C y c l i s t R e c u m b e n t The RANS Fusion - Steve Briggs

1.5 100 psi tires which made a big difference.Problem areas experienced: Overall thisis a great bike, though Iʼve had a few problemswith it. The Townie needed more care inset-up than most RCN test bikes.My dad had to true the wheels and wechecked the bottom bracket for tightness.Other than that, the V-brake springs occasionallyneed adjusting and sometimes the fenderbrackets slip. Since the photo was taken, weinstalled Planet Bike Freddy Fenders (as seenon the Fusion road test bike).Do I think this bike is a good value? Yes.RCN READER ROAD TEST:The Electra Townie 24By Amy BryantABOUT THE BIKEManufacturer: ElectraModel/Year: 2005 Townie 24 ladiesColor: Suede BlueDrivetrain: 24-speed (triple crank)Gearing: 23-100 gear-inches(Townie 7 gearing: 34-85 gear-inches,Townie 8 gearing: 29-92 gear-inches)Brakes: V-brakesTires: 65 psi Kenda cruiser-style; upgradedto Primo Comet 1.5 100 psiWeight as Tested: Just over 34 pounds withaccessories (Nexus 8 version weighs aboutthe same)Price: $470 (Nexus 8 model: $720)INTRO (By RCN Ed.)The Electra Townie 24 is a high quality,easy to ride and extremely comfortable crankforward/"flat footed technology" cruiser bicycle.Electra is a well known cruiser bicyclecompany. The Towie was designed by JeanoErforth and Benno Baenziger and is promotedas the melding of the cruiser and recumbentbicycle designs. The biggest benefit of thiscomfortable bicycle is the low price, just$470 retail.Accessories installed: Townie frame bagAmy Bryant on her Townie 24 ladies frame(hangs on top tube) and Townie fenders.These are Planet Bike type with the plasticconnectors (the kind my dad hates). So farmine havenʼt broken, but they are flimsy. Mybrotherʼs Townie 7 and momʼs Townie 8 bothcome with tougher metal fenders.Time owned: 6 monthsLIKESThe look is awesome. The matte finishsuede blue paint is a cute look on the ladiesframe. The best thing about this bike is theriding position: comfortable, relaxed, nicewide seat, and smooth over bumps. The widegearing allows me to climb just about anyhill easily, and much easier than our 7- and8-speed internal hub gear Townies.DISLIKESAfter riding on my momʼs 8-speed TownieI donʼt really feel the need to have the 24-speed; messing with the derailleur is no fun.Because of the derailleur the Townie 24 doesnot include a chain-guard, which would benice to have.Improvements made: The original tiresare 65 psi Kenda cruiser-style tires, and arecomfy, but slow. We installed Primo CometCOMFORTHow comfortable is this bike? I have nopain at all from this bike. The bike has an RTsuspension fork, which my dad says is a bitsoft, and he says it has adjustable dampening.Seat back: The Townie doesnʼt have a seatback and doesnʼt really need one, but becausethere isnʼt one, your back doesnʼt have asmuch support as on a recumbent seat like myprevious BikeE.Seat base: This seat is one of the mostcomfortable seats Iʼve ever used. The Townieseat has elastomer springs under it.The seat base is wide, but because of thecrank-forward design, it doesnʼt interferewith the pedaling.Riding position: The Townieʼs ridingposition is like no other Iʼve ridden. I firsttried the Townie in Cannon Beach, OR on thebeach and on the streets. With the flat-footdesign, you never worry about falling off.Do the seat back, seat base or riding positioncreate any comfort related problemsor concerns? No.WHERE YOU RIDECity/State: Port Townsend, WAType of riding: Recreation, transportationand fitnessMy typical ride: I ride to the PortTownsend Farmerʼs Market and run errandsin town every Saturday (10-12 miles roundtrip). I also ride to the beach, to friendsʼhouses and to school a few times a week, andaround the neighborhood. I ride mostly oncity streets, bike lanes and trails. This bikecan take me wherever I need to go, whetheron the street or the trail. Iʼve pulled a cargotrailer just fine.Terrain: I ride my Townie over every typeof terrain, from flats, rolling hills, smoothcity streets, rough roads, single-track walkingtrails and gravel rail-trails.THE RIDEWas the bike easy to get accustomed to?The riding position is a bit different than Iwas accustomed to, but it didnʼt take long toget comfortable.How does the bike perform? It performs12 Recumbent Cyclist News