John_V 

Nigel,

Glad to see you on this forum.

Motobetird,

I don't know how old your mother in law is or if she has any medical issues where she may have trouble riding an upright, but another option you may want to look into is getting her a recumbent. My wife has one and loves it. No back, shoulder or hand pain/numbness. My wife says it's like sitting in her favorite lounge chair on wheels. You can look on Craig's List in your local area to see if there are any used ones available which can go for around the same price as a decent upright hybrid.