Dear Bicycle Age,
for the very first time I noticed this thread. And it couldn't be at a much better time, as I'm about to put down an order for an
Electra Townie 21D with 21 gears. Still, I'm not yet convinced about my purchase, due to my lack of knowledge in bicycles.
I want to ride in the city, with some slight elevation changes along the way, but mainly on rather flat surfaced. I'll probably ride at night quite a bit.
I have test ridden for about 10 minutes each, after asking for advice at a small bicycle shop: Some sort of Touring/Crossbike, which wasn't to my liking. While the riding itself was rather effortless, the comfort was just lacking. Couldn't sit on it painlessly. After that the Electra Amsterdam, which was a revelation in comfort. However, speed was another issue... and looks as well. As superficial as it might be, but I just don't see myself riding such a bike for the next 20 years. At least not for fun.
And then I tried a Townie 7d. I did like it, while not quite the Amsterdam I felt I moved fast enough. But I kind of wanted at least one more gear beyond the 7th.
I also rented an Electra Courier 3i Cruiser for one hour. And the internal hub shift actually felt quite good. However I was surprised that it felt less comfortable than the Electra Amsterdam. But obviously as with the Amsterdam, getting from there to here just takes quite some time.
My main concern is comfort, otherwise whatever bike I buy will suffer the same fate as my last and stand unused for 15 years until it's beyond reasonable salvaging. Still I wouldn't mind some degree of efficiency while riding. And I'd also like to be able to pack some groceries/gear onto it from time to time. And I am slightly concerned about how the bike looks.
I imagine I'd mostly ride about 5km to the next subway station, hop on it with the bike and then ride around the city. Perhaps I might even dare to cut the subway out of my route and ride straight through to the city center of Vienna, which would be about 18km.
My concerns with my choice are threefold:
1) Electra says that their fenders don't fit bikes with non-rigid forks, which the 21d is. How would I ever drive in bad weather conditions without getting all sprinkly with rain and mud?
2) After hearing horror stories from my elders, I have some degree of worry of catching the leg of my pants in the chain. The Townie 7d with 7 gears is fitted with a chain guard to prevent this, but are there guards for the 21d too?
3) Are there any other/better choices available in a similar price range?
TLDR: I want a ride that is: 60% comfort, 25% speed/efficiency/Effortlessness/10% good looks/ 5% utility and spend as little as possible but as much as needed. OR to put a number on it: less than 1000€. Are there better choices than the Electra Townie 21d for city use?
Thank you for reading.
