Commuting - Breezer Bikes

There's a nice article in the new Bicycling about Joe Breezer, his advocacy activities, and his attempt to introduce Euro-style commuter bikes to the US market.

You can see the bikes and read more about Joe here:

http://www.breezerbikes.com

The magazine article, while oversimplifying most of the issues surrounding cycle-commuting advocacy, paints a very sympathetic portrait of the man, and continues Bicycling's welcome recent trend towards more real journalism and acknowledgement of real-world cyclists and their needs.

RichC

The only thing that makes me sad about Breezers is that the old excellent quality Breezer MTB hardtails are no longer produced. I also miss the Ritchey P21/P22 bikes.

Yeah, it is a good article, much more like Bicycling used to be. I also liked the interview will Robin Williams in the previous issue. There's a nice little spread about how much money riding a bike saves in the current issue. I may even send Bicycling a note saying how much I appreciate the focus on transportational cycling.

I love what Joe Breeze is doing. If you check out the website, it appears that there's more to the whole thing than just selling the bike. They include a guide on cycling with traffic with every bike and are supporting advocacy groups. It's not just marketing.

The article mentions the dispute between two advocacy camps. Those that want separate facilities and those that believe we should use the roads that exist. This is oversimplified, but the dispute does exist.

By the way, the article quotes the manager of my favorite bike shop, Trophy Bikes in Philadelphia. Trophy Bikes is my favorite shop because they promote transportational cycling and stock the things that are needed for this type of riding. They are now a Breezer dealer. If you end up in Philly I recommend checking the shop out.

I read the article too and find Joe Breezer a very special breed. There are only a handful of companies making quality commuter bikes in a world of hybrids, MTB's and road bikes. It's an absolute shame no one else is doing this. I've seen them and can tell you firsthand, the Breezer is a beautiful bike.

After reading that article, I wanted to go out and buy a Breezer that moment. Seriously. I have seven bikes already but I want to support someone who wants to make a difference when it comes to cycle commuting.

As a result, I'm going to sell my heavy 1972 Schwinn Speedster and use that money to get a Breezer. I already have a buyer that is willing to give me $100.00 dollars. This will give me room to add that Breezer to the stable.

There's only a couple of things wrong with the Breezer.

Price - In my opinion, a commuter bike cannot cost more than $600.00 USD or else it will attract crooks. The Breezers range between $500 - $900 dollars making them high priced commuters. There is NO WAY you can leave $1000.00 commuting bicycle on the street as it will have to be watched at ALL times. This defeats the purpose of a practical commuter for shopping.

Dynamo lights - The Breezer should have used the Schmidt hub period. The Dynamo light on the breezer is a wheel generator that I don't like at all. These generators tend to fail when it rains or snows while developing problems as they get older.

I'll probably get the Citizen since it's the least expensive model and has uses the Nexus 3 speed which is VERY reliable. The Citizen in my opinion appears to be the best choice and at $500.00 dollars, you're not afraid to lock it on the streets since your losses are limited.

>>>>> If you end up in Philly I recommend checking the shop out.<<<<

I was at Trophy Bikes this year for the "Roud Up" for folding bikes. It was remarkable how many folding bike enthusiast showed up for the event. The folding bike in my opinion has so much potential as a commuter but is totally ignored by the pubic and cycling community in general.

Trophy Bikes had on display an Alex Maulton (sp) What an incredible British bicycle.

Dynamo lights - The Breezer should have used the Schmidt hub period. The Dynamo light on the breezer is a wheel generator that I don't like at all. These generators tend to fail when it rains or snows while developing problems as they get older.


I believe the breezer website shows the high end townie model coming with a hub generator, albeit a Shimano Hub generator. The lower end models have the bottle generator.

All-in-all, it was very cool to read about this sort of advocacy in a rag that traditionally has been exclusively about recreational biking and racing.