# bringing back my breezer lightning



## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

i was in my basement today looking for my niterider headlamp when i stumbled across this... this is the first bike i ever bought for myself, a 1996 (?) breezer lightning i bought in 1998. it's far from showroom condition, but i think it deserves to be resurrected. not sure when i'll get to complete it, since i'm trying to be on a budget now, but i thought i'd show it off here. what do you guys think? my apologies for the iphone pictures...


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## palerider (Jul 15, 2004)

looks pretty friggin nice to me.


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

Cool paint jobs, make for cooler restos. Leave it alone, build it up, and ride it:thumbsup:


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## giantbikeboy (Dec 3, 2004)

I made a table that looks VERY much like that. Wish I had a frame like that to show off on it. Cool stuff. Thanks.:thumbsup:


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

so i also dug up a brand new pair of sun cr17a rims in red from my basement, and decided that they should go on the bike. they also made me think about doing a red anodized theme. i'm still trying to decide which direction i should go with this build, though...

1 - a true retro with period-accurate parts. i know this will be the favorite in this forum, but i think it's likely to be costly and time consuming, and i probably won't ride it much if i do this.

2 - build it with a few vintage parts, like stem, seatpost, wheels, and cranks, and finish with modern top end suspension fork, shifters, derailleurs, cassette etc. this would probably take a little less time to put together, and i'd likely ride it a lot, since i have room in my stable for a lightweight hardtail.

either way, i'm going to be looking for the following:
-red anodized hubs to go with the red rims... i was thinking ringle or chris king, but i'm open to suggestions
-red ano seatpost and stem (ringle? any other suggestions that may be easier to find?)
-red ano cranks... i'd love to find some cook bros, but can't locate any sets. any other suggestions?


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

I vote 2.
But....modern sus will gunk up your geo unless you go limited travel. 
And I think it sounds a little red-overkill. But who knows....


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## Vlad (Feb 7, 2004)

I'd say no on the color ano. Keep it black, polished or grey. And, yeah, go with option 2--modern handlebars, drivetrain and tires....


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

make it a singlespeed and use a rigid fork.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

the thought had crossed my mind to make it a singlespeed, but i'm in a really hilly area, so i probably wouldn't ride it much.

i already have the rims, which weighed in at only 402 and 404g, so i'm definitely using them. i feel like i need at least one other red ano part on the bike to make the rims not look out of place. 

other parts i have sitting around that will likely be mouned on the bike:
-easton ct2 carbon handlebar
-selle italia flite ti plain black
-schwalbe nobby nic 2.1 tires
-xt 11-32 9-speed cassette
-xtr rapid rise rear derailleur
-dura ace front derailleur
-kmc x10 chain
-eggbeater sl pedals

really, i'm shopping for a fork, stem, hubs, seatpost, cranks/bb, brakes, and thumbies (maybe?)


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

I'd vote red rims+seatpost if that is the color scheme you are looking for. Black stem+fork+crank.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

not that anyone cares (lol), but i've gotten a little closer to completing the bike. it is going to be a singlespeed afterall. the current parts list:

NOS Judy T2 w/ Englund Total Air Cartridges (1998)
Cane Creek C-2 Headset (1999)
Ritchey Comp Stem (1997)
Easton CT2 Monkeylite Bar (? - i dont think this is period accurate)
Oury Grips 
Shimano LX Brake Levers (1997)
Avid Single Digit 7 V-Brakes (2009 - oops)
Kore Carbon Seatpost (2009.......)
Selle Italia Flite Ti (1996)
Truvativ FiveD cranks (2004, but looking to replace these with some turbine LPs maybe)
Crank Brothers Egg Beaters Original (2000)
Surly Singleator (1999)

it's still missing wheels... i've decided not to use the red cr17a rims.

i know it's got a few anachronisms in there, and my target of 1996-1999 isn't really retro, but it's the "vintage" i'm looking for. i'm open to suggestions on the wheels...


