Fifty Plus (50+) - Avoid Electra Townie

If any of you are in the market for a "flat foot" bike (the rider can put his/her feet on the ground while sitting on the seat) I would advise not buying the Electra Townie. I recently purchased one for my wife which enabled her to get some exercise after her advancing arthritis made her old road bike too uncomfortable to ride. Unfortunately, helping her to ride again is the end of the good news concerning this bike. So far, I have had to deal with squeaking dry hub bearings, erratic noisy shifting caused by the chain being six links too long and flat tires caused by too-narrow rim bands. The bike seems to be made of cheap components assembled by people who just don't care. The good news(for you) is that this "flat foot" idea is nothing new and certainly nothing unique to the Townie. I suggest shopping the Giant Revive and Suede, Trek Sole Ride, Raleigh Gruv and Specialized Expedition. These are just the ones I've noticed, there are probably others. It seems like Electra hasn't been around very long and seems to concentrate on "cruiser" type bikes with flowers on the fenders. I suggest buying from a "real" bicycle company with a good reputation that has been around a while. Don't be me! Avoid impulse buying and ride a bunch of bikes before making a purchase.

...Avoid impulse buying and ride a bunch of bikes before making a purchase.

Hi JRS!

I agree with your last sentence whole heartedly!

Ironically, my experience with the Electra Townie was almost a mirror image of yours! My Townie was durable, reasonably well-made for the price, and held its value extremely well on resale. I had none of the problems you did. The ONLY problem I had with my Townie was a twist-grip-shifter misadjustment that was cured on the spot. I guess this variation between our experiences speaks poorly of Electra's quality control!

The "caveat emptor" caution should apply not only to Electra, but to ALL bike manufacturers. A defect or two are not a deal breaker (for me), but I expect the shop that sold me the bike to stand behind the product and fix any defects. That expectation applies not only to Electra, but to ANY bike I buy locally.

Sorry to hear of your wife's problems with the bike. I hope she continues to ride anyway!

messy shifting?

I thought the townie was a singlespeed cruiser. Guess I need to look closer. The flat-foot ride's a good idea though. There's an LBS near me with some beautiful cruisers, so I know they're out there.

...I thought the townie was a singlespeed cruiser...

Electra makes them in everything from single speed coasters to 24 speed derailleurs to 8 speed Nexus internal hubs - your choice.

I had to join the forum just to respond to this thread. I'm sorry you had such a negative experience with your Townie, but I have had excellent experiences with Townies.

A neighbor bought a Townie 24 for exerecise. He's been a bike rider for decades and knows all the different makes and models inside and out. He looked comfortable riding his new Townie, so I asked him about it. He generously let me ride his - my first bike ride in years - and it felt really good to me. A few weeks later he was out of town for 10 days and loaned me his Townie for the whole time. I was hooked.

To make a long story somewhat shorter, we now have 5 Townies in our neighborhood. Three 24's, a 21 and my Townie 7. Mine and the 21 were purchased used on craigslist.org. The others were purchased new from local dealers. None of us are heavy-duty riders, although a couple of us are HEAVY riders. All of the Townies in our group have performed excellently. The only problem I can remember was a tube blow out on one bike.

I now know there are other flat foot bikes out there, but I'm certain that we're all riding as much as we are because our Townies are such great bikes. Don't automatically "Avoid Electra Townie". Give it a try.

Dan Hampton

I ride in a casual group from time to time and several people have Townies. Not one has ever done anything but brag on how happy they are with their bikes. Narrow rims are not unique to Townies - the whole industry appears to be moving in that direction, and underinflation is going to cause pinch flats. For the casual rider who rarely checks tire pressure, inflation problems are very common. Dry hub bearings are a grouppo defect and could just as easily show up on the Trek, Raleigh, or Giant and should be addressed by the LBS. And, the final assembly on all bikes is the LBS. If it looks like it was put together without caring, I would be looking at the LBS. It is also hard to believe that Townie would have speced their chain with six links too many. I wonder if some changes were made at the LBS level?

