All the questions that I should have asked when buying my first bike.

[hebe]

Is it wrong to be considering a second bike whilst learning to ride one's first?

I have a Marin Stinson "comfort" bike that I'm learning to ride on. It is sturdy and sensible, fine on tarmac and ok over bumpy ground, but feels quite heavy at low speeds and is really not very attractive . I'm thinking about getting another bike next year. Something that I love and that I can use when I don't need to carry the shopping or the child and just want to go out and ride once the girl starts preschool after Easter. I prefer cycling on tarmac/paths/canal paths to anything bumpier, it's generally flat here though there is the occasional hill, and I would like something prettier than my Marin. It would just be leisure riding, though I would love to do a charity ride once I'm good enough.

If I want to cycle in a skirt and boots do I need a bike with a chain guard or skirt guard?
If I'm not seriously off-roading do I really need anything other than a "normal" bike?
If a bike doesn't come in sizes, what size does it fit? eg Electra Ticino
Can you get up a hill with a Pashley?


Bikes that I'm considering are:

Pashley Poppy
The Therese one from here
Electra Ticino 8.

Sorry for all the rambling, opinions and advice welcome. I'm in the UK. Thank you for reading.

[crazycanuck]

I think it's normal to want another bike...even if you are on your first. (What'll you do if you want to do more than what you've listed...!)

I know nothing about the bikes mentioned and i don't have the greatest internet speed so i can't see the Therese one..I think the Pashley bikes are cute! What about the Roadster???

In terms of getting uphill on one-are we talking a weenie hill or a super duper steep long hill that you just want to swear at & run away

I'm babbling and will let the more knowledgeable folks chime in

[pll]

You've landed in a forum on enablers.

There are plenty of very knowledgeable people here and most questions will be about the type of riding you want to do. Have you tried the two bikes you are considering? I looked at the Therese and it is a lovely bike, a mixte frame (there is an entire section about mixtes here). It has 7 speeds compared to the 3 speeds in the Pashley, so that can be an edge if you have hills around. Try them out, so you are able to compare what feels more comfortable, lighter, and faster to you. Some bikes make you want to ride them, others feel "dull" when you ride them...

PS: Here is the thread about mixtes: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=19205

[pll]

And for crazycanuck's viewing pleasure, a screenshot of the Therese:

[sfa]

I think it's a pretty typical progression in just about any activity to get into it, buy some equipment, get MORE into and then realize the stuff you bought was all wrong. I know knitters who replaced all their needles after a couple of months and then bought all new yarn because they bought the wrong stuff the first time around.

I don't know if you can get uphill on a Pashley, but I'd like to be given the opportunity to try. Those are such pretty bikes. And I think I'll spend the rest of today drooling over the Lunar Cycles website. Gorgeous!

More seriously, we had a short discussion about upright/cruiser type bikes on hills that you can find here (also includes discussion about the Ticino): http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=39594

I think any of the bikes you linked to would do fine for the type of riding you're talking about, but the Electra Ticino and the Therese have better (or at least MORE) gears that'll help with headwinds and hills. They'd also all be fine for riding with boots and shorter skirts, but if you're going to wear long flowy skirts, you'll want a skirt guard. The chain guard helps when you're wearing trousers (or you can just roll up the right leg or slap on an ankle band) or long flowy skirts.

Have fun shopping!

Sarah

[hebe]

I think it's normal to want another bike...even if you are on your first. (What'll you do if you want to do more than what you've listed...!)

I know nothing about the bikes mentioned and i don't have the greatest internet speed so i can't see the Therese one..I think the Pashley bikes are cute! What about the Roadster???

In terms of getting uphill on one-are we talking a weenie hill or a super duper steep long hill that you just want to swear at & run away

I'm babbling and will let the more knowledgeable folks chime in

I worry about wanting more bikes The Roadster is gorgeous, but looks a bit big.

