Buying a bike for a 70 year old untrained man - what sort of gearing is needed?

[Shrike]

Dad's birthday coming up and I was set on getting him an eBike. He had some bike shaped thing in the garage that he took out occasionally and nearly died each time trying to get up the hill outside his home. Must hit 15% or so at it's worst. Actually don't know how he climbed it, bike was some mountain bike with 21 gears. This thing:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diamondback-M0 ... B00GTWMRJK

So I know secretly he'd love a good bike and he's always eyeing up roadies in their kit and saying that should be him out on his bike when mum's out dragging him shopping

I'm thinking now not to go with the eBike as it adds complexity and weighs a ton. Maybe some light endurance bike with easy gears would feel better. He could also stick it on the indoor trainer (I'm donating one of my Tacx Neo's to him and setting up a Zwift studio there. He doesn't know what Zwift is yet, but he will love it).

He's very active, not retired, bit overweight but he hates being overweight and loves fitness. He used to have a Peugeot race bike when I was a teenager. He loved that thing, and now I'd love it for posing around town but mum gave it to charity some years back.

Anyone have any experience shopping around for their old man? Any ideas what sort of gearing someone of his age and around 85kg would need to get up pretty tough hills? Are there any of the more recently endurance bikes that have appropriate gearing for him?

[mattr]

Touring bike?
Spa Cycles?
My dad was eyeing one up a couple of years ago.
All cables, no hydraulics, no STis IIRC so easy (and cheap) to look after.

[jih]

48-36-24 triple up front and 12-32 in the rear. That’s a pretty good range for climbing slowly and descending not too slowly. Or, change the triple for a sub-compact double.

[mattr]

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p286 ... -Triple%29

[none]

I bought my 80 y-o in-law a ebike back in NOV 2018, he's got a little mobility issues but still likes to go fishing at the pier about 6 miles from home. No off pavement rides, mostly below 15mph.
I bought a step-thru model, 500w motor, 48v12Ah, 7-speed, 3 level pedal assist for $1299 shipped to driveway.
My in-law is just over 5' tall, no desire to go anywhere quickly, just enjoys being outside, and out for a casual ride.

[Shrike]

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p286 ... -Triple%29

Nice bike that. Classy looking too. I want to go for something that looks sporty, younger looking. Wondering if a 34 on the front and 34 on the back is enough, I see a lot of lower end models have Sora 9 speed with 50/34, 11-34..

[AJS914]

You guys should go to the bike shop together and do some test riding and get a feel for what is out there.

Personally, I don't like buying bikes for people. It never works out. It's better to help someone buy a bike they really want.

If money is an issue then look in the used market after test riding a bunch of new bikes and knowing what he wants.

[TheRich]

Dad's birthday coming up and I was set on getting him an eBike. He had some bike shaped thing in the garage that he took out occasionally and nearly died each time trying to get up the hill outside his home. Must hit 15% or so at it's worst. Actually don't know how he climbed it, bike was some mountain bike with 21 gears. This thing:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diamondback-M0 ... B00GTWMRJK

So I know secretly he'd love a good bike and he's always eyeing up roadies in their kit and saying that should be him out on his bike when mum's out dragging him shopping

I'm thinking now not to go with the eBike as it adds complexity and weighs a ton. Maybe some light endurance bike with easy gears would feel better. He could also stick it on the indoor trainer (I'm donating one of my Tacx Neo's to him and setting up a Zwift studio there. He doesn't know what Zwift is yet, but he will love it).

He's very active, not retired, bit overweight but he hates being overweight and loves fitness. He used to have a Peugeot race bike when I was a teenager. He loved that thing, and now I'd love it for posing around town but mum gave it to charity some years back.

Anyone have any experience shopping around for their old man? Any ideas what sort of gearing someone of his age and around 85kg would need to get up pretty tough hills? Are there any of the more recently endurance bikes that have appropriate gearing for him?

Sounds like a perfect candidate for an ebike to me, if the intent is to ride it outside.

[fromtrektocolnago]

compact gearing with a 34 casette. he'll be fine

[mattr]

TBH, where does he live and whats the riding like?
If he's active but not a cyclist per se, wouldn't he be better off with something he can easily use on gravel trails/sustrans/white roads.

Looking sporty will be f**k all use for an overweight bloke in his 70's.
Which is why my dad was looking at the Spa stuff, clearance for big tyres and guards, low gears, durable, cheap parts. Cos he lives slap bang in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales. So in the summer he really would need to get off the roads.

[Calnago]

Sounds like he’s probably got at least an idea of what he likes or might like if he saw it, so I’d say your role should just be to take him along and show him the options but let him make the final decision.
For Christmas, one of my more regular “clients” got me a nice POC helmet. I really wish people would not buy me cycling stuff, just because they know I’m into cycling stuff. If there is anything out there that I want, I will have it, at my own choosing. This was no different. He loves his POC helmet but I happen to think they’re about the ugliest things on a head and remind me of growing up playing hockey in Canada. So, anyway, I thanked him for the gesture but just said I have enough helmets and that he should give it to someone else or return it.

[RussellS]

Not really much comment on which bike to get. But I ride with numerous 60 and 70 year old men. They have all been riding for decades. They use regular racing style bikes. Not hybrids, not heavy. Riding is fairly flat. Paved trails and county roads and city streets. If your dad has steep hills to climb, I'd suggest at least one to one gearing if not lower. And don't even give a second thought to how high the high gear is. Its less important than the cricket on the other side of the world. Junior gearing that starts with 14 cog would be ideal if the big cog is big enough.

[bm0p700f]

I would fit a sub compact and junior gearing. Triple means low end STI now.

A 46-30 and 13-34t cassette would be a nice range.

[anykarthik]

My commuter/gravel/cx bike (Lynskey cooper cx) has a 48/32 Praxis chainset with a 11-36 Sram cassette. Ultegra RX clutched derailleur, Shimano 685 series (last gen hydraulic mechanical) STI shifters. All combinations work.

If a mtb crankset q-factor is acceptable, you could even go 44/28 front mtb crankset I think, and continue to use STI shifters.

I'm a fan of wide-range gearing and I'm 38!

[SilentDrone]

My dad got into road biking at 70. Now he’s 76 and he crushes 50 milers. It makes him happy, and noticeably fitter.

As for the bike, he loves the Trek FX sport 6. It’s essentially a Domane with 105 spec and a flat bar. Did you know Shimano makes a 105 trigger shifter for the flat bars? Yep. Looks and feels just like the XT shifter pod.

I think something like the FX might be perfect for your dad.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk