Biria Easy Boarding 7

By Tania Lo

I was on the hunt for a bike that would make cycling while pregnant easy and comfortable. I’d found that as my new growing friend in the belly took up more room, I had to abandon riding my bikes with horizontal top tubes. I went out searching for bikes made for those of us with a smaller range of motion in the hips and, from what I hear, upcoming balance challenges.

I found the Biria Easy Boarding 7, a unique aluminum step-through frame bike designed in Germany. The model I tried came with a 7-speed Shimano derailleur with grip shifter, upright handlebars, kickstand, rear rack, and fenders. I also asked for a bell and a rear detachable basket ($25-50 CAD) for my laptop bag.

Out of habit I threw my leg over the rear wheel and then laughed at myself for not easily stepping through the frame. The ride was incredibly smooth and stable. I was cruising through the flats feeling very comfortable. When I came to an incline I did wish I had a few more gears. I asked what my options were. The vendor suggested changing the freewheel to one with a mega-range, or changing the front chain ring ($30-40) for a better gear ratio. The other options would be to go for EB Lite 8 model or the Super Lite 8 that come with a Shimano Nexus Internal 8 speed hub.

While cruising on the flats was seamless, I felt a “thwumping” from the front rim when braking downhill. The brakes were touching a seam on the inexpensive stock rim which resulted in less than smooth braking at higher speeds. After a while, I stopped noticing the “thwumping” and it had no real effect on my braking.

This bike retails for an accessible $450 US ($500 CAD) and is a great value for someone riding a bike for the first time, or who might have smaller range of motion in the hips, or who is expecting a baby. The EB7 comes in two sizes: 40 cm (15.5”) and 46 cm (18”). ?

biria.com