PdxMark
08-01-2007, 11:20 AM
We got my partner a Breezer a few months ago, and she's been commuting on it ever since. I enjoy the bike each time I take it for a spin or on an errand. I've been happy with my fixed gear commute for several years, but now I'm leaning toward getting a Breezer of my very own.
My fixie tends to encourage hard-ish riding to keep up the cadence. That's makes for good exercise and fast commutes, but I like the thought of internal hub gears for more relaxed riding, regular clothes and shoes rather "commute clothes" to sweat in, and a rack so there's nothing on my back. (Not even my beloved Chrome bag.) I like the idea of not needing to change shoes to go for a quick grocery run or to the brew pub. I doubt that I need all 8 gears, but I really like the hub generator that comes with the Uptown.
I could get many of these features by adapting my fixed gear commuter, but I think it would still lack the relaxed STYLE of riding on the Breezer. My commute will be a bit slower, but I think I'll enjoy yet another way to ride - at least sometimes. The fixie commuter will still be there, of course.
I've looked around to see if there's anything that's competitive with the Breezer, but there doesn't seem to be. I test-rode a used ANT Light Roadster Monday. It was gorgeous, but a bit too small, more expensive, and had a Sachs 7 hub, which I disliked relative to the Shimano 8 hub. (The Sachs hub had this "feature" in which you needed to coast for just an instant to allow downward shifts - not a great feature as you shift down during a climb.) A local shop is carrying true Dutch bikes, but they go at quite a premium over the Breezers for comparable components.
I'll still be riding fixies & roadies, but i think it'll be fun to have another riding option to choose from.
My fixie tends to encourage hard-ish riding to keep up the cadence. That's makes for good exercise and fast commutes, but I like the thought of internal hub gears for more relaxed riding, regular clothes and shoes rather "commute clothes" to sweat in, and a rack so there's nothing on my back. (Not even my beloved Chrome bag.) I like the idea of not needing to change shoes to go for a quick grocery run or to the brew pub. I doubt that I need all 8 gears, but I really like the hub generator that comes with the Uptown.
I could get many of these features by adapting my fixed gear commuter, but I think it would still lack the relaxed STYLE of riding on the Breezer. My commute will be a bit slower, but I think I'll enjoy yet another way to ride - at least sometimes. The fixie commuter will still be there, of course.
I've looked around to see if there's anything that's competitive with the Breezer, but there doesn't seem to be. I test-rode a used ANT Light Roadster Monday. It was gorgeous, but a bit too small, more expensive, and had a Sachs 7 hub, which I disliked relative to the Shimano 8 hub. (The Sachs hub had this "feature" in which you needed to coast for just an instant to allow downward shifts - not a great feature as you shift down during a climb.) A local shop is carrying true Dutch bikes, but they go at quite a premium over the Breezers for comparable components.
I'll still be riding fixies & roadies, but i think it'll be fun to have another riding option to choose from.