pakeboi

Breezer Beltway 11+

Breezer Bikes - BELTWAY 11+ - Bike Overview



FAIRFAX SC6 DLX

https://www.marinbikes.com/bikes/fairfax-sc6-dlx

blakcloud

Both are very nice and would make great commuters. There is a $550 price difference between the two with the Marin being more expensive. The only part I would like to see changed are the fenders, they could be longer especially in the front of the Marin. Otherwise what's not to love?

Archwhorides 

The Marin appears to have a shorter wheelbase. My Breezer Beltway had a layed-out geometry and was very stable, but a little dull. The Marin might be more lively, can you get test rides?

Kedosto

Marin is better spec’d. Geo numbers indicate the Breezer will be slower handling and stable to the point of almost boredom. 465 chainstays?! If you plan on packing heavy and place a premium on stability, the Breezer would be where you start. I would expect the Marin to be far more nimble and lively, but agree the fenders are a bit too short. Spec differences favor the Marin, though the dyno hub on the Breezer is higher grade. If it was gonna be my money, I’d buy the Marin and snag me a scrap of conveyor belting and cut myself a nice looking mud flap to hang off the front fender. Tight budget? The Breezer is no slouch and could easily be one of the nicest bikes on the rack. Either bike raises concern for theft, so I’d have a plan for something extraordinary to keep it mine.

-Kedosto

fietsbob

Gates belts and cogwheels spares, are easier to find, than Continental.

GamblerGORD53

The Breezer frame looks more sensible to me.

Archwhorides 

I'd pick up a backup belt either way. Does the Continental have a good/bad reputation in terms of performance and durability? My Gates CDX has been bomber!

CreakingCrank

As in, the Continental components can't be found at all without contacting Continental directly.

doubravsky 

I have the beltway. My first foray into commuter bikes- and I've been happy. Other than changing the rim to go tubeless, it's had no problems- I like the quietness and lack of chain grease from the belt drive. It is a bit heavy, but very stable.

fietsbob

You search and tell pakeboi, It's not my issue, I have chain driven IGH bikes.. my nearby shop is not a breezer dealer..

At my Local shop the distributor selling Continental tires has nothing in their dealer catalog about their belt drive stuff.

even a broken Gates crank ring was a special order, so the touring cyclist got to buy local hospitality services for a few days

Which are many.. so no suffering..





...

RubeRad

lol that's exactly what I thought! $550 extra dollars buys you a shorter front fender! Breezer FTW!

The_NinthWave

I am looking for an all-year-round commuter bike. I live next to Montreal, Canada and this means winter, slush and deicing salt.

A few weeks ago, I found some critics dating from circa 2012 complaining about the overall quality of the Breezer Beltway.

I am ambivalent between the Marin Presidio 3 or the Breezer Beltway11+.
The Presidio 4 DLX seems also nice much more expensive and some of the options I could retrofit later from an Presidio 3...

What about your Beltway ?

Archwhorides 

I gave my Breezer Beltway to my son in California a couple years ago - assume it is still fine. I upgraded to a BMC Alpinchallenge AC01 belt drive with Alfine 8.IGH, which is a reliable and fun ride.

The_NinthWave

Why would see say you upgraded ? Can you describe why it is a better bike than the Breezer ?

I was also looking for the BMC AC01 and a Tout Terrain Metropolitan.
From what I see on the AC01 pictures, there are no bosses for a rear pannier rack...

I find the European bikes quite nice and sturdy but they are a bit pricey. I guess it's probably that they are made in Germany or Swiss instead of tiered to China.

The_NinthWave

I would definitely like your input on the Alpenchallenge AC01.

Looking at the pictures, I was skeptical at this bike as beeing a real commuter I could not see any rack bosses. I wrote BMC and they explained how to install a Tubus EVO and now this AC01 is back for contender.

Archwhorides 

I used trailer hitch nuts to mount an Ortleib Fly rack to the rear axle of the AC01. https://www.thule.com/en-us/accessor...ram-_-20100798 I carry a small crescent wrench to release the wheel for maintenance. This solution also requires a small Orteib adapter widget to raise the rack for wheel clearance.

The AC01 has a somewhat different frame geometry than the AC02 (which has rack bosses): the drive train is shorter and the rear wheel is compressed tight into the seat-tube, requiring proprietary BMC/Curana fenders and limiting options for studded tires (only a 30mm will fit). I forgive the limitations and irritations of this setup because I love the nimble AC01 ride and the bike has held up under significant abuse.

Nikkon

You can also look at cube editor and canyon commuter sport

JaccoW

That's a slight understatement.

The_NinthWave

I don't plan packing heavy. I have not weighted my Ortlieb panniers but it's sure under 9 kg (20 lb)

I would have no problems adding a piece of conveyor belt. I think Pamela Blalock or Sheldon Brown have done it.

I have read abour Pitlock and when I get a new bike, I will for sure invest in Pitlock for hubs, headset, saddle... I want to keep it mine as well.

The_NinthWave

The BMC AC01 Two is now a serious contender.

Nice!
Have you tried the AC02 ?

Do you ride studded tires, if yes, how does it handle in winter ?
I actually ride 26x2" which is 52mm and I worry about those 30mm...

You are very helpful. Thanks!

FWIW, I also looked at the Schindelhauer and it just happens that the first North American LBS is about to sell them in Montreal, a 40 minute drive.

