diddlydoo

I'm in the market for a pink cruiser for my mom.

I really liked the looks of the Phat 26" Classic cruiser 3 sp. I liked that it has 3 speed yet she can use her foot brake and I like the detail on the bike. She prefers to have a single speed to keep it simple. She is 77 and wants her foot brakes but I think if she had the 3 speed with foot brakes she'd like that.



I then called my local bike store which is the only one in my town. Others are 30+ miles away. They have the Sun bikes. He suggested some of those did come in pink as well. They are a little less expensive than the Phats and Electras but I know nothing of the quality. You can't find reviews of any of these brand bikes online so that leaves me with questions to post here.

I liked the pink Electra ok, but they didn't have a 3sp in pink with the foot brake option....or they did but the middle bar was too high. I liked how the middle bar in the Phat was lower. My mom can deal with that better.

Can someone here explain to me why the Phat, Electra and Suns are more expensive than what you'd get at WalMart? What makes these better and more expensive? I know some bike stores will offer tune ups for the first year and that type thing. Is the quality that much better? Easier ride?

Anyone familiar with Sun bikes? Would you recommend? Are they the cheaper brand of the more expensive bikes? Worth a look?

Also if getting a more expensive bike for a gift, should I have the person try them out first? That kind of ruins the surprise of having it under the tree but at the higher prices it might be a good idea.

Thanks.

ETA: I posted this is the classic section earlier and got great help and advice but thought I probably should have posted in the cruiser section.

1FJEF

77 years old, you want to check that the sense of balance is Ok, if not, get a 3 speed, coaster brake trike.
Walmart bikes are generally made with really cruddy components (in spite of the brand name) and are generally assembled by unmotivated staff.
I think of Sun as entry level decent Cruisers. I own a Sun Retro-7 (7speed). 1500+ miles in the first 6 months of 2013.
I think in general a 3 piece crank is good indicator of a quality Cruiser (but some walmart "Next" bikes have them too).
There are some woman's 3G cruisers with pink accents.
The Electra Cruisers are very nice. Aluminum frame, 3 piece crank, pedal forward design. I am looking at a 7 speed for myself.
If she's on the small side, you might want to go with one of the bikes like your Phat Daisy or these four Electras with 24" tires.

1FJEF

How about a Gold Electra, at the bottom of the page. These two are sorta' Pinkish.
I think White & Silver are cool Grandma colors too.

no1mad 

If you want to buy your mom a bike, but want to surprise her at Christmas time, why not get a gift card from the LBS and let her pick out what she wants?