# Which bike should I buy for my wife? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955 "2015-04-18T01:34:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/41 "2015-04-22T18:02:55Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Go whole hog and get a [Monkey Light](http://www.monkeylectric.com/wheel_light_comparison/) for her. Kripes. That one is almost a grand. I’ll stick with the Hello Kit reflectors I bought for ten bucks! ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/42 "2015-04-22T18:15:42Z")
Electra makes some great (though kinda expensive) cruisers: > **[Electra Bicycle Company | Bikes & Accessories - Electra Bikes](https://electra.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/)** > > The only hard part about riding an Electra bike is choosing which one to get. They're all easy to ride and they look amazing. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/43 "2015-04-23T01:14:09Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Kripes. That one is almost a grand. > > I’ll stick with the Hello Kit reflectors I bought for ten bucks! Check some car or motorcycle shop for odd-sized pink ground effect/tube lights and get a cheap generator you can mount to the rear tire. (If there is a version II I’m almost tempted to kick in on the kitty just to see how outlandish we could make it. And this is coming from someone who basically rides a motorized Holstein cow.) ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/44 "2015-04-23T19:55:09Z")
Or you can do [this](http://www.amazon.com/Hello-Kitty-Cruiser-17-Inch-26-Inch/dp/B00E1XWDHA?tag=pinkbfw-20) and save yourself the heartbreak of crooked stickers… Or have a look at [this](http://www.pinkbikesforwomen.com/pink-cruiser/) for a few more options. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/45 "2015-04-24T01:53:14Z")
My only concern is that a bike will be purchased that is inefficient (and eventually a pain to ride) and potentially unsafe. Cheap, big-box store bikes typically have steel rims which have significantly increased braking distance to the extent that they are borderline ineffective. They are also unnecessarily heavy, simply by virtue of being badly engineered. Would you go to Target or Walmart and buy a $2000 car simply because of its colour? Either buy a used, good hybrid bike or go to an actual bike shop and spend $500 or $600 and you’ll have something that will last. Get the skinniest tires you can for a hybrid, or a city bike, with fenders and a rear rack. As previous posters have mentioned, an internal gear system in the rear hub is also a good option. Do whatever decorating has to be done once you’ve chosen a good bike. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/46 "2015-04-24T04:30:01Z")
This thread reminds me of the time many years ago when my sister-in-law was looking for a new bike, and she asked my husband for advice. He excitedly took her to the local bike shop where he got his bike. He tried to tell her that these bikes were much higher quality than those from the big box stores, but she got complete sticker shock and could not believe that anyone would ever pay that much for a bicycle. She and her husband ended up getting matching bikes from Walmart. They still have them and are perfectly happy with their purchase–the bikes live on hooks in the top of their garage and are taken down about once a year for a ride and then put away. Would they ride more often if they had better bikes? Probably not, in their case. A bike shop bike would probably have been overkill for such infrequent use. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/47 "2015-04-24T05:57:26Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/48 "2015-04-24T06:06:29Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > My only concern is that a bike will be purchased that is inefficient (and eventually a pain to ride) and potentially unsafe. Cheap, big-box store bikes typically have steel rims which have significantly increased braking distance to the extent that they are borderline ineffective. They are also unnecessarily heavy, simply by virtue of being badly engineered. > > Would you go to Target or Walmart and buy a $2000 car simply because of its colour? > > Either buy a used, good hybrid bike or go to an actual bike shop and spend $500 or $600 and you’ll have something that will last. Get the skinniest tires you can for a hybrid, or a city bike, with fenders and a rear rack. As previous posters have mentioned, an internal gear system in the rear hub is also a good option. Do whatever decorating has to be done once you’ve chosen a good bike. #1 and #2 look pretty sketchy on the braking front - don’t get caught in the rain with those. #3 looks acceptable though. I would actually try performance bike shop or maybe Dicks - a serious LBS would be overkill in my opinion. Don’t agree with getting skinny tires - I don’t see where the OP wants to sacrifice comfort for speed. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/49 "2015-04-24T13:12:00Z")
> [@orderfire](#): > > A quick suggestion to the OP - have you checked out Priority Bicycles? Very neat, my man friend and I just bought ours at \<$400 bucks. They’re well made, low maintenence and fun to ride. I’m pretty much like your wife - a little afraid of getting on a bike after 30+ years, so this is a nice bike to ease back in with. Granted, there’s no Hello Kitty stuff but you can always customize with stickers and streamers. > > [http://www.prioritybicycles.com/](http://www.prioritybicycles.com/) interesting, thanks for sharing that link! ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/50 "2015-05-10T20:50:15Z")
Alright. Went with [#1](http://s211.photobucket.com/user/pkbites/media/Hello%20Kitty/GetAttachment2%203.jpg.html). Put it together like I have for at least 24 other bikes in my life. It’s just fine. Sheesh. Some of you sounded like old grannies with your posts.Doll and me are the grandparents in these parts. What’s your problem, juniors? Besides, if she puts even 100 miles on it in her lifetime I’ll be surprised. I put all of the [Hello Kitty](http://s211.photobucket.com/user/pkbites/library/Hello%20Kitty?sort=3&page=1) stuff on it. Looks guady like I said it would. But it’s what she wanted so what the heck. And before some of you freak out, as you can see by the pictures I got her a helmet. Which I’m sure she’ll probably never wear.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/51 "2015-05-10T22:26:11Z")
Good job! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/52 "2015-05-10T22:39:42Z")
Awesome:cool: ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955/53 "2015-05-10T23:36:01Z")
Adorable! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-bike-should-i-buy-for-my-wife/717955.md?page=2)