New from Electra

At last a mainstream bicycle company has caught on to the idea that tanker bikes are cool again. Electra, known for having a finger on the pulse of cool, has introduced four tanker style bikes this year. Pictured at left is the Electra Indy. It features an aluminum bullet tank with retro gold leaf appearing script on an aluminum ballooner frame. Sadly, it has a Nexus internal 3 speed rear hub with all the associated cables and twist shifter cluttering up the picture. They did get it right with the fenders, white tires, block pedals, fork struts and a springer seat though.

Along with the Indy, Electra has put out three similar bikes, the Flying Sue, styled after WWII aircraft; the Vince in flat black; and the Punk is a silly eclectic mismatched black and white and red paint scheme. They can keep those. At $610, they can keep the Indy too. The three speed hub just doesn't get it for me.