Wilfred Laurier

wholly smokes

insecure much?

I-Like-To-Bike

True you did list the advantages of a diamond frame over a woman's frame:
"-Custom- seen as a man's bike versus a woman's bike- which, in the case of the dad, may override every other argument. That may be a generation gap thing, and if you're a lot younger, it may not make as much sense.
-Style- men's cruiser frames are generally cooler looking than the corresponding step-through frames
-Generally available in larger frame sizes- which may or may not be an issue there- I don't know how tall they are."

The first two are all about "cool style" and have no effect on function or use to the parents for the stated purpose; the last is irrelevant if the right size frame is available.
And none of them offset the existing or likely to develop disadvantage of problems in mounting/stand over for elderly people who are not in the best of physical condition.

I pointed out the possibility of considering woman's frame because advice from BF "experts" and LBS personnel likely will try to steer anyone and everyone towards the "enthusiast" style that fits their own "sporty" [or profit driven] needs, and ignore what is obvious to anyone who has an aging body.

BTW I am 66 and still ride my 13 year old diamond frame bike, but I know that in the near future my daughter's bike in the garage will be more useful to me.

Wilfred Laurier

i disagree that the mens frame womans frame custom and predjudice is about cool

many men will not ride a womans frame bike
due to social convention
just as many women will not ride a mens framed bike
which means the bike might possibly not get used at all
which means usefulness is zero
in some situations

as for size
step through and mixte frames are almost always available in a limited number of sizes
and those sizes are
in every example i have seen
extra small or small to medium or maybe medium large range

i am tall
not freakishly so
but tall enough that i have never seen a step through
or even mixte frame
that i could get proper leg extension without a longer than normally available seatpost
and even then the top tube would be much to short
and the drop to the bars would be excessive

also
step through and mixte does not preclude sportiness
i remember a univega mountain bike with a step through frame
made from high quality cromoly
with i think alivio parts
that weighed less than some of the racing style mountain bikes next to it on the showroom floor

and if i am not mistaken
many very good quality road anr road sport bikes from days gone by
were avaialbe in straight top tube and mixte style frames

Keith99

I think one other person mentioned that the parents are interested in the bikes for camping.

To me that brings up images of going to the store in a camping area as much as spending the day riding from place to place over short distances instead of driving and finding parking.

Beach cruiser like but with gears is what comes to mind. Oh and with some kind of basket/panniers to make the store trip work for everything short of a 25 Lb block of ice.

I think there is a good chance the bikes will get 90% of their use on paved trails in camping areas. If so ease of entry may be a huge advantage. I'm thinking trikes may not fare well as a lot of the trips may involve tight spaces, if not for the main time at least near one end or the other.

fietsbob

FWIW 2 young men passed through town in november.. having ridden Swedish Step through framed bikes
from Alaska to Oregon, and on their way to Florida , via San Diego Cal.

I see it quite practical , Tour load is over the wheels , ... swinging your leg over a load on the rear rack

or the baby's head in a rear child seat is avoided with a step through frame..

no matter what Gender You are (at the Moment)..

fietsbob

By the way If they are Motorhome or 5th wheel trailer Camping.

a Folding bike will Stow inside while on the road, better.. then the low step over tube
will be part of the Deal.

Myosmith

Thrown to the "Sporting Enthusiast Wolves" Gotta remember that one the next time I'm at one of the LBSs. The Trek dealer has a display of Pures, Verves, and some fat tired, flat black retro cruisers at the front of the store. There are a lot more fitness and hybrid bikes than drop barred anything. My Specialized dealer rents Globe commuters in both men's and women's (step through) styles. The other shop in town recently added a line of modestly priced Schwinn cruisers and townies and has quite a few comfort bikes. Before the local shops knew me, and often in shops in other cities, those "wolves" tend to steer me toward fitness bikes, hybrids, comfort bikes, and commuters just because I'm 50 and overweight.

It's nice that the OP wants to help his parents out, but unless he or his siblings actually ride and know something about bicycles, their parents are probably just as well off on their own, or at least finding other people of their generation who are doing the kind of riding they want to do.

I-Like-To-Bike

Got your gist too. Advising the elderly parents to consider a woman's frame bike is treating them as feeble and senile.
Also got that you have had good experience with the LBS in your area. I take it you must not have ever read the complaints of other posters who have had far different experiences in finding bikes to suit them at LBS, nor different opinions about the advice and helpfulness of sales staff at LBS.

