<p>Adding them isn’t that big of a deal, I just want one that fits!
Too bad they don’t have Stingrays. They would probably fit me.
I always wanted one too.
;)</p>
<p>The man who designed the Stingray died last year.
Its still snazzy looking imo though.
Perhaps I am really a 12 yr old boy.
<a href=“http://www.bikemag.com/blog/news-a-nod-to-the-man-who-changed-it-all/”>http://www.bikemag.com/blog/news-a-nod-to-the-man-who-changed-it-all/</a>
Now I am trying to decide if I want steel or aluminum frame.
And how many gears. </p>
<p>EK, I wouldn’t focus on the frame material. Both aluminum and steel would work for you. Try a variety of bikes, and choose one that has the ride quality and other features you prefer. </p>
<p>A lot of people get 21-speed bikes, and then use one or two gears. For your purposes, a 7-speed or 8-speed would, I think, be fine, and even a 3-speed would probably work out. And one-speeds have a lot of appeal: they are light and simple. If you plan to take four mile rides, get a single speed and be happy.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about gears, but Seattle is a hilly city. Although I don’t live in a particularly hilly area I need the lowest speed on my 21 speed to keep moving forward within a couple blocks of home. I would have to get off and walk my bike without it. I use the 14th speed once get on the fairly flat trail trail, and wouldn’t want to be limited to lower gears. Would a one-or three-speed really be a good choice in this city?</p>
<p>I’m a fan of low low gears, but lots of people love single speed bikes, even in places with hills. Some people ride single speeds in San Francisco, which is also hilly. A bike buyer should try the bike on the kind of hills they are going to ride, and see how it works for them.</p>
<p>I test drove a couple of bikes today. The Breezer Uptown 5, which I liked a lot, and the Electra Ticino, which I also liked. I think the Breezer maybe felt a little more <em>old lady friendly</em>-- I may end up going with that one, actually. I am in no big hurry though. I would still like to test drive the Rivendell. I’ll be out in California/Bay Area soon, so may end up trying one there. </p>
<p>My Specialized only has seven speeds. It is more than plenty for my riding which does include hills. My husband says there is something about the gear ratio that makes it very good…even though it has less gears. </p>
<p>The “something” of your gear ratio would be the spread. You want a high gear that is high enough, a low gear that is low enough, and an even spread of gears in between. Ideally, you’d like every step to be the same percent change, so the lowest gear would be, lets say, 20 gear inches, the highest gear would be 90 gear inches, and the intervening five gears were each jumps of 28.4%. You can’t have perfection, but if you select the right gears in the rear, you can have jumps that are fairly equal.</p>
<p>Yes, CF, that is what my husband says.</p>
<p>My husband also says…listen to the bike store folks about frame size and actual bike size. They know what they are talking about. Yes, you need to feel comfortable…but some of,that might be getting used to the RIGHT size bike.</p>
<p>Example…I have a Raleigh bike in excellent condition. It is the same size frame as my Specialized. I’m 5’4" tall, with long legs. A friend was thinking about buying my bike. Her legs are a bit shorter. She tried the bike…and my husband adjusted the seat, and bars to fit her height and leg length. She decided the bike was too big. Well…funny thing. She went to a bike shop and bought one that is exactly the same size…not realizing it at the time. She loves it…very comfortable, etc. then one day she was looking at my old bike and had that uh oh moment when she realized that they were the same.</p>
<p>She said…apparently all her previous bikes were too small. Her new one…and my old one…the perfect size for ease and comfort in riding.</p>
<p>So EK, while you think that old stingray is the perfect thing, you may actually find that a new and different style and size really are the right thing for you.</p>
<p>Bike riding has changed a LOT since I got my first Huffy in the 60’s.</p>
<p>All these gears intimidate me. Just more stuff to break! When I was 7 or 8, I learned to ride “real” bikes on my older friend’s “regular-frame”, single-speed bike. I was too short to reach the pedals if I sat on the seat even when it was at the lowest possible position, so I would put one leg through the frame and ride it with my body hanging on the side of the bike. It took some serious balancing and a lot of falls, but I managed it! Talk about step-through frames. 
After breaking my tailbone in a serious fall, I no longer can ride bikes for more than 20-30 minutes. No amount of cushioning or padding will change that. However, a city bike would help my commute immensely, so I’m researching the CF’s suggestions. Thanks, CF!!!</p>
<p>Ill never forget when younger D took her older sisters bike to school for a field trip.
She was 4 or 5, & it was a bit too big for her, as her sister was 8 years older.
( although she used it so little, it still had training wheels).
When we picked her up, it didnt have the training wheels anymore!
Her teacher saw that she was ready.
( one of her teachers at the time was engaged ( now married )to the man who’s been working at Greggs for almost 20 yrs- of course that was almost 20 yrs ago!)
:)</p>
<p>;</p>
<p>If someone hasn’t used a bike since they were a kid, and all of a sudden 30-40 years later decides to maybe trying bike riding…just get a mountain bike at Walmart for under $100 and use it for a couple of months around neighborhood or on local bike trails. If you still have a hankering for bike riding, and really enjoy it after a couple of months…then go to a bike shop and get a nice bike. I think it is foolish to race right out to a bike shop and drop $500-1000 on a bike and then not end up using it much. Kinda like people loading up on a couple of thousand dollars on exercise equipment at New Years with good intentions of beginning exercise …and end up using exercise equipment as coat hangers.</p>
<p>I am getting the impression that the bike stores dont have many bikes on the floor that fit me. The most they do to adjust the bike is raise or lower the seat. I
dont know how to adjust anything- so I am getting the impression that nothing fits even though it might just need a few tweaks, so Ive made an appt with a bike fitter who has a dynamic fit bike to determine what I need. Im hoping it will save money and time n the long run.</p>
<p>I understand that reasoning lizard and perhaps if I didn’t need to exercise everyday to keep my knee moving I would agree with you.
