When you deal with department stores and toy stores, that's mostly true about tire size and frame size, but it's not the case with real bikes from real bike shops. You can get bikes from extra small to extra large with the same tire/wheel size.

OMG...........

I rode that horrible bike today and it about killed me!

I raised the seat up enough where my legs would be nearly straight when pedaling but they I was so high up in the air that the bike was wobbly and it was pretty scary, I was sure I was going to lose control and crash! I had a great deal of difficulty getting on and off the blasted thing and a few times I almost fell down trying to get on and off of it. This thing was obviously designed for young boys that are used to jumping around like monkeys on espresso!

http://a.imageshack.us/img33/3871/img6535resized.jpg

It also forced me to lean way down to get my hands on the bars and controls like the guy in the lower right corner of the above picture.. I ended up having to support the weight of my upper body on the palms of my hands on the bars. It was quite painful and extremely uncomfortable. After about a mile my legs were close to giving out and my hands and arms were going numb.

I won't even go into how uncomfortable the seat was. It was waaaaay too narrow. Like sitting on a wood chopping axe for a seat. Ouch!


Those books I bought came in and the seller threw in an extra bonus book for free! :D

http://a.imageshack.us/img191/6924/img6536resized.jpg

There's a lot of reading to do there.

I did find a picture of the style of bike I'm looking for.

http://a.imageshack.us/img97/8764/img6533resized.jpg

I'm sure they still make them because every once in a while I will see some woman ride by on one. Unless she's had it for years and years. I dunno. But they look better than this rotten bike I have. At least the ones I see them on, they can sit totally upright and don't have to support themselves on the handlebars.

These mountain bike things are just horrible. I just can't see how people can stand to ride them! :mad:

Oh, and those fat grippy tires, they make a lot of noise. I suspect there is a lot of friction going on to make that much noise thus making me work much harder than I should be.

I rode about a mile and a half away from home and it was pretty bad. But the worst was yet to come. The ride home. I had to ride face first into a pretty strong breeze and it about killed me!

I think I will get up early and do my riding at day break when there is almost no wind from now on..

So you would like a roadster with slack angles and a set back riding position, tyres with enough volume to give a good ride but not slow rolling as that just makes for too much work.

A mixte frame might offer all of that and be a faster bike to boot... my Girl loves her roadster and her Twenty and when she wants something lighter and faster she rides her Peugeot mixte which also has a pretty set back position but has lighter wheels and taller gearing.

Looking at the suburban here's a couple of ideas for a bike.

http://www.target.com/Ladies-Schwinn...i_detailbutton

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/stee...c-roadster-11/

The main problem with the target bike is so much depends on the ability of whover assembles the bike. Some stores want to do a good job and others have the opinion of get it out the door and don't worry. The Raleigh would cost more but is by no means a disposable bike.

Have worked on several x-mart Schwinn bikes and they are not the Schwinn's of old... the Suburban may have been nearly as heavy as one but it was a solidly made bike.

The bikes I have worked on of late have been decent but both suffered from having inferior wheel sets and tyres, the running gear was entry level Shimano and the brakes were of decent quality.

The Raleigh is a step up over the x-mart bike as it has a better frame and better drive train... the SA 3 speed is a very solid and dependable drive. If you want to climb a lot of hills on a heavier cruiser or carry a lot of stuff more gears would be preferable or you would have to change the drive cog on the three speed to lower the range.

How about this?

http://houston.craigslist.org/bik/1937586429.html

Ooooo! That looks like something I'm interested in!

But it's a looong drive. I won't be back in Houston for another 3+ weeks.. :(

I can only hope it or one like it will still be for sale then..

Thank you! :)

+1 knowledge is power.

Look at different brands when shopping and test ride as much as possible.

I am not sure about the electra townies since they only come in one size, I don't know how good of a fit it will be.
The advantage of purchasing from a shop is that they can changeout the saddle for a cushier one, if you like the bike but not the saddle.

I think you have an eye for nice bikes. That Suburban was a quality bike. Draw back is the weight will slow it down a bit. Seat may still be to small too. If you really like it though try www.schwinnbike.com . Under Community in the Forums section there is a classifieds. Post a want add and I bet someone can help out. Schwinn also made the Breeze, Collegiate, and possibly a few others in that style. Though most where single/coaster brake and 3 speeds.

