BREEZER RADAR PRO • Bottom bracket height: Price: $1,490 284mm Road Test Sizes available: XS, S, M, L, XL • Fork offset: 51mm Size tested: L • Trail: 67mm Weight: 26.5 lbs. (without pedals) • Wheelbase: 1048mm • Standover height: 792mm TEST BIKE MEASUREMENTS • Stack: 615mm SPECIFICATIONS • Reach: 377mm • Frame: Breezer butted chromoly steel • Head tube length: 155mm • Fork: Chromoly disc • Head tube angle: 71.5° • Headset: FSA 1 1/8in. • Seat tube length: 540mm • Rims: Verra Terra Disc tubeless • Seat tube angle: 73° compatible • Top tube: 565mm (effective) • Hubs: Formula sealed bearing, BREEZER • Chainstays: 457mm 32h, QR • Bottom bracket drop: 75mm • Tires: WTB Riddler, 700c x RADAR PRO 45mm, non-tubeless

BY NICK LEGAN

➺A BIT OF HISTORY: in the early 1980s, a fellow named Joe Breeze made waves in the cycling world. A road racer based in California, Breeze was credited with creating the first in 1977. His “Breezers” were sought after by those attempting to hit the trail on a bike that wouldn’t completely disintegrate after only a short distance. They were the must- have bikes for the Repack racers in Marin County. Breeze is one of the founding fathers of and an inductee into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, plus his first off-road bike is now housed at the Smithsonian. (If you’d like to learn more about the fascinating history of mountain biking, I recommend Charlie Kelly’s excellent book, Fat Tire Flyer.) Although he is perhaps better known for his influence in the off-road cycling scene, in the early 2000s Breeze turned his attention to advocacy, transportation, and the role the bicycle could play in helping to remedy the world’s ailments. In 2008, the Breezer brand was acquired by Advanced Sports International, owner of Kestrel and Fuji. Breeze remains involved with the bicycles that bear his name, designing frames for road, mountain, and transportation.

On to the bike One such bike is the Radar Pro, a steel dropbar bike made for touring and dirt road exploration. It caught my eye at last year’s Interbike show because its retina-searing

36 ADVENTURE CYCLIST oc tober /nov ember 2017 • Crankset: SRAM S-1000, 32/48T GEARING IN INCHES orange frameset stood out even under the rings, 175mm dismal fluorescent lights of a convention • SRAM threaded Bottom bracket: 32 48 center. What made the Radar Pro even • Cassette: SRAM 11–36T 11 81.5 122.2 more attractive was its price tag, a few • Brake levers: SRAM S-700 HRD 12 74.8 112.1 bucks shy of $1,500. • Shift levers: SRAM S-700 HRD 14 64.1 96.1 With plenty of clearance for the stock • Front derailer: SRAM Via 16 56.0 84.0 • Rear derailer: SRAM GX 18 49.9 74.8 700c x 45mm tires, a full complement of • Brake calipers: SRAM HRD-700 21 42.6 64.1 rack and fender attachments, and five bottle hydraulic disc 24 37.2 56.0 mounts, the Radar Pro has a lot going for it. • Stem: Promax 3D-Forged 6061 28 31.9 47.9 A threaded bottom bracket continues the alloy, 7° 32 28.0 42.0 positive trend as do the SRAM hydraulic • Handlebar: Oval Concepts 325, 31.8mm clamp, 125mm drop, 25° 36 24.9 37.2 disc brakes and 2x10 drivetrain. While the flare, 4° sweep welds aren’t beautiful, they aren’t bad either, • Seatpost: Oval Concepts 300, Contact: Breezer, 10940 Dutton Road, especially for a bike at this price. 27.2mm Philadelphia, PA 19154, info@breezerbikes. com, breezerbikes.com. The frameset uses standard quick- • Saddle: WTB Volt Comp release dropouts front and rear. I would have preferred to see thru-axles, but adding them would have bumped up the price. The rear dropouts, a Breezer design, and the gentle curve of the seatstays add elegant touches to the otherwise utilitarian steel frame. Strangely, the chainstays feature an indent for crankarm clearance that is far from needed. Wheels are so good these days that we often neglect to mention them in reviews. The wheels on the Breezer use 32h Formula sealed bearing hubs and Verra Terra tubeless compatible rims. No one would accuse them of being featherweights, but they also stood up to some trail abuse without complaint. Although WTB makes a tubeless version of its Riddler 45, for cost-saving reasons the Radar Pro arrives with tubed models. This isn’t all bad as many cyclists like tubes for their ability to quickly change between road, touring, and gravel tires. A tubed setup also creates much less of a mess in the event of a puncture. The handlebar on the Radar Pro is from Oval Concepts, the house accessory brand for Fuji, Kestrel, and Breezer. With a large 25-degree flare to the drops and a subtle four-degree sweep to the tops, it was mostly comfortable and added confidence when riding off road. Already tapped for the tires, WTB also gets the nod for the saddle on the Radar Pro. The Volt is a commonly specified perch and with good reason — it’s a comfortable saddle that works for many riders. Unlike many modern bicycles, the headset on the Radar Pro uses retained bearings, something you’ll need to clean and re-grease periodically. This isn’t a major concern, but it’s worth noting.

ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 37 The ride across the 10-speed cassette with a nice The verdict So how is it on the road? In a word, light action at the SRAM S-700 HRD Although Joe Breeze is certainly more nice. It rolls smoothly, especially when you (Hydraulic Road Disc) shifter levers. The associated with mountain biking, especially take advantage of the wide, fast-rolling large knob at the front of the lever houses the sport’s early years, the Radar Pro is a WTB tires and keep pressures low. The the master cylinder for the brakes but also nicely functional touring bike, great for wheelbase is within a few millimeters of a provides a stop for your hands while on tarmac and dirt roads. It would also serve similarly sized Trek 520. Pedaling happily the hoods. The levers are large but nicely mixed duty as a commuter, gravel explorer, along in a straight line is what bikes like contoured. or road bike (with a tire swap). The parts these are all about. It’s certainly not a The hydraulic disc brakes, featuring that arrive on the Radar Pro deliver good rocket nor is it intended to be one. 160mm rotors front and rear, are value and quality performance. The frame Loaded up with a front rack, panniers, great with both excellent power and uses nondescript butted chromoly steel and a sizeable amount of gear, the Radar modulation. If you’re a larger rider, carry tubing and the joinery is a tad lackluster, but Pro continued to display its good manners. a lot of gear, or like to ride the brakes on this is a bike that sells for less than $1,500. I didn’t put on a rear rack during my time descents, you could consider installing a That puts it at $140 more than Trek’s with the bike, but that’s an option for larger 180mm front rotor. For my time on 520 Disc but with hydraulic disc brakes those who prefer their cargo rearward. the bike, that would have been overkill. compared to the 520’s mechanicals. The With the fork leg–mounted bottle Where the Radar Pro and, it must be Trek arrives with a rear rack and a triple cages, you could also conceivably install said, many other touring bikes fall short chainring, but the Breezer comes with a set of Salsa Anything Cages and strap is in the gearing. The low 32/36 ratio is wider tires ready to tackle rugged tracks. on a couple of dry bags. Complement this getting close but not quite low enough for Perhaps it’s unfair to compare the two as with a large bikepacking seatbag and a many users. No bike is perfect, but this they are different animals. In both cases, handlebar roll, and you have a good setup problem is easily remedied with smaller it’s nice to see touring bikes kept relatively for more rugged terrain. The Radar Pro chainrings or a crank swap. The other affordable while still delivering the goods should handle predictably no matter your end of the gearing range is a plenty stout out on the road. preference for carrying your touring 48/11, especially when you consider the essentials. large 45mm tires. Nick Legan is the Technical Editor of Adventure The SRAM GX rear derailer shifted Cyclist, email him at [email protected].

38 ADVENTURE CYCLIST oc tober /nov ember 2017