If she lives in a flat area like Iowa or Florida she's not going to need very many gears, and in fact it might just be frustrating for her to have them. If flat, 3-7 gears should be plenty.
A 3 mile commute is not very long, so it's important to get her a simple bike she LIKES and feels she can control, with the idea that she might want something more 'intimidating' later if she takes to biking. She can always sell her first bike.
I agree that if the bike comes with big honkin' knobby tires, have them switched to lighter tires as a condition of sale. She's not going to be barreling down any mountain trails any time soon, and it'll be hard enough for her as it is to push along until she's in better shape. On a smooth paved road, knobbies won't give her any more traction than smooth light tires...in fact maybe even less. You might want to put Kevlar/flat resistant tires on her bike though, to give her a better chance of not getting a flat.
Yes she needs a more upright bike- a hybrid or a touring type bike would be good. Comfort bikes are 'ok' if they are not too heavy. And watch out for big puffy foam saddles- they can be very painful! Beginners tend to like straight bars with clearly numbered shifting on the handlegrips. No harm in this for 3 mile commutes.
You might want to get her to read this or print it out for her to read:
http://bicyclesafe.com/
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09-02-2008, 05:11 AM #1
listen to the bees
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Lisa
My mountain dulcimer network...FOTMD.com...and my mountain dulcimer blog
My personal blog:My blog
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09-02-2008, 05:45 AM #2
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DH commutes on his Specialized Expedition and seems to really like it. His ride is about 10 miles one way and hilly. He's got armadillo tires and could probably also use some slime in at least the front tube.
On the other hand, I do not like MY Expedition at all for that kind of riding. The "spongy" feeling that goes with the suspension stuff that is supposed to make it more comfortable doesn't work for me.
I like my little "ancient" hybrid Trek aside from the weight of it. I'm using it to carry stuff like groceries - sometimes with a trailer. Someday if I get more serious about that I may invest in a lighter version, but the hybrid is definitely a good choice with smooth tires. Sometimes you see "city" or touring tires with a bit more tread than road bike tires and that might be nice for if she has a gravelly ride. It can also help with the confidence we sometimes lack in those smooth tires when starting out!
(I have a Specialized Dolce saddle on the Trek. It was nice on the Expedition too)
Karen in Boise
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