Cycling UK Forum

I'm not a serious cyclist, I use it mainly for shopping as carrying bags is something I find difficult. Local terrain is undulating but not challenging and for the most part I can get by without changing gear, which is just as well because reduced manual dexterity means I don't find the lever all that easy to use and lack of maintenance (only myself to blame!) on my existing bike makes derailleur-type gear selection a bit of a hit and miss affair anyway. Whatever I replace the bike with, I think it will have Sturmey Archer type 3 speed hub gears, hopefully on a twist-grip change, because it's only a matter of time before my knees complain as much as my arms!

Existing bike, complete with rack and panniers, weighs about 37 lbs if my bathroom scales are to be believed.

I know the geometry of different styles of bikes varies enormously. Someone on ebay is selling brand new Dutch-style handlebars which for the sake of a tenner might be worth trying, but for the fact that I think I would get my knees tangled up with them when mounting/dismounting as I get the impression the distance from saddle to steering head is greater on a continental style roadster than a Halfords pretend mountain bike. Is anyone able to shed some light here?

Lots of food for thought and please everybody keep the advice coming.

I shall have to weigh my existing bike because I have no idea what the various weights quoted actually feel like and as djknotts observed, years ago when I was young and still had upper body strength, weight wan't an issue. I do take my bike on the train occasionally and have to carry it up and down steps to the platform, not something I relish but you develop a knack!

I've looked at the Halfords bike at my local store and the bars aren't as swept back as I'd like but initial impression of the machine was good. Shame it's Halfords, I lost complete faith in them when it took two staff best part of an hour to assemble a cycle carrier and they had parts left over.

On advice I've edited the subject line. Interestingly to date nobody has mentioned Dutchie at all.

Years ago I had a Raleigh Superbe rod brake district nurse type bike which I remember as being very comfortable. I'm in my 50s now and in recent years I have been riding a Halfords cheapie, but am getting pain in my arms which seems to be related to the handlebars being too straight. It's probably not worth changing the bars on my current bike so I'm looking at buying something with old-fashioned bars with a proper return on them. I want a ladies frame and I'm tall, I think my Superbe was a 21" frame. Most of my cycling is to the shops and back; sometimes I go further afield but 10 miles is probably my limit. Some small hills but nothing strenuous, rather than change gear I just get out of the saddle (I know, not doing my knees any good at all!) or get off and push. I googled "ladies sit up and beg bicycle" and got a hit for Dutchie.co.uk. Does anybody have any experience of them? They seem to do only one frame size and suggest it's suitable for a wide range of leg lengths, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's comfortable for all those leg lengths. Would I be better spending more money on a Pashley? What alternatives are out there? Are there any dealerships within sensible travelling distance of Wiltshire that offer test rides of this sort of bike?