Got my Breezer Villager!
 

After my research and soul searching, I ordered a Breezer Villager, diamond XL frame. It came in after 2 weeks (not sure about fellow poster's mega-week backorder?) and I've been commuting on it each day since (about 3 weeks).

My overall impression is it's fantastic. All the accessories are top notch. The retro look is priceless. I don't miss toeclips, though every now and then I'm tempted to pull up until I find nuttin' but air above my feet. I guess I'm used to old crappy brakes, 'cause these babies stop on less than a dime. The fendering is awesome, letting me go through deep puddles without fear of soiling my work attire. The seat is very comfy. The lighting system is way cool, although I didn't realize the generator system was essentially the same mechanism as my late 60's days on a two-wheeler. I got two trek grocery bags that are great for picking up groceries for the fam'. The bike bell inspires instant terror in any Mack truck driver or Harley rider like you wouldn't believe.

I have some quibbles with the gearing:

1) Why did they reverse the shifting direction? Push forward to go into a lower gear? Pull back for a higher gear? I've been on shifter geared bikes since 1970 and I cannot for the life of me untrain myself yet. Every time I shift I have to pause and think about it. Grrrrrr...

2) I live in central NC so the topology is gently rolling hills. The gear spread is sufficient, but I'm contemplating getting a slightly smaller rear sprocket installed. The 7th gear of the Nexus hub isn't quite high enough for me on downhills. Maybe I should just accept my rapidly approaching half-century birthday and ride like the old man I am.

3) I do occasionally get a bit of gear clunk, reminiscent of the old 3-speed Sturmey Archer gears that I had assumed the Nexus has evolved far away from. Usually the gears shift seamlessly, but sometimes when I'm riding hard a hear a clunk that makes me pause a bit.

I heartily recommend this bike for toolin' around town and/or modest commutes. But if you have serious hills to contemplate, there are better options.

This thread is worthless w/o pics...

What, no pics??? Give us pics. We demand pics.

Those bikes are great. I think they will age particularly well and look even better once being worn in for a decade or two. I just wish they made a steel frame (do they??). If I needed another bike, I would really look at the Uptown or Villager.

Congratulations! I have been commuting on my Uptown 8 U frame for a little over a month and I love it. The gentleman with the backorder wanted an Uptown.

I feel the same way.

For some reason, I like the reverse direction. Not sure why, but now I have something new to ponder.

I live in Oregon. I went with the Uptown because of hills. I tried both bikes and knew the 7 speed just wouldn't work for me.

I hear while riding hard and going uphill. Should I be concerned?

Here are my overdue pix (enclosed).

It's a beautiful cycle, but I am having some issues with the Nexus hub gears...

I like your bike. :) I test rode a breezer before I bought my Karate Monkey, and I really liked it. I wanted to "roll my own" so I got the Monkey but the Breezer seems like a great bike.

Forgot to add. Does anyone find it odd that you have to get a "specialty" bike to get a useful, practical machine? 30 years ago, that's what a bike looked like.

If your hub skips a little bit, the shift cable is most likely a little out of adjustment. I've got a nexis 8 speed on my Trek L200, with the 8 speed you put it into 4th gear and rotate the cable adjuster until two white dots line up on the hub end of the cable. It's a piece of cake. The 7 speed is probally similar, the manual is on the web.

Yeah, I'm hoping it's just the initial cable stretch. I have a few sagging items from my 5 days a week riding since I got it two months ago, so I'll prolly just take her in to the shop from which I purchased it.

Even the chain is sagging more than I'd like...



Surprised my bumper sticker didn't get discussed...:)

Nice lookin' bike! I've been enjoying my Uptown, dispite the long wait to get it, you were definitely lucky to get the XL frame so quickly.

I bet the hub problems are just from cable stretch. First thing I did was swap my stock tires for nimbus armadillos and I too probably need to adjust that cable to get the rear indicators "lined up" again. Seems simple enough. If the chain sags just tighten it up by unbolting the rear tire and moving it back a smidge, easy enough. Everything on this bike should be pretty darn easy to adjust at home (outside of servicing the gens or the hubs).

I'm looking to get an XL uptown8, what kind of a wait can I expect KnoxBreezer?

If you only get the clunk WHILE shifting, with a heavy load on the gears (I.E. pedaling hard, especially uphill), it's probably normal. My understanding is that hub gears are kind of like a manual transmission... when you shift, you're bringing different internal gear sets into play. So, like a manual transmission, it'll shift a lot easier without a load on it. In a car, you use the clutch; on a bike, just stop pressing so hard on the pedals for a moment while you shift.

With no load, it's easy for the gears to move slightly to line up as it changes from one set to the next. With a load, the clunk is probably the gears finally lining up and the pressure on the pedals forcing the shift to be harder than normal.

Now, I'd still check the cable, that never hurts. On my wife's bike with a 7-speed nexus, you flip the bike upside down, put it in 4th gear (I think), and there are two red lines, one on the outside of the hub, one on the moveable thingy that the shifter cable attaches to (at the hub end), and they are supposed to line up. If they don't, adjust the cable until they do.

My wait wasn't bad, only about 6 weeks. The most frustrating part of it was not really having a clear idea of when it would arrive. I was initially told 2 weeks, which turned into four, then turned into 6, ect. I also had to arrange a trip to pick up my Breezer (closest dealer is 150miles away). I imagine the wait had something to do with ordering at the start of peak season, but I was also told that they just don't make very many XL frames (especially Uptowns).

I would check with the LBS ordering the bike. Have them call Breezer and get an ETA on any backorders before placing the order.

I have bikes with three of the Nexus hubs-my olde schwinn replica has the 7,my Bianchi Milano has the 8 and I built a "race-recreation" bike with the premium 8.The premium 8 is much superior it shifts better,seems to have less drag.Shimano is coming out with a new version called Alfine that has a forged casing for better rigidity,needle bearings for reduced friction,and is lighter.Can't wait to get my hands on one!

I just bought a Villager today at lunch! Got an 06 at a nice discount too. I am psyched! :)

I love your bumper sticker! :eek:

Todzilla--just wondering if you got your gears going good. I had cable stretch, too and made one adjustment. Also, for some reason, I can't pull the tire back enough to get that chain taught, and it sounds like you have the same issue. Don't get what's in the way... It hasn't been a problem, but I suspect it will increase wear.

I found the following advice from Sheldon Brown's fixed gear page to be pretty helpful with getting the chain taught on my Breezer:

So how expensive are the Nexus hubs and where is the place to get them at the best price? I have been thinking of setting up a bike with internal gears (after I finish the 3 projects already in the works) and want to start putting together a budget.

Any thoughts on buying a used one?

Thanks, KnoxBreezer! I'll give that a try this weekend.:D