Step Through
 

My dad is going to be riding with me for excercise. I was wondering, the step through style, is this for women bikes only or do men's come like this as well.

Second question he likes my commuter, Schwinn Pathway:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5585808


What else in the $300 area should I have him test ride? He is saying he just wants to get the same bike I commute with and I'm trying to talk him into looking at some others. The Schwinn Pathway is a great starter bike I just sometimes think I would have preferred a Schwinn Varsity or Schwinn Coffee for my starter just going off my personality nothing about the bikes so much.

In Europe, step-throughs are unisex.

If your dad is comfortable on a particular type of bike then who cares. I see men on step-through beach cruisers (even pink ones) almost daily.

I think the coffee is a very cool bike, though.

There are several of us on the forums that ride step through frames...and some of us aren't female:p I use a step through for my grocery getter, it is easier to get on when the beast is loaded down, or I have a tall bulky load on the rear rack. An emergency foot down stop isn't painful:innocent:...and the list goes on.

I would say, let him ride what he feels comfortable on...at least he is riding.

Aaron:)

http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/41...500x500Q85.jpg

I'll be riding a step through soon also. From my test rides its much nicer to get on an off from than the current old school mountian bike im using. Use whats comfortable, not what you "should" have.

I've been riding a bike with a step through frame for seven years. The way I look at it, "step through" is to "bike" as "door" is to "car."

Paul

There's no doubt step through frames are comfortable and handy to mount and dismount, and offer significant advantages especially to older riders who are a bit less flexible in the hip, or less confident riders, or people with kiddie seats or high luggage on the rear rack. The disadvantage is that the design is inherently less strong than the traditional "diamond frame" with a cross bar (top tube), and manufacturers may compensate for that by using sturdier materials (fatter tubing) that makes the bike a bit heavier.

But your Dad should be the one to decide. Take him shopping and have him try stuff out.

I think of step-throughs (including mixte frames) as unisex, and I ride my wife's mixte all the time.

The U-frame seems to be more common than mixtes in newer bicycles like the Electra Townie, Raleigh Venture, and the Breezer U-frame line. I'm a fan of the vintage Raleigh 3-speed mixtes, but a mixte with more gears might be desirable as well.

Specialized expeditions come in a step through frame but I think they are refered to as "womens" bikes.

Count me in as a male step-through rider:

http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2...at-ladies.html

That's because Specialized is behind the times....:lol:

In reality the step through frame was so women could ride in dresses and skirts, however as pointed out it works for anybody that needs it...me included. For racing and touring applications the diamond frame is stronger and probably a better choice, for day to day riding and around the neighborhood run what ya brung!

Aaron:)

I'm in the "step through bikes are unisex" club. As others have said this "womens verses mens" frame design thing got started so women could ride in skirts and did not need to sling their leg over the seat, which would not be very lady like at that time. Times have changed and I can't understand why any bicycle manufacturer would continue referring to step through frames as womens bikes and standard diamond frames as mens frames. I know a lot of women that ride "mens" diamond frame road bikes due to the fact that a step through frame would never be a good design for racing. Step through frames are good for people with limited range of motion or where you load the bicycle with large items which prevents swinging a leg over the seat.

I just bought one of these for my wife and they make a step through of the expedition for both men and womens.

I agree with other posters on this thread - step-through frames can be handy for a lot of folks, and should be considered as unisex. Saw another commuter this morning on a step-through, in fact, and didn't spend any time wondering why he was riding a "girl's bike" - just glad to see people out riding!

Is anybody making a mixte these days? I'd love to get one for my mom, who recently fell and broke her wrist when she got her leg tangled with the saddle on a diamond frame she was test riding. :(

Sorry to hear about your mom:(

Velo-Orange has a sweet mixte frame, but you will have to break out the check book!:innocent:

Aaron:)

Count me as one of the enlightened Step Through riders, who have discovered many of the advantages of using a Step Through frame.

I never did have the whole Women’s vs. Men’s bike hang up anyway though… in the area I grew up in, you just road what your family could afford, some of the toughest guys I knew rode so-called girls bikes.

I ride a U frame, and a Mixte… I really like the U-frame for everyday utility riding, and the Mixte is set up more like a road bike.
For hauling heavy loads on the rear rack, or panniers, with a lot of start and stop riding… you just can’t beat the convenience of a Step through. Especially if you have a replacement hip, and limited range of motion in your other hip; as I do…

I wish more bicycle manufactures would get with the times and market more Step Through Trekking/utility style bikes in the U.S.A for men. There would probably be a significant market for them, if they dropped the gender bias marketing…

Oh you had to go and do that. Now I have ANOTHER bike on my wish list :love:

Would anyone rich like to adopt me? I promise it's only bikes I have expensive taste in...

:roflmao2:

Rich I ain't...but I spend most (if not all) of my allowance on bicycles. Still cheaper than a lot of other hobbies, like model trains, planes, hot rods, golf, flying....

Aaron:)

don't forget about the oft-overlooked pasttime of "moneyburning" where you pile up your cash and set it ablaze. That gets expensive quick.