September’s Bike of the Month: Electra’s Ticino

20. Sep, 2010 6 Comments  Print This Article

The Electra Ticino is evocative of the type of bicycles popular in Europe for touring in the 1940’s and 50’s. It gets its name from the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, bejeweled by beautiful lakes such as Lake Lugano, which has been popular with cyclists for decades. The Ticino has beautiful classic touches such as the hammered fenders, upright tourist handlebars, unique reverse-style brake levers, and a hand-brazed chromoly fork. Unlike the “biciclettas” (that’s Italian for “bicycles”) of yester-year, the Ticino is much lighter, instead of steel, its frame is a lightweight aluminum. The Electra Ticino 8D features an 8-speed drivetrain which gives it some flexibility to take on a hilly ride, and its easy rolling 700cc wheels have a road bike feel.

Electra has adorned the Ticino with a traditional emblem–the coat of arms of the Ticino Canton of Switzerland. It’s a strong tradition with European bicycles such as the Bianchi or this vintage Cimatti shown here on the right.

The hammered alloy rear and front fenders give the Ticino a beautifully classic touch.The reverse brake levers and upright handlebars give the Ticino a comfortable and controlled ride.

 The women’s Ticino 8D features a classic step-through frame and is available in wintermint (shown here) and plum (2010). 

Nice touch: the chainring is designed so that it will not grab at one’s pant leg, even without a chainguard.

The images below are shots of the Ticino line at Interbike 2010:

 
 Thanks to Bingham Cyclery for the loan of this beautiful bike in the other photos!
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6 Responses to “September’s Bike of the Month: Electra’s Ticino”

  1. Jessie 21. Sep, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    Finally! This was a long time coming. Was it worth the wait?

  2. Electra Chris 29. Sep, 2010 at 9:42 am

    Just a clarification, the Ticino crest was developed in-house by Electra’s fantastic arts and crafts department. The bears represent Electra founders Jeano and Benno, both of whom have Berlin roots (Berlin’s city mascot is a bear), while the Swiss cross over the black/red/gold reflect Benno and Jeano’s heritage (Benno grew up in the Swiss embassy in Berlin while Jeano is a native Berliner).

    Thanks for the write up, it’s been added to the Electra Facebook wall and was sent out on our Twitter feed.

    http://www.facebook.com/ElectraBicycleCompany?ref=ts

    -Chris from Electra

  3. marijka 29. Sep, 2010 at 9:56 am

    Very nice, especially the textured fenders, but I prefer the style of my Townie. :-)

  4. Tara McKee 29. Sep, 2010 at 9:45 pm

    Thanks so much, Chris! I stand corrected and I really appreciate the story of the Ticono’s crest. Thanks for the Facebook/Twitter shout-out!

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  2. Seven Bikes that Make Great Alternatives for a Car | Cycle and Style - 11. Apr, 2011

    [...] The Electra Ticino (Tuh-chino) is a classic sporty bike and has a very different look than the Southern Californian beach town style of most of Electra’s bikes. The Ticino was inspired by classic bicycles which were popular in the the Italian speaking region of Switzerland. The Ticino’s have beautiful hammered fenders, upright tourist handlebars, unique reverse-style brake levers, and a hand-brazed chromoly fork. They are the priciest bicycle in this selection, but it’s an absolute head-turner! Here’s our previous article about the Ticino. [...]