Originally Posted by
KnitnZen
Hi,
I have bad knees and hip pain and am interested in getting a bike.
I have been reading up on the Electra Townie and it sounds great. I went to a bike shop in town today that sells them and tried one out.
They did not have the smaller model but I tried the full size 7D. In order to have "flat feet" they had to lower the seat as far is they could and, in fact, he said to truly get there he'd need to remove the rear reflector.
Then, when riding it, we found I could not fully extend my legs which might put some strain on my knees so he raised the seat higher, which meant I could only touch the ground on tiptoes, which I would prefer to feel more secure than that.
I asked about the smaller 24" option that is available, so I could try that as a point of comparison. They did not have one in stock for me to try but he said it would make no difference, I'd still have the same problem. He gave some explanation that I did not understand...I guess it did not make sense to me so I am not sure if he was correct or if he is confused or if he just wants me to choose from what they have in stock.
Does this make sense? Maybe he was saying that I'd be closer to the ground but no more able to extend my legs? I am not sure.
I had to join this forum because I am going through the EXACT same knee and hip issues. I did purchase a Townie yesterday for health reasons -- March 2021. I too tried to put my foot down and could not once the seat was in the correct position for my leg extension. I tested the bike and my knees were level with my chest. I did own a Townie about 4 years ago (I did turn it back in) but I seem to remember how comfortable it was to ride. The paint was soft and the chain jammed into the gear sprocket among other issues. Now I purchased another (the 26" was what I was sold) and I'm not nearly as comfortable as I remember the other one to be, and I cannot put my foot down either. 5' 2".