Don't laugh
 

I'm serious. I am 79 y.o. and I've some experience on bikes. I'm looking for a good bike to use on hills and perhaps rides of 20+ mile rides. Suggestions please for a good bike for the purposes mentioned.

Things to consider -

Budget?
What is "some experience"? How recent?
Can you still do basic maintenance like chain cleaning, flat repair, etc.?
Can you operate hand brakes/thumb shifters?
Can you swing a leg up and over a bike, or do you prefer a step-through?
Can you lift and maneuver the bike?
What kind of shape are you in?
How's your tolerance for risk? Can you risk an injury that might take a while to recover from?

I don't think the forum can help you much. If I were you, I'd start small with safe, flat, low-mileage rides and see how it goes.

Is "some experience on bikes" recent or long ago? And what is the terrain around you like that you'll be riding?

I used to live where it was fairly flat. And the forty-six pound Schwinn Varsity I bought in 1979 did very well in that terrain. However by my fifties, when things for my career slowed down and I could ride a lot again, I was living in a part of the state where the terrain is constantly rolling. Though the Varsity was a comfortable ride, those small 20 to 80 foot hills, one right after the other wore me out on that heavy bike. So I found that 22 lb. bikes made riding those hills more enjoyable and I could ride longer. Then getting a sub 18 pound bike, some of those hills seemed to disappear altogether.

Net take-away should be that you might not be able to do 22 plus miles in your terrain if there are hills that will make your riding experience seem tough. So do worry about the weight of the bike you buy. Don't go more than 20 or 22 lbs at the most... IMHO. Lighter will always be better for any hill. Lighter saves your energy so you can ride further.

I think you should take a look at something like a Specialized Roubaix. But that is if you have recent experience and know you are going to ride and not just leave it in the corner of the garage unused after it's newness wears off. If you are just trying to find out if you like to ride regularly, then a Giant Contend with aluminum frame might be the thing to try. They are entry level and decently equipped for a road bike.

Realize also that different road bike models are made to give a different body position. The two I mentioned give about as upright a position you'll find on a road bike. Other road bikes are made for a race position, such as my Tarmac, which gives me a body position that is leaning over much more than a Roubaix will, so that I am more aerodynamic. And aerodynamics also saves energy to let one go farther and faster. But you have to like that position. Some don't. But at 62 years of age, I found out in 2020 that I did like that position.

And there are other models of road bike that give positions between a Roubaix and a Tarmac. So look at those too. But realize that you don't really get to easily or inexpensively change a bike made for a aero or aggressive position to a bike that gives a upright less aggressive position. Some try and do, but it makes the bike look dorky to me. And why buy a bike that isn't made for the position you wish?

Thank you for the suggestions. I will follow up on them.

Please do yourself a favor and go to a quality bike shop, one experienced in fitting and selling more than just family bikes and mountain bikes. Talk to them, tell them what you told us and answer their questions without holding back. They will be able to help you narrow down a bike to fit your needs. This will be more effective and efficient than asking a forum of thousand for opinions.

Ideal idea!

Or, just go find a beater and ride, ride, ride. After suffering the consequences you will know what ya want...

Trek FX or Verve. I congratulate you!

And make sure you like the colour. I am 100% serious.

Why? Friend of mines rides a road bike with drop bars. He road the entire RAIGBRI (sp?) last summer. He's 85.

It's really too general of a question. If you've not been riding recently, you may be surprised just how hard those hills are. That doesn't mean even at 79 you can't get fitter and conquer those hills. Though likely it will be relatively more difficult compared to someone younger. Of course, I'm generalizing. I'm 64 and I don't doubt there are 79 year-olds that would leave me in their dust.

Something to consider is an ebike. Essentially an electric bike makes the hills much less steep. This doesn't mean you don't have to put in effort and you can usually adjust the amount of assist to match your requirements. So, you will still get a workout, if you want. It just may be the difference between being able to ride those hills or not.

If you're really unclear what you would want, then I'm with those suggesting getting a truly inexpensive used bike. Preferably from a bike shop that has tuned it up. That way it is actually usable. See how you get along with that and then if needed, buy the bike you really want.

