does it come as shown in the picture?

I wouldn't go for belt drive personally. Unless you have an issue with greasy pant legs, but then I'd just get something with a full chaincase. It's a cool bike, and if you like everything it has on it, then it's not a bad deal I think. If you're already thinking of swapping parts then I would say it is a bad deal, and I'd rather get a more bare bones bike and do with it what I please.

If I was changing out some parts, but leaving the alfine 8, I'd probably get a Giant Seek 1 and add/modify what I wanted. Plus, I know it has enough clearance, coming with 700x50 tires. And I like tires fat. Could put some of the thinner 29er tires and do some rigid MTBing also.
Seek 1 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

Nah... I have set screws. As I mentioned, it may have fallen prey to a heavy handed wrench. And, if they tend to creak, someone probably decided to fix the creak.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=440614

But, if the belts truly need minimal adjustment, then it sounds like a great idea. Set it at the factory, and don't worry about it.

How much disassembly does one have to do to get to the BB adjustment? Does one have to essentially remove the bottom bracket to adjust the split one? Or, perhaps with the Shimano cartridges, one could just loosen it, adjust and re-tighten.

Yep, i integrated a visual aid for those wanting a quick glance without the full specs page. ;)

- Andy

Ok. Now I understand what you mean by stuck. I get a little nervous about that since the set screws are on my winter bike and the location on the bottom bracket means they end up with salt and crap on them. They're pretty beefy, but I put anti-seize on them and make sure I try to turn them now and then.

I've had to drill out busted screws and bolts before. It's doable but there's always a risk of damaging the threads.

With either the set screws or the split shell (I'm assuming) all that's necessary for adjustment is to loosen the screws, turn the inner "cam" to adjust the tension, then retighten. Some EBBs have expanding innards. You have to turn the inner piece to adjust the tension but I'm not sure how the expansion is controlled.

I think it looks great. 30 lbs seems good for a bike so equipped. Mine weighs 34 lbs, so I'd love a 4-lb reduction. And it has an IGH, so that's a pretty light bike overall.

I remember you ended up bikeless when your bike was in the shop for repair, so having more than one will be valuable. I used to switch bikes whenever I got a flat, which was super lazy, but hey, it's an option. Plus, it's fun to have several bikes.

I agree you should lock this up as infrequently as possible. It would hurt so much to have it stolen.

If the Breezer is anything like my Spot then you're going to love riding it. In two years I've had mine it's been damn near bomb proof. I say damn near because I did have a slight oil leak a month after getting it but the shop drained it and filled it again like nothing. That's the only issue I've had with the bike. It's a good looking bike. I'd say the best thing about it gates carbon drive is never having to tuck a pants leg ever again, well that and grease never being a factor either. Enjoy it.

Set screw Eccentrics do suffer from divot-ing the eccentric, so it has a tendency to return to the embossed spot,

but it would let you apply antisieze so it wont get stuck in the frame so readily.

When I saw them introduced I though putting the Belt drive in a full enclosure .. would be excellent

as Enclosed chains rarely see re oiling , and belt drive cog wheels still pick up Grit and wear, and advantage to not calling attention to itself

may make stealing it , the bike , a hidden advance, rather than a theft Magnet.

That bike looks good! Is the yellow paint reflective? Would be awesome if it is!

There are things about it I don't like, but they're not important. It's got all the trendy stuff. The paint job is cool. Count me in with the "shocked they couldn't bother with the fender gap" contingent.

Just makes me feel better about not bothering about the uneven gaps in mine. If pressed I could convince myself that there is good reason for wanting a smaller gap at the bottom of the fender than in the middle.

Also it further justifies in my mind the feeling that fenders are flimsy, PITA add-ons that should be removed during long stretches of dryish weather.

I agree about both of those things and if it were a personal bike it wouldn't bother me. It's the brochure. They have the crank at 3 o'clock, they've photoshopped out the valve stems, it has no warning labels and no dust... why not get this right?

They did add two shadows under the tires.

Maybe they are valve-less tires. At least for kid's bikes one can buy solid rubber tubes.

I think the idea is to add some realism back into the photos, so when one gets the bike with the front wheel installed in the rear, and the rear in the front, the handlebars upside-down, and the seat on backwards... one can't complain that the bike was misrepresented.

The bike probably fell over at some point during the photo shoot and the fenders were knocked out of whack. They did their best to straighten them but...

The fenders are adjustable via a screw in the mounting bracket. You unscrew it a bit, find desired position, then tighten it up again. :)

- Andy

Unless you've cut the wires short.

One might expect a factory bike to have the fenders set perfectly, and have little extra adjustment.

One would hope it would be that easy. I have seen some Trek/Bontrager fenders where it looks like it might be. Usually though you have a limited amount of adjustment and anything more than that requires cutting or bending the struts.