Myosmith

As you were posting I was removing that line because I realized how snarky it sounded. You actually posted a couple of minutes after my edit. I intended to make the point that the vast majority of 60+ year old individuals are very capable both physically and mentally. The well-meaning OP stated that he and his siblings thought mom and dad would be safer on adult tricycles rather than the beach cruisers they had expressed interest in. That doesn't show much trust in their parents' ability to determine for themselves what is acceptable risk. Suggesting that they consider step through frames wasn't a problem, but your use of the term "elderly" and references to stiff arthritic joints makes a lot of assumptions about a couple who are just at the average age for retirement. I know a lot of people in their 60s and 70s whom I'd hesitate to call elderly (partially because they might knock me on my arse) but also because many of them can still kick my butt in sprints and on hills.

Sure you can have problems with an LBS, or a car dealership, or electronics shop, or furniture store, but that is why you shop around until you find one you like. Not all (or even all that many) of the sales people at LBSs are "wolves" out to endoctrinate everyone into the cult of spandex clad, carbon fiber riding roadies. Please note that what I recommended was to try out different bikes and to consult other riders of approximately the same age and interest for recommendations.

Wilfred Laurier

this is an extremely cool bike
and i love the agressive look on the womans face
reminds me of impromptu street races in ottawa and toronto
where older ladies with baskets on their bikes were not as easy to shake as i expected


i am pretty sure this is an image from an ad for centrum silver
or maybe cialis (ask your doctor)

no1mad 

Betcha the OP didn't realize the can or worms he was opening up with this thread...

OP, the best advice I can offer is to simply take your parents to a few of the shops in your area (or theirs) and let them swing legs over the saddle to start. You aren't obligated to buy right then and there and this will give your family a better idea on which options to further explore.

I do have a question that is tangential, though. When you claimed that they like to go camping... what kind? I know that my days of tent camping ended with the Scouts even before I turned 16. If they are RV'ers of some kind, then perhaps ask/research this question on RV forums.

Myosmith

My point exactly, 60 ain't dead Now that I am 50, 60 isn't nearly as old as it was when I was 35. Ever notice how many "life begins at 50 or 60" type commercials feature people riding bicycles? One of my favorites is the Toyota commercial with the 20 something daughter sitting in front of her computer talking about how many friends she has on Facebook and commenting "that's not a real puppy" as she looks at her computer screen while her "older, anti-social" parents are out riding MTB with their friends.

Wilfred Laurier

i am planning on riding a regional granfondo this smmer
and in discussing it with my late 40s buddy this am
he made a half joking remark about being too old
even though he generally rides twice the mileage i do every year

that discussion
and this thread
remind me of customers i have spoken to
often in their fifties or even forties
who
upon asking what type of riding they like to do
reply
well im not getting any younger so something that isnt too fast/sporty/racy

and it seemed that every one of them
was followed soon after by a person in their sixties or seventies
planning for a century ride or long tour or masters race

I-Like-To-Bike

Best wishes for you and lets hope that you and everyone else you know have a wonderful life free of health issues forever, just like on TV commercials.

I-Like-To-Bike

Does that tell you that some people have different needs than others? Or that everybody is/should be capable of century rides, long tours or racing?

Myosmith

Wow, really? If you have read some of my other posts you'd see that I got into cycling in my late 40s due to health problems including heart issues and a series of joint and spine injuries. I just had a heart attack about a month ago. A lot of people get into cycling and other activities to avoid or combat health problems. I was one of those "older folks who hadn't ridden for decades", but despite my "advanced age" and "poor health" I still found myself drawn toward road cycling and touring which has been very good for me. My cycling friends include people who have heart problems, diabetes, MS, are legally blind, are an amputee, or who have arthritis or back problems. Several individuals I have ridden with are in their 70s and 80s. We all ride right along side our healthy, athletic 20-something friends.

Absolutely, there are a wide variety of needs, desires, interests among cyclists. I've known and get along fine with many cyclists from different sub-cultures of cycling. I know cyclists who are commuters, townies/hipsters, gravel grinders, fat bike enthusiasts, cruisers, cycle tourists, roadies, recumbent riders, recreational riders, cyclocross and MTB riders. The majority of cyclists I know cross into two or more categories and some defy classification altogether. I own a handful of bikes, mostly older steel from the 1990s that I refurbished myself. Only one is a drop bar road bike. My wife rides a hybrid and my daughter is into retro-cruisers. My main interest is mid-distance endurance riding (yes, I'm one of them) and day touring, but I dabble as a b-ride roadie, go cruising with my family, pick up groceries with my flatbar hybrid, and have recently started gravel grinding. To each his/her own. Live and let live. Can't we all just get along? and so on.