I too had to join this forum to reply...unfortunately your post comes up when on googles Elctra Townie. I have a Townie 21 and absolutely love it. I ride it on an off road and have had no problems. I probably ride it places it was never meant to go. I also have bad knees and this bike has enabled me to resume getting to places I want to go...sorry your wife got a lemon...guess anyone can make one. Or maybe Electra has gotten better, but I tell eveyone this was the best money I ever spent.

I've looked over the Electra Townies a few times. The components are usually pretty average for the price. The bike is certainly heavy. So I wouldn't give them a ringing endorsement.

OTOH, their reliability has been very good and they are well regarded by their owners.

Personally, I think some of the other crank forward bikes are better values. For example, I thought the Raleigh Gruv was better in several ways, and would favor the Giant Suede and Trek Pure over the Townie. But Electra has done a good job marketing them, and they do have some cool styles that make them stand out from the models I just mentioned.

So I think one gets an okay bike for the money from Electra, and one that is comfortable and stylish. You can do a lot worse.

And what is with this revival theme this week. What is this, the 5th or 6th thread that is over a year old to pop back up this week?

My wife has an Electra Townie which she rarely rides, but I ride it sometimes. It's fine if you ask me. It gets treated here perhaps better than most: proper tire inflation pressures, brakes are checked and even the chain is lubed. Not a lot of miles on it but it's a nice change from the other bikes, and it embarasses the heck out of my son when I ride it.

The big problem with the Townie and others is that the target audience is composed of people who might want to ride "just a little" and probably not willing to spend more to get a good bike. Most of us have heard time and time again that if we get a better bike, we might be tempted to ride it more than if we got a cheap, clunky thing from X-Mart. (Right DG?) Well, the same thing should apply here, if the prospective buyer could recognize the logic.

Several brands have been named here, and for the most part they're... clunky. One line I haven't seen mentioned yet is the RANS lineup. RANS makes recumbents, and IMHO they make the best flat-foot bikes, bar none. They cost more than a $300 Electra, but for lots of people they might be worth it. Check out the Fusion (http://www.ransbikes.com/Fusion07.htm#) and you'll see that they are way different from the competition.

(No connection with the company, just a happy RANS bike owner.)

And what is with this revival theme this week. What is this, the 5th or 6th thread that is over a year old to pop back up this week?

I think here is why, this was posted today and re-started this thread.......

I too had to join this forum to reply...unfortunately your post comes up when on googles Elctra Townie. I have a Townie 21 and absolutely love it. I ride it on an off road and have had no problems. I probably ride it places it was never meant to go. I also have bad knees and this bike has enabled me to resume getting to places I want to go...sorry your wife got a lemon...guess anyone can make one. Or maybe Electra has gotten better, but I tell eveyone this was the best money I ever spent.

Several brands have been named here, and for the most part they're... clunky. One line I haven't seen mentioned yet is the RANS lineup. RANS makes recumbents, and IMHO they make the best flat-foot bikes, bar none. They cost more than a $300 Electra, but for lots of people they might be worth it.

RANS is definitely better. But when one is out shopping for $300-$400 bikes, that's not an option. They are 3X this amount. Most neighborhood riders aren't looking to drop a grand on bike.

A lot of people love their Townies. There are Townie forums and clubs.

My issue with the Townie isn't that it is clunky and slow, it's supposed to be clunky & slow and comfortable and stylish. It's that a model like the Townie 21 that lists for $390, uses a very low end Shimano Tourney derailleur and very low end RST suspension fork. Compare this to a comfort hybrid like a $380 Schwinn Voyageur GSD which has a SRAM SX4 r.d. (not great but at least two levels above the Shimano Tourney) and a RST fork that is also 2-3 levels above what's on the Townie. Electra uses some low-end parts at price points where you wouldn't expect to find those parts.

