I hooked my best friend up with a specialized "cafe bike" last year and she loves it. I still wonder if something semi-trail ready is a good idea though. There are a lot of great hard pack trails around here in the great "Missouri Wine Country" lol. I don't currently have a bike that can handle it the pebbles and gravel, but I'm hoping to get one before the end of the summer.

My other problem is that I keep impressing what I want onto my idea of what he wants!!! I really really really want a cross bike! So I keep telling myself "maybe Jim wants a cross bike..." and then subconsciously ... "he's not THAT much taller than I am!"