Over at Mountain Bike 198, Robb, had a great interview with Joe Breeze one of the creators of mountain biking.  Towards the end of the interview they switched gears to asking about commuting as Breezer is known for one of the best commuter oriented bicycles in the US.   It’s exciting to see some mountain biking purist such as Joe Breeze and Gary Fisher showing all of us how to use the bike in all ways, not just a hobby.

198: Switching gears a little bit, you have continued to impress the cycling industry with your commuter lineup of bicycles. For those that do not know about Breezer Bikes, can you explain a little bit on what you are trying to accomplish with the brand?

Joe Breeze: My goal is to offer useful bikes for everyday healthful getting around. Riding a fully dressed Breezer transportation bike, it becomes apparent how limiting a naked bike is—for the same reason we don’t drive cars without fenders, lights or ways to carry things. Utility is the word. In my case, my other bike is a bike (or my wife’s car). Because I crave speed I make my Breezer townies so they can GO!

198: Commuter biking is getting a lot of press lately due to increased energy costs. Do you see bike commuting increasing in the future?

Joe Breeze: Yes I do. As many people as we see riding bikes in the USA today, I see it as only 10 percent of the potential of Americans who could be riding. That is, someday bicycling in America could be 10 times more popular. It’s all to do with a bicycle’s extraordinary efficiency. That’s what puts the smile on our face: You get health while you get where you go, be it physical health, mental health, environmental health, or fiscal health. And chances are, overall, it will save you time. The biggest hurdle is ignoring the billions of dollars spent every year (for how many decades?) trying to convince us all to just drive.

198: Where do you see the commuter bike industry in the next 5 years?

Joe Breeze: It depends on how quickly the biggest secret in bicycling gets out, and the perceived cost of driving. In America, since specifically 1991, big changes have been made in how we get around. Most of it is still below the radar, but in many parts of the country a new bike path goes in here and a new bike lane there. From the grass roots to the federal level, more people all the time see bicycling as a solution, but things take time. One day, it will get to a point where the perception of landscape will flip. The average Joe will say, “Bikes, duh!” Hard to believe there was a time when people—except for those doing it—would say, “Mountain bikes will go nowhere.”

198: What are you riding right now?

Town: 2003 Breezer Villager, 2009 Breezer Finesse, 2010 Breezer PowerTrip e-bike
MTB: 2010 Breezer Thunder Pro, 2010 Fuji DSR, 2009 Fuji SLM
Road: 1998 Breezer Venturi

198: Where is your favorite place to ride?

Joe Breeze: The best place for me, is right out my door.

198: What bike has impressed you the most in the past year?

Joe Breeze: 2010 Fuji DSR, 2010 Breezer Thunder Pro (What? You figured I’d say that?)

If you are just stopping in on our Group Build of the perfect commuter bike let’s catch you up.  After introducing who will be riding the bike, the overall landslide of bicycle frame choice was a Surly Long Haul Trucker. This wasn’t a surprise to me or many others.  Over at the Surly Long Haul Trucker Owners Group, Bryan from Renaissance Bicycles, started a topic about our bike build.  Everyone had positive things to say about the bike and I’m very excited to be using this platform going forward.

Our next step is the shifting type, there’s standard STI/Double Tap/Ergo shifting which is all from the brake hood area, then bar end shifting and down tube shifting.  I guess we could also through mountain bike style shifter pods into this as well.  One last thing in the mix is the Long Haul Trucker is available as a complete build, which would save me money as well on the build.

With the goal of researching and educating about the European utilization of bicycles we will be reading, writing and reviewing as many “Dutch style” bikes as possible.  As a reader please comment, pass on links and any other information you think will be helpful.

In the next week you’ll see an introduction article of the Batavus BUB, a new style Dutch bike.  During my review period the US distributor, Fourth Floor, has been kind enough to email extensively about not only their new model but why it was needed.

Eric is going to talk mainly about the brand he distributes but please read through what he talks about.  As Americans we often think about Europe as the sanctuary of cycling.  Most people ride their bikes instead of driving a car and we all dream of bike lanes all over the cities we live and ride in.  What is different is how Europe looks at cycling compared to the US.  Everything we do is for an image or picture we have in our head and because of that many manufactures are selling the lifestyle of biking.  At the root of it all, where in Europe they live on their bikes year round, there is no lifestyle.  All they are doing is using their bike daily instead of their car.

