Honest Bill

I'm looking for an inexpensive way to get my wife on a bike, as my son and I have decided to start riding and will be buying new bikes soon ... she's, em, let's say, over 50, with no real bike experience ... will likely not go off-road very often and will never do anything dangerous or difficult ... probably will mostly tootle around our mountainous town (many steep hills) on pavement and easy trails, with the occasional venture onto easy state park trails.

Found this used bike online:

Trek mountain bike ... 26” wheels, 18 speeds, 15 in frame.
Older Trek Antelope 800, bought new ... early 90's ... great condition ... never been off-road.
It was bought by my mom and hardly ever ridden ... less than 50 miles total.
Shimano components all around and everything’s in good condition ... shifts and brakes perfectly.
Asking $150.

Good bike for my wife to start with? Fair price?

Thanks,

Bill

10 Wheels

Sounds good...any pics?

Tell her the hardest part of bike riding is the payment.

Retro Grouch 

1. That sounds like a good bike for the use you described. If I were doing it, I'd swap out the knobby tires for something smoother.

2. Bikes, like shoes, come in sizes. The wrong size is never a good deal.

3. A fair price is whatever the buyer and seller agree upon. That bike probably cost around $300 when it was new. I'd say that $150.00 is at the upper end of what I'd be willing to pay.

BamaRider

Just make sure that whatever you buy is a good fit for her. I know it's been said over and over, but fit is much more important than any particular model.

10 Wheels

This the bike?
https://fayar.craigslist.org/bik/2240323409.html

Honest Bill

That would be the one ... look good? Good starter bike for her at, say, $100? Poster very responsive and welcomed us to come by and take a ride. Bill

CACycling

Why not let her pick out a new bike as well? When I got back into riding and wanted my wife to join me, I made sure her bike was equal to or better than mine. That is still the case. You and your son hopping on your new bikes and asking your wife to come along on her CL bike just seems wrong.

NOS88

For the price, it sound like a real good starting place.

Honest Bill

You'd just have to know her ... she's the most unassuming, unselfish person on the planet and will be perfectly content starting with an older, used bike that is in good condition ... she's not into jewelery or new cars or keeping up with the Jones' ... if she ends up liking biking, we will most defintitely upgrade her bike, but something like the bike pictured in the previous post seems to be the perfect, inexpensive way to experiment with her.

Bill

CACycling

She sounds exactly like my wife. I took her to the bike store to test ride bikes. She rode a lot of them. In the end, she loved the Fuji Finest 1.0 but it was way more money than she wanted to spend on a bike. She chose a bike at the bottom of the price range. I told her to think about it but I returned later and bought the Fuji. She loved it and still does. Sometimes it isn't about what she needs or expects, it about showing how much she means to you. At least it is in my case.

Honest Bill

Man, some people just can't resist the temptation to put the ole guilt trip on you. :^)

Believe me, we wouldn't have been married for the past 31 years if the world hadn't revolved around her all that time. It's just that she has never really done any biking and that there is a better than fair chance it won't take with her, so going the cheap route initially seems like the smart thing to do ... if it does take, a very nice upgrade would be swift and demonstrative.

What about this as opposed to the other one?

https://fayar.craigslist.org/bik/2221133192.html

CACycling

OK, no more guilt. What kind of bikes are you and your son looking to get? I would try to get her on a bike of a similar style (MTB/Road/etc.) and as light or lighter than you are looking at getting. If you are on a light road bike and she is on an MTB, even with slicks, she will have to work to keep with you. And it has been mentioned before but make sure it fits.

outwest5

That looks like a better choice to me. a tip: my husband had a hybrid. He changed out the tires for thinnish slick ones and the bike instantly became faster and much easier to ride. Anything with nobby tires is exhausting to ride unless you are in super good shape (and being young doesn't hurt, either).

Honest Bill

https://fayar.craigslist.org/bik/2221133192.html

I've been told that the handlebars are going forward on this bike but that the front wheel is going backwards ... true? If so, why would that be?

CACycling

The side of the forks the brakes are mounted to should be pointing forward. Easy fix: loosen stem, rotate 180 degrees, tighten stem.

Garilia

Yeah, my wife's not that into biking. 25 years ago we bought matching Trek 300 road bikes. She almost never rode hers. She now has a Jamis Boss Cruiser that she rarely rides, but feels more comfortable riding it when she rides. She hates drop bars, and does not want to even entertain a racing style bike.

TromboneAl

IOW, it was owned by a little old lady who only used to to go the church. But it looks good to me. Check out these sites for how to determine if a bike will fit, then go check out the bike. Don't dawdle or someone else might get it.

https://www.cyclemetrics.com/Pages/Fi..._fit_links.htm

We bought an Ironman Centurion ($150) for my wife a few years ago, and she loves it. We ride together a lot. I hope it works as well for you.

Garilia

Hey, we had bought the Jamis Boss Cruiser for my Mom about 10years ago. She never rode it, and gave it to my wife a few months ago. Who has yet to ride it, but at least the tires have new tubes and the front wheel has been trued.

Flying Foot Doc

Agree on getting a similar type of bike that you & your son will be riding, but most importantly getting a good fit. Try some different bikes at a few shops to find what fits & feels best. If she really doesn't want a new one then at least she will have an idea of how a used one feels when she gets on it. Enjoy, it's been great for me and my wife (62+, 55 and 34years!) Andy

Honest Bill

https://fayar.craigslist.org/bik/2244020864.html

Better than the other 2 choices I posted here?

Bill