Looking for recomendations on a ladies comfort bike

[Apnu]

Mrs. Apnu is looking for a ladies' comfort bike so I was wondering what BF would recommend in a comfort bike for women. Mainly she will be riding around parks and paths towing little Apnu in a trailer.

So what makes and models of comfort bike for women would you recommend?

[Sci-Fi]

Probably need a bit more information to narrow it down. At most, how far and/or fast does she plan to ride? Step through or traditional frame? Does she prefer single speed, cassette, or internal hub (how many speeds does she need or want)? Does she want a suspension fork or a solid fork? Would she be more comfortable with fat 26" tires or skinny 700c tires? Fenders? Straight bars or north road bars? Any price range or price limit?

"Comfort" bikes may mean different things to many people. Projected uses of the bike could result in more choices to consider (shopping, commuting, etc).

[Yen]

I just bought the Giant Cypress SX (last year's model at my LBS, 20% off) which I love. On the day I chose it, I saw a young woman mounting her Giant Sedona on the back of her car. She said she rides it on bike paths and tows her daughter behind her. She said she loves her bike.

Jen

[CTYankee]

My wife and I are very happy (so far) with our Raleigh Ventures 4.0. Mix of road and trail.

[astphard]

I'm currently on the market to buy a ladies' bike and have been looking primarily at the step-through models. Though I'm going to get a hybrid I did try out the Raleigh Venture 3.0 and the Schwinn Voyageur GS. The Raleigh's ride was tremendously comfortable, the most comfortable of any bikes I've tried. (I've tried the Schwinn Voyageur & Sierra, Raleigh Passage & Venture, Trek 7100 & 7200, and Giant Cypress.) As you may be able to guess, I'm going to end up getting a Raleigh, but the hybrid rather than comfort version. The only difference between the two is the wheel sizes, and I can tell a significant difference in the speed between the two. I had to put a lot more effort with the comfort bike to achieve the same speed as I did on the hybrid. Hope this helps!

[Apnu]

Probably need a bit more information to narrow it down. At most, how far and/or fast does she plan to ride? Step through or traditional frame? Does she prefer single speed, cassette, or internal hub (how many speeds does she need or want)? Does she want a suspension fork or a solid fork? Would she be more comfortable with fat 26" tires or skinny 700c tires? Fenders? Straight bars or north road bars? Any price range or price limit?

"Comfort" bikes may mean different things to many people. Projected uses of the bike could result in more choices to consider (shopping, commuting, etc).

Fair point, sorry for being vague.

She wants a step through frame and would only do casual riding in it. She might pull a child trailer but that's about it. BTW why are double trailers less than solo trailers? I don't get that. She also wants a more upright riding position, and since we live in Chicago, hills are somewhat of an anomaly here. Beyond that, the majority of the terrain she would be riding on are mostly paved roads and paths.

[donnamb]

If I were living somewhere flat but pulling a trailer, I'd get a Breezer Villager.

[Sci-Fi]

From your description, I would say get a cruiser/comfort bike with 6 or 7 speeds. It's comfortable for those casual rides and the extra low gears helps with the towing or starting off from a stop easier.

Raleigh Women's Retroglide 7, Giant Women's Simple Seven, Electra Cruiser 7 Women's, Trek Bonnie, Cannondale Comfort Féminine, Women's Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo Seven, etc etc.

[DirtyJersey]

My Girlfriend just bought a Trek Pure. It's a step through frame with 26 inch tires. The frame has the pedels forward of the seat post, which means she'll be able to put her feet flat on the ground while sitting on the seat. it has a three speed internal hub, nice leather seat and hand grips, and a suspention fork in the front. I took it for a ride, and even though there is nearly 10 inches of height difference between us, I felt comfortable on it. She seems to really love it. The only downside is that it doesn't do well on steep climbs.