FarHorizon

I'm considering the purchase of either the Giant Suede 8-speed, the Trek Sole Ride 7-speed, or the Electra Townie 3-speed. The local dealer carries all three (but not in stock). Of the three, I like the price of the Giant best (<$300). The Trek is next at $350, and the Townie the most expensive at $420. My questions are as follows:

Is the front suspension on the Trek an asset or a liability? I'll be riding on pavement, not off-road. Of the three bikes, the Trek is the only one not to have a braced seat tube extending above the top tube. How far can I extend the stock Trek seat tube before it wants to bend with my 260# weight on it?

Is the internal Shimano 3-speed hub on the Townie durable enough to stand up to long use? If the outboard gears on the Giant or Trek give up the ghost, a new changer or gear wheel is easy to do. A new internal hub with a wheel is expensive..

Are the aluminum frames on these three going to be durable enough for me? I'm currently riding a steel Dyno-Glide cruiser and a steel frame Bianchi road bike. The Bianchi is FAR less prone to flex than the Dyno, but I can flex them both when pumping uphill.

Finally, is there any other bike available in the style of the above that I should consider? Opinions appreciated.

Thanks!

bugsyonebike

I just bought a Trek Solo Ride 300 last weekend. It has the Shimano internal 7 speed Nexus hub. ($399) I normally ride "conventional" bikes: Trek 6500, Schwinn paramount w/ 10 speed chorus, etc. I bought my 300 because it is very comfortable and the new rack/ bag system that Trek has added is very secure and easy to use. I will be using mine to go shopping and running errands for the most part. This bike is as fast on pavement as my mountain bike is and much more comfortable. The suspension front fork is fine. Our roads around here aren't the best, and it helps take out the bigger bumps. Also, I did test drive the Townie, but I preferred the Trek (nothing against the Townie).