Tomorrow I will be purchasing one of two used bikes. Ether the Electra Jester (not sure of the year) for $200 or the Electra Deluxe 2009 for $180. The Jester has 3 speeds which seems cool, however the deluxe is one speed.

I'm hoping that there is someone out there that has experience with these bikes or has an opinion why one is better than the other.

Also the Deluxe seems to have some sort of strut or spring system on the front end. Does anyone know what that is?

Thanks for any input.

My 2c -- assuming both are well-maintained, I'd get the Jester. I have a 3 speed internally geared hub on my Electra Townie, and I absolutely adore it. I like the idea of SS riding, but the place I live has both hills and flats, so I find I'm happier with a couple gears.

What is SS riding?

Single Speed, sorry to be jargony.