But I guess if the low-end parts aren't getting much of a workout, they may last a long time.

I love my Townie 21. It's not particularly heavy, it's stylish and very comfortable. I would love to have a RANS Fusion or Crus or Citi, but these bikes cost four times what the Townie cost.

BUT-- I have been plagued with flats recently! No, they're not pinch flats. The deep, narrow, double layer rims have holes drilled through for the nipples. The edges of the holes are quite sharp, and the factory installed rim tapes are too thin and narrow to save the tubes from getting little semi-circular cuts.
Today I'm installing Zefal rim bands. If these don't solve the problem, I'll be damned annoyed with Electra.

Walked past a rack of Townies today. I see they have a lighter, sleeker line out now. One version of the Townie 21 now has 700c wheels with thinner tires (maybe 38-40mm) and a rigid fork. Unfortunately at $400, it still sported some low-end components, including retaining the Shimano Tourney rear derailleur (which can be found on some $150 bikes). The new line looked a lot like the Giant Suede crank forwards.

JRS's experience sounds more like a complaint about poor assembly practices than about the bike's design, frameset, crankset, wheelset, or other big-ticket items. If you bought it at a real bike shop, shame on them! When I worked at a "mom-and-pop" Peugeot-Nishiki dealership in the early 1970s, one of my recurring assignments was to join the owners and a few other employees every Friday evening for pizza and bike assembly. It took a fast, experienced mechanic more than 30 minutes to make an out-of-the-box Peugeot fully roadworthy, and we saw everything from ungreased Normandy hubs to horrendous chainlines to wine corks in the shipping boxes.

IMHO, the RANS is an ugly looking bike.

Thread. Go back to sleep.

The Townie's stock seat feels great when it's sitting still but after 5-6 miles causes me some numbness. Too heavily padded I think. Wife loves hers though. I replaced mine with a Brooks B67 and that makes my ride real plush. Looks great too with the honey finish. Just to trick her bike out a bit, I got her Suntour NCXD5 suspension seatpost (similiar to the ones on the K2 Easy Street) and now hers rides smooth as silk. FWIW, I don't think the 'elastomer' springs in the Townie's stock seat works too well.

I've got a few other nitpicks but they're going in my blog later. Bottom line is, so far I like the Townie. For $400 it's a decent spec, fun bike. I think another $40-$50 (besides my Brooks saddle) might make it comfortable and dependable enough for some solo tours on the Katy this winter. I'd spend at least twice that turning my mtb into a touring hybred, personally I'd rather have the extra bike.

I replaced my stock Townie seat with a Schwinn no pressure seat and a backrest from Belizebike.com. Probably too padded for you, but perfect for me.
http://tsa.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p3704683th.gifhttp://goshopping.thestar.com/ss/media/7864000/7864603.jpg
http://www.belizebike.com/images/backrest.jpg

I replaced my stock Townie seat with a Schwinn no pressure seat and a backrest from Belizebike.com. Probably too padded for you, but perfect for me.

True. Chacun a son gout.

Geez, I just realized this thread was started on 10-11-05. Slipped into it's first coma 10-13-05 until revived 07-11-07 where it took a brief nap until 07-23-07 when it slipped into a long dormancy until 03-07-08. This thread is tired and needs another rest.

I replaced my stock Townie seat with a Schwinn no pressure seat and a backrest from Belizebike.com. Probably too padded for you, but perfect for me.
http://tsa.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p3704683th.gifhttp://goshopping.thestar.com/ss/media/7864000/7864603.jpg
http://www.belizebike.com/images/backrest.jpg

Oh my goodness! The solution to my Brooks Flyer Fit. It will go on a Townie!

Geez, I just realized this thread was started on 10-11-05. Slipped into it's first coma 10-13-05 until revived 07-11-07 where it took a brief nap until 07-23-07 when it slipped into a long dormancy until 03-07-08. This thread is tired and needs another rest.

