Midtown 1.7 ST

Great bike with a few minor issues

Great looking bike, excellent frame and paint quality. I also like that it only has a rear derailleur/shifter, easier to use and fewer adjustments. Got it on sale for $350, definitely worth the price but at $600, not so much. I suggest waiting for a sale if you are not in a hurry. With that said, a few minor issues you should be aware of. 1) Breezer has a habit of recommending a larger frame than usual, given the height of the rider. Therefore I ordered a Small rather than Medium for my wife. Based on Breezer's recommendation, I should have ordered a Medium but at 18.5" (475mm) seat tube length and 600mm effective top tube length, that is equivalent to a Large size in my opinion. 2) The rear brake rotor was warped but I was able to straighten in out good enough so it doesn't rub on the caliper. 3) Brake cables. The Tektro brake installation instructions recommend leaving no more than 20mm of cable length between the caliper brake arm and the staked cable cap. That is supposed to prevent the cable from being caught in the brake rotor. However, I recommend leaving these cables longer, 44 - 51mm in the rear and 32 - 39mm in the front. That will make it easier to hold the cable while adjusting the brake lever position. Also, if the cable is disconnected from the caliper lever and the hand brake lever is pulled all the way until it touches the handlebar, the cable moves about 30mm, so having at least 32mm ensures the cable cap is not pulled out in this situation. For the rear one, bend the cable slightly away from the frame so it won't rub on it when pulled. 4) The tires had some white sticky residue left from manufacturing. I was able to rub it off the sides with a wet cloth but it took some effort, but why? 5) The Microshift turn-knob shifter is not too precise and takes some effort to operate. When the right brake lever is positioned properly on the handlebar, the arrow on the shifter pointing to the current gear sits too low relative to the line of sight but it's still visible. This is because the shifter neck is too thick and touches the brake lever housing and cannot be rotated further. Normally I would subtract a star due to all these issues but I will leave the rating at 5 (best) due to the overall value and quality of this bike.

Sturdy bike, maneuvers smoothly

I have a hard time getting onto the bike, so I think I ordered one a little too tall for me. I am 5'6" and the medium is too high for me. That being said though - the bike is sturdy and rides smooth. I haven't taken it out on any trails yet, but riding on roads and paved trails - it rides beautifully. Would definitely recommend. The seat is hard and uncomfortable, so I bought a get seat cover and that did the trick.