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We saw this retro-styled Electra bike on a German website a little bit before the US offices wanted it to be out there. Our contact at Electra said it was cool to re-post the images, but couldn’t provide more details at the time. I’m sure a certain portion of our audience can appreciate the styling. I’m left wondering, though, why doesn’t Electra jump in the market with a simple, steel, diamond-frame singespeed?
I’m sure it’s a fine bike, but is not ‘retro’ in anything other than the most ’70s (and that’s a real stretch) sort of style.
Are we trying for ‘English’ retro? That would, sort of, demand a horizontal TT. And what about the drive-train – really not very ‘English’ retro.
And if we’re trying for ‘French’ retro I suspect the levers might be OK, but, again, the sloping TT? Maybe the racks and fenders (and the racket that seems to always attend metal fenders) work some sort of deal – you know, give up the horizontal top tube, and get a rack/fender combo…
God, I’m starting to sound like a retro-grouch, but the sloping TT just destroys the entire image…
Those brakes always freak me out. I ride waaaaay too close to all sorts of things to suffer hooks like that.
@ urb agreed on the TT.
Not crazy about the TT, but just about everything about the rest points to retro. Downtube shifters aren’t very practical for the around town demograph, but are undoubtedly fashionable; Especially since they keep that nasty cable housing out of the picture.
The fenders, bottle cage, racks and toe clips all look great.
Wondering about the hubs though, they look like high flange. Great if you ride a track bike, but this doesn’t look much like one to me.