How to choose your Breezer bike
The story
The Breezer brand is inseparable from its founder Joe Breeze.
We are at the beginning of the 70s in the United States when the first mountain bike concepts emerge.
Tom Ritchey, Gary Fisher and Joe Breeze are pioneers.
In 1976, Joe entered the Repack Race, the very first mountain bike race in history. He will win 10 of the 24 editions.
Later, Joe Breeze decides to found his bike brand. He wants to design bikes suitable for off-roading but light and dynamic enough to be used in urban environments.
Until the 90s, he built bicycle frames in his garage in an artisanal way.
In 2008, Joe Breeze sold his brand to Fuji Advanced Sports and then focused exclusively on bicycle design.
Thus, its experience and expertise make it possible to develop a relevant range of urban, touring and gravel bikes adapted to the demands of today's cyclists.
Buying a Breezer bike today means owning a piece of history and the assurance of a bike designed and built for every type of adventure imaginable.
Range
Breezer Downtown: The Ultimate City Bike
They are available in a male version (step-over type frame) and a female version (step-through type frame).
What is common to the range is a frame designed for the city offering a raised and comfortable position.
The weight, around 15 kg is reasonable and guarantees welcome agility in the urban jungle.
Finally, all Breezer Downtown bikes are equipped with reinforced tires against punctures.
Then, several models exist and differ from their level of equipment.
At the entry level, we find the Downtown EX step-over / Downtown EX step-through .
They allow, for a reasonable price, to equip yourself with a robust, light and safe urban bike. They are equipped with quality peripherals: The derailleur is a 7-speed Shimano Altus.
The crankset has a double anti-derailment system.
Originally there is a very practical rear luggage rack.
The model positioned above is the Downtown 7+ step-over / Downtown 7+ step-through .
The big novelty here is the appearance of gears integrated into the hub of the rear wheel.
The advantages are numerous: No need to pedal to change gear, virtually no risk of derailment and minimal maintenance.
Moreover, and this is very practical in urban areas, the front hub is equipped with a powerful internal dynamo. So, you no longer need to worry about changing batteries: You drive, you light up.
At the very top of the range, we find the Downtown 8+ step-over / Downtown 8+ step-through . Here the rear hub goes to 8 gears. We gain in approval, especially on very long journeys.
Breezer Beltway: The next generation urban bike
For the Beltway, the very latest in urban bike technology has been employed.
The frame is made of aluminum. Lighter than steel, aluminum makes it possible to design particularly rigid and reinforced frames without increasing the weight of the machine.
The transmission is entrusted to a belt.
Maintenance-free and grease-free, it is ideal for daily use in urban environments.
You can ride all year round and in all weathers without worrying about grease marks on the pants and greasing intervals to respect.
Combined with a Shimano Nexus or Alfine internal gear hub, you will benefit from a silent and smooth transmission with a risk of derailment close to zero.
For longevity, don't worry, the lifespan is estimated to be more than double that of a conventional chain.
Two Breezer Beltway models are present in our catalog.
The Breezer Beltway 8+ step-over / Breezer Beltway 8+ step-through features a Shimano Nexus 8 hub.
The Breezer Beltway 11+ is only available in a men's frame configuration and features a more advanced Shimano Alfine 11 hub designed for round-the-world rides. They also have a more powerful dynamo and a reinforced luggage rack.
When the bike is primarily a tool for your all-weather urban commutes and maintaining your bike is a chore, a belt-driven bike like the Breezer Beltway will save you time at the shop for more time in the saddle.
Breezer Liberty: The limitless bike
The Breezer Liberty is a very versatile bike. As comfortable on a daily basis as for weekend rides or long-distance rides, the Liberty is the archetype of what is commonly called a VTC.
The range is wide and naturally presents some specificities. Again, the bikes are available in horizontal bar (step-over) and oblique bar (step-through).
The fork is rigid (RX.X models) or equipped with suspension (SX.X models)
The Liberty R2.3 offers a rigid conventional fork and has a 3 x 8-speed drivetrain with a Men's (step-over) or Women's (step-through) frame: Liberty R2.3+ step-over | Liberty R2.3 step-through .
The Liberty S2.3 offers a telescopic suspension fork and has a 3 x 8-speed drivetrain with a Men's (step-over) or Women's (step-through) frame: Liberty S2.3+ step-over | Liberty S2.3 step-through .
The Breezer Liberty has SUV genes. Both sporty and utilitarian, it's up to you to make it a tool for urban travel or a machine cut out for adventure without borders.
Breezer Doppler: The benchmark touring bike
The bikes in the Breezer Doppler range are all based on sturdy steel frames. The geometry is close to that of a road bike but has been modified to accommodate large section tires.
They feature 650b type wheels, the standard for touring type bikes.
They are also equipped with headlights powered by a dynamo present in the hub of the front wheel.
The Breezer Doppler Café+ is the most urban of them all. It is indeed the only one to have a straight hanger. It has a Shimano Deore single chainring drivetrain.
The Breezer Doppler Pro+ offers a more advanced Shimano Tiagra 2x10-speed drivetrain.
Finally, the Breezer Doppler Team+ is the top of the range of the brand. Shimano 105 2x11-speed drivetrain, Praxis crankset, Enduro bearings… Nothing is too good for the sharpest Gravel Breezer Doppler bike.
Breezer Radar: The essential Gravel
Gravel bikes, while recent, are actually a direct extension of what Joe Breeze created in the 70s.
The geometry, taken from that of road bikes, is however a little less aggressive in order to provide comfort on the one hand and guarantee optimal stability off the beaten track on the other.
The Breezer Radar Café offers a straight handlebar and a single chainring drivetrain.
The Breezer Radar Expert is equipped with a drop handlebar and a Shimano Sora 2x9 speed drivetrain.
The Breezer Radar Pro features the SRAM Apex1 single-chainring 1x11-speed groupset in its hydraulically braked version.