Submitted by
dan holton
a Cross Country Rider
from boulder, co usa
Date Reviewed: February 8, 2008
Strengths: Retro Elegance light fast one of a kind
Weaknesses: 1 inch steerer tube but in 1994 that was common. Oh ya that Joe doesn't make them any more.P.S joe if you have any 1 inch steerer tube forks lying around Email me
Bottom Line:
I've owned this bike for 15 years and have worked in the bike industry for over 10 years. I have tried many bike over the years and I haven't ridden anything I would want to own more. My breezer jetstearm is so old that I've had to stockpile parts because it is a 7 speed with canti brakes just to keep it going. it will always be a 7 speed with canti brakes because thats the way this bike was made and needs to stay. By they way the date I'm writing this is 2008. The bike has over ten thousand miles on it and it still rides great and looks great. I wouldn't trade it for any of the newest so called latest and greatest thing. If you want to know how a mountain bike should ride come see me, you can ride mine. people who don't know quality or don't like quality shouldn't look at this bike. but those who do should.
Similar Products Used: nothing because there is nothing else like a breezer
Bike Setup: combo of parts a rockshock mag 21 that still works graften joy stick crank, white industry bottom bracket chis king headset pulstar front hub XT DX XTR components and alot of shawggy parts
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Submitted by
TOM
a Cross Country Rider
from GERMANY
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2001
Strengths: FRAME BALANCE SMMOTHNESS CLIMBING
Weaknesses: Joe quit making bikes
Bottom Line:
I'VE TRIED THEM ALL AND ALWAYS GO BACK TO MY 94 LIGHTNING FORGET FAD OR FASHON THE BREEZER IS JUST BETTER. PLEASE JOE, MAKE A FEW MORE FOR THOSE WHO KNOW. UP OR DOWN, BIG RING JAMMIN, VERTICAL, THIS BIKE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, WORKS GOOD WITH A MINIMUM TRAVEL FORK, OR RIGID TOO.
Bike Setup: Just the good old parts as WTB (Steem and Canties), XC-Fork, XT-Parts and Ritchey.
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Submitted by
Jeff Blackman
a Cross Country Rider
from MI
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2000
Strengths: Light weight. Climbing ability almost no other bike can match. Better than average at every aspect of cross country riding. Steel baby!
Weaknesses: Uh, yeah. It is not quite as fast in twisty singletrack as a Bontrager, if you call that a weakness.
Bottom Line:
Yes I have already reviewed this bike. It's two years later, I also own a Ritchey P-20 and a Bontrager Race and in my opinion the Breezer is still one of the greatest mountain bike frames ever made. I do not know how many thousands of miles my bike has on it, but it is in the thousands, I have crashed several times, and I have not managed to break the frame in four places. If you get the opportunity to buy a Breezer do it. It is better than average at every aspect of cross country riding.
Favorite Trail: Kipp Rd. section of the North Country Trail
Duration Product Used: More than 3 years
Similar Products Used: Several Ritcheys' Bontrager
Bike Setup: Breezer Jet Stream, rigid, Breezer Backdraft rims, combination XT and Ritchey components.
