Help??? Ladies Hybrid £200-£300

[Fierybiscuits]

I'm really hoping someone can offer me some advice as I feel like I've now spent weeks trawling the internet and visiting a few shops to find the right bike for my mum and I'm more confused than ever. She wants the bike for her 50th birthday in a couple of weeks but she hasn't really cycled for several years and I think she knows what she wants even less than I do.
From what I can gather a Hybrid bike would be best as she wants it mainly for popping to the shops, short commutes etc. so it would be kept mainly to roads with perhaps occasional leisure use on towpaths and the like. However, I'm having a bit of trouble with the "Hybrid" definition as it seems to vary from place to place and it gets a bit vague between Hybrid, Comfort, Urban, Trekking etc. on a lot of websites - don't know if anyone can help narrow it down a bit.
Anyway, some details. She is fairly tall at 5'7" with a 34" inside leg so I reckon she'd require something around a 19" frame - she's tried a couple out and this seems to be about right(??). I wouldn't have thought she's ever going to become a serious cyclist and she wouldn't mind something cheap and cheerful as long as it looks "pretty," but I would feel much better knowing she was on something with at least a bit of quality to it. It needs to come with (or have some scope for) pannier/basket etc. and she's not after anything with too many gears - something fairly simple for a novice rider. She doesn't seem as keen on the "step through" styles that are around a lot but as she is quite short bodied and also has a back problem I think something with a more upright riding position would be best. My budget is between £200 and £300 (although I could stretch a little for the right one).

So far, the only one she's seen in our Local Bike Shop is a Claud Butler Urban 100 (Ladies 2009) but I believe this is classed as a "Sports Hybrid" and we're worried this could be a bit much for her.
Online, there's a couple in the Mongoose (Crossways) and Land Rover (Tremalzo 2009) ranges that she favours, as well as the Ridgeback Avenida. However, with having such little experience I'm wary of buying online and would much prefer to buy from a store. Incidentally, if anyone can recommend any good bike shops around the Crewe or Stoke-on-Trent areas I would be very grateful.

I really hope someone can help me. I'm ever so sorry for posting what must seem like yet another "What bike?" post but I'm at the end of my tether and I'm to a bit of a time limit. If you could sway me either way towards any of the bikes I've mentioned or can recommend anything else that might meet her needs I would be ever so grateful as well.

Many thanks

 

[Mr Farley]

Hi FB , I'm no expert either and I don't know too much about the bikes you've mentioned . I'm more a racing bike person!

However, I've heard good things about the Carrera Subway from Halfords on here which sounds like it might be the right sort of thing for your Mum. They do a women's version and it's not a step through...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...=listrefine&constraints=sor||Price||1||pag||2

Apparently the police use them?

I'm sure someone will be along with more knowledge than me, but I think that would be a good one to consider. Good luck!

 

[summerdays]

I can't help much ... but size wise I think you are in the right area... my legs are almost 32 and I have a 19" and I'm 5'6". If she goes any larger unless she is looking at a Woman Specific Design she may find she is leaning forward a bit (given her short torso and the fact that women tend to have longer legs than men anyway) - though its probably worth trying the size above.

 

[jethro10]

I'd certainly say you wont go wrong with the Carrera Subway from Halfords either.
Jeff

 

[HobbesChoice]

Hello! I have a sports hybrid and it's really nothing "special" in regards to being sporty. I'd be happy for my Mum to cycle on it and she's nearly 70. It's light (although I've added pannier racks and a bag to it now) and, other than the high leg over to get on it I think it would be appropriate for your/her needs. I wouldn't dismiss it just based on it having "sport" in it's name as it seems that it really is only in the name.

I currently have the Specialized Vita Sport 2009 and have looked at the Claud Butler Urban 100 (nice looking bike by the way) and I genuinely think she'd be ok on it. If that's what she's seen and it's the one she likes I really don't think you'll do much better than that.

 

[Kestevan]

I think there is a Decathlon shop in Stockport. It certainly wouldnt hurt to have a look in there... They do a trekking/tour/hybrid kind of beasty that looks to be pretty good value.

 

[Fierybiscuits]

Thanks for all your replies so far. I've had a look at the Carrera Subway online and I agree it seems a really good and nice looking bike for the money but my mum (who's probably a bit more concerned with the looks than me and has expressed that in an ideal world she wants something blue or purple???!!!) still prefers the Claud Butler. The shop we've found it in is where we've always had our bikes from in the past and the gentleman that runs it has offered us a good deal but I don't really want to jump in without having a proper look round. There's a couple of stores a bit further afield that I was thinking of visiting that stock the Ridgebacks, or I was thinking of venturing out to Manchester to visit Evans.
To be honest my mum is the most indecisive person I know and it'd have to be pretty special to coax a decent reaction out of her. She's now seen a couple of Pinnacle bikes but they only seem to go up to a 'Medium' which I assume is only a 17" frame - does anyone know anything about these??? If I do head out Manchester way then I'll perhaps nip to Stockport to visit Decathlon too, thanks.

 

[summerdays]

I think my Giant is classed as a medium and is 19" so I would check out the size as it could be OK. Also just because you are one size on one bike from one brand - try another and due to the different geometry it may feel smaller or larger than the other bike. It is a case of try it and see I'm afraid.

 

[g00se]

No idea about what these bikes are like, but are these the kind of style you're looking for?

http://www.dawescycles.com/p-261-street-elite-ladies.aspx

http://www.dawescycles.com/p-264-saratoga-ladies.aspx

 

[mcshroom]

Not sure whetehr this helps or just confuses tihngs but I've just bought myself a Claud Butler Classic a couple weeks ago and 150 miles down it seems well put together.

What might be useful is that it has the mudguards, chain guard and pannier rack fitted and there are swept back bars that sit up up straight (although I swapped them for a flat bar with bar ends but that's just me).

 

[jann71]

I have a Pinnacle Borealis from Evans which is a lovely bike to ride!
Can highly recommend going there to "test ride" a few bikes so you can compare them to the one in the LBS. I don't have a local Claude Butler dealer but i did test a Giant hybrid (have Giant road bike) and a Ridgeback, liked the comfort and feel of the Borealis the best.

 

[Scoosh]

Fierybiscuits, I think you might need to move your Mum on a bit, by getting her to have test rides on her current favourites (blue or purple, of course and also the others .

A 'proper' test ride should be for about 20 mins, preferably on the sort of terrain she will be riding later. Bikes are quite 'touchy-feely' things - some just feel wrong, some feel OK, others just right.

A 20 min ride could be quite tiring, so allow plenty of cafe stops in between , to chat about how it went, how it felt etc. Some (even purple ones ) might be eliminated , while other colours might 'pass muster' .

 

[HJ]

I agree with Scooshie ...

 

[Fierybiscuits]

Thanks again. I'm trying to persuade her it's not really all about the colour but whether I'll win or not remains to be seen. On the other hand I guess she needs to have something she really falls in love with so she'll actually use it!!! Definitely going to take her over to Evans at the weekend to have a proper look around. Then at least she has something to compare the one she's seen to. I'm quite keen on the Pinnacle Stratus or the Claud Butler (the Classic seems nice although I thinks she still likes the Urban 100). I guess we'll see.....

 

[Fierybiscuits]

Well....we've been to pick up her new bike today An end of line Carrera Subway in the end. Had a bit of a look yesterday and just by chance spotted it as part of a deal in the corner. Very smart (matt silvery grey) and she's managed to get the bike, pannier rack, pannier bag, light set, full mudguards and bike lock for £310. She seemed to prefer that one to the most recent range tbh. Bit dubious about buying from Halfords after all the reports but luckily the guy that served us seemed to know what he was talking about and spent a good deal of time setting it up to suit her. They've fitted all the various bits and pieces for us and she seems pretty pleased with it anyway so that's the main thing...just waiting for some decent weather so she can take it for a proper ride now!!!!
Thanks for all your advice everyone!!!!