I'm looking to get my wife a step through bike with what I would call mild MTB capabilities . It doesn't NEED to be electric, although I'm struggling to find anything without a motor that has reasonable off road capabilities - does anyone have any suggestions? She is 6'2" which means an xl in most step through designs - even then she has to change bars/ headstems to get comfortable. So there is zero chance of walking into a local store and trying a bike for fit.
She is currently riding a norco scene - it's surprisingly capable but terrifying to watch - the low bottom bracket has her close to pedal strikes even on green runs, and when she tackles blue runs with drops / rocks my anxiety levels go through the roof. Having said that, I'm amazed at how much more comfortable she is on this bike compared to her old Merida hard tail MTB - the upright riding position, step through frame, and relaxed ergonomics allow her to wander through the tracks at a pace she is happy with. She will be keeping the norco as an urban bike
She doesn't really need the complexity of a motor - she can easily keep up with me on the levo sl for moderate gradients , we're just intending to wander through the bush rather than tackle gravity runs, and I'm a little afraid that a full power ebike will have her riding faster than she should. Having said that, most of the normal step through bikes I can find seem urban biased rather than off road capable , so if we need to go to an emtb then I'm ok with that.
I'm comfortable with the cost of upgrading forks/ brakes etc if there is something with a solid frame and decent geometry, and I'll definitely be fitting a dropper post (possibly a suspension dropper) . I'd prefer something with 27.5 wheels for a good balance between agility and robust construction (plus tyre choice suitable for mtb riding) .
I doubt she will accept a reise mueler - even though they make a lot of sense , the aesthetic doesn't match her idea of cycling.
The closest thing I can find is a merida espresso cc https://www.merida-bikes.com/en-au/bike/2172/espresso-cc-600-eq but that's going to need extensive modification - at the very least I'd convert it to an internal geared hub , replace the forks with something more robust and slightly longer travel, and those brakes would definitely need upgrading!
I wish it was possible to get a frey cc in Australia ! I suspect that after riding one she would accept the looks.
She is currently riding a norco scene - it's surprisingly capable but terrifying to watch - the low bottom bracket has her close to pedal strikes even on green runs, and when she tackles blue runs with drops / rocks my anxiety levels go through the roof. Having said that, I'm amazed at how much more comfortable she is on this bike compared to her old Merida hard tail MTB - the upright riding position, step through frame, and relaxed ergonomics allow her to wander through the tracks at a pace she is happy with. She will be keeping the norco as an urban bike
She doesn't really need the complexity of a motor - she can easily keep up with me on the levo sl for moderate gradients , we're just intending to wander through the bush rather than tackle gravity runs, and I'm a little afraid that a full power ebike will have her riding faster than she should. Having said that, most of the normal step through bikes I can find seem urban biased rather than off road capable , so if we need to go to an emtb then I'm ok with that.
I'm comfortable with the cost of upgrading forks/ brakes etc if there is something with a solid frame and decent geometry, and I'll definitely be fitting a dropper post (possibly a suspension dropper) . I'd prefer something with 27.5 wheels for a good balance between agility and robust construction (plus tyre choice suitable for mtb riding) .
I doubt she will accept a reise mueler - even though they make a lot of sense , the aesthetic doesn't match her idea of cycling.
The closest thing I can find is a merida espresso cc https://www.merida-bikes.com/en-au/bike/2172/espresso-cc-600-eq but that's going to need extensive modification - at the very least I'd convert it to an internal geared hub , replace the forks with something more robust and slightly longer travel, and those brakes would definitely need upgrading!
I wish it was possible to get a frey cc in Australia ! I suspect that after riding one she would accept the looks.
