Electra Townie 21D

September 14, 9:44 PMTwin Falls Bicycle Transportation ExaminerDaniel Canfield

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The Electra Townie D21 utilizes pedal forward technology

The Electra Townie is the next bicycle I may be adding to my arsenal. The Electra Townie 21D is a 21 speed bicycle with pedal forward technology (flat foot). The pedals sit forward farther allowing you to have you seat at the proper height but when you come to a stop you can place both feet flat on the ground while your but stays sitting down on the saddle.

I went and looked at the Electra Townies at Barries bicycle shop in Pocatello. The Electra Townie 21D is a fun bike. Comfortable too ride and I like the way it looks. It should be a good bike for riding around town on and commuting back and forth to work on.

Potential problems with the Electra Townie 21D begin with the components. The Electra Townie 21D has some low end components. They seem to work fine but for $500 I can get a lot better components on other bicycles in the same price range.

Components on the Electra Townie 21D include:

Frame 6061 Aluminum
Front derailleur Shimano C051
Rear derailleur Shimano Tourney
Fork SR Suntour XCT

I have no problem with the low end fork. It will do what I need for around town. If it busts then I will simply put a non suspension fork on it. The frame is perfectly fine. The main problems I have are with the Shimano Co51 front derailleur and especially the Shimano Tourney rear derailleur. $500 for a bicycle with these low end components seem outrageous too me. They will work fine for awhile but where I ride my bicycle everyday regardless of the weather it will be interesting to see of these components can actually hold up to the rigors of daily riding.

The Electra Townie is offered in many versions from a single speed up to a 24 speed. You can also get balloon tires on some of the Electra Townie models. If there is not a local bike shop in your area that sells Electra bikes then look at REI. REI sells a few Electra Townie models.

I would like to purchase just a frame and build it up to my specs. Regardless of the component group the Electra Townie 21D is a fun bike.