Test Breezer Beltway 24: When it comes to low maintenance, the Breezer Beltway is unbeatable. The children's bike with belt drive requires practically no maintenance, and it also has a sporty look and solid equipment. All the 24 lacks is a teenage successor...
Parents want it solid, the offspring want it cool and sporty: Opinions differ when it comes to children's and youth bikes, but compromises are not possible - after all, a bike that you absolutely don't like and only use unwillingly is not a solution. Of course, the industry knows this too, and so in the last few years more and more manufacturers have thought about how they can reconcile sportiness and suitability for everyday use. The former usually means a “mountain bike look”, the latter means, for example, doing without a suspension fork, as this entails greater weight and greater maintenance effort. Maintenance is a big issue anyway with a kids bike that gets used every day and is often left out in the rain - and if you want to make life easier in that regard, check out the Breezer Beltway.
From the first mountain bike to the city bike
The brand of Joe Breeze, who produced the world's first mass-produced mountain bike in 1977, increasingly turned to the topic of everyday bikes in the early 2000s, and so elements of both worlds can be found in the simply designed 24-inch wheel. With a short seat tube, flat head angle and a slightly higher bottom bracket, the frame is typical of an off-road bike with a rigid fork; characteristic of modern mountain bikes is the combination of a slightly longer top tube and short handlebar stem, which combines safe straight-line stability with agile handling. The compact, more upright sitting position is ideal for a children's bike used in everyday life.
The two areas can also be found in the equipment: disc brakes are still typical of mountain bikes today; the seven-speed hub gear operated with a twist grip stands for solid touring and city bikes. The highlight of the Beltway is of course the eponymous toothed belt - a component that is rarely found on children's bikes. The belt drive is extremely practical in at least two ways. It is almost completely maintenance-free, only the tension has to be right, which is not a problem on the Beltway, because the dropout is designed as an adjustable slide with adjusting screws on both sides. In addition, the belt does not need to be oiled or otherwise treated; Unlike the bicycle chain, it doesn't get dirty and therefore doesn't leave any sticky black marks on trouser legs, calves, children's hands, etc. Parents can confidently leave the belt to itself, knowing that it will continue to function well regardless of the weather and in contrast to unkempt ones bike chain will never squeak.
Everyday bike with solid equipment
Breezer lets the 24er bike roll on solid Alexrims wheels and 50 mm wide Kenda tires, whose reduced profile represents a good compromise for both asphalt and dirt roads. Equipped with mudguards and luggage rack, the Beltway cuts a fine figure as an all-weather school bike; only a dynamo lighting system is missing. So battery lights have to be attached from case to case - no problem, especially since you don't usually let your primary school children cycle through the dark unaccompanied.
Any cons? Not really, as long as the Beltway is big enough. But then the question of a successor arises, and here one wishes for a Beltway 26 or 27,5, which can be used well into the teenage years - maybe with an eight-speed hub gear (which would also make the bike a bit more suitable for mountain use) and Fully equipped, as the models for adults demonstrate. Apart from such considerations, the combination of solidity and sportiness in the Breezer Beltway 24 is a complete success.
WEB: breezerbikes.com
