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Electra 7d Cruiser Tall frame

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Electra 7d Cruiser Tall frame

Old 12-20-19, 06:11 PM
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Electra 7d Cruiser Tall frame

I thought I had a thread started about me ordering an Electra 7d Tall frame Cruiser, but I couldn’t find it .
I spoke with my Trek store today and the bike is in , but has to be assembled. Thought I’d get a call before they closed at 6pm tonight , but it didn’t happen.
Hopefully they’ll call me tomorrow in time for me to pick it up before the rain starts tomorrow evening.
Pics and a review when the next rain spell quits . Probably next Tuesday according to the forecast. Just in time for a Christmas Eve ride
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Old 12-20-19, 09:46 PM
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Can't wait to see the pics!
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Old 12-21-19, 11:17 AM
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Woke up this morning with light rain going on . I had hoped to beat the rain getting the new bike home .
Around 11:00am I got a call saying my bike was ready . Luckily , the rain has stopped for now with more this evening and the next two days .
I adjusted the stem, down a little and had the bike shop lower the saddle just so I could sit on it and get a feel for the frame fit .
I think I may have cracked a smile while sitting on it . I think this bike will be perfect for me .
I did do a quick ride up the street across from where I live and it’s going to work fine once I get it completely setup for me and get all of my accessories bolted on .
I took a quick pic in front of the garage door before putting her in the stable .
The frame reminds me a lot of the Fat Tire in size and length . Going to make a smooth riding cruiser.

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Old 12-21-19, 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by kirby999
Woke up this morning with light rain going on . I had hoped to beat the rain getting the new bike home .
Around 11:00am I got a call saying my bike was ready . Luckily , the rain has stopped for now with more this evening and the next two days .
I adjusted the stem, down a little and had the bike shop lower the saddle just so I could sit on it and get a feel for the frame fit .
I think I may have cracked a smile while sitting on it . I think this bike will be perfect for me .
I did do a quick ride up the street across from where I live and it’s going to work fine once I get it completely setup for me and get all of my accessories bolted on .
I took a quick pic in front of the garage door before putting her in the stable .
The frame reminds me a lot of the Fat Tire in size and length . Going to make a smooth riding cruiser.


