Hello,
pedal forward is is definitely easier on the knees. I injured my leg several years ago and was not able to get full range of motion on my knee or ankle. This made it difficult to get on or off a bike. The Townie was the only bike I could get on and pedal. I am now one month into riding almost every day. The doctors said my leg would not get any better. They were wrong. I can now bend my knee 3/4 of the way. I have found this bike to be easy to pedal and have not had any knee pain. It has taken me some time to adjust physically to riding a bike but I listened to my body and took things slow to start with. I worked up to a 15 mile ride this week and had no pain at all. I live near a bike path in a residential area and there is a good mix of different types of bicyclist. So far I am having a lot of fun and the bonus is I am getting my knees back in shape.