I just got back from my LBS and I ended up ordering the Townie 7D. I can say without a doubt that the pedal forward design (at least on the Townie) is 10 times easier on my knee. The only trade-off is you are a bit dead weight on the saddle as mentioned above. And it being a cruiser, don't expect to take it much off-roading. The reason I got it is for pavement only. To me it was not hard to stand up although it does take some getting used to. For anyone with a bad knee like mine, you owe it to yourself to forget all reviews (including this one) and at least go down and try a bike with the pedal-forward design for yourself. It may be the complete opposite for you, but for me it's a game-changer. I can't wait to ride again!