Fifty Plus (50+) - New Bike Pictures

We've graduated! After a bit of riding this year (myself on a Schwinn Jaguar and my wife on a Worksman single speed 20" three wheeler), we decided that we would enjoy our rides even more with something that met our needs a little bit better.

http://bike.smackdab.us/media/users/csmack/keystone_trek_three_wheeler.jpg

Here's my wife's new Trek Three Wheeler. It's a 24", which seems to be as big as she needs to go. It feels a lot stabler and smoother riding than her old three wheeler. It's nice to see her downshifting into first and getting up hills easier now, and third gear adds a bit to her comfortable level of top speed.

It didn't take her long to get used to shifting, but the idea of using a coaster brake in addition to the front brake is taking longer.

http://bike.smackdab.us/media/users/csmack/2008_trek_navigator.jpg

I've had my Trek Navigator 2.0 a couple months now, and find it much more comfortable to ride than the Schwinn Jaguar.

Other than a few accessories, about the only thing I wish was different on my Trek was its gear ratio. I'm not sure on the technical names for the gears, but I almost always am using the largest front gear, and seldom have any use for the lower 3 back gears.

In other words, it has more gears than I need, and it could be higher geared to meet my needs based on the local trails I ride.

... about the only thing I wish was different on my Trek was its gear ratio. I'm not sure on the technical names for the gears, but I almost always am using the largest front gear, and seldom have any use for the lower 3 back gears.

In other words, it has more gears than I need, and it could be higher geared to meet my needs based on the local trails I ride.

You might start with a closer-ratio cassette. If don't know what you have now, but if it is something like 13-27, consider replacing it with something like an 11-22.

Oooh. I like that Navigator, SmackDab. It looks like a great replacement for my stolen K2 Big Easy Deuce. Are the wheels/tires adequate for off-road? I ride about 75%/25% road to off-road, and when I am offroad, it is generally mild technical stuff. I can't do regular MTB bar positioning because my hands go numb within minutes. I need to be able to sit a bit more upright. One of the things I really liked on the K2, though, was that the crankset was not directly at the bottom of the seat tube. There was actually a horizontal tube about 4inches long before the whatchamacallit tube (downtube) and the crankset was built on that. This put the pedals out just a bit, enough so that I wasn't thrashing the whatchamacallit muscles on my thighs.

I know what you mean about the gearing though. When I first started riding again, it was perfect for me. After a few months though, I was using the largest gear almost exclusively (except for riding in loose sand or gravel).

Other than a few accessories, about the only thing I wish was different on my Trek was its gear ratio. I'm not sure on the technical names for the gears, but I almost always am using the largest front gear, and seldom have any use for the lower 3 back gears.

You are riding primarily in the big ring on the front? That's pushing a Navigator right along, as that is a 48t ring. I see a lot of Navigators out on the rail trails, but they are rarely in the big ring.

That bike is geared quite low in the rear, as most recreational riders who opt for Navigators, like low gears. It's a 13-34 7 speed. That makes for wide gaps between the gears. You can get 7 speeds cassettes with more aggressive gearing, although some can be hard to find. You could look at an 11-28 or 12-28 or 13-26 for closer spacing. With a 13-26, when you change gears the difference in pedaling effort won't be as great as on your present bike. Makes for smoother shifting and keeps your pedaling cadence more consistent.

If you feel you need an extra high end gear, as you are spinning out right now on your highest gear, then that's when you should consider getting a cassette with a 12t or 11t, as that would give you another gear above your present 13t cog.

Several options are available here:
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/CS408B01-Shimano+Hg70+Cassette.aspx

But you should check with your LBS to see what they have or can order.

Oooh. I like that Navigator, SmackDab. It looks like a great replacement for my stolen K2 Big Easy Deuce. Are the wheels/tires adequate for off-road? .

Thanks, it meets my needs nicely, except for the gear ratio preference I mentioned.

Off road?

My wife and I ride together, and she likes the smooth cement or blacktop bike trails around here, so I can't answer that question. We're newbies (not sure when we quit using the description newbie, but it is our first summer riding) so I couldn't even estimate how it would compare to other bikes off road or on road.

It's fine on a nice smooth trail, though. :)

You are riding primarily in the big ring on the front? That's pushing a Navigator right along, as that is a 48t ring. I see a lot of Navigators out on the rail trails, but they are rarely in the big ring.

That bike is geared quite low in the rear, as most recreational riders who opt for Navigators, like low gears. It's a 13-34 7 speed. That makes for wide gaps between the gears. You can get 7 speeds cassettes with more aggressive gearing, although some can be hard to find. You could look at an 11-28 or 12-28 or 13-26 for closer spacing. With a 13-26, when you change gears the difference in pedaling effort won't be as great as on your present bike. Makes for smoother shifting and keeps your pedaling cadence more consistent.

If you feel you need an extra high end gear, as you are spinning out right now on your highest gear, then that's when you should consider getting a cassette with a 12t or 11t, as that would give you another gear above your present 13t cog.

Several options are available here:
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/CS408B01-Shimano+Hg70+Cassette.aspx

But you should check with your LBS to see what they have or can order.

Yes, the big front ring is pretty much where I stay all the time. Yesterday's 13 mile ride on Lake Manawa trail and a bit on the Indian Creek Trail (both in Council Bluffs Iowa) I had no need or use for anything other than that large front ring. I had to go down as far as the what I would call the third gear in the rear for a few of the uphill places.

Thank you for the explanation about my options and the link. Appreciate the info.