But I already go swimming 3-5 times a week,I need something that is a higher level than walking (& because of the knee replacement, I can’t run).</p>
<p>^ Have you tried using an elliptical exercise machine? Can’t be as harsh on knees as running or using treadmill…and you don’t have to worry about getting clipped by a car while using bike on road. Swimming is my favorite exercise!</p>
<p>Lizard, that is not a bad suggestion. Howver, i would recommend renting a decent bike instead. A $100 Walmart bike might kill any desire to ride a bike in the bud. </p>
<p>Funny that you mention exercise equipment. When we got my treadmill, I thought that we will end up with it collecting dust. I was a runner in college, but had not ran for 20+ years and decided to give running a try. The most I could manage to run on it at first was 2-3 miles. Three marathons later, the treadmill gets way more use than my Nespresso machine! And I like coffee. </p>
<p>^ 20 year tapers can do wonders for running times!</p>
<p>I wouldnt shop at Walmart even if I knew where one was.</p>
<p>I have used an elliptical, but that is way too big to have in my living room & I want something to ride to swimming.
If I was going to get a piece of equipment that was for indoor exercise only, Id get a rowing machine.
I was just going to get an exercise bike, but my swim coach talked me into getting a bike and a trainer, & now I am excited!</p>
<p>My neighborhood has four bike stores within 1 mile of my house, ( but the microbreweries have them beat) plus as I mentioned, my oldest with whom I have been estranged, is not only willing, but interested in chatting about riding with me.
I am looking forward to riding my bike to dragonboat practice too!</p>
<p>We have a wonderful and lengthy (and relatively flat) system of parkways here that go along creeks and lakes and are in the city (Minneapolis). I can get on the parkway a block away from my house. I know I will use the bike here if it is comfortable. I know for sure that I wouldn’t use a $100 bike from Walmart. There was nothing comparable in our neighborhood in California. I never entertained the idea of riding there because I would have had to ride on busy streets there. It seemed dangerous and not much fun. We went on a couple of bike tours on our latest vacation, and it took the fear of riding away. We did a ride in Paris with traffic, and also a longer ride in Brugges. It gave me confidence. A couple of bikes that I have test driven are a joy to ride. I’m really looking forward to getting my new toy in a couple of weeks, once I make up my mind what I want. One older man in a bike store we went to yesterday rode his bike 17 miles to the store, along the parkway, from downtown. He wasn’t in very good shape either. It is really inspiring living here. </p>
<p>I have the luxury of being a bike shop owner, which means I can take a bike from stock, ride it for a while, and then we sell it as a demo bike or put it in our rental pool. That said, six years ago I started with a $700 (retail) “city bike”–aluminum frame, 8-speed hub, flat bars–and enjoyed riding that in the flatter parts of Portland. I upgraded that after two years to a nicer city-style bike, still with flat bars, this one with a triple crank (three gear wheels) in front) and seven gears on the rear derailleur (“21 speeds”). I needed that triple crank for its “granny gear”, which is the easiest gear that lets you pedal up nasty hills. We’d moved to a house on a hill and I was tired of walking my bike up the last mile. </p>
<p>I also built a lightweight coupled bike for traveling (it comes apart into two pieces and fits into a standard suitcase, so no extra fee for flying with it), steel frame, drop bars, “mountain bike gearing”–meaning that it has a large gear wheel and a small gear wheel in the front (only two, though)–no medium gear. I still need that easier gear for getting home, but mostly I’m in the big crank. If I didn’t live on the hill, I’d be fine with just the big crank. </p>
<p>This year, I’ve spec’ed out the bike of my dreams. Same gearing. Still drop bars (more options for hand and arm position, I’ve come to hate flat bars because my hands go numb). It has electronic shifting. Now that IS a luxury. Riding it? It makes me feel like singing. (It was complicated to spec it out, though. Like remodeling a bathroom. Lots and lots of decisions. Gearing, shifters, saddle, water bottle holders, electronics, fenders, rack, cables, handlebar tape, colors, pedals, paint style…</p>
<p>With every new bike I’ve come to enjoy riding more and more. I think the problem with riding a heavy bike that doesn’t fit well–especially if you’re older and stiffer–is that it’s just not that much fun. </p>
<p>The saddle matters. Everyone’s pelvic bones are a little different. If your local bike shop has a saddle demo program, take advantage of it. I’m on my fourth different saddle–my current one is one that “people either love or hate” (according to our employees), and I love it. My husband tried it. Hates it. </p>
<p>So to some degree I agree with those who say to buy a cheaper bike and ride it for a while and then upgrade. OTOH, if you buy a nice bike that fits you well, you may enjoy riding just that little bit more. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The relevant part of the above is that riding a bike that doesn’t fit is not that much fun. But IMO we place too much importance on bike weight. A heavy bike that fits can be fantastic. I just got back from a terrific ride on my Surly Krampus. If you want to talk about a heavy bike, my Krampus is it: it weighs a far-from-featherweight 34 pounds, and then I’m usually also carrying a backpack with water and tools and other stuff. And it’s just incredible fun! </p>
<p>Only 12 miles, but Google sez 2300 of climbing and I think it was probably a bit more. </p>
<p>Emeraldkity, I’m glad you’re making an appointment with a bike fitter. I think I remember that you are on the short side. Short women have a tough time buying a bike, because far too many bikes that are supposedly for short people are not proportioned correctly. Often the top tube is too long, which means the bike is too long and the rider is uncomfortably stretched out.</p>