Are you trying to boost your post count or be a comedian? Either way, since this post doesn't pertain to you, Mr. Join Date 02/08, why don't you take a rest and visit another board, like the BENT section.

This thread is a good reason for a "thread bullet" to put us all out of our misery.

This thread is a good reason for a "thread bullet" to put us all out of our misery.

Shoot, please, a seat with a backrest?
t

And what is with this revival theme this week. What is this, the 5th or 6th thread that is over a year old to pop back up this week?

The Devil Made Them Do It!:eek:

I already made one proposal on reviving dead threads - but it died for lack of support, as I recall!

Geez, I just realized this thread was started on 10-11-05. Slipped into it's first coma 10-13-05 until revived 07-11-07 where it took a brief nap until 07-23-07 when it slipped into a long dormancy until 03-07-08. This thread is tired and needs another rest.

Here on the 50+ forum we be lovin' us some golden oldies...

The Devil Made Them Do It!:eek:

I already made one proposal on reviving dead threads - but it died for lack of support, as I recall!

Perhaps you should revive that thread.

Geez, I just realized this thread was started on 10-11-05. Slipped into it's first coma 10-13-05 until revived 07-11-07 where it took a brief nap until 07-23-07 when it slipped into a long dormancy until 03-07-08. This thread is tired and needs another rest.

I thought the interesting aspect of the revival of this thread was that the only reason it was revived was to say that RANS bikes are ugly.

They may be ugly to someone, or even many. But they are also much higher quality bikes than Townies.

I thought the interesting aspect of the revival of this thread was that the only reason it was revived was to say that RANS bikes are ugly.

They may be ugly to someone, or even many. But they are also much higher quality bikes than Townies.

Silly Mr. Bombadil:
Since you resolutely refuse to adopt the aesthetic standards of others, you are obviously made of Sterner Stuff. Cardinal Fang! Poke him with the soft cushions!

I don't own anything from RANS, but I like their equipment. I would certainly like to own one of their bikes, but my need for one right now is low. Townies are good for some people. They keep improving the bikes and their form & style are right on for many. However, as I noted earlier in this thread, some of their components are on the low side for their price ranges. They kinda of take advantage of their customers, many of which are not that knowledgeable on components. I like just about everything else about their bikes, but end up being a little wary of the company because they cut corners on their products.

The only problem I see with the RANS product is that it is 'too good' for the target audience. That is, the people most likely to buy a bike of that type are just as likely to get a Huffy(tm), because the details of why a bike would cost more than $150 are completely lost on them.

Comfort = fat tires, cushy seat and maybe suspension. Plant both feet on the ground while still seated? Just get a kid's frame! Problems solved!

I had to join the forum just to respond to this thread. I'm sorry you had such a negative experience with your Townie, but I have had excellent experiences with Townies.

A neighbor bought a Townie 24 for exerecise. He's been a bike rider for decades and knows all the different makes and models inside and out. He looked comfortable riding his new Townie, so I asked him about it. He generously let me ride his - my first bike ride in years - and it felt really good to me. A few weeks later he was out of town for 10 days and loaned me his Townie for the whole time. I was hooked.

To make a long story somewhat shorter, we now have 5 Townies in our neighborhood. Three 24's, a 21 and my Townie 7. Mine and the 21 were purchased used on craigslist.org. The others were purchased new from local dealers. None of us are heavy-duty riders, although a couple of us are HEAVY riders. All of the Townies in our group have performed excellently. The only problem I can remember was a tube blow out on one bike.

I now know there are other flat foot bikes out there, but I'm certain that we're all riding as much as we are because our Townies are such great bikes. Don't automatically "Avoid Electra Townie". Give it a try.

Dan Hampton


On the road fourm you would be creamed as a shill for the company that makes these bikes!

