In keeping with my re-focused attention toward bikes and bike info, I will finally post this long-awaited review of my sweet new daily rider, the Breezer Finesse. It has been a real treat to ride such a machine, in fact, I haven’t enjoyed being on the road nearly as much as I do now. I still don’t like all the cars, but now I can “Finesse” my way through the gnarled mess with slippery quickness.
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I enjoyed the ever-so-brief privilege of working with Joe Breeze and the other wonderful folks at Breezer Bikes: Connie Breeze, JT, Amy, and Mitch. It was an opportunity I am very happy to have had; though I do wish the journey had been longer. At InterBike this year, the announcement was made of the sale of Breezer Bikes to Advanced Sports, Inc. (Fuji, Kestrel, and SE bikes). This unfortunately meant the office would be integrated into the Philly headquarters, and I was not moving to Philly… As of now, I’m back at Summit Bicycles for two days a week, wrenching and talking about bikes and bike accessories while I get my independent endeavors started. More on that later…
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Joe has a vision of what the bicycle means for our ailing society, a vision that I share. He also knows how to design some mighty fine bicycles. For now, the Finesse is the cream of the crop.
From the Breezer Website:
Finesse: The ride of your life—every day. The Breezer Finesse is a fine-tuned speed machine with a new Joe Breeze frame and eye-popping spec. Shimano’s high-performance Alfiné components adorn the butted, lightweight Finesse frame. Notice the chain tensioning bottom bracket and the neatly tucked-away rear brake mount on Joe’s famous Breeze-In dropouts. Among the finery are a compliant carbon fork and seat post, and the innovative Breezer Truss sport rack. Busch & Müller’s new indirectly lit IQ headlight has triple the candlepower of conventional lights. You’ll find the multi-position handlebars a treat. Drop in on the Joe Bars and crank it up!
Frame: Butted aluminum, eccentric bottom bracket, disc and V-brake mounts, Breeze-In dropouts. Fork: carbon fiber blades, disc mounts; option for V-brake mounts. Headset: Cane Creek, Ø1-1/8”, fully integrated, threadless. Cranks: Shimano Alfine with external bottom bracket. Shifter: Shimano Alfine 8-speed Rapidfire Plus. Geared hub: Shimano Alfine multi planetary with silent roller clutches. Brakes: Shimano Alfine hydraulics and center-lock rotors. Wheels: Shimano Alfine, 24 double-butted spokes, 2.3/1.8mm. Tires: Schwalbe Marathon Racer 700×35C with RaceGuard, Kevlar beads and reflective stripes. Seat post: Ritchey Carbon Pro, Ø27.2mm. Saddle: Velo Plush multi-density, tubular Cro-Mo rails. Stem: Ritchey Adjustable, 3D-forged aluminum, +/- 45 degrees. Handlebars: Swept Townies with Joe Bars, ergo grips. Headlight: B&M indirectly lit LED Lumotec Fly IQ Senso Plus standlight. Tail light: B&M LED Toplight-Plus standlight. Dyno hub: Shimano Alfine, 6.0V-3.0W, high-efficiency dynamo. Rear carrier: Breezer Truss sport rack with 14-inch bed. Kickstand: Tubular aluminum. Fenders with mudflaps; ringguard; bell. Gearing 39×18T, 31- to 95-inch range.
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The ride. So much more than the sum of these fine parts. It is one of those bikes you throw a leg over, and from that initial pedal stroke, you Know. The first thing that struck me was the responsiveness, subtle body english is rewarded with immediate yet stable reaction. The next thing was that Alfine’ hub! What incredible shifting! I’ve used very many drivelines over the years, and this feels by far better than any of it. I’ve not had a chance to ride the new SRAM iMotion 9 yet, and I have heard good things about it, but it will have to work really hard to convince me it’s better. I will say that the extra gear would be welcome, though not the extra weight. With incredibly quick engagement and lightning shifts, sprinting from stoplight track-stands are a breeze; in fact, I’m sure many a driver has been surprised to see me rocket ahead of their fuelish vehicles.
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The stock spec is fairly well spot-on, yielding a fully equipped commuter weighing in at around 29lbs., with pedals (Mine’s at 35lbs. with all the commuting accoutrements). I have swapped-out two parts, mostly for function, partly for weight-savings. The stock Alfine’ cranks are adequate, though too short for my needs. Shimano, at this time, appears to make only one size, 170mm, and they do not fit all. I am about six feet tall with very long legs, and my previous commuter, an old Marin Pine Mountain, is set up with 180mm cranks (it began life with me as a single-speed). I rode the Alfine’ cranks for a good bit before ordering the black Shimano 105’s at 175mm; this also happened to save me around 140 grams. I also threw on a new set of the Shimano A530 pedals, which trimmed about an equal amount from the cheapies I was using before. Half-a-pound in cranks and pedals… This gave new life to the Finesse, more torque off the line and while climbing, less rotating weight in the pedals, all good things. The second piece was the Ritchy adjustable stem, swapped for a Thomson X2 at 130mm/17 degree rise, which also saved me around 150 grams. Not really anything more to change, the rest works brilliantly.
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Now that winter has chased the summer light beyond the far horizon, illumination becomes paramount. And for this I can truly appreciate the stellar performance of the Finesse lighting system. The foundation is the Alfine’ dynamo hub, smooth rolling and highly efficient, I am still amazed that I am generating my own power; it’s nearly impossible to notice any drag! On the front-end is the Busch & Muller Lumotec IQ Fly, compact and well-designed, it throws a nearly perfect pattern of sensible light, neatly rectangular, and thoughtfully delineated for oncoming traffic. I still marvel that my efforts are generating that amount of steady, very bright light. Out back, the B&M Toplight Plus does the job quite nicely, enough that I can see a red hue in the mirror reflecting from everywhere as I glide along.
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The brakes are fantastic, well modulated and with plenty of power, as nearly all of my Shimano hydraulics are (the XTR’s work really well for what they are; super-light race ready equipment, but they are not the best disc brakes I’ve used, that honor is shared between the Magura Gustav M, and the new Shimano XT). The Breezer Town bars are supremely comfortable, and after using them, I find that the Mary bars on my Marin are a bit wide. Ergonomic grips make absolute sense, particularly in this application, and the nerves in my hands are grateful for them. The Velo Plush saddle is wonderfully comfortable, and depending on what the scale tells me, I may consider replacing the WTB Rocket V Ti on my Ellsworth…
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All-in-all, this bike is a dream come true, almost literally. I was riding that old Pine Mountain every day for many months, building the ideal daily rider in my head. I was not aware of the Finesse, but when I began entertaining the possibility of going to work for Breezer, I soon discovered it. And what a discovery! I am grateful to Joe for designing the bike that had been dancing in my head, it’s sorta uncanny, really. Since the grunt-work was done for me by someone exceedingly well-qualified, I now get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Fruit that is sweet and delicious.
My Finesse at the new house…