Suggestions for Grandmother
 

OK, so I need suggestions.

My grandmother's 97, and needs a new bike. She rides 3-4 miles a day, and has for most of her life.

I've been keeping up with her old 70s Schwinn Cruiser, but it really needs to be replaced at this point- there's only so much I can do.

I'm a bit worried about her riding, however, and had been thinking about recommending a tricycle- it might help her with balance, and it should be easier to get on and off of, something that (although she won't admit it) she's been struggling with more lately. Anyone have any opinions on whether this would be a good move for her, and if so, some suggestions of trikes?

I also need some advice on a good cruiser-style bike for a very small lady- I mostly do, well, every type of bike but cruisers, so I have very little idea what to look for.

She doesn't love shifting, but she got used to it when she was racing back in her 80s. I think she'd prefer a single speed, coaster brake though.

This is a nice bike for your mom. Have a look..........

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Port-O-Tri...roduct+Reviews

Yeah, it's one of the ones I was looking at. How hard is it to adjust to a trike coming from years of riding a regular bicycle?

I know she's already resistant to a trike, because she think's it's "for old people".

She is old. Approach it from a risk management perspective. "You are very active. You want to continue to be active - right? At your age there is a great risk of debilitating injury, and even death, if you fall, whether it's in the bathroom, on ice, or on a bike. There is a smaller risk that you will fall if you're riding a trike than if you're riding a regular bike." Then show her a commercial of all of the macho 50 year old men riding their increasingly popular 3-wheeled motor bikes.

You could also show her recumbent trikes. They usually have lower seating, but that might not be a problem for her.

I'm planning on riding a recumbent trike well before I get to her age...

I got my wife (a very small lady) a Felt Peace: 24" wheels, women's frame, single speed, coaster brake, white with pastel green accents and peace signs valve caps. I put a basket on the front, and now it's a real nice, fun ride. Too bad there are so many hills around our house, or I'd be tempted to slap some SPD-type pedals on it and take it out a bit more.

Good luck,

KB

If she wants to stick with two wheels rather than three, consider the Easy Boarding series bikes from Biria.
http://www.biria.com/series/easy-boarding
I sold a lot of these bikes when I owned a bike shop, some to 80+ers.

First - 97 and still riding! That is great, I hope I will still be riding (trike or not) at that age.

Second - Based on what I have seen my last 2 summers at the bike shop, if you do buy the Wal*Mart bike for her, please take it to a bike shop and have them look it over to make sure it is assembled correctly & every thing is properly tightened. (I don't have a problem with shopping at WM, I just was there this afternoon, but I have seen big box store bikes assembled in dangerous ways. They aim to assemble a bike quickly, not correctly.)

Trek also has some step through Crank forward cruisers , people who feel safer stopping flat footed like those.

I think this is the approach. My dad got a bike at 80 when he was no longer able to walk as far as he wanted, but his balance wasn't up to a two-wheeler. He got a trike and rode it until a few weeks before he died at 83.
Two points: we had a really hard time finding a decent quality trike, and finally settled for one that was pretty much junk. I reassembled it and kept it tuned for him, but it was made for riding three blocks to the grocery store, not even three miles around the lake. He'd been active all his life and would have done 10-15 miles into his 80s. And he was 6'2", while trikes seem to be designed for people about 5'6". Seat posts and stems can only do so much.

One of the Electra Townie models may do the trick.They have them in single speeds but also with simple internal shifting hubs or even derailleurs.
Low standover room so most folks can reach the ground with their feet while still seated.
I admire your grandma . . . heck I'm only 80 and still ride 100+ mies a week.
Can hardly wait 'til I get older!
Rudy/zonatandem

So I found a gently used Workman's Folding bike for $180.

Took it home, pulled it apart, tuned and greased everything, and put it back together. Been a while since I've tuned drum brakes, but these were in pretty good shape, so just needed some minor adjustments.

I'm going to take it up to her tomorrow, and tell her to at least give it a shot while I work on finding her a good two-wheeler, or pulling apart and repairing the frame on her old cruiser. I'm going to keep my eye out for a good mixte that I can convert to a single speed with a coaster brake for her- they'll be a lot lighter, and easier for her to handle if she wants to go that route.

If she hates it, I'll find another use for it, but I'm going to at least try to get her to try it.

Thanks for the advice, all!

Simply fantastic that she's riding at 97.

Puts me in mind of the 93 year-old father of an acquaintance of mine who was telephoned and told the old guy was in hospital. Apparently he had tried to run for a bus and had fainted. Some kind person called an ambulance.

When his son arrived at the hospital the old fellow greeted him by saying "this would never have happened if you hadn't stopped me from driving".

Why don't you ask her? Maybe take her to lunch and then the LBS... She's old enough to make her own decisions.

If she has balance issues, then looking into a trike could be wise.
But, if that is not a problem, then riding a bike can help maintain balance skills.