Archwhorides 

Those Schindelhauer cycles are damn sexy.

As for your BMC questions:

1. AC02 is a little heavier (by 1.4 KG) and more dull-feeling than the AC01. On the other hand, it accommodates a larger 35MM tire, has bosses for racks/fenders and accommodates more fender options than the AC01. The 35MM tire clearance is also interesting, because that allows more options for studded and winter tires, such as the Marathon Winter 35mm 4-row studded tire, which is invulnerable.
2. I do ride studded tires in winter. It's like riding a rolling meat-grinder, with extra rolling resistance, but it gets the job done safely in icy conditions.

The_NinthWave

Do you ride mostly downtown or does your commute include some rural or low trafic straight roads ?

I know next to nothing in bike geometry so I called the BMC's LBS (60 minute drive) to discuss about AC01 vs AC02 vs Marin Presidio 3. The guy told me much the same thing that what you express as beeing "joyfull" vs "dull". An AC01 would be better in quickly managing my way between car and busses in downtown Montreal whereas the AC02 would be more comfy on long haul. How one describes a long haul... I do not plan on touring.

Since the bikes are special ordered and the LBS sells more AMP (electric) version, the guy himself has not tried the both of them in a short period. His comments are solely based on the geometrys as he reads them on paper.

Now again, I would rely on your experience since you have rode so many nice commuters.

My immediate need is to commute 22 km (14 mi.), 44 km RT on a shi**ty road for which some portions are like the remnants of a civil war. A few trafic lights, 75% in agricultural fields. One way commute on Strava. I only ascent 36m over the whole trip. I'd like the gear ratios to be speed oriented as opposed to hill climbing.

Now, the carbon fork, the 1.4 kg lower weight and what you describe as fun ride of the AC01 would lean me that way.
The AC01 has 55T crank / 24T cog while the AC02 has an unspecified crank / 18T cog, which looks more highly geared, thus leaning me toward the AC02 unless I plan on paying for swapping some drivetrain gears if it's too low geared. How would you describe the gearing ratios ?

Since you have road tested both of them, I'd like your input on that...

Thanks again. If it existed, I would teleport you a wine bottle.

Archwhorides 

My commute is a 20 mile RT, 1/3 on bikeway, 2/3 on urban streets, with few hills or climbs; my 8 gears are more than enough for this. I have ridden the AC01 30+ miles on hilly rural roads, and it is a blast if you have the fit, grips and saddle dialed in; I like straight bars, so no issues there.

Even the Alfine 8 has more than enough gearing for your route. My only concern for the AC01 (8 or 11 speed) is the nasty pavement you describe, because this bike has a very rigid frame with only 30mm tires. Even with a carbon fork, that yields a fairly rough ride.
A bike with 650b balloon tires would give you a much smoother ride. Priority 600 The Pinion has way more gear range than you need and is heavier than you want, but the ride is super-cush and you can keep pedaling though the pot-holes better than a thinner-tired bike.

Something in-between is the Budnitz Alpha from Burlington VT: Budnitz Alpha This bike runs 40mm tires and carbon fork, which would still a fair amount cushier than the BMC. The fit and finish of Bunitz is superb.

Some guys would ride a light single-speed with cush tires on a rough route as flat as that, with so few starts and stops. Spot makes a really nice belt drive SS gravel bike for up to 40mm tires: Spot SS I've seen this one in the store and it's gorgeous. There are some 650b SS belt drive bikes out their with 47mm WTB tires, that would work very nicely on rutty roads. Bombtrack SS

With thinner tires on rough roads, get the carbon fork. Honestly, any 3+ gear bike should meet your needs, and SS may even get the job done. The Alfine 11 will get you up some fairly steep hills if you go out for a longer road spin. Alfine 8 has about the same overall range, but some irritating gaps in the shifting.

Allergic to wine, but good luck with your search.

The_NinthWave

The really nasty part is 3.5 km (2.2 mi). I could live with that.

I am really leaning toward the AC01 Two at the moment. Price/Features, it seems unbeatable.

What is more of a concern is that 12 months commuting demands fenders and I have read some user's reviews where they call them a bit flimsy (easy to dent) and they are expensive to replace. Any comments on the fenders ?

I don't plan on touring. So, as much as I find the Pinion c.12 appealing, this is too much for my immediate needs.

That one is really nice but 2250 U$ = 2925 C$ + custom's clearance. Sad! I would have liked this one.

This one's also nice. 1725 U$ = 2240 C$ + custom's clearance + autoassembly. But I can easily see myself riding it.

Nice. It says it's fender ready but the picture is not convincing me about the clearance...



Schindelhauer Viktor 1900 C$ in an LBS. Damn, the promo video makes me badly want it

This shopping is both fun and stressful at the same time.........

Archwhorides 

The Curana fenders are very light, are designed to be easibly removable, and they were originally too delicate for my daily pounding.

My rear fender rattled around like crazy from the start and it drove me nuts. I siliconed it permanently into place against the seat tube and riveted a flexible plastic mudguard to the bottom edge, which improves the splash resistance and prevents the thin aluminum edge from cracking. That was a few years ago, and since these mods, the fenders have held up just fine.

In summary, I think they are cool fenders, but I recommend some pre-emptive modifications to toughen them up for your daily grinds.