When I started riding 6 years ago, I used my 25-year-old "dad" bike. I got it tuned up at the local bike shop (LBS) and had no idea what to expect. I went riding for the first time in years, just to ride. It was really hard getting just 1/4 mile up the 3% slope where I live. Like sucking wind really bad. But very quickly I got fitter and within a few months I was climbing all over the place with that bike. About 6 months in, I could see I really like cycling and bought a new bike, now knowing what I wanted.

In any case, the best of luck to you and enjoy your future rides.

I read some of your previous posts and see that you wrote about buying a Trek hybrid in 2017.

At 73, though I have some higher-performance bikes, I ride a 1995 Cannondale hybrid most of the time. Your Trek hybrid probably has a similar 21-gear drive train, making the bike easy to ride on steep climbs. If you still have that bike and it's fully operational, why not stick with that?

And to add to that, don't go on a Saturday morning, the first week of May. Go on a weekday morning when no one is around. They will have more time to spend with you, answer questions and let you ride some bikes.

Thank you for your suggestions.

I sold the bike. It was a bit of a problem. The shifter gave me a lot of trouble and the shop couldn't seem to fix it.

I had trouble with that bike's shifting. The store tried numerous times to fix it, but it never worked properly. In addition, the bike is a bit heavy for hills. I lived in AZ at the time and rode flat ground. I'm in WA and we are hilly. I need a much lighter bike.

Thanks. The FX might work. I had trouble with a Trex Verve and it may be too heavy for hills. I sold it because the shop couldn't fix the problem I was having with the shifter.

When it comes to dealing with hills, it is the gearing which is most important, not so much bike weight within a couple of kg. Obviously lighter is better for climbing, but gear range is what really makes all the difference.

Quoting Mtracer's previous post in case jazzchip missed or dismissed the e-bike recommendation.

Electric bikes have become a big part of the market in the last 10 years, especially for older riders.

Flat bar bikes don't differ in weight enough for the lighter bikes to be substantially easier for climbing hills. The advantage of e-bikes is that, as Mtracer noted, you can get as little or as much of a workout as you prefer while riding on hilly terrain. Me, I'd test ride a lighter hybrid bike on some hills and then an e-bike before deciding what to buy.

At 79, you'll be getting progressively weaker over the coming years. That's worth taking into consideration before making your choice.

True. According to the Trek website listing, the Trek FX 2 has a low gear of 30 front/36 rear and the Verve 2 has a low gear of 28/32, either of which should be sufficient for the OP (less than 2 gear inches difference, if I calculated correctly).

Yeah don’t even need to calculate gear inches if the cranks and wheels are approx the same. Ratios of 0.833 vs 0.875 is pretty similar.

you can look into electric assisted bikes

If getting up (especially steep) hills is a requirement, maybe something like an Aventon E-Bike will assure you of that. You should be able to adjust the e-assist as needed - no assist for exercise, turn it on to get up a 10% grade. Most Citibikes in NYC seem to be e-assist bikes now, and Manhattan's not even especially hilly.

If something like that doesn't appeal, then something like an entry level Trek Domane or Specialized Roubaix should be easy to find/test ride at a local store. Much lighter than a Trek Verve, and with Shimano 105 gearing, should be capable of taking a 36T big cog in the back (though they may come with 30 or 34T). These bikes have relatively upright geometry for a road bike, so don't think you'd have to hunch all the way down to reach the bars, unless you really want to get into the drops. There are e-assist versions of these too, but obviously heavier and more expensive than the purely Wheaties powered versions.

There are too many questions about you, your aspirations, and so many other things to make any kind of declarative statement. If my funds were limited or I just wanted a decent road bike to find out what works for me, I'd start out with looking for a used CAAD 12. Of course there are many other brands/models that might also work. I have 6 road bikes, one of which is a CAAD 12 w/105. To me it's a solid all-arounder that is very versatile. Good luck.

Just flew in from Seattle last night. The word "hill" takes on a different meaning out there. No question in my mind that a 79 year old is a perfect candidate for an e-bike. If you want to look sporty the Specialized company has a few that will do the job, although any major brand will have something as well.
I have vowed to never own an e-bike, however I do recommend them to those that will benefit from one. Perhaps when I am 80 I will recommend one to myself!

Thank you for the excellent suggestions.