Originally Posted by Dahon.Steve
It seems like Electra is promoting that cyclists should be riding "flat foot" on the peddle instead of simply using the top of the arch. I looked at the low riding position and it seems like you're sitting too low on the saddle even though the peddales are further away. Wouldn't this cause knee pain?
How many people here think that Electra is simply pulling our leg?
What they're saying is that many people, inexperienced cyclists particularly, are uncomfortable unless they can put their feet flat on the ground when stopped. That's very true.
So what they've done is to start with design principles borrowed from recumbents -- move the seat back and the bottom bracket forward so that you can get proper leg extension without being high off the ground -- and apply them to a more conventional-looking bike.
There's no reason a bike like the Townie has to be any less efficient than a recumbent. As marketed, it's not a high-end bike (heavy, fat tires, low-end components) but that's not the fault of the geometry.
Giant has a similar (but weirder-looking) design for 2004. I believe they and Electra are onto something, and have come up with the solution for the many very overweight, out-of-shape people who would like to ride but are just plain, flat-out afraid to.
RichC