So is it just longer or is the seat tube higher as well?
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Old 12-21-19, 04:38 PM
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Originally Posted by JehD
So is it just longer or is the seat tube higher as well?
The seat tube is a little taller , so is the standover , but not much , less than two inches . But the frame is definitely longer .
Wished I bought this instead of my Rockhopper, or a 7d Lux tall .
I swapped out a few items this afternoon and started the build . It wasn’t raining when we got home from lunch, just cool and overcast. After I changed out the saddle and the handlebars, I took it for a three mile cruise around the neighborhood. Looking forward to getting a set of Maxxis Hookworms 26x2.5’s on it . I’m planning on putting a rear rack on this one too . Got to find a seatpost clamp with the rear rack adapter .
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Old 12-22-19, 05:58 PM
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That’s a nice bike with lots of gears. Before moving to Isle of Palms I lived in Alpharetta so I know the hilly terrain you ride.
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Old 12-23-19, 03:27 PM
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So show many bikes have you gotten this year now? Not criticizing just a little jealous. Lol.
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Old 12-23-19, 04:30 PM
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Originally Posted by JehD
So show many bikes have you gotten this year now? Not criticizing just a little jealous. Lol.
just 4 LOL ! Unless I decide to sell my two C1’s . This will most likely be the last one .
It’s all the accessories that make them into how I want them to be , that adds up .
Except for the Fat Tire , which I’ve done very little to change it from stock . It even has the stock pedals . Saddles are constantly being rotated .
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Old 12-23-19, 04:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Nighttrain
That’s a nice bike with lots of gears. Before moving to Isle of Palms I lived in Alpharetta so I know the hilly terrain you ride.
yep , around the house , I live inside a bowl . It’s uphill to get out of the subdivision and depends on which direction, it can get rolling . Lots of ups and downs.
once out of the neighborhood, I can head into town and it’s not a bad ride .
A lot of times , I just ride the bowl , up one hill , turn around, downhill to the next hill , up that hill , turn around, downhill , and start over again . Good exercise.
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Old 12-23-19, 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted by kirby999
just 4 LOL ! Unless I decide to sell my two C1’s . This will most likely be the last one .
It’s all the accessories that make them into how I want them to be , that adds up .
Except for the Fat Tire , which I’ve done very little to change it from stock . It even has the stock pedals . Saddles are constantly being rotated .
Electra should send you a T-shirt at least.
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Old 12-23-19, 06:17 PM
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I asked for a discount from the Trek store on this one , since I’d become a regular customer and was told they didn’t give discounts . . And to get a Tall frame I had to go through a Trek dealer . REI doesn’t list them .
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Old 12-24-19, 01:37 PM
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Spent some time customizing my Electra 7d this morning. I’m still waiting for my 9/16 to 1/2 pedal adapters to swap out the pedals for some platforms.
Swapped saddles three times before I settled ( for now ) on a Planet Bike ARS MTB saddle .
Added just a little red accent because I didn’t have any black foam grips that I could trim and use the twist grip shifter .
Got to put a little over six miles on it afterwards, riding around the neighborhood.
I’m starting to form my opinion on the bike . You really don’t know about a bike until you get up close with it while you’re working on it .
I would give it about 3.5 out of 5 . Mainly because of its cheap components. Such as the freewheel , Since the shifter says Shimano on it , and the derailleur ( although entry level) , I expected the freewheel to be Shimano . Nope , Sunrace . Something you’d find on a Walmart bike . Same for the brakes and levers .Cheap , Entry level .
I’m afraid Electra quality has gone done some IMO . I’m just a little disappointed in the build quality of this bike .
The bike has a mystery clanging noise occasionally. Not sure if it’s chain slap or bottom bracket bearing noise . I can’t find anywhere the chain would hit , so I’m afraid it maybe bottom bracket . If it continues or gets worse , I’ll take it back to the dealer.
It rides smooth, especially with the Maxxis Hookworms, but I think I may have made a mistake in buying the 7d .
For just a little more money , less than $50 , I could have bought a Specialized Roll . Which is a whole lot better bike IMO .
But I do like a cantilever style frame .
I’ll most likely swap out components for better ones as they wear out , including the wheels .
Merry Christmas to all of my Cruiser friends .


Last edited by OldCruiser; 12-24-19 at 01:50 PM.
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Old 12-24-19, 08:59 PM
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I can't argue with some of your statements. Not to hijack the thread but another pov might be helpful At least for me I knew what I was getting into. Electra is more expensive than other bikes but I've felt that cost comes in from the dealer network and assembly. While not great components, better than the big box stuff, but its definitely entry level compared to just about everything else found in a regular bike store. My wifes Huffy was used and while it sat outside and got a little rusty - cheap steal and chrome - it had little use but i had to disassemble the entire bike and lube everything as it was crunchy and almost lube free. The difference between the $150 bike and the $350 bike were evident all the way to the welds.

Since you have the 7D and essentially the Lux in the fat tire, how do the components compare? I know the lux has a 3pc crank setup but am not certain about the rest of the stuff. A little higher grade or is it just the aluminum frame, 3pc crank and a better seat...oh and slightly larger tires?

I wanted a Steel Cruiser with comfortable geometry, a few gears and decent braking. I think I got it and for not an unreasonable price. My feeling was as the stuff wore out I would upgrade a little as needed but the starting point had to be the frame and initial setup being cable mounts a V brake mounts. I went overboard on the seat and saddle bag but you only live once.

True the Roll has slightly better equipment, and its aluminum but in my honest opinion it could have top of the line equipment, ti frame ect, but if its not the fit you want then ???

my .02
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Old 12-24-19, 11:03 PM
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I would be tempted to temporarily remove the chain guard then take the bike for a spin to see if the noise goes away, sounds different or is actually coming from some place other than the bottom bracket. If you are happy with the frame, you can always upgrade low end components as they break or wear out. The Sun Race freewheel may surprise you. I have a couple of them on vintage road bikes and they perform well and are actually quieter than entry level Shimano freewheels.

