Riding a Breezer is a mind-bender from the standpoint of history. Here you are on the marque that graced the first purpose built mountain bike, but all wrapped up in a modern package with 29 inch wheels. You are reminded of this every time you look at that sapphire blue and white darted paint scheme, and then check out the details it covers. I found that since the first Breezers, Joe Breeze, the man who lent his name to this company, has not been content to just crank out a steel hard tail 29 inch bike like anyone else’s. History notwithstanding- this Breezer is a bike that pushes the steel envelope forwards a bit in terms of frame design.

I was particularly impressed with what Joe Breeze designed into the chain stay/bottom bracket area. The asymmetrically sized tubes that make up the chain stays really seem to do what Joe Breeze claims- they are certainly stiff. This and the wider stance that they achieve at their attachment points due to the use of the BB-92 bottom bracket shell, which is as wide as it gets for standard chain lines- really works. Then the shorter chain stays and brake mount top it all off to form one of the snappiest, playful rear halves of a 29″er XC hard tail I have yet ridden.

It’s just too bad that all that innovation didn’t stiffen up the front triangle as well. Not that it is terrible, but the stiffness of the bottom bracket/chain stays is so outstanding, (for a steel bike), that the “average” front triangle comes off worse for it. That “waggle” I mentioned in my Mid-Term Report is something I would like to see designed out in a future edition of the Lightning Pro. When I passed this along to Breezer, they mentioned that they would consider that idea.

Conclusions: No doubt about it, this is probably one of the sweetest looking bikes I have ridden that was not a custom/small builder frame. The pedigree of the Lightning Pro is unquestioned. The final execution of the frame and spec though leaves me with mixed feelings. On one hand there are some outstanding design features in this frame that really work. The geometry, while not everyone’s cup-o-tea, is definitely hitting the designer’s intentions for a bicycle that goes through serpentine single track with ease and speed. However; the slight torsional flex in the front is something of a wet blanket here. Then we look at the spec, which also leaves me somewhat flat for a bike in this price range.

The spec is decent enough, yes, but in the marketplace, it seems to be a bit off compared to the competition. I had no real complaints on the parts bolted to the Lightning Pro, (With the exception of the rear tire. Tire spec is certainly forgivable though.), and the bike performed at a high level throughout the test. The geometry is great for going fast through tighter terrain, and climbing and descending were both top notch. Overall, besides the front end concern, the frame rode fantastically well. A definite steel feel for those that appreciate such things.

So what would I do? That’s tough. I want to totally fall in love with the Breezer for its heritage, steel frame, design highlights, and great, quick handling geometry. I have some hesitation though due to the things I mentioned above. I could live with this bike, get by the quirks, and certainly- I could upgrade as I went along. It would be great to see Breezer improve this bike with a stiffer front triangle, maybe incorporating a 44mm head tube to allow what is going on at the bottom bracket to happen for the front triangle, and obviously, to allow for tapered steer tube forks. But that’s just a “wish list”. For now it’s a bicycle that may work great for those with a penchant for a fast handling, smooth bike on buff, twisty-turny single track in their back yard.

Note: Breezer Bikes sent over the Lightning Pro for testing and review at no charge to Twenty Nine Inches. We are not being bribed, nor paid for this review and we will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Or at least mountain bike clothing?  How about that!  I thought they were moto guys!  Well of course I knew of them from ‘back in the day’ when there were even Alpinestars bikes, but that had long passed into memory.  So when Nic Sims, ex-Specialized marketing wizard, now with Alpinestars, called and asked about us reviewing some clothing, I was not sure what to expect.  I have had branded clothing from other companies before…some were from clothing specific companies, some not…that seemed like a marketing person picked a jersey from a catalog and slapped a logo on it.  Here ya go…that will be $75.00 please.  And the results were meager for the cost.  Nice, but nothing special.

But the Alpinestar’s cycling gear has been a real surprise.  We received two baggy shorts and two jerseys – a long sleeve and short sleeve Drop jersey, a pair of Manual baggy shorts, and a pair of Hyperlight baggys.  The devil is in the details, so they say, so let’s take a good look at the gear.  I got the clothing in the transition from winter to spring, so the long sleeve jersey caught my eye first off.  Picking up the LS Drop jersey, the fabric stood out as nice to the touch.  There are vented mesh panels (shown in the black sections) sewn into the jersey and it is well branded with Alpinestars logos, but not garishly so.  The cut of the sleeve length and the long tail was just right.  There are no zippers anywhere sleeve or neck/chest.  There is a two panel pocket sewn into the back and closed with a zipper.  The smaller pocket is good for an mp3 player or smart phone (my iPhone4 and case fit in there but barely) and has a sewn in ‘button hole’ for the headphones to pass through.  At the neck opening there is a sewn in loop to help the headphones cord stay organized.  Nice touch!  As well, there is an eyeglass cleaning pad of soft fabric sewn into the inside of the jersey at the hem, left front.  The short sleeve version is pretty much the same thing but has a bit larger mesh sections for hotter weather.