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Submitted by
ryan waldron
a Racer
from burlington vermont usa
Date Reviewed: May 12, 2000
Strengths: Lightweight classic looks nice dropouts good paint job
Weaknesses: strength mass produced overseas
Bottom Line:
I guess this story is maybe one of those "well there is always someone that is pissed off at a company". NO matter which product people always have good and bad stuff to say, this is one of the bad stuff stories. When I decided to get a "real" racing bike back in 1993 I was working at a shop in New England and narrowed it down from a gt/ rocky mountain/ or a breezer and decided for me the breezer was the best choice. At this time I was 5'9 155 and bought the 17 inch jet stream which is the same as the cloud nine frame just with different parts. I wanted a racer with great parts,lite weight, strong enough for racing ,a good history and an acceptable employee purchase price. I had the bike for about 2 months and did a big race in vermont. The bike was demon on climbs, talk about fast and lite. Then on the first day of this three day race coming down the trail i hit a small water bar, (remember too the bike was rigid) in those old days, the frame snapped in four places, where the butting ends on the top tube and downtube, the fork did not snap, i went over the bars and cracked an old bell v1-pro helmet, if you know that helmet you know it was a pretty beefy helmet. YOu can imagine how i felt being 17 and spending as much as i did on that bike and now a couple of months later i was screwed. I was hopeful that since I worked in a shop and had good relationship with the breezer distributor at that time which was Quality, I thought things would work out perhaps in terms of some kind of warranty or replacement program. The bike was sent back to breezer and it was deemed to be "rider error" end of story. Also if you read your warranty booklet closely most bikes are not covered if used for "racing purposes" Needless to say I was disappointed, angry, and just plain old pissed off. all of a sudden i was in the middle of the racing season and had to come up with another 1500 to get another bike, not too easy for someone 17 working in a shop. Luckily I got hooked up with a great deal on A gt Psyclone which is a great steal frame that at that time was handmade in Colorado, I dont think they make it anymore, but I'm not sure. After that crash I decided that Ritchey tubing was not for me and now I wanted something stronger and still lite and the gt served that purpose. Also many people were coming in the shop where i worked complaining of denting the frame all over on very basic crashes. We had to explain to them the tubing and how thin it was at that time etc. All of a sudden the motto for me was "lite is not always right" Then fast forward to 1996 when I was studying abroad in australia. I posted this story on a "breezer fan" web site and twice the story was erased. The guy who was running the page at that time said he didnt want stories like mine on the page that they were just "mud slinging" stories. Somehow I dont know how but the man himself Joe Breeze saw my story (now again this is 3 years after) and somehow found my telephone number in australia and called me there to discuss how I felt, I was very, very surprised to say the least and commend him for doing so. I explained the story to him, he had mentioned how he never even saw the frame I sent back and that Quality made all of the warranty decisions, which I thought was a pretty bad line, after all he has a big say in his company and I would think he could have some influence on warranty decisions. He asked me what I thought would be good solution and of course I said Yeah i want a frame for no cost, he said that was not an option, but we arrived at a option that was a great deal to me that no one in their right mind would pass up. All I will say is that the cost for a new frame was very low. And this deal came about 3 years late. The frame came to my house and then I guess I had flashbacks, and just continued to ride the gt instead and left the breezer sitting around I think mainly because i didnt want to be on a frame what worried me and that I did not have 100% confidence in. After the Gt I bought a fat chance yo eddy, and that is the cream of the crop, i dont see how anyone can say anything remotely bad about fat chance or its products. that is just my experience on a breezer and with breeze himself. I would never use anything again with that 1 inch ritchey superlite tubing or whatever the name of the tubing was at that time. Nor do I recommend to my friends to ride mountain bikes with the superlite ritchey tubing.
JUST FINISHED BUILDING UP MY LIGHTING WITH FULL XT GROUPO,WHAT A RIDE. IHAVE TO RETRACT MY OTHER RATING NOW. THIS BIKE IS THE BOMB,FAST LIGHT GREAT HANDLING,CLASSIC LOOKS AND CLIMBS LIKE YOU CANNOT BELEIVE.WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT!!!
Just hope all the good stuff said about breezer bikes are ture. In the stages of building a breezer Lighting xt equip. Frame is very sweet, but I would have to say trhe welds on the bottom bracket could use some work. Love those breezer rear dropout.
Submitted by
Jennifer D
a racer
from Alexandria, VA
Date Reviewed: October 26, 1998
Bottom Line:
The Jet Stream is the only bike I want to ride forever. I've had mine for over 2 years and can't say enough about it. I have raced it for the 2 years and have experinced no problems. It climbs like a goat, negotiates tight single track intuitively, and descends like a demon! I also have the Venturi road bike which I recommend to anyone looking for a road bike. Why go with a different manufacturer for your road bike, when we know how well the Breezers behave!?
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Submitted by
Keith
a cross-country rider
from Chicago
Date Reviewed: October 22, 1998
Bottom Line:
Breezer Lightning, unsuspended. I own a couple very high end FS bikes and love them, but this is a pure bike: laterlly stiff but very forgiving and comfortable, how do they do it? Besides, steel is proven. I can outclimb everyone on this bike, and I am not a strong climber. Not a lot of of trick parts either, but still weighs in at 22.5#, which you can feel. A keeper for life, and five chilies.