The Dutch hardly romanticize their bikes like we do. They are born
onto bikes and treat them like tools. They regard their bikes the same
way they regard their washing machines. The urban demographic may
be tough to reach because of their preference for used bikes, but an
even tougher demographic to reach is the 18-35 age group. After
riding in the rain from the age of four, many youngsters want nothing
more than a car. Perhaps it’s strange, but as Americans fall in love
with bikes again, the Dutch are falling in love with cars. To lure
urbanites, and especially young urbanites back onto bikes, a new
approach was needed.

The typical classic Dutch bike, affectionately called the omafiets (grandma bike) is one of the most memorable icons of Holland. Every bicycle manufacturer in Holland still makes an omafiets, and while the Dutch bike has certainly evolved far beyond the omafiets the omafiets has still been the enduring answer for urban markets. But, it has problems. When Batavus first released the Personal Bike they had an instant hit in urban markets. It had a different seating position than the omafiets, it could stabilize weight better (like children and groceries) – and it was versatile. The seating position of an omafiets is almost excessively upright. The Personal Bike relaxed the position without stretching the rider into a sportive position (which every North American bike company still insists on doing). It also introduced the concept of high pressure 26” tires to the market, allowing the bike to roll exceptionally well despite potholes and bumps. However, like the omafiets, the Personal Bike was a little on the heavy side. While neither bike rides heavy, anyone who wanted to bring their bike inside their apartment (a reality as Amsterdam builds higher) didn’t enjoy lifting it. The Personal Bike was a bold invention, but it missed the mark in terms of reaching the widest possible demographic. What was needed was a lighter, more ergonomic bike with the same broad appeal as the classic omafiets.

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to creating an evolved omafiets was the
iconic nature of the omafiets. Like wooden shoes or windmills, the
classic omafiets is one of the most visible icons of Holland. To create a
lighter version with a better seating position may have been
necessary, but the real challenge was creating something as
memorable. Like the Velib, Batavus needed to create an instant icon
that would romance the Dutch (and others!) back to cycling. As one of
the oldest companies in Holland Batavus certainly played a role in the
development of the omafiets as we know it today. And Batavus also
designed and implemented the entire Paris Velib system. They were
also the first develop the Personal Bike design, which has been copied
by numerous competitors. In Holland – which typically has a very
conservative and insular bike industry – Batavus is that one company
that thinks outside the dijk, so to speak.

My goal in these weekly round ups are not only to highlight what was talked about here, on Commute By Bike, but across the newswire, blogosphere and maybe even in my shop.  As long as it is about commuting, it may find its way here.

• Six things you should know about a Brooks saddle, found at Wired. (From Nov 3rd)
• London Cyclist has 101+ links for fixed gear and single speeders.
• There is more money coming from the Federal Government for bike and pedestrian projects.  Found all over the net, but Cyclelicious has a good write up.
• An Adventure Called Bicycling has a light review.
• 33 Reasons to Cycle from Bike Radar.
• Utility Cycling is being utility by delivering with their bikes.
• Do you have a bike shelter in your neighborhood?  Use it before it gets taken away!
• There is no hiding I am gunning to be the first female finisher in Trans Iowa this year.  Want to ride with me? Fill out your postcard!
• Opposing Views tries to take on the discussion of getting women on their bikes more.

Right here on Commute By Bike :

• Want to learn something new or how to fix something on your bike? Let us know in our Open Forum : DIY Projects
• Continuing our conversation on the Perfect Commuter Bike, we picked the Long Haul Trucker as the frame to build off of.
• One of our first guest post was Eric, from Banjo Brothers.  Read about his commuting story.

*Sorry for being light on post this past week.  It was my birthday (yah!) and getting the bike shop ready for the holiday season.

A guest post by Eric Leugers, one of the two guys that run Banjo Brothers.

I have been an avid cyclist since purchasing my first road bike at age
15, but only a half-hearted bicycle commuter until recently. Riding
almost always was recreation for me. After moving to Minnesota in the
mid-90’s, I used my bike to run errands and to see bands play at the
various clubs around Minneapolis. It prompted me to build my first
single-speed beater in 1997 in order to reduce maintenance and
theft-risk. I commuted seasonally when my old job moved downtown
about 5 miles from home (our small office stopped following the
corporate “business casual” dress code at the same time – the
logistics made it much easier to ride). Still, I didn’t ride in the
winter and when it got really hot in the summer.

After we started Banjo Brothers, my driving ironically increased. I
was riding more than ever for errands and other “practical” trips, but
I also began driving carloads of cartons to FedEx for shipment. As I
drove more, I finally snapped and did what should have been obvious
much earlier: let FedEx do the driving by picking up at our warehouse
– they already had a driver in the area. So as winter waned in late
February of 2008, I began riding each day to the warehouse, a 9-mile
round trip on back streets and a rails-to-trails path that passes
within a block of my destination. It takes about 10 more minutes to
ride than to drive, and it is typically an unhurried and pleasant
trip.