The Manual shorts came with a snapped in chamois liner, easily removable for washing, etc, and are a moderately full cut baggy, not too billowy, but long enough to cover the knees.  The fit is still close enough to stay out of the way of saddle noses, etc.  The Manuals have a double snap and velcro fly with adjustable waist sizing.  The entire short is lined with mesh and the pockets are a combo of two ‘normal’ hip pockets (no closure), two velcroed thigh pockets of good size and easy access, and one smaller zipped pocket on the left thigh above the knee.  There are also belt loops if you feel the need for a belt.

The Hyperlight shorts are a bit more lightweight in the fabric and do not come with a chamois liner.  They have a closer fit and do not go as far down the leg as the Manual shorts do.  There is a single snap and velcro fly and a waist band adjust for sizing (no belt loops).  There are two mesh lined slash hip pockets (zipper closed) and a smaller zipped pocket low on the right thigh.  The Hyperlight is more minimalist, almost a board short approach.  They are also completely lined with mesh and have a handy drying/hanging loop sewn into the waistband.

So, after wearing the jerseys a lot of hours and the shorts for a few rides, here is what stands out to me.

• OK, someone put some thought into this stuff.  Really.  Then they actually wore them to see how they felt, I bet.  Because things like the fit being right is one thing, but the nice touches like the jersey’s zipped pocket split, the headphone routing, eyeglass patch….yeah, that is well done.
• Overall the fit and feel is one of quality.  They look like nice pieces of gear that should last for a good while.  They do not look or feel cheaply made.  No seam has itched or scratched or bothered me.
• The LS Drop jersey is my fav, possibly because it hit my door at the right time of year to be the perfect outer layer over a base shirt of some kind.  I wore this on a 12 hour ride in Moab in temps from the high 40s to the low 80s and in combo with arm warmers (under the long sleeves) and a base tank, it was good all day.  After many wearings and washings (lots of time by hand in the shower post ride…just a quick soap and rinse), the jersey still is comfy.  The one time I had it machine washed in warmer water, it seems like it shrunk ever so slightly at the sleeves, so I have been careful not to dry it other than hanging it up.  I do this with all my cycling clothes…never stuff in the dryer.
• The baggies vent very well, so well that the first ride in the Manuals was well into the 50s when I dropped into the first downhill to the ride meet and was surprised by all kinds of cool air over the nether regions.  WHEEEEE!!!  These are NOT winter shorts in my opinion.
• The Hyperlight shorts are a very snug fit, perhaps too snug for my liking as I notice them more when I go through the pedal stroke while seated.  Not terrible, but I am not really a baggy short wearing guy…they always make me feel slow, all that material, but baggys have a place in riding function for heavy trail rides, etc.  I know some folks always wear bags…mostly ones that are lycra-shy, I bet, but I did prefer the fit of the Manuals and the longer length.
• The chamois is OK in the Manual short, but not top end.  I ended up pulling it out and running them over a set of Specialized bib shorts and that was mucho better.  I am not surprised at the medium quality liner included as putting a top end short liner in there would make for a costly package that many would not see the value in.  I bet that most weekend riders and guys doing less of an XC approach will find the stock chamois acceptable.
• The lack of a zipped front will turn away the roadie in you, but the name…Drop Jersey…is a clue to the mindset here.  The mesh panels do make for a wider comfort range than you might expect though and so far I have not missed the zipper at all.

Prices seem to be from $80.00 to $100.00 for the Manual shorts, the Hyperlights running around $70.00 from what I see on the net, and the jerseys are in the $55.00 to $75.00 range.  I did not get suggested retail from Alpinestars, but a quick Google search came up with that range of prices.

So although cycling related clothing does not seem to be at the top of the priority list for Alpinestars, they obviously did not treat these as an afterthought to grab some market share.  This is nice gear worthy of your consideration for your next trail outing.

Note: Alpinestars sent over the clothing for test/review at no charge to Twenty Nine Inches. We are not being bribed or paid for this review. We will strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

“Spearfish is our ultra-endurance racing and riding machine, perfect for 100-milers, 24-hour races, and all-day singletrack sessions.”