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## BP73 (Jun 5, 2009)

Just curious. I picked up a Breezer Thunder, and know nothing about the bike. I was hoping someone could help. It sort of just fell in my lap. Anyways, I have been riding since the mid 1990's and I remember Breezer. Its in great shape, and built with period correct parts. It has a period correct full Shimano XT drive train on it and a period correct Rock Shox Judy XC fork. It has a Salsa seat post/stem/bar combo. It uses Shimano V brakes but there not the XT version ( No parallel push mechanism as on xt and xtr versions from this era). It has LX hubs laced with DT Swiss butted spokes and Sun Rhyno rims. Its a cool looking bike. as some scratches, and the clear coat has peeled a little, but overall for an old bike i looks pretty darn nice. What is something like this worth? Anyone?


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

BP73 said:


> Just curious. I picked up a Breezer Thunder, and know nothing about the bike. I was hoping someone could help. It sort of just fell in my lap. Anyways, I have been riding since the mid 1990's and I remember Breezer. Its in great shape, and built with period correct parts. It has a period correct full Shimano XT drive train on it and a period correct Rock Shox Judy XC fork. It has a Salsa seat post/stem/bar combo. It uses Shimano V brakes but there not the XT version ( No parallel push mechanism as on xt and xtr versions from this era). It has LX hubs laced with DT Swiss butted spokes and Sun Rhyno rims. Its a cool looking bike. as some scratches, and the clear coat has peeled a little, but overall for an old bike i looks pretty darn nice. What is something like this worth? Anyone?


it is worth a lot of fun and pride of ownership.
if it is not the case then ebay and let it ride. you will soon find out how much it is worth.


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

s4gobabygo said:


> not that anyone cares (lol), but i've gotten a little closer to completing the bike. it is going to be a singlespeed afterall. the current parts list:
> 
> NOS Judy T2 w/ Englund Total Air Cartridges (1998)
> Cane Creek C-2 Headset (1999)
> ...


seems like a great build. 
wheels? xtr hubs and mavic rims.


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## BP73 (Jun 5, 2009)

colker1 said:


> it is worth a lot of fun and pride of ownership.
> if it is not the case then ebay and let it ride. you will soon find out how much it is worth.


Its a cool lookig bike for sure. A blast from the past. I am trying to figure out what year it is. Sorry didn't mean to thread jack, but there is not much out there when you do a search for Breezers. Of all the photos I have seen on Breezers, mine is missing something that I think will help to identify its year....It does not have 2 tone paint on the seat tube like the one in this thread (and the ones I can find on the web). And bummer but it was made overseas. So I assume it's a 97 or 98 more so than an earlier one. Last year for the Thunder was 98 and lots of bike companies were producing overseas by then. Not to be negative already, but it has poor quality welds on it too. But that wont stop me from riding it on my local trails, its still gonna be a fun ride !


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## MendonCycleSmith (Feb 10, 2005)

BP73 said:


> Sorry didn't mean to thread jack,


No worries, ask all you like.

FYI though? A perusal of this, may help you navigate the waters here a bit more easily....:thumbsup:

#1, http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=521682

#2, http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=463090

Welcome aboard!


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

BP73 said:


> Not to be negative already, but it has poor quality welds on it too. But that wont stop me from riding it on my local trails, its still gonna be a fun ride !


hm... there must have been a manufacturing distinction between our bikes... i think mine is a 96. the welds on mine are gorgeous, but the paint is very brittle and chips extremely easily. it also uses very thin steel tubes which dent very easily. it does weigh exactly 4.00 lbs, though. that weight surprised me... have you had a chance to weigh yours? i havet seen weights on these frames before, and was very pleasantly surprised.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

colker1 said:


> seems like a great build.
> wheels? xtr hubs and mavic rims.


i was just outbid on a set of XTR 950 hubs laced to Mavic 217's that i thought were perfect for this build, but they got too expensive. apparently they were crossing into that more valuable area of older parts... i need to stay out of that area haha! what i REALLY want is some spinergy spox, but that'll never happen. above all else, i need to keep the costs down on this bike, or i'll have more buyer's remorse than enjoyment.

anyone have cool wheels from the period for this build, or know of any for sale?