By that first summer, I hardly ever drove for work. The elimination
of that driving encouraged me to do other trips by bike. In the past
I might have found excuses to drive instead of ride (too
cold/hot/rainy/etc). I now found myself holding off on errands that
required a car , preferring to bunch as many errands into one trip as
possible. Anything that would put off a car trip. I have to admit
that my motivation was not the cost of gas or global warming, but
exercise and just enjoying being on a bike. The next step was buying
a Burley Flatbed trailer for cargo bigger than a set of panniers would
carry and I started delivering to some local Minneapolis bike shops
with the trailer.

My wife had similarly embraced riding as transportation, and by Fall
of 2008 we began taking our daughter to kindergarten each day on a
Burley Piccolo trailer cycle in lieu of driving or taking the bus.
Winter of 2008 loomed and we were determined to keep riding through
it. We both had 3-speeds with all-weather coaster brakes, and I put
studded tires on them. I am fairly timid riding on ice, but the
studded tires were amazing. Veteran commuters said it was one of the
worst winters they had experience – extreme cold and a lot of smaller
snowfalls that went unplowed. Back streets were white-knuckle rides
through rutted ice and slushy snow. The main streets were plowed more
consistently, but dangerously narrow with high traffic volume. The
best riding? The city’s off-street bike trails, which were usually
plowed before the roads. We made it through the winter without a
crash and even managed a few trips to school below zero (our daughter
wasn’t always thrilled, but she was a trooper). We learned how to
dress for subzero riding and were always warm enough, but I did enjoy
that first ride in Spring without the heavy studded tires.

At this point over 90% of our trips are by bike or walking and we
often go a week or two without driving. We are certainly fortunate to
live within easy riding distance for most of our errands. In a sign
of how things have changed, my wife recently asked for an Xtracycle .
She maxes out her panniers quite often and the trailer cycle that she
usually tows makes a cargo trailer difficult to use. I bought an
Xtracycle from Hiawatha Cyclery and began building up a bike with it.
It will likely become the bike she rides the most and has the
advantage of being able to carry both cargo and our daughter at the
same time. With winter in mind, it will have disc brakes – she has
her trusty 3-speed as backup, though.

I’m not a zealot with regards to bike commuting, but judging by the
questions I get, it’s much easier than most folks think. For me the
breakthrough was when the process of getting out of the house became
automatic: my commuter bike ready to go in the garage, helmet and
lock right next to it. I made it as brainless as getting in the car.
10 years ago I never would have guessed that my most-ridden bike
would be a 3-speed with panniers, but I’ve really come to enjoy the
change.

Quickly recapping the series in which we are trying to build the perfect commuter bike for myself.  We have discussed what makes a good commuter bike, who the target audience is and which style of bike would be best.  As the touring style seems to be a big hit let’s now discuss which touring bike.

Quickly I put together a list of bikes you all mentioned.  Please add ones that you have used or like as well.

Photo from anyMeta

Every so often I’ll be coming to you, the readers, to learn what exactly you want to covered.   Hopefully this will keep you all engaged and excited about the Commute By Bike content.  If you see the words “Open Forum” in the title, stop in and give your feedback!

The Open Forum this week is what type of do it yourself (DIY) projects you would like to see covered.   It could be as basic as changing a flat, setting up your in home mechanic stand or making your bike reflective.

The microphone is on and let us know what you want to learn!

Photo from anyMeta.net

My goal in these weekly round ups are not only to highlight what was talked about here, on Commute By Bike, but across the newswire, blogosphere and maybe even in my shop.  As long as it is about commuting, it may find its way here.

• Elly Blue of BikePortland.org hits upon staying dry and warm this winter, on a budget.
• There is the first bike box, or green box in Columbus.  Bike Columbus isn’t sold on the idea it seems.
• One of my favorite component manufactures, and all around good guys to work with, Velo Orange, recently took a trip to Tiawan to visit the factories that make their fine goods.  Read up on Chris and his stories.
• EcoVelo has an amazing contest going on right now tagged “The Endless Summer Photo Contest.” With great prizes up to win there are some beautiful and inspiring photographs coming in everyday.
• Did you know that Americans spend 90% of their times indoors? So says RJ.
• Manpris are stylish and functional for cyclist, but one guy has his manhood questioned due to wearing this capri styled pants.  Read more at OregonLive.com.
• People are encouraged to “Bike the Strike” during the transportation strike in Philadelphia. If you live in Philly, let us know how it is going there.
• The SunTimes in Chicago has a great Pro’s & Con’s list for year round bike commuting.
• BikeCarson is following our lead on Flickr.  Join CommuteByBike on Flickr, as well as the new Bike Carson Flickr group.