Regarding the hill, it may well be smaller than my mind is painting it. It's about half a mile long and if I walk it with a 28lb child in a buggy it takes about 15 minutes and I'm a bit out of breath at the top. The thing that makes me worry is that I drove past a male cyclist who was sweating buckets going up there. I suspect that in a lesson or two I'll be riding it with my teacher so will know for myself.

You've landed in a forum on enablers.

There are plenty of very knowledgeable people here and most questions will be about the type of riding you want to do. Have you tried the two bikes you are considering? I looked at the Therese and it is a lovely bike, a mixte frame (there is an entire section about mixtes here). It has 7 speeds compared to the 3 speeds in the Pashley, so that can be an edge if you have hills around. Try them out, so you are able to compare what feels more comfortable, lighter, and faster to you. Some bikes make you want to ride them, others feel "dull" when you ride them...

PS: Here is the thread about mixtes: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=19205

I haven't tried any bikes other than the one I'm riding, apart from a very cheap and horrid mountain bike that I tried to learn on many years back. I absolutely love the look of "mixte" frames, I think I definitely want a step-through frame. I wanted to get a bit more knowledgeable (and also figure out where the money will come from ) before getting on a bike and falling in love with it.

I think it's a pretty typical progression in just about any activity to get into it, buy some equipment, get MORE into and then realize the stuff you bought was all wrong. I know knitters who replaced all their needles after a couple of months and then bought all new yarn because they bought the wrong stuff the first time around.

I don't know if you can get uphill on a Pashley, but I'd like to be given the opportunity to try. Those are such pretty bikes. And I think I'll spend the rest of today drooling over the Lunar Cycles website. Gorgeous!

More seriously, we had a short discussion about upright/cruiser type bikes on hills that you can find here (also includes discussion about the Ticino): http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=39594

I think any of the bikes you linked to would do fine for the type of riding you're talking about, but the Electra Ticino and the Therese have better (or at least MORE) gears that'll help with headwinds and hills. They'd also all be fine for riding with boots and shorter skirts, but if you're going to wear long flowy skirts, you'll want a skirt guard. The chain guard helps when you're wearing trousers (or you can just roll up the right leg or slap on an ankle band) or long flowy skirts.

Have fun shopping!

Sarah

Yes, I have an unfinished baby jumper because I absolutely hated the feel of the wool by the time it got to the making up stage and couldn't bear the thought of it next to my girl's skin!

I'll look up these bikes in real life, the Lunar will take some planning as it's in London. Thank you for the advice, I don't wear long floaty skirts but would love to be able to ride in my winter wardrobe of skirts and boots.

Many thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate your time and will read the linked threads. Do any of the mainstream manufacturers make mixtes any more?

[hebe]

And I think I'll spend the rest of today drooling over the Lunar Cycles website. Gorgeous!

I'm glad you like it, it's nice to be able to give something back. You might like this site too - it's way beyond any budget of mine but beautiful. link is to their womens frame but the rest of the site is pretty too

[Trek420]

And for crazycanuck's viewing pleasure, a screenshot of the Therese:

Hey, they made my bike

[Catrin]

I did the same thing, I was barely out of my practice parking lots before I was considering the Salsa Fargo - fell in love with it actually. Took some time before I realized that it just will never fit me - it is too big. Then I rebounded to my beloved steel steel steed, Ms. Explorer.

This is indeed a group of enablers, but if they really think you are making a mistake then they speak up My LBS at the time had talked me into getting the LHT frame and having them build it up - but in the end it would have cost me a lot more money than the complete build and with no better components - it comes with pretty good components anyway. Thanks to a few outspoken women here (who I thank from the bottom of my heart), I didn't go that route.

In the end Ms. Explorer was customized anyway - but this was out of physical necessity - which is a very different story.

Good luck on searching for your second bike - it is a LOT of fun

[buffybike]

And for crazycanuck's viewing pleasure, a screenshot of the Therese:

Who do you DO THIS TO ME???!!!! Just when I had committed to saving money...