cruisin'

[jinasphinx]

I got to test-ride an Electra Townie 3i last week. I stopped by my local bike store to see if they had a blue kid's bike for N. and found that they have a bunch of cruisers and comfort bikes, including some Electras. I thought the Townie 3i was fun but weird: it was easy to oversteer the wide handlebars (which may be operator error -- it's been about a decade since I've been on an upright bicycle), and the one-size-fits-all frame felt too big for me, which was confirmed by my inability to get my feet flat on the ground even with the seat dropped to the lowest possible setting. I was excited about the internal hub because like walkitout I have had my share of "oh crap, had to stop suddenly in an upper gear and now I can't get going again" moments. But the Townie 3i also has coaster brakes, which means that you can't move the pedals backward in order to put them in the right position to get going again. :(

I was hoping to compare the Electra with a Breezer Uptown, but it's out of stock with the local dealers (Performance Bike). It looks like I may have to get myself over to the Dutch Bike Co. or Aaron's to find something to compare with.