I don't think Wilfred meant that everyone should be an endurance rider or racer. Correct me if I'm wrong, Wilfred, but I think his point was that riders should not be pigeon holed into any particular type of cycling by their age. If a 20 year old wants a beach cruiser, great. If Grandpa wants a new Madone, cool. People should get a bike they want, not pick one because that's what people their age are supposed to ride.

From your posts, it appears you have something against the LBS "wolves", members of cycling clubs, and anyone who rides a drop-bar road or touring bike. You distort other people's words into some perceived personal attack against your own riding preferences and abilities.

I, for one, have nothing against whatever riding style you choose nor against your recommending or promoting your preferences. If you are ever going to be in the Fargo area, message me and I'll be glad to go cruising with you on the MUPs and downtown, show you the cycling friendly cafes and coffee shops, stop at some of the good LBSs that I talk about, and introduce you to some of the most laid back roadies you will ever meet. If you come on a Thursday, we can go to the bike co-op and hang with a very diverse cycling crowd. I promise not to wear spandex or my team jersey and if my drop bar bike makes you uncomfortable, I'll bring my Plan B, aka The Goat, which is about as non-roadie as you can get.

Ride On

jeepseahawk

Dave Cutter

Fat gray cyclist?!?!? We are everywhere! I returned to cycling after I retired... and a foot problem had kept me from walking. Cycling rejuvenated me!

Most people in the local cycling club are also "seniors" as well. Mid 60's ain't nothing! Of course.... whether 8 or 80... taking up a sport can mean skinned knees, cut elbows, or busted lips. But while minor injuries heal..... increased activity could add decades of mobility to your parents life's.

Folding bikes would be nice for camping. And a hoot for rides to the local store, coffee shop, or dairy queen as well. Good Idea. But the best bike for anyone... is the bicycle they are attracted to.

ironwood

There is a lot of good advice on the Fifty plus Forum. There is a sticky for seniors getting into biking again or for the first time.

I-Like-To-Bike

Thanks for the invitation and it is good to hear of your "neutrality" about recommending or promoting different preferences, though as you previously noted you aren't immune from making snarky statements that you regret later. Some of our colleagues are neither neutral when recommending or promoting other preferences different than that used by their sporty friends, nor regret their snarky statements on the subject.

Wilfred Laurier

my first comment you very much took out of context

by suggesting that adult tricycles are generally old peoples bikes
i was not saying they needed lightweight competition bikes
or needed to be overly sporty
just that adult tricycles are generally considered old people bkes
and the reason i say that
is because adult tricycles are generally considered old people bikes
or bikes for people with mobility or balance problems

i also said beach cruisers were great bikes
and gave functional and practical reasons supporting the idea that a step through frame may not be appropriate for the ops father

by
insecure much

i was referring to your need to attack the motives of any person who suggests that there need be no limit on what type of bike a 60 to 70 year old can ride
as you are doing now

Myosmith

Oh yeah, I can get opinionated, even snarky, especially when people are stereotyped because of their age, gender, race, or the way they look. Honestly, what I regret about my previously deleted comment the most is that it marginalized people who use mobility assist devices even though many people who have lost their mobility are still vibrant, intelligent, and contributing members of our society. I was complaining about people making assumptions that "old folks" all had the same physical limitations and needs when it came to bicycles, and here I was making a judgmental comment about people who use mobility devices, and that I do regret and I apologize to anyone who uses a mobility device.

I still stand by my conviction that everyone, regardless of age, should be allowed to chose his/her own path, not forced to conform to some social convention or to what others think would be "best" for them. Carbon fiber or vintage steel, it's all good.

I-Like-To-Bike

My need to attack the motives of anybody by suggesting that the OP's parents consider a women's type frame? You should be looking in the mirror if you want to see someone who is attacking a poster's motives. You and a few others are the characters crying foul to suggest such an over the top (to you) idea as considering another possibility, and guilty of everything short of shuffling all older people to the rest home.

And it was YOU who is guilty of being wrapped up in the limits of an arbitrary "social convention" as a reason to not even consider the "wrong" bike:

"many men will not ride a womans frame bike due to social convention
just as many women will not ride a mens framed bike"

MacNasty

Electra Townie with 3 speed internal hub. FUN FUN FUN. Don't put them on a trike.

cplager

It depends a lot on what kind of trike. Some are quite stable on turns and quite fast: