Has anyone bought a good step-thru bike recently as I'm too off balance to get over the crossbar on my current mountain bike?

[Caroj]

[export]

HI Caro do you mean you are looking for a ladies mountain bike

or some thing else .Could it be any bike.

yours . EXPORT

[Caroj in reply to export]

Hi I've been looking at step-thru bikes but don't want anything too heavy as I've spent years riding a lightweight Trek mountain bike which i'm very sad not to be able to ride anymore

[rogstr]

I had the same problem. I've ridden for years 1000+ miles a year, my last "big bike" was a Cannondale

road bike. But since I lost a lot od stamina along with my balance, distance riding is behind me. So I bought a Brompton, and English folding bike. Low enough to step through, six speeds with high and low gear range like my Cannondale, and I can travel with it.

[Caroj in reply to rogstr]

Thanks I have considered this and a friend who has one is going to lend it to me so that I can try it out. They are quite expensive but I've seen some used ones on ebay

[Thumbpick]

Have you heard of or considered a recumbent trike?

greenspeed.com.au/anura_mai... - example of a "delta" style trike b/c the frame has three points... click on "pics"

Or, there are other styles, incl. folding versions.:

bing.com/images/search?q=re...

The following is excerpted from:

velovision.co.uk/showStory....

Recumbent Trikes

As with bikes, trikes cover a wide range of riding styles, from heavy touring to racing. The main distinction in terms of layout is the placing of the wheels. Tadpole trikes have two wheels at the front for steering, and one driven wheel at the back. (They are called tadpole because of this shape - fatter at the front, tailing off to thinner at the back). The alternative is the Delta layout, with one wheel for steering at the front, and two wheels at the back, with either one, or both being driven. Steering is almost always under the seat, with the handlebars placed just where your hands tend to fall when you sit down. As with bikes, seating can be more or less upright, with the lower seating giving a speedier, more aerodynamic ride.

Most trike manufacturers have machines suitable for touring, which include luggage carrying capacity, a medium to high seat, and possibly rear wheel, or full, suspension. The most upright models, like the Anthrotech, the Catrike Villager and the ICE Adventure are also easier to get in and out of, with the seat up at around knee level. Other tourers are more low slung, with plenty of models from ICE, Catrike, Challenge, Greenspeed and HPV. Suspension is becoming more common, especially on rear wheels,

But... they can be hard to find... many, if not most, regular bike shops do not carry them. In any case, be ready for sticker shock!

If anyone is interested I have a Greenspeed Anura (in green color, not yellow) for sale.

[Caroj in reply to Thumbpick]

thanks yes my nephew who has cerebral palsy rides a recumbant trike. It has a big flag for visibility but I wouldn't feel safe being so low down and would struggle to get off and on it. I may investigate conventional trikes though.

[Thumbpick in reply to Caroj]

Actually, the delta style is quite easy to mount/dismount, and, while you don't sit as high as a two-wheeler, it's not bad at all. And, yes, I have a bright orange flag for visibility. The tadpole style, which was what I thought I wanted b/c is was smaller, closer to the ground, and very stable (i.e., not likely to tip b/c of the lower center of gravity), was too low for me to get out of.