Can you raise the Handlebar stem on your current bike? This will push your weight back more without sacrificing seat height. I was real nervous when I first started ridding with my seat higher too, but am very used to it now.

Hi Dee, Did you find your bike yet? I like the "suburban" in the photo. I used to have a bike like that, a ten speed years ago. Now I have a Specialized Expedition which I like a lot. I am a 5'8' generously proportioned woman and find it comfortable for riding around town, doing errands (I got a rack and a grocery pannier), riding on recreational trails either paved, dirt or gravel. Mine is a ladies step through bike and it has wonderful ergonomic hand grips. My old mtn bike made my hands go to sleep and hurt. Mine has 21 speeds. Probably overkill but I use them all as I have a few hills. I went to my local bike shop, told them what I wanted and they recommended this one and let me test drive it in a local park. It felt great right away, fit me like a glove so I bought it. Always test drive! Anyway here is a lind to photo of one like mine.http://www.thecyclepeople.com/produc...ls.asp?id=1486

Well now, that is link not lind. Good luck finding your bike. There are a lot of blogs out there written by ladies who ride bikes in every day women's clothing. Kind of an advocacy for riding in skirts and dresses. Here is some inspiration for you.http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/
Boy I'd love to get a hold of some of those bicycles. Good comfortable every day multi purpose transport.

About the seat. My daughter is having a new seat put on her bike because her old one broke. The bike shop recommended NOT getting one of those really big wide cushy seats because they are not as comfortable as they look. I went and looked at the women's bike forum and here is what someone posted about that
"If you select a soft cushy saddle you may sink in deep resulting in more weight being carried by soft tissue areas with subsequent swelling and irritation. The "sit bones" should support most of your weight on the saddle. " I didn't get the name of the poster linked but the women's forum has some helpful info like that.

I was thinking of you and your bike search today. Thinking just because mine fit me at 5'8" doesn't mean it would fit you though we are similar height. I have two teenage daughters. They are virtually the same height and weight but cannot wear the same size clothes nor ride the same bike. One has longer legs, shorter torso the other has longer torso, shorter legs and they are just proportioned differently. Good luck finding your bike. When I visit a big city some day I would like to go to some bike shops and test drive some of the cool bikes I read about on the internet but have never seen in person. I don't know how they are about that in big cities. I was so lucky that though the local bike shop has limited selection they had something for me and they trusted me and let me drive it around. They are located next to a park with bike paths. Every bike shop should be so fortunate as to be so situated.

I thought of you when I saw this. Jamis (my favorite brand) has come out with a new line for 2011 - the Hudson. It has a low step through and a relaxed riding position.

Hi Dee, My GF had a mtn bike similar to yours collecting dust in the back of her garage. She has back problems (scoliosis), and needless to say... getting her to go riding with me was futile. :mad:

Then I took her to Europe with me on a few business trips (Amsterdam / Paris). We would rent European-style bikes and (surprise!) she would ride ALL day long... from early morning croissant runs to full-moon midnight jaunts... pain-free, with a BIG smile on her face. I'll tell ya, the Europeans figured this one out long ago. :thumb:

Back home I spotted a used Electra Amsterdam ($300 on craigslist), and for good measure I popped on a suspension seatpost ($30). The Amsterdam has a super comfortable riding position, big plush seat, chain guard so she can jump on with street clothes, etc. Not a day goes by that she doesn't get stopped with questions/compliments.

Needless to say, I no longer have problems getting her to go riding with me... :lol: If fact, we just completed a 25-mile charity ride (her first) to benefit domestic violence awareness this past weekend. After completing the ride, we decided it would be fun to have a picnic on the beach... so we rode an additional 10 miles. :thumb:


http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...1_edited-1.jpg
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...amsterdam2.jpg

Every one is different in height so most bikes have different frame sizes to accomodate riders of a given height.

Crank forwards have one size so they "grow" by adjusting the seatpost and the bars.

Cruisers are typically one size.

You are either looking for a hybrid comfort bike or a crank forward. Either one will give you miles of pain-free riding.

A Raleigh Sports mixte is also a possible. One can look on eBay or on Craiglist.

The top of the line Superbe isn't more than $400.

For $800, Public Bikes has a nice line of European city bikes.

Let us know what you find.

Good luck!