<sigh> Electra Townie is a good bike within the context of who is in the market for such a bike. I bought one for my mom and she loves it, as a matter of fact, when I go over to visit, I sometimes take it for a spin, as well. Come to think of it I probably ride it more than she does. They are neither a Madone nor a Walmart MTB, just a relatively heavy, but comfortable cruiser with a simple, clean drivetrain. If you have a long distance and/or hills on your favorite ride, look elsewhere, but if I lived somewhere flat like Florida, I probably might not ride anything else.

Crank forwards aren't bad on hills. I rode a Raleigh Gruv, which was very similar to the Townie, up a long slope once and was very surprised by how easy it was. It was a bit on the slow side.

Crank forwards aren't bad on hills. I rode a Raleigh Gruv, which was very similar to the Townie, up a long slope once and was very surprised by how easy it was. It was a bit on the slow side.

Yeah, but I'm used to a touring bike with mountain triple, and the Electra has the 3-speed Nexus hub, so it was comparitively painful and slow. Hard to get used to the lack of leverage not being somewhat bent over gives you.

Crank forwards and recumbents do work different leg muscles.

The one I rode was a 24-speed, so I had a few more gears to work with than yours. I think the 3-speeds are nice for flat'ish areas and people wanting a simple to use bike.

The shame of it is that this "Avoid Electra Townie" thread comes up right at the
top of the list when "Electra Twonie" is Googled!

I love my Townie -- I had long ago given up bicycling but was immediately addicted to
Townies when my brother let me ride his. Now I have a single speed (gear-converted to
the equivalent of 6th gear) and my wife has a multi-speed Townie.

They've been nothing short of perfect in the years we've owned them. Zero complaints

These things have a completely different and very fun "feel" to them --- far different
than any other bike I'd ever riden.

RP - Michigan

So that's why this thread keeps coming back to life.

Unfortunate that it is at the top of a search list. Doesn't deserve to be there.

I was thinking of buying my wife a Townie 7D yesterday but found that REI doesn't carry that model. They do carry the K2 Tailwind which is very similar but with nicer components :) - I'm guessing that is why they don't carry that one particular Townie. Anyways its out in the car right now waiting for the Northeast heatwave to break in a couple days :) . Kinda weird it has both a suspension seatpost (not the crappy slider type but the better parallelogram type) and a seat with springs? The tires are Kenda Khans (K935) which seem to be a semi-clone of the Schwalbe Big Apple? Anyways only negatives so far are some genius spec'd 170mm cranks on the small/extra-small frame :twitchy: . Did I mention that there are two framesizes available unlike the Townie? My wife is 5'2" and I'm looking to order up the 152mm crankset which calculate out about right for her - maybe go down from the 38t to the 36t? The seven speed is a freewheel not a cassette contrary to what they imply on their website and is one of them cheap DPN megagear things with a six speed close ratio 13-24t with a huge jump up to a 34T for a granny. My 7 speed has an SRAM 12-32t even spaced cassette and I had hoped to put one of them on but I guess not. I think all 7 speeds are freewheels these days so I can't fault them there except it sure would be nicer if it was a nine speed 11-34t :) . Lots of nice features like sealed bearing hubs and BB :) .

Every Townie owner I've talked with has been pretty happy--I ran into a Townie club ride in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago and rode with them along the American River for a few miles, and they were all enthusiastic. It's not a bike I'd pick for myself, but it seemed to suit them.
Whick model did you buy? At the low end, there's not much room for a shop to check the bikes before selling them--they just can't afford to do it on a $300 bike. I mean, ideally they should, but in practice, they just can't.
As profit margins have shrunk and bottom line pressure has increased, I've noticed a decrease in quality in a lot of things, not just bikes and parts. I buy most of my bike stuff from Rivendell, which is hardly a low-price leader, and the last few parts I've ordered have arrived without lubrication. I just got a set of platform pedals for my singlespeed that not only hadn't been greased when they were assembled, but were missing a bearing in one of the races. The same phenomenon, I think, is responsible for unstocked shelves in stores, which I see more and more. Our local Home Depot looks like it's going out of business, just racks and racks of empty space.

