After taking a ride on the Buzz this evening, I thought I would post the second part of my review centering on how the bike performs. I've put probably 60-70 miles on the bike and have a good idea of what it will do.
If you look past the loud appearance of some of the components, this is a pretty conservative-looking bike. It has an upright riding position, classy polished alloy bits all over, and sweepy commuter handlebars which would lead you to believe it isn't much fun to ride. This is not the case.
Everybody has a different idea of what is fun and what feels nice. Everything I write is completely subjective. I want all my bikes to be comfortable more than anything which requires the handlebars to be at or above the level of the saddle. Previous photos posted show that is definitely the case. I also have to have a nice, wide handlebar with a lot of back sweep. My favorite handlebar of all time is the Origin 8 Space Bar (or the On One Mary Bar of which the Space Bar is as copy). These are very similar to the Space Bar. Both are 25.5" wide at the tips and around 22" measured from the center of the grips. The Buzz bars have what looks to be around 45 degrees of sweep compared to what is supposed to be 40 degrees on the Space Bar I have on my Marin. I think this is a love it or hate it type of handlebar. I find the position very natural for my wrists which allows me to ride a long time without discomfort. The downside to this type of bar is that some headlight brackets may be a little tough to mount. The center section of the bar is very bulgy since it is an over-sized bar and the rest of the bike is all curves. A set silicon Knog light works pretty well and there are some lights out there that will mount to a stem.
My XL size frame has a fairly lengthy wheelbase of 44.2" which would be expected to handle fairly slow. While the bike is very stable and easy to ride no hands, it steers quickly. The head tube angle is 71 degrees, so not track bike steel, but it lends itself to fairly quick steering input (though slowed some by the wide handlebars). I'd describe the bike as quick steering, but not twitchy.
The frame is also fairly stiff to pedal input. I think this can be attributed to the frame construction being plain gauge cromoly. The price you pay is weight and a firm ride. The later is also influenced by the straight blade fork. I wouldn't describe the ride as harsh or unpleasant, but you feel the road beneath you. It reminds me of a sporty compact car compared to the ride of a sports car. The bike is also not terribly light. The REI website lists the weight at 29.2 lbs. I swear it feels lighter, but couldn't be that much lighter. Someone asked me how much it weighs and I had guessed 25 lbs, but I was way off. 29 lbs seems about right. Too bad my work stand doesn't have a built-in scale for me to provide an actual weight.
The stock gearing is 42/16 which should be good for many people. I changed the freewheel and now my gearing is 42/18. I live in an area with gently rolling hills, but we get a lot of wind which really made me struggle with the stock gearing. I also frequent hike and bike paths which are pretty windy and often littered with pedestrians. The stock gearing would be too fast for these area. The 18 tooth freewheel is perfect for these area. I also have a long, gradual climb along my route to and from work which wouldn't be terribly fun for me on the stock gearing. The horizontal drop-outs are long enough such that you don't have to add any links to the chain to go up 2 teeth on the rear wheel and you could easily downsize 2 teeth without having to remove a link.
So far, I am pretty please with how well the bike handles all that I throw at it including commuting to work, riding around town, and on hard pack dirt paths. I never would have expected I could do so much on a simple single speed. My multi-speed bike has been sitting a whole lot lately because I enjoy the SS so much.
Here is a shot from my ride this evening:
