Electra Cruiser for commute

[Cos]

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[ercchry]

nice bike, does it come in men's?

[firebane]

Originally posted by ercchry
nice bike, does it come in men's?

:rofl: I wonder if people pay attention to that stuff.

[Cos]

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[ercchry]

dont worry, i found you one in men's

http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/gallery/2013-ducati-1199-panigale-r-official-pictures-photo-gallery_21.jpg

[Cos]

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[ercchry]

silly cos, you cant turn a kawi into a honda :poosie:

[sheik_yerbouti]

Where are you storing the bike? I wouldn't spend much if I was leaving it outside. Also, will you be jumping curbs and riding in traffic? I would just run over to BikeBike on 17th, they're having a sale, and will also have some good options for a short commute bike.

[firebane]

Cos .. I'm working on a KZ400 right now :)

[speedog]

Cycle commuted on a Straight 8 for 5+ years from May to October anytime it was warmer than -5C. My commute was about 5.5km one way with a few hills and it wasn't any big strain. Used to do that cycle commute on an old 12 speed Nishiki International touring bike and one year I started paying attention to how many head I was using which turned out to be three.

Bought my Electra Straight 8 3-speed some 11 years ago and have immensely enjoyed it ever since. Not as fast as some other bikes but a very comfortable ride and very quiet because of the internal hub. Braking is weak because of a single rear coaster but the one quickly adjusts for that and yes, this is a men's bike as Electra does have women's framed bikes as well.

Cos - PM me for more info.

[Cos]

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[speedog]

With those big tires one can run over a 3" nail and keep going too - made it another 2.5km before tire became too flat to ride safely (was about half way in my ride from work to home when a box of nails came off of a flat deck truck in front of me)...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5040260/pics/CIMG0503-50.jpg

[D'z Nutz]

I have an Electra Rat Rod that I ride around when it's nice out on the weekends and evenings. It's so much funner to ride than my cyclocross and if my commute weren't such a steep climb, I'd take my cruiser to work. The big, fat seat is so comfortable. I get a lot of complements when I'm out with it and other cruiser riders know what's up.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3854/14841565228_d40a43c23a_o.jpg

Keep your eye on Kijiji for deals. I saw someone selling a 7-speed townie for $150 a couple months back and if I didn't already have a cruiser, I would have gotten it. Bow Cycle should have their annual sale in a few months too.

If the coaster brake isn't for you, Bow Cycle also sells a Norco Santiago that's got components like a regular bike, but with a cruiser geometry.

[Cos]

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[ExtraSlow]

I have an Electra Townie. Funny story about "does it come in mens", I have the "unisex frame", or at least that's that the dude at bow cycle called it. After some not too extensive research, turns out I have the "girls" frame. But fuck, who do I have to impress?
http://www.chopperdome.com/media/catalog/product/e/l/electra--townie-original-7d-dames-quartz-grey.jpg

[JRSC00LUDE]

A straight 8 is awesome! I was going to buy one years back but it didn't fit me.

The cruiser is stylish for sure but you may enjoy the commute a bit more with a townie.

[FixedGear]

I've had several different cruisers over the last 15 years, and I've never been a fan of the faux/pseudo/Nuevo cruiser look. The classic frame style is much better, it's stood the test of time and won't look silly and dated in 5-10 years. Get a frame like his, there are a million different manufacturers:

http://tikiloungetalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/schwinn-riverside-tiki-bar.jpg

[FixedGear]

Also single speeds are the best, as we used to say in university "less gears, more beers" :rofl:

[Cos]

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[D'z Nutz]

You just picked a bad time to start looking. During the summer and fall, you could easily pick up a decent cruiser for $300-500. I scored mine for $300.

If you're not in any rush, do what I did on Kijiji: enter your search criteria and subscribe to the RSS feed and wait. Keep the keyword(s) vague cause sometimes people aren't very descriptive. I think mine wasn't even listed as an Electra, just "cruiser".

[Cos]

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[speedog]

Electra Hell Billy - Kijiji ad (http://www.kijiji.ca/v-road-bike/calgary/electra-straight-8-street-cruiser-bike-bicycle/1028592410).

Who ever is selling this is calling it a Straight 8 but the bike pictured in the ad is the Hell Billy. Same frame, different seat and paint.