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## BP73 (Jun 5, 2009)

s4gobabygo said:


> hm... there must have been a manufacturing distinction between our bikes... i think mine is a 96. the welds on mine are gorgeous, but the paint is very brittle and chips extremely easily. it also uses very thin steel tubes which dent very easily. it does weigh exactly 4.00 lbs, though. that weight surprised me... have you had a chance to weigh yours? i havet seen weights on these frames before, and was very pleasantly surprised.


I have not had a chance to weigh it yet. I plan on taking it apart to clean and inspect everything but had to get out and ride it first. The local single track trails are too muddy to ride yet, so yesterday I had to resort to some local xc ski trails instead. Anyways, I have been on 29ers for awhile and its been some time since last riding a 26er. I forgot how quickly 26ers spin up and whoooa how well they wheelie. The geometry on the Breezer definitely feels old school to me, but man it is so snappy and wheelies like mad ! The frame is stiff feeling, and not as harsh as I thought it would have been. I think I may race her a couple of time next season just for he heck of it in sport class. I could easily be competitive on it. Going just on feel, Its lighter than my Niner MCR 29er, and I have some light weight wheels on the Niner, and this thing is much snappier than the big wheels. :thumbsup:


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## BP73 (Jun 5, 2009)

s4gobabygo said:


> i was just outbid on a set of XTR 950 hubs laced to Mavic 217's that i thought were perfect for this build....what i REALLY want is some spinergy spox


I used to run ceramic coated 217's on my proflex back in the day. Light but they didn't last too long in the muddy New England woods where I rode back then. That would be cool if you could find some Spinerg Spox wheels. I had almost forgot about those until I read your post !


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

s4gobabygo said:


> hm... there must have been a manufacturing distinction between our bikes... i think mine is a 96. the welds on mine are gorgeous, but the paint is very brittle and chips extremely easily. it also uses very thin steel tubes which dent very easily. it does weigh exactly 4.00 lbs, though. that weight surprised me... have you had a chance to weigh yours? i havet seen weights on these frames before, and was very pleasantly surprised.


oh.. the infamous breezer paint job. well... paint scars add character.
back to your wheels. rims are hard to choosy about. if you can find araya or ritchey rims, cool. if not, sun, mavic or bontrager will do. 
grab a suntour or ultegra front hub then go w/ shimano in the back. xtr is lighter and nicer than xt.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

i've been thinking about picking up some xtr 950 hubs and lacing to new 717 ceramic rims... that should be an easier (and more expensive) task. it wouldn't technically be period-correct, but it would at least look the part.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

*some pics*

well i got the bike finished this evening with the arrival of the last few drivetrain parts. excuse the stickers on the fork... i just got it and haven't taken it apart yet... i'll get the stickers off and clean it up when i rebuild it soon. i'm pretty happy with how it turned out. i took it for a quick ride this evening, and it feels great! total weight is 18.96 lbs with pedals. i'm about to order a rigid fork to match the original fork that came on this model, but haven't made up my mind yet... that'll take it down another pound or more. the parts:

1996 Breezer Lightning 
Rock Shox Judy SL w/ Englund Total Air
Cane Creek Sealed Headset
Ritchey Comp Stem
Easton CT2 MonkeyLite Riser Bar
Ritchey WCS Ergo Foam Grips
Kore Carbon Seatpost
Selle Italia Flite Ti Saddle
Shimano M600 Brake Levers
Avid Single Digit 7 Brakes
Jagwire Ripcord Cables & Housing
Shimano XTR 950 Hubs
Mavic x217 CD Rims
DT Swiss Competition Spokes & Alloy Nipples
Michelin Wildgripper Sprint 1.75
Shimano XT 737 Cranks & Bottom Bracket
Sram Red 34t Chainring
Sram 1030 Chain
Surly 17t Cog
Crank Brothers Eggbeaters


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

And you found the magic gear. Very cool.


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## nuck_chorris (Jun 6, 2008)

what is the improvement from single digit 5 to 7, in other words what changed


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

jeff said:


> And you found the magic gear. Very cool.


thanks. gotta love math! there are a few combinations that work on this bike... the ones i'm set up for are 32/15, 34/17, and 32/19.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

nuck_chorris said:


> what is the improvement from single digit 5 to 7, in other words what changed


i'm not sure, but according to ww, they're about 60g lighter...


