andychrist

He-he. Guess the two Kryptonite locks I carry do add an excessive amount of weight, but that's NYC for ya... The three steel baskets don't make things any lighter either. But my 2005 Fuji Del Rey is still a truck no matter how you slice it.

And yeah, my country bikes do on occasion have to carry a few weeks of provisions. And in a way I guess you can say I am crossing the country, put over 4300 miles on my LWB last season, though all just in the Mid Hudson Valley.

Would never fork over the dough for something like that Breezer, but then I'm quite a tight wad-- reason why I go car-free in the first place. Still I can see its place for someone who doesn't live in very hilly terrain and to whom price is no obstacle. Different spokes for different folks.

BattleRabbit

You know, I've spent a lot of time on car forums and I see the same thing most of the people in this thread seem to be saying... "Well, I use this and I like it a lot so it must be better." Sure, for you I'm sure the choice you've made works better. That's why you made that choice. There is still a market for products like the Breezer, and people who want a bike like the Breezer probably wouldn't even look at a bike like cyccommute's Salsa. They want a bike that "looks comfortable," and to the non-bicycle initiate the Breezer looks much more inviting than any of the solutions used by users on this site.

I get around just fine on my road bikes, but my family doesn't understand why I would ride something with drop bars and a skinny saddle everywhere I go. They all want bikes with squishy saddles, upright positions, and fat tires. If I set my Le Tour and the Breezer in front of most of my family and friends and told them they had to commute every day for a week on one of them the Breezer would win 90% of the time. This isn't a bad thing. The people who buy the Breezer are going to use it, and that is more people on bikes. I don't see how any part of that is a bad thing.

pallen

Yeah, but some people like playing with the new whizbang gizmos and dont care about weight because of where they ride. Its like the roadies that spend crazy money for electronic shifting that does basically the same thing as a 105 group and might even weigh a little more.

I know its hard to believe, but a lot of the appeal to the Breezer is the styling.

tjspiel

But what if having the gee whiz hub is more important to you than being able to haul a ton of cargo, especially since you can always get a trailer? One of the main gripes I hear about IGHs is the large gap between some of the gears. The Nuvinci fixes that and keeps all the other advantages the IGHs have offer. It is a big weight penalty, but for some it might be worth it. Also, the built in wheel lock may save you from having to carry about a 2 lb. U-lock. When you look at the components on the Breezer it's not hard to figure out where all the additional weight comes from.

Mr IGH

I need a 45lb bike so when I'm riding mere mortals can keep up with me. Most require CF just to suck my wheel.

ItsJustMe

And here I thought I was having fun all this time with my 40 pound bike.

axel

Coming to this thread late but it seems odd that the OP v70cat and cyccommute single the Breezer Infinity out for it's weight. This is no ordinary 37lb bike. The N360 hub is a huge improvement over the N171 previous version. This hub will give a 360% range with butter smooth shifting that is ALWAYS in gear.

My 2011 Novara Transfer in large size is about the exact same weight as the Infinity. Mine just has a 7 spd Nexus (less weight), no ring lock (less weight), 700c wheels (more weight) and steel frame (more weight). Otherwise, the two bikes are comparable. I do notice the weight going up and down stairs. But actually, it is the size of the bike (with 700c wheels) that is more challenging for me to negotiate through 4 flights of narrow stairwells with 90 degree turns every half flight - than the weight. The 26" wheels of the Breezer make it a highly maneuverable yet fully equipped urban commuter.

Aesthetically, derailleurs are to IGH's as male sexual anatomy is to that of the female. The male stuff is external and therefore visible but it ain't as pretty to look at. The IGH gives you a nice smooth drivetrain that shifts with feminine grace. Males are built for speed, women are built for comfort.

Cycling where cyccommute does in very hilly parts of Colorado, I can well appreciate his preference for the lighter-weight efficiency of a derailleur. But for most people commuting in most parts of the country, I think a more reliable drivetrain means greater efficiency through all seasons.

Don't get me wrong - derailleurs aren't going anywhere. They have a secure place in cyclists hearts. But even in NYC where people have tons of disposable income, the bike shops cater mostly to spandex speed freaks, fixie hipsters and mountain bike gear geeks. Judging by the selection, you'd think K-12 was a 30-minute ride away on commuter rail. IGH's have been marginalized for decades in the States. It's about time the many recent improvements to IGH's started showing up in the US bike market.

Suburban sprawl has accustomed even hard core bike enthusiasts to the notion that you need light weight and speed because everything is so spread out. What's often overlooked is the assumption that one need live at extreme distance from their place of employment. A 20 mile commute by car is typical. To ride the same distance and back everyday by bike suggests an over-attachment to a lifestyle that only makes sense where every adult owns their personal car. When things are closer together, you start realizing that having less space for the stuff you own makes the world a more convenient place to get around. But you hardly need Manhattan densities to achieve bikeability. What you do need is a critical mass of cyclists to make drivers more aware and repectful of bikers use of the roads. Everyone benefits when roads make room for both cars and protected bike lanes, and bike shops make room for both derailleur and IGH-equipped bikes. Monocultures lead to inefficiency, waste and stagnation.

BattleRabbit

I chuckled.
Are there commuter "packs" like there are roadie packs?

irclean

Yep... and here they come!