Salsa Cycles website.

Well Ok then.  I have no experience with 24 hour races…maybe some day…and all day singletrack sessions are fine and all, but that 100 miler part caught my eye.  100 miles off road was a laudable goal for me and there was the Salsa Spearfish 1 and there was this 103 mile ride in Utah and the next thing I knew we were on the road to WRIAD.  But first, a bit of detail and explanation.

I took a bit of flak about the parts selection on the Go ‘Fish build and I was called out as missing the target intent of the project.  The idea of taking money saved on the frame and applying it to better parts is a viable option even though (and I said this in the first article) I did not specifically do that.  The parts mix was very upscale…SRAM XX, Roval CF wheels, XX Brakes, carbon Niner bar, Cane Creek 110 headset, etc.  Part of that was the fact that I had most of this already in hand from various past builds.  Part of it was a desire to get a very nice, light, high level performing bike built around a solid but modest frame.

If I was writing the checks or if I were to begin with empty hands and a wish list, I would have built it a bit differently and here is why.

• Drivetrain – XO over XX.  XX is amazing in the way it performs and how it looks.  It also is very costly.  XO (and maybe even some X9) would have given me a slightly heavier bike with…oh, let’s say 95% of the performance.  Just a number…no science behind that.  As well, XX gearing is slightly lacking in the low range dept with that 26T small ring and the 36T big gear in back.  Depending on who you are or where you live, that may not be enough gear and if you are packing the bike with light weight overnight stuff, it very likely is not enough.  XO will get you to 22T if you want it and a 22/36 is darn low for a fit endurance rider.
• Wheels – Carbon wheels are pretty amazing or at least they can be if they are good ones.  I would hate to give those up, but there are 1600g to 1800g wheelsets out there that would be just fine.  Something like these American Classics, a set of Stan’s Arches hoops, and others from DT Swiss or Ringle or even custom built…all will be cheaper then the Rovals by a minimum of $500.00 but heavier by at least 200g.
• I would not have gone for XX World Cup brakes.  A more pedestrian model would be just fine and would weigh little more if I chose wisely.
• Other than that…well maybe a less than 110 level Cane Creek head set would be fine too as even the budget ones are very good…I would not have changed much.  The current fork, the Manitou Tower Pro, is not terribly expensive compared to something like an equivalent Fox and the rest of the bits are good and proven.

So that is the deal with the build.  I had the high end stuff in hand, mixed it in with parts I already new and trusted, including some parts I had in testing mode, and began turning wrenches.  What came from that was not a ‘budget build’ as most would define that but it is a truly fine meld of parts.  Nuff’ said about that.

WRIAD, White Rim In A Day, is a loop in and around the Canyonlands Natl Park near Moab, Utah.  It is 103 miles, has around 7k’ of elevation gain and is all jeep road and a small stretch of paved road…no singletrack, but it is remote and often done as a personal time trial, either alone or with a group.  You need to be in and out the same day…no overnight camping for a true WRIAD and you need to carry all your needs with you as there is no water or food on that route. It is truly a self supported deal.  So I built up the Spearfish only a scant two days ahead, grabbed two quick rides to bed it in, loaded up, and pointed toward Utah.  The next morning at 05:30 we rolled out into the darkness of the Mineral Bottom switchbacks on our bikes and 12.5 hours later, we were back at camp.

This was a pretty amazing way to break in the Spearfish but it was right up the Adventure by Bike alley and dead on to the intent of the bike’s design.  After all the red dust settled, what do I think of the Spearfish 1 as a 100 mile platform?

WRIAD is all jeep road, some smooth, some very rough and sandy.  It is decently flat but there are some nasty climbs in the mix as well…short but steep and loose.  What it handles like on fast, twisty singletrack will have to wait till I get home.  This was about pedaling all day, but not about super techy stuff.   I had a 20-ish pound Osprey Talon 22 on my back, so I added about 10psi into the rear shock to get sag back under control.  The ride began with a  1500′ climb up some very steep grades.  Here the XX gearing was barely OK, at least until I warmed up, then we had 15 miles of dirt road before we dropped into the main part of the ride.  I had the rear shock in Pro Pedal ‘ON’ mode and the Tower Pro open and climbing was steady and stable.  The Go ‘Fish does not exhibit any unwanted suspension activation with pedaling forces.  It feels very buttoned down.  In fact, some bikes in the past were a bit of Jeckyl/Hyde with Pro Pedal.  PP on was firm and controlled.  PP off was sqooshy and plush but pedaled like a drunken sailor.  It seems that technology and smart engineering is tempering that as both the Spearfish and the on-test Titus Rockstar keep the same personality with Pro Pedal on or off, but there is just a more compliant ride with it off.

