Hot on the heels of production ready steel and aluminum hardtails, the Thunder and Lightning, Joe Breeze has just announced two new 29er models, the carbon fiber Cloud 9 and the aluminum Jetstream, both featuring some trademark Breezer features.
PRESS RELEASE: Breezer Bikes founder Joe Breeze will release his first 29-inch-wheel mountain bikes for the 2011 model year, calling them the best-climbing big-wheel bikes on the market. The addition of 29ers to Breezer’s expanding lineup of mountain bikes makes the brand an ideal addition for dealers—and consumers—seeking a brand with deep heritage and a knack for innovation.
The Cloud 9 will come in two carbon versions (Pro and Limited) and the Jet Stream will feature two aluminum models (Comp and Sport). Both feature innovations that will shake up this increasingly popular category. Breeze has a long history of spurring the bike industry. In the 1970s, he and a select group of visionaries created the mountain bike,
which opened the world of cycling to a whole new range of riders. Breeze has now embraced the 29-inch segment with the same gusto.
“We have spent lots of time optimizing the design of our 29ers to make them the bestriding two-niners on the market,†Breeze says. Notably, the Breezer 29ers will be exceptional climbers. “By shortening the chain stays I am addressing the Achilles heel of 29ers—their less-than-optimum traction on climbs. Cyclists will be delighted by the lively, fast ride.â€
The short chain stays are possible because of modifications to the seat tube. The result is a more compact and nimble 29er that places the rider right above the wheels for better traction. Another notable feature is the chain stay-mounted disc brake. This forward brake mount is more rigid for less brake howl, and more protected due to the seat stays that wrap around the discs. Breeze-In dropouts are light and rigid, and their reduced length provides a clean look that accentuates the beautifully curved tubing of the seat stays.
The frames feature a host of other Breeze touches including Breezer D’fusion tubing. Invented by Breeze in the 1990s, D’fusion tubes feature D-shaped cross sections that diffuse stress and eliminate the need for heavy and ride-deadening gussets. A curved down tube at the head tube junction provides clearance for long-travel forks and is light
and resilient.
The addition of the 29ers expands the Breezer mountain bike line to four base models, including the Lightning and Thunder 26ers, which marked Breeze’s return to his mountain bike roots after a decade of focusing on commuter and transportation bikes. Breezer’s award-winning transportation lineup includes the Uptown series, a three-time and current winner of Bicycling Magazine’s Editors’ Choice for Best Commuter bike, the Finesse, Liberty, and Greenway Range bike series, and three folding bikes: the Zig, Zag, and Ziggy. Breezer also has a new line of electric bikes, the PowerTrips, which will bring a new demographic of people into cycling.
