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 Venturi198: 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?)
Interested in Breezer Bikes? Visit our affiliate, Commuter Bike Store
.