Pedaling hard out of the saddle on the small paved connector was a treat as the light Roval wheels and fast rolling Conti X Kings kept it feeling fast.  The ‘Fish never got in the way and felt very decent here…maybe not carbon stiff, but very good.

Once I hit the first dirt descent on the Shafer switchbacks, I opened up the rear shock and never looked back, keeping it open the entire time.  That never was an issue, even on nose-of-the-saddle grunt climbs.  The way that Salsa has tuned this bike with the RP2 Boost Valve Fox shock and the pivotless seatstays that are designed to flex under suspension movement gives the Spearfish a tight and efficient overall feel.  There were times that I was keenly aware that I only had 80mm of travel.  In some of the rougher sandstone sections, I could feel that I was bumping into the ceiling a bit and I backed off.  Comparing that feel to something like the JET9 (also 80mm of rear travel) the ‘Fish does not feel as ‘deep’.  I have heard the Spearfish described as being a ‘soft tail like’ ride quality.  I think that is pessimistic.  It is an full suspension, no doubt about that, but it will not fool you into thinking ‘trail bike’ either.

The handling is dead on for long days in the saddle…not too quick, not too slow.  It went exactly where I pointed it and never gave me reason for doubt or second guess my decision.  As you might expect, the long stays were never a factor in the wide open terrain  and the 17.9″ length felt very balanced overall.  Would it be a better bike with .25″ lopped off the back end?  Not sure.  Build me one and we will see   It does not feel super playful though, in that I mean it likes keeping the wheels down and the lines drawn smoothly but that fits very well into the vein of endurance type riding in my opinion.

When I was in Arizona at a recent endurance event there (where I rode the Specialized Carve Pro SS), I saw three Spearfish equipped riders out of, oh, less than 30 entrants?  That says something to me about who ‘gets’ the ‘Fish’s intentions.  I would have loved to have ridden the Go ‘Fish on that event and based on what I have experienced so far, the tight and techy Arizona Trail would not have been an issue at all for this bike.

So after 103 miles and 10.5 hours of pedaling the Spearfish 1 over the surface of Utah I was very pleased in the choices I made.  All the parts were faultless and they meshed perfectly.  Salsa hit the target bang on with the Spearfish and it is a superb choice for efforts like this.  Now we will take it back home and dance it down the twisty, loose trails of So Cal and see how it performs.

The fevered Mid West brains of the Salsa crew have brought to the marketplace a reasonably priced, solid performing full suspension 29″er option that is bang on target for the needs of most endurance riders.

Go ‘Fish! indeed.

Note: Salsa Cycles sent over the Spearfish 1 frame for test/review at no charge to Twenty Nine Inches. Other parts were supplied for the build at no cost by the respective manufacturers.  We are not being bribed or paid for this review. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Well, Chris King has stepped up to put another choice out there. Here is the Press Release:

Image courtesy of Chris King

Introducing 83mm and 100mm Chris King Bottom Brackets

It’s no secret that downhill and fat bikes experience a tremendous amount of abuse putting significant wear and tear on their components. With the introduction of the new Chris King downhill (83mm) and fat (100mm) bike bottom brackets these off road titans can now rely on the precision and reliability built in to every Chris King component.

Our peerless bearings lie at the heart of our bottom brackets. Starting with high quality domestically sourced materials we create our own angular contact bearings in-house. This design virtue allows Chris King sealed bearings to wear in rather than wear out. Our bottom bracket features a specifically designed sealing system that integrates with our injection tool allowing the system to be purged and re-greased quickly and easily. This combination of strength and serviceability gives us the confidence to offer an industry leading 5-year warranty. Like the slippery smoothness of ceramic? All of our bottom brackets are also available with ceramic ball bearings.

For more on Chris King bottom brackets, see the site here.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News

Life as a bike tester is usually great – you get to ride cool bikes and parts, meet new people and do what is fun anyway … biking. But sometimes, when for days all circles around bike issues, it also happens that I just get enough if it. And so it was near the end of the BIKE festival and I still needed to take the new FELT Edict Nine for a ride (tough life, I know ).

