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EB13: Breezer Repack Full Suspension Enduro Mountain Bike

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2014 Breezer Repack full suspension enduro trail mountain bike

The Breezer Repack is Joe Breeze’s first modern full suspension bike, and it’s managed to introduce a pretty unique design without having to reinvent the wheel.

First, a bit of background: Breeze was one of the original mountain bikers along with Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher, which is where the Repack name comes from. He built the first mountain bike in 1977 to compete at Repack, and that bike is now in the Smithsonian.

The reason it took so long for him to make a full suspension bike is that he and his team spent a lot of time evaluating different platforms. Eventually, they partnered with Sottogroup, which helped develop Yeti’s Switch System and others.

Two years in development, the result is the M-Link, which stands for Mid Link and combines the benefits of systems like Horst Link (FSR) and dual short links (VPP, Maestro, DW Link, etc) and remove their disadvantages. Primarily, they wanted to keep short chainstays and have a rigid, fixed rear triangle. That gave them tight geometry and a solid, flex free rear end. That led to the design shown here, but it ended up providing more benefits than they could have imagined…

They say the problem with short links is the bearings are rotating a lot, and they’re doing it frequently with rapid accelerations and decelerations. This amplifies any friction in the pivots. The flip side of that is the pivot at the very back of the stays like on a Horst Link, which has more potential for flex. By putting the pivots in between the two, they get a very smooth, minimal rotation of the bearings while still maintaining a rigid rear end. They’re also able to maintain good control over both wheel path and chain growth.

2014 Breezer Repack full suspension enduro trail mountain bike

Chainstays are 438mm on a 160mm travel bike, which ain’t too shabby.

2014 Breezer Repack full suspension enduro trail mountain bike

All pivots are using sealed cartridge bearings. Tire clearance within the rear triangle is respectable.

2014 Breezer Repack full suspension enduro trail mountain bike

There’s also ample wheel clearance at the seat tube thanks to a slight bend where the main top tube intersects. This shows full extension (left) and compression (right) of the rear suspension. I didn’t get a chance to ride it, but pushing and sitting on the suspension felt very supple.

2014 Breezer Repack full suspension enduro trail mountain bike

The front triangle uses his D’Fusion tube shaping, which creates a “D” shaped section at the front of the downtube and headtube to handle the stresses at that high impact space. Other details include a PF92 bottom bracket to allow for a wider chainstay yoke. Dropper seat post routing runs under the top tube.

Given that it’s been in development for so long, I asked if it was originally planned as a 650B bike. Joe’s response was sort of muffled as to the original concepts, but said 650B is the right choice for a bike like this. By way of justification, he says it’s an all-mountain, Enduro oriented bike with geometry made take advantage of the fulcrum points created by the slightly higher front axle and relatively lower bottom bracket. This means a slack-ish but raceably steep 68°.

2014 Breezer Repack full suspension enduro trail mountain bike

The Repack Team Edition shown here is the top model. Retail is €3,699, US pricing coming soon. Two other models will be available below this one.

This isn’t Joe’s first full suspension bike. He made the Twister and Tornado came out in the mid ’90s and used the Sweet Spot (aka URT) suspension from John Castellano.

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nsp234
nsp234
10 years ago

Looks really interesting! Are there some specs? Angles, Travel, Weight and so on?

Parkcyc
Parkcyc
10 years ago

I think it looks pretty good.

Seraph
Seraph
10 years ago

Visually it looks like a Stumpjumper, which unfortunately means it looks kinda “meh”.

Mindless
Mindless
10 years ago

Meh. Just do FSR.

duder
duder
10 years ago

I love how they make up all these ridiculous explanations for new fs designs. We know the truth Breezer/Yeti/Salsa. You’re just designing something that performs as close to X as possible without infringing X’s patents.

patrik
patrik
10 years ago

“I didn’t get a chance to ride it, but pushing and sitting on the suspension felt very supple.”

No need to elaborate. That gives us all we need to know. Nothing to see here. I’m sold. You pressed down on the suspension and it, according to you, “felt very supple.”

Awesome. I’m sure the tires rail like bullet trains, given that they look very nice.

Some Guy
Some Guy
10 years ago

Really Duder, Salsa is infringing on someone’s patent… So the big banners on their website that say, “Split Pivot” and have patent number are hiding something. Sounds like they are being very transparent about their licensing of Dave Weagle’s Split Pivot design. Which the courts will make the decision whether Trek is infringing on those.

Yeti’s are a modified single pivots through flex points, rails or their switch pivots.

Lastly, as far as FSR is concerned the patents expired in April. Breezer could have made an FSR if they wanted to. Instead they decided to make a pivot in the middle of the chainstay which sets their brand apart for good or bad. Whether the bike rides well or not is yet to be seen.

Topmounter
Topmounter
10 years ago

“I didn’t get a chance to ride it, but pushing and sitting on the suspension felt very supple.”

Just like my office chair.

Duder
Duder
10 years ago

Someone is using my semi-anonymous username. I’d be fine with it, but you’re posting asinine garbage that shows that you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.

-The ORIGINAL Duder.

Duder
Duder
10 years ago

Oh, and go here – http://www.sottogroup.com/

Those chaps designed the Repack. Please understand that you are no Duder, dude.

Dr. Monkeypants
Dr. Monkeypants
10 years ago

Pfft. I imagine the concept discussion going something like this:
“Well, Horst link has been done, and VPP has been done, but I like 4 bar designs… What does that leave us with?”
“We could just put the pivot in the middle and claim a bunch of intentional design innovations.”
“Do it.”

greg
greg
10 years ago

id be more impressed if the chainstay pivots were moderately below the axle and/or the upper link counterrotated.

professed
professed
10 years ago

I love the comments section here. Much better than Tyler’s rushed and sloppy piece. Joe is an icon but he does some odd stuff at times. Welcome back to proper mtbs Joe.

jsep
jsep
10 years ago

Interesting design. I’d be curious to know how the linkage effects the chain under load or on heavy bumps / drops / jumps etc

jamal
jamal
10 years ago

I can’t see how the split stay with all the chain line tension and slack won’t result in a lot of chain suck.

santa klause
santa klause
10 years ago

No a symmetric stays on this big wheeled joke. replace bearing weekly.

anthony
anthony
10 years ago

i would have liked a spot for a bottle cage… hate hydration packs.

Robbo
10 years ago

‘Rushed and sloppy piece’? Slagging the writer because all he was able to do was look at the bike and not ride it? Honestly… some of you smart device heroes need to unplug and go ride a bike. Don’t listen to ’em, Tyler; keep the stories coming.

gt350
gt350
10 years ago

Having ridden with Joe in the 70s when he was building out of his garage , in southern Marin , He’s solid , I know he doesn’t remember me , but the bike business has changed so much he’s had to change, And by the way on thanksgiving , the Turkey day pine mountain ride that ends on repack has been stopped–to many riders- sad, but true. it still is a hot lap off hours.

Yohan
Yohan
9 years ago

Hey. A few good comments that have helped me confer that I want a Repack.i am in South Florida so it will not get too much of a work out but I will enjoy it even so. If anybody else is in South Fl lets get together for a Breezer ride!!!

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