Merry Christmas and best of luck in working the kinks out of your new Electra.
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Old 12-25-19, 12:01 AM
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Thanks for the view points and suggestions.
Buying the tall frame was sort of an experiment for me . My wrist have bothered me riding lately and I thought the longer toptube would help my wrist and hands .
I’ve tried two different handlebars and after my ride today , my wrists are still bothering me .
The Fat Tire is a Lux and the components are a step above the 7d . I guess except for the crank , I expected the 7d to be similar in build . Funny the wrist don’t bother me as much on the fat tire .
When I ordered the Tall frame , the sales guy told me Trek has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee, where I can return it if I’m not totally satisfied with the bike . I think I may test their return policy .
If I do , I’ll probably experiment so more with the bikes I have to try to find one I can ride without pain issues . I love the gearing on my Rockhopper MTB but I need to raise the bars some more to take the pressure off my hands.
Tomorrow , we don’t have any special Christmas plans , so I guess I’ll be removing all of my accessories off the tall bike and take it back Thursday .
I’ll be working on the Rockhopper too .
I’ve also have a Shimano Nexus three speed rear wheel out in the garage I need to put on one of my C1’s . That with a bigger cog (23 tooth) should give me all the hill climbing gearing I need in a cruiser.
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Old 12-25-19, 08:35 AM
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If you haven't already, give Ergon grips a try. They do an excellent job of distributing the pressure area on your hands. I couldn't ride my flat bar road bikes without them.

Hang in there. You'll eventually find the fit and comfort you seek. Besides, tinkering is almost as much fun as riding right?
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Old 12-25-19, 10:59 AM
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+1 on the Ergon type grips. I had Bontragers on my Trek DS 8.4 and the same set on my Moto as I had bad wrist pain on just round grips. Im not having the issue on the cruiser

as its so upright but still may change out the stock grips for something like these as my rides get longer . For me it relaxes the grip.

Im curious as to whats different between the frames. I would think they are close enough that a combination of seat height and bar style/positioning could make up for it. The wrist pain issue is odd because with this type of bike so little weight is on your wrists. Mine are pretty bad as well and with the wide bars and how I set up the bake levers I have a very neutral resting position.

Im sure you'll figure it out and have a Nice Christmass

Joe
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Old 12-25-19, 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted by JehD
+1 on the Ergon type grips. I had Bontragers on my Trek DS 8.4 and the same set on my Moto as I had bad wrist pain on just round grips. Im not having the issue on the cruiser

as its so upright but still may change out the stock grips for something like these as my rides get longer . For me it relaxes the grip.

Im curious as to whats different between the frames. I would think they are close enough that a combination of seat height and bar style/positioning could make up for it. The wrist pain issue is odd because with this type of bike so little weight is on your wrists. Mine are pretty bad as well and with the wide bars and how I set up the bake levers I have a very neutral resting position.

Im sure you'll figure it out and have a Nice Christmass

Joe
I have those type of grips on my Mountain bikes and my something similar on my Roll .
The tall frame 7d is actually longer than the Fat Tire Lux . Most of it in the toptube , increasing the reach putting more pressure on my hands . I’m leaning forward to grab the grips .
I think the Fat Tire Lux frame is about perfect for my body style .
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Old 12-25-19, 03:34 PM
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Originally Posted by kirby999
I have those type of grips on my Mountain bikes and my something similar on my Roll .
The tall frame 7d is actually longer than the Fat Tire Lux . Most of it in the toptube , increasing the reach putting more pressure on my hands . I’m leaning forward to grab the grips .
I think the Fat Tire Lux frame is about perfect for my body style .

Well thats good to hear at least now you know and should be able to get a refund on the tall. I admit I like mine but may always wonder if the Fat Tire was the way to go...It just looks so good.
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Old 12-25-19, 03:45 PM
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Originally Posted by JehD
Well thats good to hear at least now you know and should be able to get a refund on the tall. I admit I like mine but may always wonder if the Fat Tire was the way to go...It just looks so good.
yep , I love my Fat Tire !
I was hoping to have a similar framed, smaller tire , version .
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Old 12-26-19, 05:59 PM
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Returned the Tall 7d this morning . No issues .
Except , because I paid cash , I’ve got to pickup a check tomorrow when the manager gets in .
Think I’m going to concentrate on getting the bikes I already own up to snuff .
Thinking of getting my old Schwinn CrossCut down and updating some equipment on it . Haven’t ridden that bike in awhile . Need to see how wide of tire I can fit on it . It has Bio-Pace chainrings that have been easy on my knees in the past . The Crosscut is the bike I rode 47 miles one day to a friends family cabin . My longest ride ever .
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