The 2013er FELT Edict Nine was already revealed at Sea Otter, but since Grannygear had not had the opportunity to cover it, it was up to me. Undoubtedly, the bike is a real looker – the flowing lines and sporty graphics are simply beautiful. Then there are the top end components of the test bike (complete with XX group, SID XX fork and a set of brand new MAVIC SLR 29″er wheels ?), but somehow I just didn’t feel like test riding another bike – well, I’m only human after all .

Therefore, the pre-ride talk was cut rather short, and after some adjusting, I was ready for the test ride – Mt. Brione was the destination.

One thing immediately sticking out is the FAST suspension system (“Felt Stay Active Technology”), in which the rear pivot point is eliminated and handled by the flex of the carbon rear triangle. The whole suspension system is designed in a way that the unsagged rear is slightly tensioned, and only becomes tension free in the range of the recommended sag. This way the rear can be built lighter, stiffer and as part of the suspension equation. The suspension itself is a rocker driven single pivot system with 100mm of rear travel.

It is interesting to see how FELT sticks to traditional values like a quick release rear, International Standard brake bosses, a BSA bottom bracket, and a clamped front derailleur. Doubtlessly State of the Art is the special carbon construction (FELT calls it “Inside Out”) where FELT utilizes a PU high pressure bladder on the inside of the mold to best utilize the material and achieve the highest strength and stiffness at the lowest possible weight, by squeezing out every unnecessary resin.

A real treat to the eyes are the asymmetrical chain stays that combine a good tire and chain ring clearance with great stiffness in an aesthetically pleasing way. Unlike many competitors nowadays only the rear derailleur cable runs internally on the Edict Nine, the brake line and the front derailleur cable all run externally on the down tube. Almost standard by now is the tapered head tube and 15mm through axle on the front.

But now to the actual RIDE IMPRESSIONS:
Already on the first few meters, I noticed how sporty yet comfortable and easy to handle the Edict Nine feels. The steep angles (71.5° head and 73° seat angle) together with the moderately long rear (450 mm chain stay length) result in a pleasing and harmonious all-around handling.

Despite the XC-like position with low front, I felt very good on the bike. Not surprisingly, that the Edict was a great performer when it came to going fast. After the first 100 meters in altitude gain, I knew that the bike is really stiff and precise. It is perhaps not quite such an extreme race machine as the BIANCHI Methanol 29″er (here), but it definitely is a fast bike. The race with my E-Bike armed Co-tester showed how much fun all out riding this bike is The rear end felt consistent and pleasant when climbing even with the rear shock´s platform damping on open. With the platform damping engaged it felt like a pure breed XC racer, and with the shock locked it ran like a hard tail – Exactly as it should be for this bike.

Up to this point the FELT Edict Nine positively surprised me as a pleasantly riding, strong and stiff XC-/endurance race bike, but even that could change my reluctant mindset only partly. On top of all that the mounted ROCK SHOX RT3 (a early ’13 prototype!) failed briefly before we reached the summit leaving me with only 50 mm of completely undamped rear travel … and thus robbed me of my hopes of a fun downhill. Because of this defect, I can say very little about the rear suspension performance, but a lot about the bike´s handling.

Those readers that know the downhill of Mt. Brione, know that it has a lot to offer, from flowing, gently winding passages, to real steep steps and rock strewn sections. Actually, I was expecting some sections where the Edict with its XC-ish handling would probably be overwhelmed, but none of that. Already halfway down (and with a 130mm 29″er full suspension bike breathing down my neck) it dawned to me that the EDICT NINE was more than just a great XC rocket. On the second half of the downhill I deliberately took the heavier lines and rode more aggressively still, yet never came to a point of anxiety or overwhelming. The rear suspension was indeed harsh and completely out of control, but the bike itself has been as good-natured and confident as I very rarely see in such a fast XC bike.

A big compliment to FELT for this brilliant and versatile 29″er geometry! Back at the Felt booth my mental low had completely vanished thanks to the excitement about the FELT Edict Nine.

A few words about the different FELT Edict Nine models: The top-end version with “UHC Ultimate + Nano” Carbon frame (as ridden), will likely come as a frameset (with damper, as with the FELT Edict Six). The slightly heavier “UHC Performance” carbon frames and the triple-butted 7005 alloy frames should come as complete bikes. The aluminum frames get an additional pivot as the alloy rear wouldn’t take the flex without.

The exact specifications and versions are not yet set and may also vary depending on the market. Same for prices and expected availability – we will communicate when we learn more.

RIDE ON
c_g

Ps: The first impression of the Crossmaxx Mavic SLR 29″er wheels have also been very positive – fast, light and precise as far as the short test round can tell.

Twenty Nine Inches - 29er Bike Reviews, Rumors and News