breezer?

This topic has 8 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 1 month ago by DaveK.

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June 6, 2014 at 1:33 pm #915445

mstone
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My mother wants to get a bike. Recreational riding in-neighborhood, maybe a little utility riding. Vienna area, so enough hills that gears are a must, but she has always hated the mechanics of shifting. (So a derailleur setup with requirements about what order to shift things in, shift while moving not under too high load, etc., is right out.) I really wish shimano had figured out how to sell its automatic shifter. At the moment we’re looking at a Breezer Uptown 5 step-through. It’s got a 5 speed internal, rack & fenders, and a dynamo light for always-there functionality. The hope is that this would be low-maintenance, just get on and go. My only thought is that the 18t sprocket might be a bit high, and a 20 or 22t might be a useful upgrade. (Side note, why are basically all bikes sold with top gears that will never get used?) That said, this is not my market segment and I’m flying a bit blind. Anyone familiar with this bike or Breezer’s city bikes in general? Are they solid? Any other bikes worth looking at (that are actually stocked by someone local)?
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June 6, 2014 at 2:14 pm #1003504

dasgeh
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@mstone 87719 wrote:

My mother wants to get a bike. Recreational riding in-neighborhood, maybe a little utility riding. Vienna area, so enough hills that gears are a must, but she has always hated the mechanics of shifting. (So a derailleur setup with requirements about what order to shift things in, shift while moving not under too high load, etc., is right out.) I really wish shimano had figured out how to sell its automatic shifter. At the moment we’re looking at a Breezer Uptown 5 step-through. It’s got a 5 speed internal, rack & fenders, and a dynamo light for always-there functionality. The hope is that this would be low-maintenance, just get on and go. My only thought is that the 18t sprocket might be a bit high, and a 20 or 22t might be a useful upgrade. (Side note, why are basically all bikes sold with top gears that will never get used?) That said, this is not my market segment and I’m flying a bit blind. Anyone familiar with this bike or Breezer’s city bikes in general? Are they solid? Any other bikes worth looking at (that are actually stocked by someone local)?

I keep hearing good things about Breezer. Chris S is in the process of buying one from Papillon Cycles on Columbia Pike.

June 6, 2014 at 2:29 pm #1003505

chris_s
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Like Dasgeh said, I’m in the middle of buying a Breezer from Papillon. They have some Breezers in stock you can go right on down and ride. I liked my test ride enough to spring for the purchase. My understanding is that the company is very well regarded in Mountain Biking circles.

If she hates shifting, you should at least consider the Uptown Infinity – infinite gears which feels more like “no gears”. Just a single thing you turn one direction to make it easier to pedal and the other direction to make it harder. Also if you’re going for zero maintenance you may want to consider the Beltway line instead of the Uptown line.

June 6, 2014 at 3:40 pm #1003516

mstone
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@chris_s 87722 wrote:

If she hates shifting, you should at least consider the Uptown Infinity – infinite gears which feels more like “no gears”. Just a single thing you turn one direction to make it easier to pedal and the other direction to make it harder. Also if you’re going for zero maintenance you may want to consider the Beltway line instead of the Uptown line.

We’ll look at the infinity, but I suspect it’ll tend toward too much choice. (Same reason looking at the 5 rather than the 8.) It does have a somewhat wider range, which is nice. The beltway doesn’t look like it has a step-through model.

June 6, 2014 at 5:30 pm #1003528

baiskeli
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@chris_s 87722 wrote:

If she hates shifting, you should at least consider the Uptown Infinity – infinite gears which feels more like “no gears”. Just a single thing you turn one direction to make it easier to pedal and the other direction to make it harder.

Was going to suggest the same thing. I bet that’s worth a test ride for her. I wonder who sells them around here.

June 6, 2014 at 5:55 pm #1003529

DaveK
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My wife bought a Breezer from Daily Rider recently and loves it. Highly recommended. Hers has a derailleur but she always says how easy it is to ride. She’s almost always in the highest gears on it so I don’t think range would be a problem.

June 6, 2014 at 6:12 pm #1003534

DCLiz
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@DaveK 87747 wrote:

My wife bought a Breezer from Daily Rider recently and loves it.

How’s the weight? I have decided to buy a city commuting bike (which to me means step-through, fenders, rear rack, internal hub gear, upright seating position), but one of the current problems I have is getting my bike in and out of my walk-up apartment with a narrow, winding stairwell.

I have taken to leaving my hybrid Trek 7200 locked to a sign outside of the apartment, as this is the only way I will consistently ride it, but would be reluctant to do that with a nicer bike.

I realize trying to get a lightweight “city” bike is going to be a challenge.

June 6, 2014 at 6:18 pm #1003536

n18
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Bikes@Vienna carries Breezer. They have the one with NuVinci N360, which is Continuously Variable Transmission, you turn a dial, and you get lower or faster speed, as this YouTube video shows. It’s less efficient than other internal hub gears, however, there are no published efficiency information, and the manufacturer dodges such questions. Some say it’s around 80%, but without doing tests, another said it gets hot, and guessed about 40 C temperature. Earlier generations of this device had problems with the shifting mechanism breaking, which is a round plastic piece on the back that shifting cable attaches to, it’s not inside the unit, so you don’t have to open it up(See the part on the upper right at this page). They seem to have fixed it in later versions.

I would say definitely try it first, it seems easier on the body because the shifting is always smooth. Amazon prices for the hub alone starts at $249, and it comes with 32 or 36 hole pattern. Few months ago, I saw them for $150, almost bought one, but they are gone now.

June 9, 2014 at 2:17 pm #1003620

DaveK
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@DCLiz 87752 wrote:

How’s the weight? I have decided to buy a city commuting bike (which to me means step-through, fenders, rear rack, internal hub gear, upright seating position), but one of the current problems I have is getting my bike in and out of my walk-up apartment with a narrow, winding stairwell.

I have taken to leaving my hybrid Trek 7200 locked to a sign outside of the apartment, as this is the only way I will consistently ride it, but would be reluctant to do that with a nicer bike.

I realize trying to get a lightweight “city” bike is going to be a challenge.

I wouldn’t call it light but she can lift it up and down our basement steps without too much of a problem. Maybe 30 pounds? Our basement stairs do involve a tight turn which she does have some issues negotiating. I think that would be true with any bike though. I always move my bikes holding the bars with them standing on the rear wheel, but the fenders on hers don’t really allow for that.
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