When my younger daughter who basically didn't ride went to college we got her a Bianchi Milano which served her very well. I replaced the stock bar with a Dove bar and cork grips from RBW, and she loved it. Would need some additions to tick all the requirements you list (lights, rack, armored tires), but probably doable on that budget, particularly if 3 speed igh is ok (3 models w/ different drive trains and different price points).
On Aug 21, 4:12 pm, PATRICK MOORE <bertin...@gmail.com> wrote: > A friend wants to take up commuting to her job at Intel, some 4 miles > from her house in Rio Rancho: rolling terrain with 200-300 feet of > climbing (I estimate) between Intel and her house. Mid '50s, hasn't > ridden in five or six years, has residual car accident neck injury > that requires an upright position. > > She mistakenly bought a $150 POC (technical term) "comfort bike" that > has never been satisfactory and which I persuaded her was not worth > attempting to fix or upgrade. > > Her budget is $1,000 or less, and I believe that for such money she > can find a decent city bike with fenders, chain guard, good rack, dyno > lights, wide range hub gear -- not non-negotiable, tho' thought-proof > shifting is, mattress saddle and decent wheels. Tires: she won't fix > flats, so it's either "thorn proof" tubes or something like an > Armadillo if the Armadillo or substitute is proof against goatheads. I > guess I can use the local "system" which consists in cutting the beads > off an old tire and using the remaining casing as a tire liner. > > Although she has owned, apparently, at least one decent Trek, she is > entirely ignorant of what to buy -- her last attempt resulted in that > Big 5 $150 POS/POC -- so it looks as if I can set the parameters and > standards (!!!) and my little mind says "city bike" or converted UJB > or touring bike, and not "converted mountain bike". > > I'd like to see any of y'all's such examples or near examples, > including photos. > > I've seen some very nice modern, aluminum-framed city bikes -- > Amersterdams, a very nice Specialized Sports clone, etc. -- but I'm > sure y'all have built up others on other plans. Please give total > budget for your build, too. I am afraid that she can't afford a > Rivendell, but I'd like to get her something "Rivendellianesque". > > Thanks. > > -- > "When in Rome, do as they done in Milledgeville." > > Flannery O'Connor > > ------------------------- > Patrick Moore, Albuquerque, NM, USA > For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, > ACRWhttp://resumespecialties.com/index.html > ------------------------- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
