Originally Posted by Mcbengie
Good catch Joe, yes I am one of the founders of Electra. I am very glad to see an intrest for the Townie ... and I like to read eveybodies opinion, because it will help us to make better bikes and get more people to ride.
We have been making bikes for the casual rider for 11 years, because we belive there is a ton of people who would love to make cycling part of their live without becoming a serious cyclist. And in many cases we have introduced people to cycling by making it fun and not scary - many of these people became serious cyclists after all. If you get a change try one yourself ... oh and yes unlike recumbents you can stand up while riding up hill.
I have tested the townie and, even though the price was high, I would have bought one. It was impossible to find the 8 speed ladies in stock local stores. So, I ordered one and was told that it would take two weeks. After two weeks that changed to the end of June (this was in April). I found that unacceptable. It appeared that your company was not that eager to even try and accommodate the consumer, so I decided to buy a different bike.