US & European Catalog Intoduction

The first time I walked into the Electra office, I could feel it. Then I saw it in the entryway. Beautiful. My reaction instantaneous. Its frame lines exquisite, and connecting directly to a cultural past. It was apparent that someone had put an unusual amount of time and impassioned thought into creating this bike. It just screamed commitment.

Before I left the office that day, I had ridden nearly the entire Electra line and fallen in love with them all. Even more importantly, I was in love with riding again. A young road cyclist as a teenager, I had left that world feeling hemmed in by rules of conduct and technical specs and had not looked back, diving into the treacherous world of rock n roll instead. I always resisted any idea that there was a single way to do anything. One way to be. Now faced with a bike and a company that held the same ethos, I realized just how much I had missed the simple joy of riding.

Living passionately. That is what this book is all about. We pushed, we sweated, we threw up our hands and laughed ourselves silly, driving ourselves forward in an attempt to visually express the singular feeling of riding an Electra bike. To reaffirm that quality, action, determination and a commitment to something better than "good-enough" is beautiful, necessary and very much possible. I hope this book helps you to feel what it's like to know this team of people at Electra. How hard they work to realize their vision, to follow their passion; everyone from warehouse to company heads; to make their bikes become a part of your life.

Since that first meeting, I've realized that many of my friends already own Electras. They had experienced the same reaction as i had, and they love 'em. My musician friends take theirs on the tour bus to ride whenever they stop. Others collect them to fit their mood or boost their egos with the stares they get. They roll to the grocery store or to work, self-powered, healthier and skipping out on the traffic jams and gas prices we've all been feeling more of these days. They've changed their lives while having a great time doing it.

We all want to live a stronger, cleaner, healthier life. Want to make our efforts matter, however small, to our families, to our environment, to our communities. It's our hope for something better in action. Our contribution to this changing world we live in and the life we want to lead. No second guessing. No market forces. Just the knowledge that you feel it's right and doing it in fine style.

My choice of ride, a 9-speed Townie Balloon, is resting in my front room as I write this, waiting. It has done something for me no other bike ever has; becoming my joyful escape and internalizing the "Way To Roll" slogan making it my own. In a very intimate life-changing way, Electra has altered things for me and my kids. We ride everywhere now. We've become part of an evolving community without even realizing it. It's become part of my contribution to lessening my energy consumption, to easing the stress on my wallet, to bettering my children's future. It has made me a part of a culture, a movement, an idea. It's become my Way To Roll.

Patrick Dennis / September 2008