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

Nice gear range available to you. change it up according to course/trail you go to. Those are gawd awful tires though....


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

~martini~ said:


> Nice gear range available to you. change it up according to course/trail you go to. Those are gawd awful tires though....


no love for the classic wg's? at 418g and 409g, they have one obvious benefit... i'll be buying some timbuk II tires in the spring when i hit the trails with it... for now it's relegated to riding around the neighborhood and the occasional stint down the towpath.


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## muddybuddy (Jan 31, 2007)

s4gobabygo said:


> no love for the classic wg's? at 418g and 409g, they have one obvious benefit... i'll be buying some timbuk II tires in the spring when i hit the trails with it... for now it's relegated to riding around the neighborhood and the occasional stint down the towpath.


The regular WGs are some of my favorite tires, but the semi slicks just suck on the trail. The green ones did have a tendency to either wear out or dry rot very quickly depending on if you rode them or not.


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## wv_bob (Sep 12, 2005)

I remember a local guy running those green Michelins, with hair dyed the same color


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

muddybuddy said:


> The regular WGs are some of my favorite tires, but the semi slicks just suck on the trail. The green ones did have a tendency to either wear out or dry rot very quickly depending on if you rode them or not.


oh they would definitely blow offroad... especially cause they're only 1.75 as well! they're great on the towpath, though. i got these a few months back and have been using them on another bike... they're a little worn, but they still have plenty of life in them for what i use them for. luckily no dry rot either.

i'd really love to find some wildgripper comps (tanwall) for the spring, but i've pretty much given up on that idea, since i havent seen a set for sale in years. i actually have a set, but they're wire bead, and begining to dry rot, so i can't use them. i think the Timbuk II will have to be the trail tire come springtime.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

unfortunately i folded this bike recently :-(

the reincarnation commenced this week, though. i have a new (used) lightning frame with ritchey logic fork and a whole slew of parts waiting in my basement for this VRC build. i'll put up some more details of the build as it progresses. this will be something like my 6th breezer lightning build, but definitely the coolest yet!


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Lookin' forward to it!


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

the short wheelbase model


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## Vlad (Feb 7, 2004)

How did you tweak this frame so thoroughly?


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

the endo to end all endos. (rather high speed)


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## CYCLEJCE (Nov 2, 2010)

awesome build! I have an overseas built 97 Jet Stream with the original rigid fork. Pretty disappointed to find the made in taiwan sticker on the head tube... The later models do have a cool brass (?) Headbadge.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

*need NOS high-end 1995/1996 32h silver rims*

so the bike is almost finished, but the rims i ordered turned out to be mislabeled, and now i don't have rims. i had bought some new old stock silver mavic 217s on ebay, but when they arrived they turned out to be 40 hole, not 32 hole as advertized.

i can't seem to find any new silver rims that were available around 95/96, which is the period i'm aiming for with this build. does anyone here have a lead on anything? NOS 217s are the top of my list, but i'm open to ideas. they have to be silver, and they have to be brand new (this build will be 100% new parts).


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

s4gobabygo said:


> so the bike is almost finished, but the rims i ordered turned out to be mislabeled, and now i don't have rims. i had bought some new old stock silver mavic 217s on ebay, but when they arrived they turned out to be 40 hole, not 32 hole as advertized.
> 
> i can't seem to find any new silver rims that were available around 95/96, which is the period i'm aiming for with this build. does anyone here have a lead on anything? NOS 217s are the top of my list, but i'm open to ideas. they have to be silver, and they have to be brand new (this build will be 100% new parts).


Again, WTB spam should be limited to the classifieds or used in the trade thread if you have vintage stuff to trade. Everybody has stuff they need and this forum is so awesome with its amazing vintage content that it would be a pity if it just became a place to buy and sell vintage parts. That is why I'm such a hardass about it.