[Moonracer]

Ya Kijiji for sure, I've even seen a straight 8 for sale on there last summer.

Edit: there is one up for sale right now. Price is a little high at $875 though.

Straight 8 ad (http://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-bike/calgary/electra-straight-8-bike/1039570245?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true)

[OU812]

for2.5km who cares aout comfort?

[MPowered]

I've had my Straight8 for 3 years down hear in Phoenix. Paid $550 for it, not sure what they go for now. Great bike, super comfy and the 3 speeds are just enough to give you options for hills and various speeds. Pump up the psi on the tires and you can get a good rolling resistance cruiser for the streets.


Check out some of the bike shops in Mission beach in San Diego. They've got some killer new bikes for the boardwalk.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mission+beach+san+diego+cruiser+bikes&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ASUT_enCA453&gws_rd=ssl

[Cos]

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[Cos]

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[CanmoreOrLess]

I have two Breezer cruisers, only an old school mountain biker would know the name Breeze. They've been on eight hour rides in Calgary, upgraded the seat and tires, no issues. In 2005 I wore out a cruiser over a three year period, new bikes not built like the old ones. I'll be looking for a new bike this spring, something single speed, build up the hamstrings or go the other way and E-bike it.

[Cos]

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[CanmoreOrLess]

A true Ford man would have bought this, and kept the price from his wife:

HZ80HoCxz-I

[MalibuStacy]

I bought the Rockabilly Boogie about seven years ago for the same reasons as Cos. Same frame and setup as the Straight 8, but a more indie look. I still prefer my old Nishiki road bike for when I want to get somewhere really fast or during rush hour traffic, but for most everything else (including regular commuting) I use my cruiser. Have had the rear hub rebuilt once (last year, brake was worn out). Great bike, always gets one noticed when riding it.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd111/correctcanine/IMG_5785electra2.jpg

[MalibuStacy]

These bikes are tough to, I got hit by a car about fives years ago and the only damage was a dented chain guard, otherwise everything was damage free.

[Moonracer]

Originally posted by Cos
^^ I saw this in blue when I was there too. Pretty bike.

http://www.electrabike.com/bikes/cruiser/moto-1?g=mens

Ya the moto 1 and 3 are pretty sweet. I convinced one of my co workers to get one and he's loving it. Great bang for the buck, I think I just might get one soon too.

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by Cos
Looked at a bunch on Kijiji and didnt find one I liked. As much as I loved the Straight8, there were times it was just too much.

Hit up Bow Cycle today and they were selling the 1-speed version for $319. Even had a colour the wife liked, she ended up getting a basket on hers too. Ended up picking one up for both of us. Worked out to getting 2 new bikes for $50 more than someone wanted for a used straight8 on kijiji.


http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z455/thecosworth/Mobile%20Uploads/20150222_171013_zpsxxhqtm0z.jpg

http://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z455/thecosworth/Mobile%20Uploads/20150222_171239_zpslwjj8aee.jpg

I gotta say that of all the bikes posted in this thread, you made the right decision and went with the classic cruiser design. All that new fake crap is just made for non-cyclists that wear Billabong and Stussy and buy their gear at mall surf shops. basically the equivalent of a Black Snow snowboard.

[FixedGear]

https://www.biddergy.com/uploaded/2013-2-21/d3d385df2D62622D42a02D91d82D380a91e4b8a2IMG5F4618.JPG

[Cos]

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[Moonracer]

:thumbsup:

[Ukyo8]

http://www.troll.me/images/hipster-ariel/thats-so-gay.jpg

[FixedGear]

^^bring your negativity and homophobia elsewhere, dickwad.

[Moonracer]

I'd double her on my cruiser with a cup holder! :drool:

[ExtraSlow]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
I have an Electra Townie. Funny story about "does it come in mens", I have the "unisex frame", or at least that's that the dude at bow cycle called it. After some not too extensive research, turns out I have the "girls" frame. But fuck, who do I have to impress?
http://www.chopperdome.com/media/catalog/product/e/l/electra--townie-original-7d-dames-quartz-grey.jpg
Rode my girls cruiser bike Canmore-Banff-Canmore today. I guess that's about 44km round trip, which is about 42km further than I have ridden a bike in a decade. Nice day for it.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by ercchry
nice bike, does it come in men's?

@0:35

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