Bill Lange thought his bike riding days were over. Gears were complicated. Stores were intimidating. Plus he wasn't exactly itching to put those tight spandex shorts on his 58-year-old body.

Then Lange, of suburban Milwaukee, saw an ad for a new type of bike out this spring. The Lime, by the world's top bicycle maker, Trek, automatically shifts gears, has a wide seat and fluid style that looks like the bikes Lange rode as a child.

He was sold on the concept and bought a three-speed Lime for himself and one for his wife, no small investment at about $500 each.

"Anything that has gears -- it's complicated. And at 58, you don't want complicated, you want automatic," Lange said.

So Shimano designed the Coasting system to place enjoyment over performance, and each of the three brands incorporated it into a design.

On the Lime, it works like this: A hub in the front wheel acts as a speedometer and communicates electronically through wires within the bike frame to a computer chip near the pedals. The chip then communicates with a three-speed internal shifter. The speedometer sends a signal to switch gears -- which makes a quick, quiet buzz -- after riders hit 7 mph and again at 11 mph. The pedals power the system, so no batteries are needed.

To stop, riders use the same coaster brake -- engaged by pedaling backwards -- that so many people remember from their youth.

The result is no learning curve and little upkeep. Most riders won't rely on the bikes for fitness but will instead use them for casual rides around town or paved trails