Right here on Commute By Bike there were many things talked about :

• Continuing our Group Build of the Perfect Commuter Bike (for Me) we first started with a background of the rider, their needs and what they wanted to be doing with the bike.  We also polled you on what type of bike you think will suit the Group Build best.
• Be reflective and warm this winter with these Reflective Knit Scarves and Hats.
• A small preview of the 2010 Felt Bicycles, from their cool fixie line, to the smart Cafe line and everything in between.
• There are a lot of opinions going around about the new Washington D.C BikeStation.  Do you have an opinion, have you used it or seen something like it? Let us know.
• We finished the week up with our first real review of the Civia Loring I-Motion 9 speed.

Having ridden the Civia Loring for a little over two weeks as my daily commuter I’m ready to give all of you my initial thoughts about this little green machine.  For background on parts or build questions, check out our Introduction article from last week.

Brilliant Badges

Riding the Civia Loring

Getting on the Loring I quickly thought of the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz. A very swept back handlebar called the Loring Swept 80º is the focus point when you are riding the bike.  Teaching your hands and arms a different bar style takes a few moments until your hands realize they are comfortable, and your arms realize they can still steer in that position.

Side View

This bike has a true city riding feel to it.  Getting out the saddle with the front end loaded takes some practice and I still haven’t mastered track standing with a load up front.  When riding you utilize your gears and spin instead of mashing.  Due to the geometry I don’t believe the bike was meant to be a very quick ride.  Saying that, after 2 weeks of constant use I have relearned my pedaling technique and I’m getting to work much faster than the first few days I was commuting with the Loring.

The basket is very different for me as I’ve never had a true front load bicycle.  I’ve put front baskets or handlebars on the bike, but never something this large, nor something that is designed for the bike.  I really enjoy having my belongs and laptop in front of me during the commute.  The ability to quickly stash my scarf or gloves in my bag up front instead of my pockets is help ful as well.

Since installing the front basket I haven’t been utilizing the rear rack for panniers or any type of bag.  The few times I used my Minnehaha basic pannier it clipped my heels and I couldn’t push the bag back far enough due to the tabs on the pannier.

One last thing to mention is the Brooks saddle that came with the bike.  I still haven’t narrowed down how the saddle will suit me, or the exact placement it should be at.  Part of that is the fact I am a female and the front of a Brooks can be very painful if hitting the wrong spot.   It is said to take months to break in a Brooks saddle, as this is a review bike I don’t have that ability.

Overall Look and Personality of the Civia Loring

When you go look at the Civia website, you are wow’d by the look and function that the website offers and that translates into their bikes as well.  As you can see on each of their pages of bike description and prices, these bikes aren’t going to be on the low end.  Every detail and function has been thought through, with some extra “flair” and personality added to the bike.

Some of the functional pieces of the bike include :

The front light mount under the rack.  I really like this feature as it shines the light across the road compared to how it shines down at the road when on your handlebars.

A U-Lock holder built into the front basket. This weekend I plan on trying this out when I ride down to a neighboring town for coffee on Sunday.

Bamboo Fenders and Rack Inlays are very eye catching.  But I think they also add a decent $ to the cost of the bike.

A Few Final Thoughts on the Civia Loring

The cost of this bike is daunting to many, $1400 is a large chunk of change, but I think this bike could easily replace a car if you are living in the right area.  I wouldn’t want to commute on the bike 20+ miles a day due to the positioning, but I think the bike is very comfortable and steady to zip around town and run errands.  Soon, I will ride it greater distances to test out what is doable.  Many people are caught by this bike and its features as they should be.  This bike is a looker and a small piece of artwork.

Right now I’m giving this:
3.5 out of 5 points

There is still a few more weeks of riding this bike before I decide one way or another on my final thoughts, but for now I do enjoy riding the bike back and forth.  I’m not sure I would want to encounter strong traffic or heavy hills with the ride.

If you are just stopping in on our Group Build of the perfect commuter bike let’s catch you up. We had an introduction post, a follow up about what type of person will be riding this bike it is now time to move on to what type or style of bike we will be going with.

Remember that we can adapt each type of bike to go one way or another with the style, but what would be the easiest and most affordable to start off with.