Originally Posted by Dchiefransom
Is she picking up the bike and moving it around? If not, then good gearing will help her ride more than light weight. Try out some aluminum hybrids at the shop. For $350 or less you should be able to get her a nice bike for the rides you will be doing.
Yes, go for low gearing, if she is not having to lug it around off it's wheels. Also, make sure you get smooth tires that run at a higher pressure than 60 lbs. I have a tank of a Giand Boulder, and running it with 100psi road "slicks" makes a big difference in the effort I have to put out to keep it rolling at speed.