Originally Posted by Cosmoline
...But I've been out of the bike community for over a decade and I don't really know the conventional wisdom on these matters. Is Electra seen as a fad brand, and are there other heavy cruisers and three speeds out there which would be better for utility riding?
I just joined the biking community last fall. Electra came up often in my research on utility bikes. My impression is they are not a fad but a leader in a segment they made - pedal forward bikes. However, I have yet to find a shop around here that is knowledgable about comfort or utility bikes. It's road bikes for lance wannabees or mountain bikes. The couple that stock Electras have an attitude like they stock them for the "little wife" of the guy who is buying a $3000 carbon fiber who-ha.
<RANT>It's frustrating to go into bike shop after bike shop asking for high-vis, reflective clothing and getting shown the one rain jacket or wind-breaker than have and half the time it's either high vis or reflective - not both. And heaven help me if they understand the phrase "messenger bag" - I do however get some joy out of the look on their faces when I say "commute"</RANT>