My wife and I went bike shopping over the past two days for a bike for her. She's short, only 5 ft 1 inch, and hasn't ridden for over 45 years. She wants something comfortable and easy to ride. First we went to a dealer that carries Giant bikes. We were both particularly pleased with the Giant Sedona W, as it looks very comfortable. However she didn't get a chance to ride it. The next day we went to a different dealer and looked at the Schwinn Voyageur 21 W - we both hated it. Very ungainly and an uncomfortable riding position. They had an inexpensive Diamondback that looked pretty nice - kind of like the Giant Sedona but half the price. However the angle of the seat was tilted up - not comfortable at all for her. We went to a third dealer and this time looked at the Trek 7100 W. Since I have the men's version of the 7100 I know it's a quality product. My wife did like this one, especially its upright position and beautiful light blue color, but we didn't get a chance to ride it. One downside is the price - almost $500. We'll probably go back to the first dealer to check out the Giant Sedona again and compare it with the Trek.

One thing came clear to me over the past two days - my wife is very nervous about riding again. I hope she decides to take the chance and start riding because I find it so rewarding and I think it would be great for us to ride together. But I know it has to be her decision.