Novara Reviews February 2001

Bicycling Magazine

February 2001

Novara Buzz

  • 7 WORDS ABOUT THE BIKE
  • Matte black. Distilled to essentials. All business.
  • BUY IT IF
  • You want a bombproof city bruiser for errands and gettin' around with attitude.
  • FORGET IT IF
  • It's gonna be your only bike-you'll want more gears.
  • PROFILE
  • Bare-bones traffic slasher/city runabout.
  • BEST THING ABOUT THIS BIKE
  • The Buzz may just be part of a here today, gone tomorrow trend: The Angry City Bike.
  • WHAT IT'S FOR:
  • The Buzz is for short-hop errands and rides where you don't want to risk your "good" bike. It's the bike you don't really care about.
  • TEARING IT UP:
  • With its fat Ritchey slicks, the Buzz corners like a cat on Velcro-just dive into corners at unbelievable velocities, and it'll turn with you.
  • RIDE QUALITY:
  • Basically, it's a bit rough, but what can you expect from a full-rigid $550 bike? Going soft on tire inflation helps, but the aluminum frame is harsh and that burly fork isn't all to forgiving, either. On the other hand, this isn't a bike to ride centuries on, so it's all OK.
  • WHAT IT'S NOT:
  • While its blacked-out appearance and riser bar makes the Buzz look a lot like the current crop of hucking bikes-big-hit, urban jumping bikes-its fully rigid nature and comfort/mountain geometry relegate it to curb-hopping, stairs and other urban cyclocrossing shortcuts.
  • WHERE IT'S BEST:
  • The Buzz is most at home in an urban setting. Lock it up while you're at the movies and forget about it-it ain't a mountain bike, so it probably won't get stolen.
  • REVIEWED BY:
  • Garrett Lai

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