Thursday, September 28, 2017

Breezer Doppler Cafe

2018 Breezer Doppler Cafe in pearl yellow and black. Courtesy: breezerbikes.com
The Breezer Doppler Cafe is a butted chromoly steel  650b 11-speed that comes with full fenders.  The MSRP is $1100.

The 650b wheelsize, also called 27.5, has become very popular in the mountain bike world.  At 584 mm, it's the "just right" size for many mountain bikers, in the middle between 26ers (559 mm) and 29ers (622 mm). 650b has also become a popular width for cross and "gravel" bikes.  From a transportation bike standpoint, the advantage of 650b is that it lets you run wider tires for a cushier ride.  Jan Heine of Bicycle Quarterly raves about the advantages of 650b tires in his "remarkable journey of discovery" series.

Another thing to like about this bike is its 11x1 gearing, which means you get plenty of gear options without having to deal with triple or even double chainrings.  This really simplifies the ride.

Finally, I should admit my bias for retro steel bikes.  This one just looks cool.

And while I'm admitting biases, our love for Breezer should be clear by now.  In looking for bikes that met our standards, we started with Breezer.  Our first bicycle post in Feburary 2008 was about the Breezer Citizen.  Our second post was about the Breezer Uptown. Breezer just makes solid transportation bikes, and they keep getting better and better.

There's been a lot of hype about the Doppler Cafe.  Here's a sampling:

Bicycling

Bicycle Times

CX Magazine

Bike Rumor

Where can you find this bike? Check with your local bicycle shop.  In Washington, DC, that would be The Daily Rider.
Specifications
Sizes49cm, 52cm, 54cm, 56cm, 58cm, 60cm
Color(s)Pearl yellow w/black
FrameBreezer butted-chromoly steel, 44mm headtube, BSA Threaded BB, 142X12 through-axle dropouts
ForkFull-carbon disc, tapered steerer, 12mm through-axle w/rack, fender & side bottle mounts
CranksetForged 1X, 40T
Bottom BracketSealed-bearing, BSA
Pedalsna
Front Derailleurna
Rear DerailleurSRAM Apex 1
ShiftersSRAM Apex 1, 11-speed
CassetteSRAM 1130 Powerglide, 11-42 11-speed
ChainKMC X11
Wheelset650Bx32H WTB STP i23 TCS disc, tubeless compatible, sealed bearing hubs, 14gSS spokes
TiresWTB Horizon, 650x47mm wire bead
BrakesetTektro HD-T285 hydraulic disc, 160mm rotor
Brake LeversTektro HD-T285 Hydraulic
HeadsetFSA 1 1/8", No.10 internal, 36° ACB-sealed, 6.5mm aluminum top cover
HandlebarBreezer Sweeper Bar, 680mm width, 25Deg backweep
Stem3D-forged 6061 stem body, +/-7°
TapeBreezer Ergo cork
SaddleWTB Volt Comp 142x265, steel rail
SeatpostBreezer, 6061 alloy, 27.2mm diameter
FendersStainless fenders w/ struts
Headlightna
Taillight na
Rear Carrier na
Drive Unitna
Weight29.45lb/13.39kg(size 56)

*Spec subject to change without notice
Geometry
Size(Semi-Compact Frame)
49cm 52cm 54cm 56cm 58cm 60cm
Seat Tube, Center to Top A 49 52 54 56 58 60
Top Tube, Effective C 508 534 555 565 585 600
Head Tube Length D 100 120 145 160 175 190
Seat Tube Angle E 75° 74° 73° 73° 72.5° 72°
Head Tube Angle G 70.5° 71° 71.5° 71.5° 71.5° 72°
Chainstay Length H 450 450 450 450 450 450
Wheelbase I 1025 1038 1047 1067 1070 1077
Bottom Bracket Drop J 68 68 65 65 62 62
Fork Offset K 50 50 50 50 50 50
Stack M na na na na na na
Reach N na na na na na na
Standover O na na na na na na
Stem
80 90 100 110 110 120
Handlebar Width
40 42 44 46 46 46
Crank
170 172.5 172.5 175 175 175
Wheel Size
700c 700c 700c 700c 700c 700c
Seat Post Diameter
27.2 27.2 27.2 27.2 27.2 27.2