Dave, quite frankly in your position I would go with something that has a bit less of an upright riding position, and a granny gear would be nice for that hill. I think 26 vs. 700c is a bit of a religious argument — I think tire width has more to do with the ride, myself. The Finesse looks sweet, that is for sure. If I were in your shoes (with your budget!), I would consider the Raleigh Sojourn or the Surly Long Haul Trucker.

That said, I’ve been extremely happy with the Novara Fusion as a commuting bike. I put 60-95 miles a week on it, and it’s been very reliable. I switched to an Easy-Seat 2 saddle and Odyssey Triple-Trap pedals, and I’m very happy. (Well, ok, I also switched the dinky little bell that came with the Fusion and sounds like it belongs on someone’s tricycle.)

I’m seriously thinking of getting the 2009 model this year, and turning one of them into a winter bike with studded tires next year.

-pd

I can get a 2009 Fusion for $899, minus either the 10% REI dividend or the 15% off sales that happen a couple times a year. So, either $809 plus tax or $764 plus tax depending on when you buy. Comparing this to the Breezer, which would be $1100 or more from what it looks like. The Fusions now sport Alfine hubs front and rear, which is a higher quality setup than Nexus.

To me, the Uptown is very, very appealing but I can’t justify $300+ more for a bike with lesser hubs.

The weakness of the Fusion to me is the lack of a light that stays on while stopped, and REI being 200 miles from my house compared to 25 miles for a Breezer dealer…

It is on sale for $589, down from $750.

Should I purchase this bike or the 8-speed Bianchi Milano. The Milano is offered at $700, but that is before lights and rack etc.

Thank you!

All things being equal, I would have gotten a Breezer. But considering I saved two hundred dollars from the list price of the Fusion, I couldn’t say no. I’ll be curious to see how the hubs survive the winter, but if I get a solid year out of them, I’ll be happy, I think. The 2007 model (I believe what I have) still has the regular Nexus hubs, not the red bands. I’ve heard mixed opinions about them–some folks who destroy the generator in a matter of months, others who have used it for years.

Yeah, the tubing on the Fusion is kinda weird. It’s racier looking than my actual racing bike. The gearing is definitely a little on the stiff side, but I’ve heard that’s changing in the new model.

I typically carry about 15 pounds of stuff in my panniers (work clothes, food, laptop), and the handling is just fine. The position is very upright, and the bars are comfy. The lighting is a bit substandard for a generator system, but I have a Lumotec Oval Plus on my workbench that will get installed before too long.

Anywho…as I said, all things being equal, I’d get the Breezer, but the Fusion was a deal that couldn’t be passed up.

Tina, welcome, and thanks so much for the kind words. — Todd

If the review in this post was biased toward Breezer, there might be a reason — it was written by Breezer’s owner! (Look elsewhere on this site for my personal observations.)

Remember, as the post said, Breeze’s response is from the end of 2005. It’s possible that the Fusion has been upgraded since then — I would love to know for sure, but there is no REI store around here, and when I e-mailed the company to ask for specific specs, especially about the hub, I got no response. That tells me something about their customer service.

I respectfully disagree about limitations with 26-inch tires. For the kind of riding the vast majority of commuters do, there are plenty of options in 26-inch. For commuting, 700c vs. 26-inch is a theological debate. I like 26-inch for simplicity’s sake, because the 2 bikes I ride most are both in that size. Somebody else’s mileage may vary.

I am not sure what you mean about the Fusion’s being better because the taillight stays on while stopped — the Breezer’s does that as well. Have you done a side-by-side comparison on the headlight coverage? The Busch & Mueller headlight is well-respected and performs very well in my experience.

While I’m not crazy about the V-brakes, I’m less crazy about needless complication, and disc brakes strike me as needless complication. Other people love ‘em — great!

I find the observation about the rear fender curious. The coverage on each bike looks the same to me — the fenders on both bikes go down to the bottom bracket, which is what I would expect.

The chain guard is a significant issue for me. Little things make a difference when it’s time to decide whether to ride the bike today, or drive. Hop-on-and-go convenience is significant — especially when it comes to getting grime on the leg of a nice pair of pants. (Yes, I know, roll up the pantleg, but stuff happens.)

Do I think Breeze knows what he’s doing? Yeah. Do I think the Uptown 8 is going to be as close as it gets to the ideal upright riding position? Yeah. As a lot of people are going to have to make a decision between these bikes without being able to ride both of them, I’m comfortable recommending the Breezer.

That said, I have never ridden the Fusion, because there was no way for me to do so without ordering it sight unseen (for me, an unacceptably complicated answer).

Bottom line: This is a case where I’m willing to pay for better/best. Others might disagree, and that’s fine.

I can’t find the Fusion on REI’s site any more — it says the Fusion is no longer available. So it’s tough for me to respond further with much specificity. If anybody from REI is reading this and wants to provide specifics — or let me know whether the Fusion is gone for good — please drop me a line.

The straight vs. curved fork doesn’t even matter all that much because the riding position is upright and there’s not much pressure on your wrists. My wife rides one and can also fit, without heel strike, two large Deuter pannier bags on the rack without any problems.

The other features are trivial in my opinion, especially given the price difference between the two bikes (if you’re an REI member each spring you can get an add’l 20% off list price on one item, including Novara bikes). With the Breezer you’re basically paying $300 for a full chain guard. It does have a taillight mounted higher (in a better place for visibility) than the Fusion, but its rear fender also does not go as low and thus does not provide as much coverage. Regardless, a taillight is not worth $300, even if it comes with a chain guard and one hour massage.

Also, her bike came with the premium Nexus hub (not the standard one, as listed above) and it has a double high/low headlight. The high comes on automatically when it gets dark out and the low is on all the time that the front wheel is spinning. I know that the rear light stays on for some time even after the bike stops (without batteries), but I’m not sure about the headlight. As mentioned by Nathan, the Fusion’s brakes are much better than the Breezer’s, especially if it’s wet outside.

All in all I think the Fusion is a better bike because:
-> Its headlight provides better coverage with the two range high/low feature while its tail light does stay on when stopped
-> Its brakes are far superior to canti rim brakes, especially when wet
-> It’s easier to ride due to less rolling resistance and has better wheels for commuting
-> It provides better fender coverage (although this is a cheap fix)
-> It costs $300 less if you buy it in the spring and are an REI member
-> REI’s customer satisfaction policy will let you take the bike back if you don’t like it

Overall I would say to each his own, but I think the review above was extremely biased towards the Breezer and didn’t really give any useful information about the Fusion. Both bikes are Cadillacs of commuters.