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Submitted by
Jeff Blackman
a cross-country rider
from MI
Date Reviewed: August 29, 1998
Bottom Line:
I have a 95 Breezer Jet Stream that I bought new in early 97. I owned two bikes before I bought my Breezer, a low end cro-mo and a high end alum. I love this bike. It reads my mind and it loves to be ridden in all conditions. Joe's bikes have it all; they are beautiful, finely crafted, lightweight and sensible. I love the classic clean look of my Jet Stream. I wont even add v-brakes.
My Breezer Thunder is wonderful! It made my old GT Zaskar felt like a blob of fully suspended marshmallow on climbs, in sprint and on road. I had cancelled my plan built up the GT only after a few rides. Never knew that an aluminum frame can be so much fun to ride. I wonder how much better would a steel Breezer be?
Can't top the previous review for a steel Breezer. I agree with everything he said. This bike is simply the most stable, comfortable bike I have ever ridden. My steel Jet Stream replaced my '96 Stumpjumper which just beat me to death. I will never buy any aluminum bike again. Buy a steel Breezer. You won't be disappointed!
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Submitted by
Man of Steel
a racer
from Allentown, PA
Date Reviewed: August 7, 1998
Bottom Line:
To define Breezer bikes one must first define perfection, simplicity, durability, quality, craftsmanship, class, tradition, strength, comfort, control, and style. If you know what the following words mean, then you should know that in the world of cycling, only one company can be accredited for inventing the wheel. I purchased a Breezer Storm sight-unseen just out of the pure reputation of the name. I never buy a product for a name, but this is the best purchase I've made. No bicycle is as responsive in the tight trenches than a Breezer, no bike can climb a long straight away like a Breezer, and no bike can descent with such control than a Breezer. And face it, no bike on god's green earth looks as appealing to the eye as a Breezer. These judegements weren't made biasly because I've owned top bikes from many of the top brands, but it would not do Breezer justice to classify any bike to a Breezer. These other companies are merely imitating the simply design of one man and his pursuit of an excellent ride. While other bike companies try to make so many advancements on the bike, they are merely taking one step up, but two steps back. On the other hand, the Breezer maintains the same philosophy of building bikes that made mountain biking exciting and fulfilling. Steel is REAL. Titanium is nice, but not everyone is Bill Gates. If you wanna save weight, lose that gut... but sure as hell don't buy aluminum, that shit is for soda cans. The bottom line is, if you appreciate performance, durability, reliability, craftsmanship, and truly love the bicycle, then you will love what Joe Breeze and his works of art have to offer. I didn't mention a specific Breezer bike in this novel for the simple fact that every Breezer is the best bike you can buy, which is why I put this in writing. Look at all the reviews previous to this, they all have a perfect rating. There is that one idiot-stick who gave Breezer one chili, but just look at the bike he recommended...see? Now you know that prick doesn't know a damn thing about bikes. Get a Breezer and join me in the awesome ride up that hill so we can look down at the posers struggling to reach the apex!
I own the best bike around! BREEZER LIGHTING 96. This is a bike that goes with the flow of the trail. As they say A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER and the Breezer is summed up by this. My brother from Appelton and his wife also have the best bikes in the industry, STORM, THUNDER. We all race for the same shop and have had the best luck with these bikes. I have owned a gt avalanche, karacoram, beraccuda. Then I came to my senses with the coaxing of my brother, While riding a tight trail we made on are own land, there was a particularly tight section that I couldn't clear with my gt, so I tried my brothers Thunder and the bike just flowed through the tight sections. That was the time that I gave up on being a sheep, and went with the Breezer Lighting. Steel is real, coupled with a BOMBER fork, I have the best bike in my opinion. My brother and his wife ride the Softride products and are satisfied with them. Hats off to JOE BREEZE, my order for a Twister will be going his way soon.
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Submitted by
Jay
a cross-country rider
from San Diego, California
Date Reviewed: May 21, 1998
Bottom Line:
I own a '94 Breezer Lightning that is simply the most perfect bike I've ever ridden or seen. The looks are totally retro and classy, and the frame is supple, accurate, and climbs like a charm. I would never own anything other than a Breezer because, despite their paint problems, nothing is quite as good after you've ridden one.
