I'm 58, and many years removed from cycling. After having visited Europe for a couple of weeks and seeing how many people use bikes as their primary transportation, it made me think about how I could replace foot and vehicle time for cycling. I work at a fairgrounds and could certainly use a bike to get around and use it for meetings downtown and for going to lunch. so, an average week might involve 15 - 20 miles. I tested an Electra Townie 7d and kind of like it. It had an adequate low range for the kind of hills I anticipate. I was a little "shaky" on it - that is the steering was real sensitive to me, which I guess I attribute to my years of separation from riding.

I also have looked at sales on Craigslist but wonder if, for my situation, it would be better to go ahead and invest in a new machine at a LBS. Also, I didn't see exactly what I saw in Europe there. Perhaps I need to try the Trek 7.1, 2, or 3, although the salesperson said that might be a little more sensitive or jerky for me.