aluminum frames, 3G and Electra make a few. My 3G often turns a few heads.

Whatever you choose, I would probably go with hand brakes for city biking -- easier launching from a stop and easier perching on curbs.

I've got a single-speed (i.e. no gears) and it limits my top speed, but I've huffed and puffed up many an incline. If you don't want to fuss with gears, you don't really need them if you don't need to go fast.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:02 PM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]


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