Test Breezer Inversion X Comp: The beautifully painted steel gravel bike is designed for everyday use and touring with numerous mounting options. The seat geometry is rather sporty, which results in an interesting, easy-to-ride mix. You should only think about the weight after the test ride, as it doesn't really affect the riding pleasure.
The Breezer brand is closely linked to the invention of the mountain bike. Its founder, Joe Breeze, soldered ten frames in 1977-78 that are considered to be the first real MTBs, and in the decades that followed, the innovator also set important off-road impulses with his bike brand before turning more and more to the bicycle as a means of transport.
This development is reflected in the brand's current portfolio: Breezer now offers just one mountain bike, the Thunder with a steel frame and rigid fork; on the other hand, there are numerous e-bikes with Bosch drives and a wide range of touring and trekking bikes. Somewhere in between is the Inversion, which is available in different versions: with different geometry as a sports model with a carbon fork and narrower tires, or as an everyday bike with lights and mudguards. And then there is the Breezer Inversion X Comp, a beautifully painted drop bar bike that you should ride before you lift it up - otherwise you might not do it justice.
Not light, but lighter than stated by the manufacturer
We did it the other way round, of course, and first of all undercut the manufacturer's weight specification. The 12,6 Inversion weighs 56 kilos without pedals, while the website says 12,78 kilos. Phew, a big chunk! The frame and fork are extremely solid, although the reinforcement plate under the down tube is missing on the former. The tubeless wheels rely on wide, stable rims and even in the details, no attention is paid to a few grams - the brake line and shift cables are attached to the down tube with aluminum clamps.
But the Inversion is not intended to be light, and potential buyers are unlikely to be interested in this aspect. In addition to its solidity, the steel bike scores points with its countless attachment options, making it the perfect starting point for a touring or everyday bike. The installation of mudguards has been considered, as has the routing of a dynamo cable and the use of a handlebar bag - for this case, the head tube is covered with a large protective film. There is also enough space for 45 mm wide tires; even a 50 mm tire could just about fit through the rear triangle.
Driving pleasure thanks to the sporty seat geometry
So is the Breezer Inversion X Comp a rather sluggish touring bike? Not quite, because its seat geometry is extremely sporty with a short stack and long reach, although the short stem and the spacers underneath it defuse the situation. With a long wheelbase and flat steering angle, the Breezer is more geared towards smooth running, but it doesn't seem sluggish. Of course, the weight inhibits propulsion somewhat - but you notice this especially when you're pedaling out of the saddle, when you move the twelve-kilo wheel back and forth underneath you. If you accelerate while sitting, you don't notice much of it, and in any case, this aspect becomes less important as soon as you're travelling with luggage.
The Shimano GRX 600/400 2×10 version is perfect for touring. The components work well, although the ten-speed transmission is a bit old: the overall range of the gears is quite large with 46/30 teeth at the front and 11-34 sprocket, but the gradation is not very fine. That's fine for a slow pace; if you want to use the bike for sport, you'll probably want 1×12, which Breezer unfortunately doesn't offer. However, for 200 euros more you can get the X Expert with Shimano 2×11.
The rather simple group is of course also responsible for the relatively low price, which is on a par with other specialist brands. Elsewhere, you can get a similarly designed aluminium gravel bike with a 2x12 gear system for this price. Most gravel bikes costing €2.000 are also likely to be two to two and a half kilos lighter. If the intended purpose is right, the Inversion X Comp is a good choice - at least if you really don't care about the weight.
