1987 American Breezer
The American Breezer was a collaboration between Joe Breeze and American Bicycle Manufacturing of St. Cloud, Minnesota that lasted a few years. Joe had always wanted to build a bike out of aluminum, going back to the historic Series I bikes, but the difficulty of working with the material had prevented it at the time. His Mill Valley neighbor Charlie Cunningham had been successful in creating the first aluminum mountain bike in 1979. By 1987, building such a bike was possible with the production capabilities of American, who had an newly established reputation for large, uniform welds and thick, smaller diameter tubing. Joe brought his bicycle design expertise to the partnership, and the result was a highly-regarded, all-around bike that was light enough for racing and durable enough for trail riding and light touring. As with the earlier, nickel-plated steel bikes, many of the American Breezers had a high polish finish that was easy for the owner to maintain. For the fork, Joe tapped his long time association with the Koski brothers and their Cove Bike Shop that had been responsible for selling a number of his early nickel plated bikes. The Koski DuraTrac was a departure from the norm with blades that tapered down to 3/4 inch instead of 1/2 inch like road bikes. Being frame number 31, this particular example is early in the production and captures the fact that American was still dialing in their heat treatment process. The toptube noticeably sags in the middle from having gotten too hot for too long before being quenched. The build rounds out with WTB grease guard hubs, WTB Speedmaster Rollercam rear brake, cam adjusted Dia Compe NGC 982 front brake, and a Turbo saddle. The ride is well-rounded and comfortable, as Joe had intended.
The Build
Year: 1987
S/N: B0031 Frame: American Breezer Fork: Koski DuraTrac Stem: American Breezer Headset: Shimano Deore XT M730 Bottom Bracket: Shimano Deore XT M730 Handlebar: Sakae MT Shifters: Shimano Deore XT M730 Thumbshifters Front Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT M730 Rear Derailleur: Shimano Deore XT M730 Brake Levers: Shimano Deore XT M730 Front Brake: Dia Compe NGC 982 Rear Brake: WTB Speedmaster Rollercam Crankset: Shimano Deore XT M730 Chainrings: Shimano Biopace 26-36-46 Pedals: Shimano Deore XT M731 Hubs: WTB Grease Guard Rims: Specialized X26 Tires: Specialized Ground Control 26 x 1.95 Wheel QR: Specialized Seatpost: Strong Seatpost QR: Shimano Deore XT Saddle: Selle Italia Turbo Grips: Grab-On MTN-1 Cogs: Shimano 600 Freewheel Chain: Shimano UG |
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