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Imported.
Item 751498
Specification | Description |
| Frame | 6061 Aluminum |
| Fork | Uni-crown steel |
| Crankset | Forged alloy 48/38/28 |
| Shifters | Shimano Revo 7-speed |
| Brakes | Linear brakes |
| Brake levers | Alloy |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Tourney |
| Headset | 1-1/8' threaded steel |
| Bottom bracket | Sealed cartridge |
| Rear cogs | Shimano 14-34, 7-speed |
| Front hub | Alloy |
| Rear hub | Alloy |
| Rims | Alloy |
| Tires | Semi-slick 700Cx40 |
| Stem | Alloy |
| Handlebar | Alloy |
| Seat post | Alloy pillar |
| Saddle | Ergonomic with elastomer bumpers |
| Pedals | Resin |
Displaying reviews 1-2
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Electra Townie 21 700C Bike:
The Townie is the most comfortable and safe bike I have ever owned. We're just about to buy another. But buyers should know what their getting. The Townie 700c is not a well thought out bike ready to go, but rather more of a bike kit for people ready to do their own wrenching.
Perhaps unlike in Santa Cruz, where Electra is headquartered, people in Portland ride hard and expect bikes to take it. The Electra Townie 700c is road bike version of the Townie, not for cruising, but for going places. However, expect to rebuild the Townie to make it road capable.
Putting about 100 miles a week on the Townie, the first thing to go were the pedals, which were broken in two weeks. Both of them.
The bike comes with low-pressure balloon tires that had to go. The narrowest tire the wide rims will hold is 28mm, which is what we put on them. The rim tape was no such thing but some form of shrink wrap that was no match for the higher tire pressure of the 28s. The Townie should come with conventional-width 700c rims so people can use tires as narrow as 23mm.
The worst offenses are the seven-speed freewheel and conventional hub. The axle broke -- the reason the design is obsolete -- in two months. So the hub and freewheel were replaced with a freehub and cassette. And while I'm pointing out obvious areas for improvement, it should be a nine speed, not a seven speed.
Besides the poor quality of some of the components, the 700c is not geared for hills, either going up or down. The freewheel is a 14-34 matched to 28-38-48 crankset. An 11-34 cassette matched to a 22-32-44 crankset provides twice the overall gear ratio -- with both lower and higher gears -- and is compatible the with the capability of the rear derailleur. As anyone who has done Cycle Oregon will tell you, recumbents die on the hills. Recumbents must be geared lower than road bikes.
The replacement components are here for the second Townie. When the bike arrives the first thing we'll do is rebuild it before we put a mile on it.
If that's your mindset, you don't mind buying a bike kit in order to get an ingeniously comfortable frame design, then I recommend the Townie 700c without reservation. It's a great ride, a much safer design than a full recumbent and even safer than a conventional road bike (unlike on a road bike, hitting the brakes hard will not stand the bike on its front tire). Electra is to be commended for the excellent design. Finish the execution yourself.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Electra Townie 21 700C Bike:
Bought this bike to replace the road bike I had been riding for years. My back and shoulders were really giving me problems. The salesman suggested I test ride the Electra 21, I rode it and was hooked. The upright design and pedals forward make this a very comfortable bike. I am 67 years old and ride 100 to 150 miles per week. It's not the fastest bike on the road, but it is the most comfortable I've ever ridden.
Displaying reviews 1-2
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