Commando303

I've spent a few weeks, now, looking for a good bike that I've come to learn is called a "commuter"/"city"/"urban". I feel I've pared my likes down to the Specialized Globe series (perhaps the Vienna Deluxe 3) and the Breezer bikes (perhaps the Uptown).

Does anyone have any opinions as to how these two bikes compare with each other? Both look to have internal gearing, dynamo-powered lights, a rear-rack, fenders, a bell, and an "upright" riding position. The prices, too, appear to be comparable.

Thanks much.

BA Commuter

I don't have experience with either. However, the prices to me seem to be very different. The Breezer Uptown is much higher than the Globe.

I have an 8 speed IGH Jamis Commuter 3.0 and have been very happy with it. I would suggest taking a few models out for a ride and see what fits you, fits your budget and just feels right!

Good luck!

Commando303

Thanks. I think the Globe and Uptown are both about $1100.

Ken Wind

The Globe has a number of different models that range in price from $390-$1100, but the Globe Vienna Deluxe 3 has a MSRP of $1100.

They have very similar specifications, but one major difference is that the Breezer uses 26" wheels, while the Specialized uses 700c (28"). Tires are readily available for either size wheel at almost any bike shop. It is a matter of preference for most people that aren't using their bike in a performance-oriented manner.

Have you ridden the bikes? That could help you decide.

Commando303

I've had great difficulty finding a store that carries Breezers, but I have tried out the Globe (I like it). Does wheel-size make a huge difference? Most bikes I've tried have had 700c wheels.

Ken Wind

It can make a difference, but the kind of tire that you use and how much (or how little) you inflate it will probably have a greater affect on your ride. Some people prefer 26" wheels because the tires are more readily available in certain places, and they may be cheaper.

Since you don't have a Breezer dealer in your area, I advise against purchasing a bike from them. The service and knowledge that you get from a good bike shop can be invaluable, and there are often perks (free maintenance or discounted parts) associated with buying a bike at a local bike shop. There is also the issue of warranty claims. If you do have something wrong with your bike, it will be much easier to have the bike shop ( a dealer for the company) deal with warranty issues.

Torrilin

I ended up on a Breezer, because it was a cargo bike that I could get locally and carry up and down my building's stairs. Like most women, I'm short compared to a man... my inseam is about 29". That means I'm small enough that a lot of 700C bikes have some geometry compromises. 26" wheels pretty much never do. For most people, the biggest difference between 26" wheels and 700C is strength... if you're regularly hauling 50lb loads or are quite heavy yourself, 26" tends to have a small advantage.

Batavus, Biria, Raleigh, Redline, and Giant all make bikes in this style too. Try as many as you can, and buy one you can get locally. They're all pretty similar, and the features that make or break a particular bike for you probably won't be the ones that work for me.

gholland

My wife just finished the recent “research and buy” thing. Here is a taste:

She just decided on a Giant Transend EX within the last 2 weeks and absolutely loves it. It “only” cost $850 and comes with the Alfine hub and disc brakes instead of the Nexus and rim brakes. It doesn’t have a dynamo or light, but with the savings you could get some pretty decent lights.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/...en/2294/32081/

Note that the Breezer Uptown comes in a “new” and “old” version. The “new” version has the premium Nexus red band and a full chain case while the “old” comes with the vanilla Nexus and a regular chain guard.

She researched and tried bikes for about a month before deciding on the Giant. Through internet research, etc. she initially headed out to buy a Breezer – the ride was supposed to be “legendary” and Breezer bikes enjoy tremendous popularity on the net. Plus they seemed kind of cool. But after trying a bunch of bikes she far preferred the Giant. The Nexus on the Breezer seemed to delay when shifting more than she cared for and the fenders would not stop rattling even after the shop guy tried tightening and adjusting. Also, the front light had some wires exposed (though minimal) and my 2-year old son reached to grab them so to her it was just another thing to break. Lastly, she seemed to prefer the 700c wheels. I’m sure the Breezer is great and you would be happy with it. Maybe the bike mechanic could have done a better job putting setting it up, I don’t know. Most people seem to like them and I'm sure you would too if you got it.

She is 5’ 3” and uses it as her main transportation – towing 2 kids in a Chariot, getting groceries, going to parks and seeing friends and relatives, etc. After daily use over the past couple of weeks her only gripe is the kickstand – it could be a bit beefier. On its own the kick stand is great. But attach a Chariot and have a couple of kids getting in an out and it becomes too much for it. I’m not sure if that’s the case for most kickstands under that kind of load. She loves the Alfine hub – loves it. It shifts really, really smooth even under load. And the gearing just works for her. Shifting from a standstill is essential. You never know when a 2 or 4 year old will shout “I need some water” or something to that effect. She can stop immediately (the discs work great even with the extra weight ), take care of the situation, get back on the bike, shift to a lower gear without pedaling and start right up. The ride is mostly upright without being too upright. She really appreciates this when towing a load or if it windy. Our home town is mostly flat with slight, but longish up and down gradients.

Of note: She didn’t like the feel of the Specialized Vienna, but “feel” is personal and it may be great for you. Her second choice was the Raleigh Circa 2 even though it didn’t come with all the do-dads. She didn’t really need a rack because the Chariot carried all she needed, but could have added one later.

Your best bet is to ride the bikes – that can’t be replicated. My wife was fortunate to be able to do that. But that isn’t always possible. I’m a tallish 6’ 3” and most shops do not carry the bikes I’m looking for and if they do they are usually 2 sizes too small. So if that’s your situation try something with similar geometry, pull the trigger and have your mechanic adjust the fit when it comes in. Best of luck.

supramax

I don't know about the Breezer, but I have the (2007) Globe 'Sport'. I did a lot of research before getting it. It's a workhouse kind of bike, which the local bike shop owner calls "The Tank". A beautiful bike is from the viewpoint of being on it and riding.

