I just got through tweaking my wife's Townie 21 brakes last night, so I put in my 2 cents worth.

As others have said, you really have to hang on to put some torque to the pedals--to the point that you can't ride too much without really holding on tight. The stock components were mostly Sram, and of OK quality. The cable runs are very long for the rear brake and derailleur. I have replaced the RD cable with a Teflon-coated one because of cold-weather sticking, and the rear brake feels spongy no matter how close I adjust the pads--the v-brake arms seems to flex quite a bit. Also this bike is loooong--and it requires the use of a frame adapter to get it on most rear car racks.

My wife likes it because the riding position puts no weight on your hands. I have ridden it a few times and find it very tiring because of the torque issue. When we have ridden on a nearby very-flat path, my wife did just fine on a 24 mile ride. However, riding a bike in Atlanta means you will be riding up and down hills, and for this type of riding the Townie is not the best bike.

YMMV.