I'm in a similar position with my husband. He's large and tall (6'7", about 290). He hasn't owned or ridden a bike since he was a little kid (sad, ain't it?). But, just as he can't fit in just any car, he can't ride just any bike. He needs a tall bike.

Since our son and I had been riding casually for a couple of years (mostly in town, but sometimes taking week-long camping trips and trips to Vermont to mtb, etc., with the Buicks in tow--so we're pretty serious about our casual riding), Son and I thought it might be good for Dad to have a bike. On our last trip to Vermont, I spotted an extremely large bike for an extremely reasonable price (less than $300). It was a Raliegh, so I knew it was decent. (I'd been doing some research.)

Dad didn't know we were getting him a bike. I know buying a bike is a personal decision--but that wasn't a decision he was willing to spend his time and energy on. Exercise is not his cuppa, if you know what I mean. But I knew he would like it if he just had decent equipment, and he always needs an opportunity to hang out with Son and I. A bike for him would bring us together, more, if he chose to ride.

So I bought this giant bike and brought it home from Vermont on the back of the Beetle. I knew there was a possibility he would *never* ride it, but I was going to give him every reason to want to ride, and make opportunities for he and Son and I to ride together. (For instance, we choose the less hilly routes when he's along, but we won't always have to.)

I could have spent a lot of time nagging him about more exercise, or taking him to bike shops and having him sit on the many too-small bikes and having the LBS guy try to sell him on ordering a way too-expensive custom bike that fits. But instead, I just bought him a freaky ginormous bike at a reasonable price. He needed more height on the bars, so we got a new headset, and a longer seat tube to accomodate his 38" inseams. Now he feels comfortable on his bike, and like I said in another thread, last night I caught him going out to ride without a bit of nagging or coersion or even encouragment. (This from a person who never volunteers to exercise.)

Buying a bike is a personal decision, sure, but what good is a special expensive bike if he never rides it? I'd much rather he have something "good enough" that he rides because he wants to, than something expensive that he rides because he feels obligated due to the cost. He can buy something special when he's interested, like I did.

Alan Alda said in his book, _Never Have Your Dog Stuffed_ "Other people's passions are boring." I don't want to push my passion on him (well, sometimes :::blush::. I want him to see how much fun we're having and want to come along.

Karen