Soldato
As mentioned in another thread, my dad is 76 now and sometimes struggles to use his bike. It's purely for pottering into the local town, but he lives up a bit of a hill. Just doing a Strava route, it's 0.8 miles with 150ft of ascent. He likes the idea of an electric bike to help get up the hill and also allow him to do a few other rides to local towns.
Currently he has some kind of Hybrid bike i think it's a Trek and moderately light. He suggested just converting that, however the brakes aren't ideal as i think disc brakes would be more suitable with the added weight of an electric motor. Especially on some of the descents around him.
He also sometimes struggles to get his leg over the high cross bar. I've got him in agreement a new bike is the best option and am trying to get him to go with a Step through like this. It's the same bike my wife has which i've been pretty impressed with. Base weight was only 12kg which is fairly low for a step through
www.tredz.co.uk
The problem is that in his words "it looks like a womans bike". I don't think i'm going to get him out of that mindset. I don't know whether a step through with a straighter more angled type frame might make him think it's less girly.
Looking around it seems like a 27.5 Hardtail MTB with a low crossbar seems like it could be a good compromise. There's good availability too on the used market and by locking out the forks and putting some less aggressive tyres on could be decent for road use.
My main question is, are hardtails as easy to step over as they look in pictures, or is it just the geometry and actually the seat post starts at regular height and the front is just hugely elevated?
Something like this as an example suggests the "standover" height is 85cm vs 95cm for an equivalent sized Hybrid.
Currently he has some kind of Hybrid bike i think it's a Trek and moderately light. He suggested just converting that, however the brakes aren't ideal as i think disc brakes would be more suitable with the added weight of an electric motor. Especially on some of the descents around him.
He also sometimes struggles to get his leg over the high cross bar. I've got him in agreement a new bike is the best option and am trying to get him to go with a Step through like this. It's the same bike my wife has which i've been pretty impressed with. Base weight was only 12kg which is fairly low for a step through
Cannondale Adventure 2 2023 - Out of Stock | Tredz Bikes
Cannondale Adventure 2 2023 - Hybrid Classic Bike. Out of Stock. All Hybrid bikes are delivered free to the UK mainland, 365 day returns & Price Match.
www.tredz.co.uk
The problem is that in his words "it looks like a womans bike". I don't think i'm going to get him out of that mindset. I don't know whether a step through with a straighter more angled type frame might make him think it's less girly.
Looking around it seems like a 27.5 Hardtail MTB with a low crossbar seems like it could be a good compromise. There's good availability too on the used market and by locking out the forks and putting some less aggressive tyres on could be decent for road use.
My main question is, are hardtails as easy to step over as they look in pictures, or is it just the geometry and actually the seat post starts at regular height and the front is just hugely elevated?
Something like this as an example suggests the "standover" height is 85cm vs 95cm for an equivalent sized Hybrid.
Cannondale Trail 8 Hardtail Mountain Bike 2021 Grey
The 2021 <strong>Cannondale Trail 8</strong> hardtail mountain bike. Ignite a passion for off road trails, with improved off road capabilities and selected reliable componentry, the Trail 8 is destined for the off road and ready for anything.
www.leisurelakesbikes.com
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