[Closed] I'm looking for a girly laydees shopping bike for a laydee

May be out of the price range - but the bike all girls love

http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/poppy-blush-pink.html

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Yeah, it's a bit dear...

http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=266&pg=10635

http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=1&pt=266&pg=10638

http://dawescycles.com/product/duchess-cream/

My Wife's been moaning recently that her mountain bike (that she chose after I repeatedly asked her 'is it comfortable?'....'are you sure it's what you want?' etc.) is not that comfortable for pottering about on.
So, I've been looking at something a bit more 'sit up & beg' for her. The above is what I've found so far.....

edit - fails on the pink requirement, unfortunately.

Love the Halfords reviews for that - "Halfords did not (sic) titan..."

I'd go Dutch, Batavus, Gazelle - etc they do shopping/town bikes properly. I use a Batavus Personal and it does the lot, stable, doesn't rust, 3 speed hub gears, roller brakes, dynamo, lights inbuilt lock, confident and balanced. More money (unless second user) but for this type of bike a better long-term low-maintenace and feelgood investment than Halfords IMO and the normally the aftermarket accesories are already built in.

Stick Batavus or Gazelle search into Ebay?I notice there's a nice pink Diva currently up for offers...

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Purely for comdey effect, you understand, I rode my SiL's Pashley Brittannia (?) round Stratford upon Avon recently. Frankly it was quite a revelation, like sitting on a very comfortable (if slight odd perched) chair and being handed a set of handlebars.

Oh man, I think we have a winner (thanks stumpy)

http://dawescycles.com/product/hippy-duchess-citron/

Personally I think dutchie's look great - but only in black!

http://www.dutchie.co.uk/classic-ladies-bike.html

Get yourself on the 'bay and buy an old Pashley. They've not changed in the last 40 years.

We did exactly that when Mrs D wanted one. In the end we paid £200 for one that had spent it's life at someone's holiday home on the south coast, and was in 'as new' condition. Sturmey Archer 3 speed, brooks and rod brakes; it's fantastic! I decided i'd service the hub, but as soon as i started to strip it i realised that it was prestine inside.

What's the budget?

There are these for £300-350 from Bobbin and are both available in pink. (Please excuse the LL links - they may be available from other outlets but I've seen them in the local LL)

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[url= http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/16283/bobbin-metropole-womens-hybrid-road-bike-2014 ]Bobbin Metropole[/url]

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[url= http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/9201/bobbin-brownie-womens-commuter-bike-2013 ]Bobbin Brownie[/url]

Oh but +1 on Malvernrider's Batavus suggestion. We've got an old Dutch that sits outside in all weathers and only has the tiniest bit of rust on the cranks. We brought it back from Amsterdam when we moved back and it was my wife's first brand new bike and is great.

I can't imagine riding a bike geared for the Netherlands around Malvern though that must be quite a slog at times MR?

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/the-sultan-of-swing-and-the-pink-lady-here-for-your-purchasing-pleasure ]Pink Laydee..[/url]
Seen this the other day and thought it was nice..

[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ladies-dutch-loop-style-pink-bike-with-sprung-leather-saddle-southampton-skyride-/281395287991?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item41847757b7 ]nice?[/url] if you like pink!

Shame it's a single gear.

Yeah the Batavus Personal is a heft in hilly country, 3 speed Nexus - even after changing sprocket and ring it's usable but fully loaded up a mad hill I struggle. I use it regularly and happily in other climes, mostly on the flat or gentle hills for shopping and beach 8) duties for which it was intended.

A seven speed hub option would be better, there's loads of them around. Never understood why British shopping bikes are stuck in the dark ages with rim brakes, cheap derailleurs/few accesories and cheap rust-magnet claptrap

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Another vote for bobbin they are decent bikes for the money.

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Oh ye gods. I kind of want one. But in black. with a Triumph headbadge 8)

Don't know where you are OP, not that it matters, but you could do worse than give Rob a call at Really Useful Bikes (nr Brizzle) - very helpful chap, knows a thing or two about shoppers. I bought my (demo model) ute from him some years ago, mainly because he was helpful and didn't try and sell me anything!

Those style of bikes are a phenomenon round here - so many girls ride them!

(*[i]Those style of bikes[/i] - Feel free to correct my English in your head)

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/someone-on-here-was-after-one-of-these-specialized-dutch-bike-things ]Think this was meant here?[/url]

That's actually pretty smart, definitely not BSO..

There is a British company that isn't Pashley that does nice reasonably priced ladies' bikes- I thought the name was a day of the week but it turns out it isn't according to google.

I'd avoid Gazelles/Batavus etc. In a nation with moderate inclines they are very painful for a less strong rider to ride, and a pain to work on if anything goes wrong.

MrsDummy desperately wanted a Pashley. They are very fine. However, the wretched things weigh a tonne, and have fairly limited gearing. That has meant that:

- she couldn't pedal it up hills;
- she couldn't carry it up and down stairs;
- she found it surprisingly difficult to do things like moving it around when locking it up, putting it away, taking it out of the shed etc.

It ended up almost completely unused, and was recently supplanted by a nice light hybrid.

On-one have some alloy female hybrid frames for £49.
Mrs takisawa2's is being built at the moment.
It's light!!![*]

[url= http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_14552_productId_871172_langId_-1_categoryId_null ]If it's good enough for VP...[/url]

If it's good enough for VP

If it's good enough for VP's [b]pension fund[/b]

There are no bad shopping bikes. I may race a nice, fast carbon road bike, but going into town (aka badlands of bike theft), the Sparta Ladies (actually a girl's) Dutch shopper with panniers is the first bike I choose. Mine was £100 used, and I added a long seatpost.

[img] ?oh=7dcf47e9a5f8c3f32762079c0981627d&oe=543D9FFD&__gda__=1413562168_dc4dec6e824275c5193ac8869608863f[/img]

These bikes are heavy, so I would recommend at least five gears. Hub brakes are also a nice to have, as is a front hub dynamo, fully enclosed drivechain, and of course, a nice set of panniers. Cost for these features will be about £700. A functional bike with V-brakes, mudguards and rack will be £300 plus accessories. Bobbin are nice, VP's the same. Pashley for more discerning customers, and of course Dawes for tradition. That Specialized Globe is a (much lighter) abomination 😉

Charge Hob is a good looking ladies bike if you can find one.

ctk - Member
Charge Hob is a good looking ladies bike if you can find one.

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No it's not. Fast it may be compared to the shoppers but the looks, only a mother could love

My missus bought a pashley poppy for the looks and hated the ride - uncomfortable, heavy, limited gearing range, sketchy when standing up, very rattly on bumps and surprisingly fast handling in a bad way!

Only good thing was it held its value and we sold it for £350 two years after purchase - was in great condition.

She bought a road bike, much happier now...

Try the Pendeltons from Halfords, cheap as chips but brilliant bikes.

Evening,

Mrs Flash rode the coast to Coast on a Pashley Princess and dresses, as a concession she did wear padded shorts and existed on Jelly Babies