Must have comfortable upright riding position (high handlebar).  Cheaper is better.  No way am I paying $1000-$15,000 for a bike at my age.  I've seen some at $300 but am worried about quality at that price.  Might consider a sixththreezero at $470.  That's most likely my high limit.

 

Living in Florida, I seldom climb any mountains.  🤣  How many gears should I be looking for?  Butt has padding but would much prefer a nicely padded, wide seat.

My wife and I have a couple of Electra Townie’s that we got from REI. They have 7 gears and are about $500 apiece. Fairly upright seating and come with a comfortable seat. There’s a step through version if that’s easier than getting your leg over. REI is great for support if anything gets cattywhompus and it looks like you’re decently close to the Winter Park one.

Glad you mentioned step through as my right leg is permanently swelled from previous blood clots.  Can't lift it very high.  Inner vein will always be filled with a blood clot.  Clot ran from above my knee up into my back where I had a filter.  Luckily it stopped there,  An operation was only able to remove about a quarter of the blood clot according to my doctor.

Update.  Went with the Trek Verve 1 Lowstep Gen 4.  A $700 bike on sale for $450.  It's a step-thru to make it easy for me to mount.  Permanently swelled leg from blood clots limit movement.  Plus I have a short inseam for my height.  Lifetime warranty.  8-speed, 30.1 pounds, kickstand extra from The Hub Cycle ($26.61 w/tax) where I had it delivered.  Arriving tomorrow and they figure that they will be able to have it assembled for me tomorrow.  $50 for assembly with free shipping to the store or $50 shipped to my house and I assemble.  Was an easy decision on where to have the bike delivered.  

 

My nephew bought the Trek Verve 2 Disc Gen 4.  Same price ($800 list).  XL frame as he is 6' 5" tall.  Mine is a Medium size frame.  I'm 5' 10.5" tall, but with a 29/30 inch inseam.  His arrived yesterday and we picked it up today.  Nice bike!  His is not a step-thru.  Medium frame 30.26 pounds but XL size frame weight not given.

 

Also an 8-speed, but he tells me there are 3 speeds on the left grip making it a 24-speed.  Advertised as an 8-speed so can someone tell me why the 3-speed option on the left grip?

 

He took it for a ride (naturally  ) and says it's fast.  Maybe his pedaling has something to do with that.  🤣

On 6/1/2025 at 7:28 PM, new2BC4bass said:

Must have comfortable upright riding position (high handlebar).  Cheaper is better.  No way am I paying $1000-$15,000 for a bike at my age.  I've seen some at $300 but am worried about quality at that price.  Might consider a sixththreezero at $470.  That's most likely my high limit.

 

Living in Florida, I seldom climb any mountains.  🤣  How many gears should I be looking for?  Butt has padding but would much prefer a nicely padded, wide seat.

I just did this for my mom so she can have a bike to ride on her own for fitness and to explore.  I got her the Schwinn Vega but I think that is over priced for what it is.  I would have been better off with a cheaper Schwinn Junction,  some $30 Amazon high rise bars and tan wall 27.5 2.4 XC tires to make basically the same bike for $300. 

 

The Vega has steel bars on a $600 Pacific Cycle bike.  Yeesh.  If it wasnt a brand she likes from her youth and the perfect bike in terms of features of an upright geometry,  1 x drive train (she cant manage what chain ring to be in on a 2x without being coached), 36 tooth chain ring and twist shifter (she struggles with dexterity of trigger shifters after a long ride) then my bike snobbery wouldn't have let me get it.  

On 6/14/2025 at 7:28 PM, new2BC4bass said:

Update.  Went with the Trek Verve 1 Lowstep Gen 4.  A $700 bike on sale for $450.  It's a step-thru to make it easy for me to mount.  Permanently swelled leg from blood clots limit movement.  Plus I have a short inseam for my height.  Lifetime warranty.  8-speed, 30.1 pounds, kickstand extra from The Hub Cycle ($26.61 w/tax) where I had it delivered.  Arriving tomorrow and they figure that they will be able to have it assembled for me tomorrow.  $50 for assembly with free shipping to the store or $50 shipped to my house and I assemble.  Was an easy decision on where to have the bike delivered.  

 

My nephew bought the Trek Verve 2 Disc Gen 4.  Same price ($800 list).  XL frame as he is 6' 5" tall.  Mine is a Medium size frame.  I'm 5' 10.5" tall, but with a 29/30 inch inseam.  His arrived yesterday and we picked it up today.  Nice bike!  His is not a step-thru.  Medium frame 30.26 pounds but XL size frame weight not given.

 

Also an 8-speed, but he tells me there are 3 speeds on the left grip making it a 24-speed.  Advertised as an 8-speed so can someone tell me why the 3-speed option on the left grip?

 

He took it for a ride (naturally  ) and says it's fast.  Maybe his pedaling has something to do with that.  🤣

The the left shifter is for the front derailleur.  I don't have a 3x but I do have bikes with a 2x and it's best to think of it like a low and high range gearing.  You have the smaller chain ring up front to make climbing easier but it's slow and the bigger chain ring is for speed but the pedaling is harder.  On my gravel bike I treat the 2x chain rings like hill climb and speed demon modes.