I know of two really nice, surprisingly lightweight bicycles that are a traditional step-through design. They are by Raleigh and Gary Fisher, and thus should be somewhat easy to access, although the Raleigh in its nicest version will be hard to find on a shop’s floor, since shops are reluctant to stock hybrids as expensive as these.

Both of the bikes below feature an 8-spd shimano Alfine hub- which is waaay lighter than the previous nexus generation that is still pretty commonly used. That being said, the gears are internal and you get hassle-free shifting that you don’t even have to pedal to shift! Also, said gears are protected from the elements, and you get the cool aesthetic of a single-speed-looking bike. I wouldn’t worry about having 8 gears (you said you wanted 14) because the RANGE of the 8 gears is almost that of a 21-speed! Its the range that matters, not the numbers. I find 8 to be plenty, and the easiest gear is easy enough to climb pennsylvania hills with panniers!

The main difference between the two bikes is the frame material; Raleigh uses steel, (“steel is real”, real comfortable that is!) which is though of as more forgiving yet heavier than aluminum, but I swear the frame is surprisingly light! The Fisher is aluminum, and lightweight. The weight of the Fisher comes from its fenders and components. But a rep said they spent a lot of time designing that frame to be light, and its lighter than most of their mountain bike frames. The bikes have similiar components, notably that Alfine rear hub which is SWEET.

On a side note, I ride a 2008 Specialized Globe City 6 Step-through with the Nexus 8 spd internal hub, generator lights, and fenders. I love my bike for commuting and find the step through feature convenient when my rear rack is loaded with groceries (leg doesn’t have to fight giant load of stuff in back when dismounting) and I’m flexible, young, and consider myself a fairly hip lady. This bike has since changed since that model year and has gotten heavier and more expensive. It shifts like a dream but would be even lighter and smoother with that Alfine hub. Anyway, sorry for the long rant, but I have a considerable passion for well-made functional bicycles.

Raleigh Superbe Roadster: (The women’s frame isn’t easy to find, it is the same as pictured from the “classic roadster” navigator tab.)
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/hybrid/superbe-roadster/

Gary Fisher Simple City:
http://fisherbikes.com/bike/model/simple-city-8-stepthru

Good luck on your quest for the perfect bike.

I was really lucky that i went to a bike store that really knew what they were talking about. As such, to compensate for the fact that on a 56-58 i just can’t reach the handlebars, they put me on a 54cm cannondale caad9, and fitted the bike with a shorter stem with a bigger ºangle, turned the stem upside down (so it tilts upwards, rather than downwards), which means it is now a perfect fit.

Whilst the WSD bikes come with this all already done, the choice is really limited, and i recommend that you call bike stores ahead and check that they can fit you. In my case they put the bike on a turbo so that i could try it out for size and then made adjustments.

I guess I could go with the Masi in the above picture and drop allot of money on it. However I wish I could go to my local bike store and see some step throughs that do not have suspension on them and have good components. I dream of the Masi in the above picture with at least 14 gears and at somewhere I can test. Instead I only see trek, specialized, ect with there super fat tubes and heavy suspensions everywhere labeled women’s comfort bikes.

Anyone have any ideas?

The closest I can find is the raleigh detour line.

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/women/2009-womens/detour-65/

Specialized is bad, IMHO on doing a shrink it and pink it with their WSD bikes. Girlie designs and not a lot of difference in top tube from the non wsd. But I’m 5’6″ with the torso of someone 6 inches smaller, so I’m a little biased on top tube length.