You would think on factory installed fenders they'd have the correct strut length and angles bre-baked. Apparently not.

The bontragers:

http://s7d4.scene7.com/is/image/Trek...0,0&iccEmbed=0

My belt bike has sliding dropouts,they work just fine. I really don't know why the manufacturers still use EBB's. The only upside I can see is that the rear wheel never changes position,but I can't see the small amount used for tensioning drivetrains to be that big of a deal. Sliding dropouts can't be any more costly or involved to produce,and they don't have the sticking issues.

Biggest issue to belts is you can't change the length;you need a whole new belt if you change your gearing. I have a 4spd belt bike that I'd like to lower the gearing on,but it's not worth the cost and effort.

I used to leave the rear fenders on my polo bikes while I played. I've had to bend back the struts numerous times,and once had the fender fold up under itself,but never had one break. In my experience,plastic PB's have proved extremely durable.

Very cool bike. I like it a lot. I've been interested in getting one like that too. This morning I ran into a guy in my parking garage locking up his bike. It's a Novara Transfer. REI doesn't make that model anymore but it reminded me of the Breezer commuters.

So you have an uptown? That's another one I am interested in. How do you like it?

If the right size of belt shows up on E-Bay, it might not be too expensive.

It looks like a bit of a pain to have to know the exact number of teeth in advance, although it should be easy enough to replace an old belt with the same thing.

The info says it lasts twice as long as a chain, but that could be a problem if it costs 7 times as much.

I was actually admiring this bike in the Bicycling buyers guide. It looks like a nice rig.

I did notice the weight but compared to my LHT with the kids seat that is light. I do like the clean look of the belt drive. I didn't even notice the pump. That would be awesome if the yellow was reflective paint.

Light reflecting beads in a commuters bike paint would be a huge selling point I think.

Makes me wonder what is available. I have started looking before I start shopping for a replacement. I'm really leaning towards R785 hydraulic discs with a 10 speed on a disc trucker. But who knows if my wife will let me on a bike again. Today is day 60, I figure everyday away is a demerit against cycle-commuting.

I'm sure the idea of you commuting on a bike again scares the crap out of her. Couldn't really blame her. All the stats and logic in the world wouldn't matter.

My brother ended up with 4 pins in his pelvis from a bike accident a few years ago. He lives a half a world away and I'm going to see him for the first time in 6 years next week. He recovered pretty well but I don't know if he's doing much bike commuting these days or not. I don't know how his wife feels about it either. I guess I will find out. They don't have kids though. That makes a world of difference.

For her sake you may need to take your time getting back into it. I'm hoping that you do eventually, -demerits be damned.

The stays can adjust nearly an inch. The adjustment capability are really to ensure knobby tires don't rub, not for aesthetics.

I LOVE my uptown. To the point where i will find any/all excuse to ride, even in ridiculous weather. It is getting a chaincase, new brake pads, new rear tire, and chain lube in the shop right now. As much as i'm happy about it getting some updated stuff and routine upkeep stuff, i am definitely pining for some ride time on it.

I am not sure if it is reflective. That would be very cool if it was. As far as getting back on the horse, i'm sure that is a conversation or series of conversations you & wife & doctors will need to have in due time. I say if you can you should, but not my place to decide that obviously. Hard to deny that drive and fire to go places on 2 (or 3) pedaled wheels.


After my last big crash with the cruiser last march, my family was worried about me a bit on new bike. When i first got on the new bike, i myself had anxiety and really took it slow slow slow for a good few weeks. Now as i said above i can't get enough and jump on every chance i get. In retrospect, i am glad i eased back into it. Was the right choice.

As a small aside.... on this & the SE my biggest curiosity will be the effect of the larger wheels on both top speed and cruising cadence & speed. The uptown's cruising speed is around 15 mph. Should be interesting to see the difference if any the 700c wheels make.

- Andy

My hybridized mountain bike is very similar, except for the hub and belt drive, which I would love to have.

I started with a Novara Bonita aluminum frame bike with 3x8 drivetrain and disc brakes, swapped out the suspension fork for a rigid one and a taller stem, North Road style bars. I added lights, mirror, Shwalbe Big Ben tires and racks. Many of the parts are used from thrift stores, Craigslist, and recycled bike stores. The original bike came from Goodwill for $40, so I have less than $200 invested.

There are lots of commuter hybrids out there in the $500-$600 range.

hahahahaha. I've never seen a bike that came with the fenders have the fenders right. Any metal ones have had to be bent into their correct position. And it doesn't hurt anything.

Sorry, not laughing at your comment, just at the thought that the factory would ship bikes with fenders set up correctly. If only....