My Mom Loves Her Trek Lime Three Speed

I went to visit my parents in Salem, Oregon, and my mom was excited to show me her new bike. It is a Trek Lime, which is a bike I had never seen before, with an electronic three speed automatic shifter in the rear hub, powered by a generator in the front hub.

My mom, who is seventy-something, was visibly enthused about the Lime, which she rides around their flat Salem neighborhoods: to her piano jazz improvisation lessons, Pilates class, tennis foursome, pool, library, and coffee dates with a circle of older women who call themselves “The Dames.” (Yeah, she’s a rockin’ woman-about-town, my mom. You should hear her play Ain’t Misbehavin’ on her Steinway grand piano).

Mom takes up the story:

On the Lime it I feel both comfortable and confident. Previously, I had a hand-me-down bike that had been turned in at the local bike shop by an older woman.  I think it had ten gears. I never felt comfortable with the gear shift and (sad, but true) got easily confused about whether to move the gear up or down, left or right.

Power to the hub = power to the people!

At our neighborhood pool, I described this problem to my friend who is the manager of Scott’s Cycle, and he remarked the latest thing is this automatic shift bike, with coaster brakes. Within a week I was at the store trying it out and instantly just felt comfortable.

It’s light enough I can bring it inside at the tennis center so I don’t have to worry someone will steal it. I can ride it with ease and real pleasure, pretty free of anxiety. What a boon! It’s pretty, too.

So I ask you, what could be better than having a bicycle you love so much that it just calls out to you to ride it, a bike so fun that you look for excuses to leave the car in the garage and ride to your destination?!

That’s bikejuju!