Electra Bicycle Company Hellbilly

Price Paid:  $890.00 at Airjam

Model Year:
2007

Bike Setup:
Stock

Summary:
(Price paid is in euro's)

Cant Praise this bike enough, I've ridden all sorts of Bikes and was big into Road cycling then later Mountain Biking, so this was a big change of direction for me. All i can say is Wow!! the feeling i get when riding this bike especially on a sunny day is unsurpassed, also this bike can move! the three speed gears in the hub are excellent and very smooth. it's surprisingly light and nimble for it's size. and oh yea boy does it turn heads, makes me feel Good!

Strengths:
Looks Amazing, Such a Comfortable ride, the springy saddle is so nice to sit on! smooth gears and a head turner. suprisingly light,

Weaknesses:
initially a few sqeeks from the spring sadle but that stops after it's broken in, cant really fault anything else, it is what it is

Similar Products Used:
Tested a few cruisers from Felt, and there's No comparison whatsoever

Price Paid:  $600.00 at fritz, lincoln rd. ,

Model Year:
2006

Favorite Ride:
this one hellbilly

Bike Setup:
bought it assembled and customized a few things

Summary:
Completely satisfied. It's a head turner for sure, got nothing but compliments, it looks better than photo, you can see pics of mine at flickr under nycratkiller. it is slightly heavy but it is a cruiser, i had riden it 20 miles non-stop once, no problems evr. even though its not "made for it"beinng its a cruiser. i had it stolen and i bought another, i loved it so much. when riding in the rain water will splash on your lower back side, from the wheel, but i think most bikes will do that unless you have a complete fender. i give it a 4.5,

Strengths:
good handling, beautiful look, very sturdy

Weaknesses:
heavy, but it is a beach cruiser, handles well though, even in sand.

Similar Products Used:
many bikes

Price Paid:  $570.00 at South Lyon Bike Shop

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Electra HellBilly

Bike Setup:
Fully Assembled.

Summary:
Did alot of research and it came between the PhatCycles XC-3 and the HellBilly. I could only find the HellBilly in the local shop and that's where it came to life! Very nice bike. Saw it, bought it. Big with a nice and comfortable ride.

Strengths:
Color, Tires, Nice padded leather grips.
Big-O Leather Saddle! 3 Speed shift comes in handy!

Weaknesses:
Seat sounds like a herd of crickets!
It's also hard to deal with the price when you read "Made In China" But what's not these days!

Price Paid:  $589.00

Model Year:
2007

Bike Setup:
Added a quick release to the seat, and plan to do the same for the front fork. Looking for a leather pack to add to it.

Summary:
I too was looking for a bike to ride around the neighborhood with my wife and kids. The last bike I owned was a 1988 Raleigh Point Mountain Bike. It was a great bike for it's time but I felt that it was time for a new bike. However, a new $1,000 mountain bike did not appeal to me. I began looking for something that could be comfortable, easy to ride and still make it up a steep hill or two. I went down to the local bike store and the salesman introduced me to the Electra Townie 3s. Great bike, in fact I was ready to buy it had I not been on my way out of town. He gave me a catalog for the Electra bikes and that's where I saw the Hellbilly. By looking at the picture in the catalog and then later on the Net, it was difficult to see how big it was. I was afraid that it look like a kids bike so I was a little nervous about ordering it sight unseen. I found several review and blogs about people that had just bought their own Hellbilly, or had recently given it a test ride. Everyone wrote positive things about and said that it was awesome bike. The next Monday I found another bike shop in my city that also carried the Electra line; low and behold they had the Hellbilly in stock. I had made several calls to other shops in my state and I was beginning think that Hellbilly was going to be a tough bike to find. Anyway, went down to the shop and test road it. It was awesome. This is a BIG bike, no one will mistake for a kids bike. I road it around the parking lot and decided that it was worth the $600. The more I ride this bike more I enjoy it. This bike will turn heads, it looks BAD. The paint job is beautiful and the flame stickers look as if they were painted on. But the best thing about this bike is how it rides. It cruses, slow and comfortable. And those 3 inch Fatti-o tires glide on the road. The shifting is seamless and can get you going fast enough for anyone. The biggest difference from my old mountain bike is that I’m not leaned over putting half of my weigh on my forearms. My weight is on the big leather seat and my feet are out in front. I can’t say enough about this bike. If you are lucky enough to find this bike, ride it, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Strengths:
Smooth ride, looks greatamd well made. Be ready for people to stop you and ask lots of questions if you buy this bike.

Weaknesses:
No quick release on the seat or front fork. The springy seat tend to squeak and the chain guard is a bit flimsy.

Similar Products Used:
Test road the Townie 3s

Price Paid:  $580.00 at LBS

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Any Century

Bike Setup:
Factory

Summary:
I was looking for a bike to ride the local bike paths with my wife. She had purchased an Electra Townie and I like the way it rode but it just wasn’t cool enough for me. So after looking at Electra’s catalog I discovered the Hell Billy. Instantly the looks caught my eye, along with the eye of everyone else on the bike path. The 3" wide tires make for a smooth ride and I love the big butt springer seat. This purchase was all about simplicity. No special shoes, shorts or any other piece of equipment. I love the sit up position and forward peddling. It all makes for a great easy cruising ride along the Gulf of Mexico.

Strengths:
Simplicity, Cool Points and quality. The paint is gourgous and the flame stickers look as if they were painted on. The welds are smooth. The entire package is just outstanding.

Weaknesses:
Seems expensive for a cruiser but not for the quality product like this.

Similar Products Used:
none