Bob59

My wife and I are interested in riding again, it's been a number of years since we owned bikes.

We went to two shops to window shop/test/talk over the last few months. We both like the Electra Townie model --- we only tested the Original7d, we liked it, no complaints in our test.

Then we are looking thru the Electra catalog that the last shop gave us when we arrived home, reading about/comparing the townie models, how they were equipped

Concerning riding habits ------ the bikes will be used on days off from work --- weekend ride, just out for some exercise/breeze in our face, will not be used to replace cars. We may ride for 1 hour, maybe 3/4 hours. Ride on paved blacktop, no so smooth blacktop and a dirt towpath, never out in the rain or snow.

Tires ------- we saw the Balloon model but did not try it. Does the Schwalbe Fat Frank offer much more comfort that a non fat tire like on the original model ?

Brakes ---- the 7d we tested had linear pull brakes --- stopped very smoothly/fast. Then we saw Shimano hub roller brakes ---- are they much better ?

Internal vs. Derailer gears ---- much difference in longevity, quality. I know the internal does not have to be lubricated. All of our past bikes were derailer.

So in conclusion ---- I would appreciate opinions from people out there that know more than us, and to have un-biased opinions on the brakes/tires/internal - derailer instead of just talking to a person in a bike store.

We want ----- the best comfort, safety so we make the right decision - not to short change ourselves or buy what we really do not need.

Thanks,
Bob

Wanderer

Yes, fat tires are much more comfortable;

Yes, internal gearing requires much less maintenance.

Yes, modern V brakes are more than adequate for your use.

Yes, a 'cruiser" type comfort bike sounds right for your intended use.

Fenders are nice, as they keep you and the bike much cleaner.

Doug5150

Opinions, hey we got that...
The Townies have a couple major shortcomings in my opinion.

The first I see is that it appears that there is (still!) only one frame size. This is very not-good, there's NO WAY that tall and short people can be comfortable and efficient on the same size frame. Adjusting the handlebars and seat is NOT the same thing as getting a proper-fitting frame, and frame fit does matter if you want to be comfortable, even for casual riding.

The second problem is that the Townies are made to keep the rider from tilting forward onto the nose of the saddle, but then, they still use a regular bicycle saddle. The regular bicycle saddle itself is most of the cause of riding discomfort.

Also we note: the Electra "flat foot technology patent" is a joke.

The bicycle that started the laid-back performance-oriented upright-bike geometry in the USA is generally recognized to be the 1999-2000-year (now-unavailable) Vision Thouroughbred:
https://www.hostelshoppe.com/atp_arch...oroughbred.pdf
And even then there were more than likely other foreign models dating even earlier.

The RANS crank-forward bikes are considered to be the premium example of this style of bicycle:
https://www.ransbikes.com/

The RANS bikes have two great advantages over the Townie:

• the RANS bikes have three frame sizes available (Fusion and Cruz are the "medium" size, Sequoia is the "large", and Fusion ST is the "small")
• the RANS bikes do not use a normal seat. The RANS seat is larger than a regular bike saddle, and padded shorts are not required. The RANS seat will not fit on regular bicycles, nor would it be useful, since it assumes the rider geometry that the Crank Forward frames provide.

RANS recumbents are only sold through dealers (not online) but I know that for a while, RANS was selling Crank Forward bikes and frame kits online. If you can't find a RANS dealer nearby, you'd have to ask the status of that sales situation.

By the by--there is a site operated by RANS (with a message board) specifically geared towards these style of bikes:
https://www.crankforward.com/
Talk about other brands of similar bikes is allowed, but most people there who have tried different types will tend to say that the RANS bikes are the best in every regard except price.

The tires are not much of a factor in the riding comfort, since any tire will ride soft if aired down enough. The PAIN you feel is in your rear end, and that is caused by the saddle.

The most important factor of tires is to get some that are puncture resistant, since flat tires is the most common breakdown bicycles have. I use the Schwalbe Marathon Plus ($50 each). A cheaper but similar tire is the CST Salva, at around $20 each. Both these tires are 26", 1.75 wide, reflective sidewalls and use very-thick tread to resist punctures.

Any kind of brakes will work fine for casual riding. In the rain, disk and roller brakes will stop somewhat better than rim brakes.
Rim brakes have one great advantage, in that they are the type that allows removing the wheel easiest. The reason you would need to remove the wheel is to repair a flat tire.... so if you get puncture-resistant tires, you're much less likely to need to remove the wheels.

Internal gear hubs are easier to use and maintain, but cost about $200 more than external gears do (for the 8-speed Shimano hub). 8 speeds is more than enough for casual riding on non-mountain roads. You can use an internal-gear hub on any bicycle you want, but a bike without horizontal dropouts will need to use a chain tensioner.

In my experience, non-bicycle people are the ones who prefer the easy shifting of an internal-gear-hub the most,,,, yet they are the least likely to pay extra for it.

Test-ride the RANS bikes before buying.
Because if you buy anything else and test-ride the RANS later, you're going to realize you should have gotten the RANS.
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