In any case, eBay has been good for me to find rims. Personally, I'm not a big fan of 217s and after floating through a bunch of rims, my favorite is the M231s. I've seen plenty of them on eBay and I actually prefer used stuff (with rims being the exception) and my local CL has been great in that regard as well. I'm like you with rims, I'd rather have NOS ones. However, complete wheelsets, if you can find a good pair of used ones, is way cheaper.

Cheers!


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

girlonbike said:


> Again, WTB spam should be limited to the classifieds or used in the trade thread if you have vintage stuff to trade. Everybody has stuff they need and this forum is so awesome with its amazing vintage content that it would be a pity if it just became a place to buy and sell vintage parts. That is why I'm such a hardass about it.
> 
> In any case, eBay has been good for me to find rims. Personally, I'm not a big fan of 217s and after floating through a bunch of rims, my favorite is the M231s. I've seen plenty of them on eBay and I actually prefer used stuff (with rims being the exception) and my local CL has been great in that regard as well. I'm like you with rims, I'd rather have NOS ones. However, complete wheelsets, if you can find a good pair of used ones, is way cheaper.
> 
> Cheers!


my bad... didnt intend that to be a wtb post... it started as more of an explanation of why it's taking so darn long for me to finish the bike and it kind of spun that direction. all the NOS parts for this bike are from ebay and craigslist, but for some reason i just can't find anything i like on there for rims. i really had my heart set on those 217s. i think i'm going to have to just wait a week or so to see if anything i like comes up on ebay, and if not i'll just have to splurge on some new velocity aeroheats, which were one of my old favorites, and are still in production. just a little overpriced.

i've been eyeing the 231s that have been coming up on ebay, but they're out of my pricerange. this whole build is happening on a relatively modest budget.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

s4gobabygo said:


> my bad... didnt intend that to be a wtb post... it started as more of an explanation of why it's taking so darn long for me to finish the bike and it kind of spun that direction. all the NOS parts for this bike are from ebay and craigslist, but for some reason i just can't find anything i like on there for rims. i really had my heart set on those 217s. i think i'm going to have to just wait a week or so to see if anything i like comes up on ebay, and if not i'll just have to splurge on some new velocity aeroheats, which were one of my old favorites, and are still in production. just a little overpriced.
> 
> i've been eyeing the 231s that have been coming up on ebay, but they're pretty pricey!


Yeah, I know how frustrating it gets to have one little thing to wait for at the end. :madman: Any other wheelsets you can use while you wait for your favorite rims? They are out there and will most likely pop up the second you open your wallet for something else. 

I have the Aeroheats and like them a lot. They were just as much as my m231 rims though!


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

girlonbike said:


> Yeah, I know how frustrating it gets to have one little thing to wait for at the end. :madman: Any other wheelsets you can use while you wait for your favorite rims? They are out there and will most likely pop up the second you open your wallet for something else.
> 
> I have the Aeroheats and like them a lot. They were just as much as my m231 rims though!


i do have plenty of other wheels i could use to hold me over, but i coulnt bear to do that now. the frame is the only used part... literally everything else will be new. a little gremlin in my brain tells me if i put some other wheels on it now and start riding the bike, none of the NOS parts will truly be NOS when i get the wheels sorted out... so as a result of my own stubbornness, the bike remains on hold. new aeroheats are ~125 shipped for a pair... unfortunately i havent seen anything under $100/each plus shipping for 231s (at least not in the last 3 weeks ive been looking since the 217 hole count fail)

is this the point where my desire to build my perfect dream bike interferes with my ability to enjoy it?


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

s4gobabygo said:


> is this the point where my desire to build my perfect dream bike interferes with my ability to enjoy it?


Hmmm....that question has stumped a lot of people. I think ultimately, your reward will be worth the effort. I have a Ritchey that I never completely swapped out the right parts for and you're right....it bugs me when I stare at it too long so I better get on it.


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

are there any other good silver rims that are still being manufactured since the mid 90s? velocity is all i can think of...


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

i bit the bullet and went with a new pair from velocity. we're back on track! hopefully the bike will be finished in a week or two. just have to build the wheels when the rims arrive and finish this fork rebuild, which has been occupying my bench for the last few weeks!


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