I ordered a Townie 7 in a specific color with accessories and had a nightmare experience from the company. I received a color I hate (I know, but for a woman of 58 color is important) was told that I had no alternative because it was the only thing available, and the accessories trickled in over a four month period of time. The bike was never adjusted properly--very strange! You have to peddle constantly or it just stops dead in one spot. It never glides--ever! By the way, the fender for the bike arrived 6 months after the bike did. I'm most unhappy with the bike and would never recommend purchasing anything from the company.

I ordered a Townie 7 in a specific color with accessories and had a nightmare experience from the company. I received a color I hate (I know, but for a woman of 58 color is important) was told that I had no alternative because it was the only thing available, and the accessories trickled in over a four month period of time. The bike was never adjusted properly--very strange! You have to peddle constantly or it just stops dead in one spot. It never glides--ever! By the way, the fender for the bike arrived 6 months after the bike did. I'm most unhappy with the bike and would never recommend purchasing anything from the company.

Maybe your experience would have been better if you had bought your bike at a bike shop. What is "the company"? Did you buy your bike directly from Electra?

Yes, I did buy my bike at a shop. My experience with them has been awful. They still haven't put on the last part that came in! But they did say they would re-sell it for me for 40% of what they would get for the bike. The bike only has 70 miles on it! I'm really disappointed. I love to ride and find myself riding my grandson's old bike--660 miles since I purchased my Townie!
Janalyn in Peachtree City, GA

Sounds like you need to find a different bike shop. Sad, but true...

Sounds like you need to find a different bike shop. Sad, but true...

+1

This sounds like terrible service from the bike shop. I wouldn't stand for it. If they won't make it right, contact Electra and get their regional sales rep in on the discussion.

I agree with BD, don't accept such poor service without seeking redress. Electra has a lot of dealers, you may have to take it to another shop. If the bike won't coast, then you have problems with your wheels. One of the brake pads could be out of adjustment and rubbing the fender.

Nearly all Townie owners like their bikes. Electra is a reputable company and should stand behind their product. They will want to know about this dealer.

You are in the middle of what should be bicycle heaven and happened to pick the LBS from hell...

Yes! Go to the website and find another dealer to assist you, even if they are in another town. Somebody has been putting football cards in your spokes. As for selling it at a fraction for you?

yeah, right.

Sounds like phun to me and it's not yours. While you are at it report the shop's dealings to the local Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau. I suspect the bike's "been around the block"...my hunch. Let Electra know you feel this shop is unworthy of selling their product. That will put fear in their eyes until they find something else.

PS It must be a good bike! Maybe it should've been called Methuselah as much as this topic rises from the dead.

My wife looked at the Townie and liked the idea of being able to put her feet on the ground. Being reluctant to spend that kind of money on a bike she "might" like I raised from the dead an old Raleigh Sports 3 speed bike for her to try out. Sturmey Archer 3 speed trigger shifters are easy for the new rider to comprehend and the SA 3 speed hub is indistructable. Now she loves her Raleigh! I offered to referbish a relatively new Huffy mountain bike with a semi-step thru frame. Nope, she likes her Raleigh. Fixed up the Huffy and gave it to my sister-in-law. She loves it.
My point (opinion) is the new or occasional rider doesn't really need a new $300 plus bike to ride around the neighborhood. One of my brothers recently gave me his like new TREK 7100 bike with rigid forks. I lubed all it's bearings and adjusted the derailers and brakes. The bike has less than 50 miles on it and with it's suspension seat post is very comfortable to ride and nice to my arthritic 68 year old back. Again, no need for a new bike.

Maybe it should've been called Methuselah as much as this topic rises from the dead.

Methuselah is remembered for not dying. I think perhaps you mean Lazarus (Gospel of John, chapter 11).

Odd to me some of the over 50 crowd has their knickers in such a twist over a patient, considered discussion.

Best,
tcs