I just bought a new Trek Solo Ride 300. It must be Trek's answer to the Electra Townie. I was just curious if there are any other Solo Ride owners out there, and what they think of their bikes. Thanks ! Doug :)

As a boy growing up in 1950's - in the new suburb of Grosse Pointe next to Detroit where I was born - bike riding was how i got around and played from the time iwas 6 till I could drive at 15

I like the big tire bikes not the "racer" kind I loved the Schwinn and Shelby 18" road bikes - by the time i was 13 no one in any race could catch me off the line and for at least a quarter mile - around our block - but eventuallly the racing bike would take me over

But not sice then have i been excited about riding a bike for pure street pleasure

INTRO - Trek Solo Ride 300 - with a back rest on the seat - WOW - un believable - and the 7 gear shifting in th hub - incredible - although i did seem to break the hub break on my 3 time out - it is being repaired right now - but man what a bike

My Solo ride is doing just fine, It is my primary errand bike. I have all the Trek bags for mine. I just moved to Grosse Pointe Park about 10 years ago. Enjoy your bike! :)

My wife has one, a step through frame with a 3-speed hub and a rear drum brake. She loves it. It has got her out to ride more and she is better off for that. We also use it as our baby bike with a Topeak Baby-Sitter toddler seat for our two year old. When the seat is removed, my wife uses the rack with a trunk bag to go to work and college. Trek replaced the Sole Ride with the Pure.

I was looking for a dealer who carried the Pure, but nobody in my area had any interest in stocking one. Eventually purchased my wife a Giant Suede DX-W, a very similar concept bike, again copying the crank forward design of the Electra Townie 21.

Electra introduced their Townie crank forward bikes in 2003, which was the same year that Giant offered their Revive crank forward.

RANS made their first crank forward bike in 1995.

So this type of bike was definitely not invented by Electra. Although they may have been the first to marry the cruiser bike to a crank forward.