Fantastic. Thank you everyone for the information and suggestions. It shouldn't be too difficult to find/test ride Specialized, Trek and Kona bikes though she's keen on this one: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...185?query=viva. I don't know much about this brand. The Kona may be a better option if she wants this look and the other brands will give her more flexibility. It won't be easy but I'll try to get her to test ride as many as possible. At the end of the day though she's got to love the way it looks or she'll lose interest.

OK, I can see that a mixte is not as easy to step through but I think her main concern is stopping rather than getting on, so it should be fine. I'll point that out anyway. I do like the mixte bikes. Antaresia, nice bike - very retro practical chic. Thank you especially for the link to the page on sizing for a mixte frame. Looks like we're after a 50 cm frame or thereabouts.