I travel on asphalt, gravel, dirt and over a lot of fields. It was under $600 Canadian and all I bought for it was some fenders. Everything else was salvaged from my other bikes. My regular ride is 25 miles with some hills. I give it a

That's my 2 cents.

methos1979

My wife and I were looking for some new commuter bikes to get back into riding together. We settled on the Specialized Globe bikes after seeing them in a local store and started researching the various models. The Vienna jumped out immediately as the favorite model most suitable for our riding needs. We liked the old-school look of the Vienna Deluxe 1s with all the bells and whistles already attached. But since we don't ride at night or in the rain we felt we didn't need the fenders and lights. In the end we went with the regular Vienna 3 bikes which were about the same price-wise as the Vienna Deluxe 1s (about 1200 for both). I bought the burgundy Vienna 3 Disk model and she got the grey Vienna 3. So far they are great bikes and we are having a blast with them! They are attractive, ride very well and have a nice seating position, not bolt upright but not all hunched over either. So far the only swap I've made is an adjustable handlebar riser because I did want to sit a little more upright than the stock position allowed. We also added kickstands and mirrors. Here's a crappy cell phone picture:

Commando303

Thanks, Ken Wind. I think I will make my purchase from a bike shop; if for no other reason, I know next to nothing about bicycles, and, should something about mine trouble me, I'd rather have an option than none.

Torrilin, thank you. I'm not very large, myself, and I did think, for this reason, 26" wheels might be the way to go, but I've tried a few bikes with 700c, and the difference to me has been negligible. As well, almost every commuter bike I've considered (the Breezer being an exception) has come fitted with 700c.

Gholland, thanks. I, too, have looked at the Giant TranSend series, but was turned away when I found the bikes didn't include dynamo-powered lights or internal gearing (also, I felt left comfortable on one than I did on comparable models from other manufacturers). Does the Nexus "red-line" offer significant advantage over the regular Nexus? What about the Alfine? Almost every cycle with hub-gearing I've considered (including the Specialized Globe bikes) has included the "regular" Nexus. Thanks again for your very helpful post.

As all I can really do to "try out" a bike is get on it in the store (I'm not confident enough in my cycling skills yet to take a "test ride" outdoors), I'm unable to get a good idea as to how 700c wheels ride differently from 26". I understand every rider is different, but are there any general tendencies either design has? Is one typically preferred for, say, eight-mile city commuting? Most of the city bikes I've seen have included 700c wheels, but there are a few exceptions (such as the Breezer).

Thanks, Supramax. I like the Globe Sport, but prefer the Globe City simply because of the fenders, bell, lights, rack -- "commuting" components.

Torrilin

You really do need to ride the bike to tell when you're new. Just straddling it in the shop will not give you a feel for how a given bike rides. It's really hard to tell whether the bike will go where you point it, or hurt your back after a five mile ride without *doing* a five mile ride. Nevermind what the saddle does to the more delicate bits of your anatomy (or doesn't do).

The differences in handling between one bike and another have very little to do with wheel size. The only folding bike I've ever ridden had 20" wheels, and was *more* stable than the mountain bike I started out on. Everyone says folders are twitchy, and that's not strictly true... A bike that's designed to feel stable will feel stable, even if the wheels are tiny. A bike that's designed to have sensitive handling will feel twitchy to me... I'm not a good enough rider to manage it.

An experienced cyclist can get away with buying a bike they've never ridden... a lot of racers ride bikes that are made to measure. But a person who does that might put on 8-10k miles of biking in each year. I maybe do 2k .

gholland

The Transend does have an internal gearing on the EX model. The biggest size you can get in the men's model is a Large which was too small for me (6'3" with about a 36" bike inseem). It is my understanding that the Alfine is the "best." See: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/shimano-nexus.html. From the same site it is said that "The premium 'Red Band' model is lighter and has improved bearings compared with the [plain Nexus] version." To what extent you will notice any difference in the Nexus versions, I don't know. For us, even in short testing, the Alfine clearly shifted better and with little or no delay - just spot on. The Nexus comes with a twist shifter and the Alfine comes with a "trigger" style shifter. You can use the Nexus twist with the Alfine, but not the "trigger" with the Nexus. My wife preferred the Trigger.

As to the dynamo - as I suggested, the Transend does not have one. For the $$, it was our preference to have the $$ go towards the Alfine and disc's rather than a dynamo. I'm in MI and it can rain without much notice. Since my wife uses it for transportation and carrying a heavier load (a loaded Chariot), discs were more important. As an example, I got caught in some light rain on my single-speed with v-brakes with my kids in tow. Stopping wasn't half as good with my set-up. Our payload (and us too) is too important not to maximize stopping power. Now I'm no expert and maybe my brakes could be improved with different pads or what-not, but wet stopping with my brakes vs. my wife's was night and day. Also, it was far easier to add lights than anything else. Because the lights can be moved she can clip the rear flasher onto the Chariot rather than having it on the bike getting "blocked" by the Chariot.

Lot's Knife

I bought a Breezer Citizen. It's heavy — 32.5 pounds out of the box. The dynamo lights lasted 11 months, then needed rewiring, so I graduated to rechargeables. Every four months or so a loud clicking noise comes from the crank area, which needs tightening. The internal hub is cool but not maintenance-free. It's been kind of a pain in the ass, to tell you the truth.