I've got the Wife ready to ride again!
 

After many years and many problems with Family this year, my wife decided that she wanted to ride a bike again. Her old bike needs a complete resto and it was going to cost me too much to do right now. We went to the Shop and discussed it with a few of the guys. The Owner chimed in and said, "Let me show you something." Long and short of it, I have another bike to take care of. A Trek 7000 WSD Mixte. My wife took right to it and it fits her nicely.

Here is a picture of both of our bikes on the Jeep ready to go. The Grandson's Trailer is in the back waiting for him to wake up so we can go.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...00_1165_sm.jpg
Chris

Cherish the time together and don't push her too hard, stops at coffee and craft shops will make it even more pleasant for her. Get her fit and enjoying riding again and you will have the BEST riding partner a guy can get.........who wants or gets a cuddle from their buddies after a ride? :D :eek:

My wife has followed me around while I road raced and trained long miles, she's seen the "selfish time" I've had for years......she ended up hating the bikes. Now after her long struggle with fatigue, she is starting to ride again and going to the gym and even wants to go on a railtrail later this year with me. www.railtrail.com.au ,I am absolutely stoked. I am trying to be as carfree as possible, even using my BoB trailer to do the shopping etc, and my wife sometimes comes as well to help out, it's great. I still do training rides on my roadies and MTB, but the fun rides with her are very special.

Congrats. Wish I could say the same.

And that new Nashbar frame bike is looking good!

Congratulations on the wife's new bike. I own a couple Trek WSD bikes and love the way they fit.

Some of my favorite rides have been with the grandkids. I hope the grandson enjoyed his ride.

That looks like a little slice of grandparent heaven! Enjoy!

We had a good time today. The Grandson had a fun time and we just enjoyed. Stopped into the downtown area and sampled the Fair Food that was going on Main Street. We than swang around and bought the wife a new Helmet to go with the Bike. Our Grandson shamed her into it. LOL!

About 7 miles along the River Path and she loved it!

Chris

Sounds like a great ride.

There are several festivals in our area and many are located on the local bike trails. My daughter and I often park a few miles from the festivals and ride our bikes. This saves on the hassle of parking and gives us a little exercise. It also prevents buying too much because I don't have a basket on the bike:)

I hope she didn't get too tired towing your grandson in the trailer.:D Glad you two are on the bikes together, I love it when I can get Lovey out with moi.

The original intent was for the Misses to tow the Grandson, but I found out the Trailer we have will work on my bike even with the Disc brake, so I towed it. The Little guy had a great time. He even got to water his first Tree!;) Of course he blew us in at the Bike Shop to one of the gals I work with there. I think she was almost as embarrassed as I was! LOL!

I think in short order, we will have to get a Trailer Bike for him. He's got a baby sister (Grandchild #2) coming this month and we're thinking that this might make a good diversion for him and allow him to think he's still special, and he is.

Chris

If you enjoy riding together, start saving/looking for a tandem. Makes it even more fun. You can pull a trailer, too.
By the way, Trek calls that style frame a Lowstep. A mixte frame has two parellel stays running from the headtube to the rear fork ends (according to Sheldon Brown).
Not sure why Trek thinks the Ladies' style frame isn't obsolete, but there seems to be a market for it.

+1. A tandem lets you ride as hard as you want and still get to the lunch stop at the same time as your wife. It also eliminates the decision about who goes first when dealing with passing traffic.

Sunday my wife and I did a wonderful 30 miler with 3 other tandem teams. They all qualify for 50+ too. A good time was had by all.

I see many women's style bikes on the local trails. I bought an Electra Townie (women's frame) for my daughter as she feels more comfortable on this style bike. A new bike shop in town caters to the casual rider and have several women's style bikes in their shop. There's a large market for this style bike and I see it increasing with the current emphasis on obesity and the need for regular exercise.

I originally bought a women's style Giant hybrid when I returned to biking in the early 90's. Over time I've changed to a road bike but see myself returning to a women's frame style when I get older. I can still swing the leg over my road bike but doubt I'll be able to do that forever:rolleyes:

Folks....I've already have a Tandem! LOL! Read the sig block!

We bought that at our peak of Bicycling with our kids when they were still home. Bought the Fisher Gemini back in 1989 and loved it. About 7 years ago, the Misses fell in the garage and broke her tailbone. She just now got back on a bike, so for the most part the Tandem has only been used for a few Blind Stoker rides that I do, and out on loan a few times.

The Tandem is the GREAT EQUALIZER in riding partners and it served us well for many thousands of miles. I need to put some new wheels on it along with tires, tubes and a good tune. I would also love to get it re-painted. I've always wanted a black and white Holstein paint with a pink bottom bracket under the Stoker, but the Misses is NOT amuzed!

Above my work area at the Shop is a New TREK T1000, I glance up at that beast while I'm having my coffee and dream of taking that out with the wife. That's just PART of the problem of working at a Shop Part Time. The NET ZERO paychecks.......

Chris

(Wanting a Single Speed Cyclocross Bianchi Roger!)

Well, all right, then! We weren't paying attention. Fix that puppy up!

Is the age-related inability to climb aboard an upright bike gender-specific? Do men just quit riding when they get to that point while a lady might switch to a Ladie's bike?
Can't imagine it ever becoming difficult to sit down in my recumbent Comfy Chair and cycle away. Now, there's an option to a Ladies' Bike.

I agree on the usual definition of Mixte. But did you notice your last sentence is a question that answers itself? :)

Ohhh...you're talking about cycling.

From the thread title, I thought perhaps you'd had a consult with Dr. Ruth. :D

I can't say whether the problem is gender specific but my guess would be it's not. Flexibility seems to be a problem in both genders as we age. Women might even have an advantage since many are often more flexible than men at younger ages.

I've never rode a recumbent so I have no experience but I've seen many people having problems getting started on them. This seems especially true of the design where the feet are much higher up then those with the pedals at a lower position. By the time I give up my bike I'll probably be ready for a trike:rolleyes:

Congratulations! I saw that bike at the shop and really liked the look of it, I thought the color of the frame with the brown saddle and grips is really sharp.

It is a bike that is much easier for her to shift and get used too. Her old 77 Peugeot is really tired and had NONE of the modern convenient things that we take for granted now. I had built up one of these at the Bike Shop the other day and after putting it together I had wondered if she would like one. I just need to take it easy with her, build up the miles with her and get back to where we were a number of years ago.

If she really takes too bicycling again I can and will upgrade her bike and pass this one off to one of our two girls. They both could use a bike so there are good homes for this bike. I could see my Wife on one of the TREK 7.5 FX WSD's. Of course she sends me very mixed signals on what she likes in a bike. But I think the more upright I can keep her, the better off she will be.

I think the SMILE on her face yesterday while riding the bike was worth it all!

Chris

Oh yes, the smile. I feel like that every time we ride. Whatever it takes to keep her riding with you is what's most important, not the type of bike. The togetherness as a family and having fun getting some exercise, that's what's important. Sounds like you are off to a great start!

Way to go.
Sure wish I could get my wife to ride with me. Or maybe I don't, now that I think of it.

Give the people what they want, not what they need. Who am I to say a woman (or a man) shouldn't buy a ladies' bike, if they want one?