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Novara Buzz Bike - 2009

Novara Buzz Bike - 2009

Item # 775745
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This item is currently sold out or unavailable online.

For your reference, this page contains historical product information.

Cruise the streets. Ride to work. Hop a curb. The nimble Novara Buzz takes on busy city roads and campus pathways with ease.

  • Kinesis 6061 aluminum frame combines mountain bike geometry with road bike tubing for a lightweight, heads-up ride that flies up and down city streets
  • Pinpoint chromoly straight blade fork with tapered legs takes the edge off of rough urban roads
  • Two forward chainrings and nine rear cogs create 18 speeds of versatility to conquer steep city hills and cruise country roads
  • Truvativ ISOflow crankset and Powerspline bottom bracket deliver high performance, whether you're grinding a steep hill or drafting a bus
  • SRAM X-7 Twister shifters sport a 1:1 actuation ratio and SRS technology for light, precise indexing; quick view indicator shows what gear you're in
  • Tektro IO mechanical disc brakes provide positive stopping power no matter the terrain or weather—great for navigating traffic on rainy days
  • Features puncture-resistant Vittoria Randonneur 26 in. tires mounted on lightweight, double-wall Alex TD24 rims, for speed, agility and durability
  • Allen bolt skewers help to prevent wheel theft while you are away from your Buzz
  • Just get on and ride, no fancy shoes required—platform pedals accommodate a variety of casual shoes
  • Muted graphics offer understated appeal without inviting theft
  • Specs are subject to change

After its initial break-in period you might notice your bicycle performing less responsively than the day you brought it home. Not to worry, this is typical of all new bicycles and simply reflects that cables have stretched or their housings have seated themselves into final position. To keep running at peak performance, all REI bicycles come with a FREE warranty tune-up, which should be accomplished between the first 100-200 miles of riding or after the first two months if you're accumulating miles less quickly. Contact your nearest REI bike shop for details and an appointment for this important service.

Imported.

Item 775745

Novara Buzz Bike - 2009 Specs

Specification

Description

Frame6061 aluminum
ForkChromoly
CranksetTruvativ ISOflow 38/28
Bottom bracketTruvativ Powerspline
ShiftersSRAM X-7 Twister
Front derailleurShimano Acera
Rear derailleurSRAM X-5
Rear cogsSRAM PG-950 11-28, 9-speed
BrakesTektro IO mechanical disc
Brake leversTektro
RimsAlex TD24
Front hubFormula DC20 disc
Rear hubFormula DC22 disc
SpokesStainless steel
TiresVittoria Randonneur 26x1.75
HandlebarKalloy aluminum
StemKalloy aluminum
Seat postAlloy
SaddleVelo BUZZ
PedalsPlatform
HeadsetIntegrated semicartridge
ChainSRAM PC-951

Novara Buzz Bike - 2009 Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Novara Buzz Bike - 2009
 
4.2

(based on 5 reviews)

80%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Durable (4)
  • Handles well (4)
  • Attractive design (3)

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Commuting (4)
    • Reviewer Profile:
    • Avid cyclist (5)

    Reviewed by 5 customers

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    Mar

    26

    2009

    (20 of 21 customers found this review helpful)

     
    4.0

    I'm loving this for my commute.

    By Clumsy Ox

    from Puyallup, WA

    About Me Avid Cyclist

    Pros

    • Handles Well

    Cons

    • Uncomfortable handlebars

    Best Uses

    • Commuting

    Comments about Novara Buzz Bike - 2009:

    I bought a 2009 Novaro Buzz for commuting to work. My commute is 11.5 miles one-way; my goal is to ride my commute five days a week. I'm overweight and definitely out of shape, parking is sparse at the university where I work, and gas isn't cheap for my 5.3L V8. So biking seems like an all-round win.

    Of course I'm having to work my way up to full-time bike commuting, but I'm putting in the effort, and the bike is definitely helping.

    I'd started riding in the fall on a department-store mountain bike, but the weather eventually overcame my good intentions. As spring approached, I was eyeing my old bike with some skepticism, and finally decided to get a more appropriate bike.

    I live outside Tacoma and ride through several uincorporated communities to get to work: no bike lanes for most of my trip, and the roads are rough and narrow, with 45 mph speed limits. The roads are generally two lanes, with narrow shoulders and dirt/mud banks. When people describe Tacoma as "gritty," it's not entirely metaphorical: my bike is literally covered in dried mud and grit. There are potholes and gravel patches on my ride that can really put a hurting on a fragile bike; but there are some relatively flat stretches too. And the hills can be really brutal here.

    All in all, I need a bike that can take some abuse, so a high-performance road bike is out of the question. But I also need something more efficient than a mountain bike, as the long flat stretches are really wearing with mountain bike weight and shocks.

    The Buzz fits the bill perfectly for me. It's got tough tires that don't shy away from gravel and rough spots, but it rolls easily along the smooth patches. This bike is tough without being really heavy, and the bars and seat are positioned for a comfortable ride.

    Here in the Puget Sound area, we have rain and hills. I added a Topeak rack and trunk bag: they catch almost all the road grit on wet days. I think I'll probably put fenders on the bike when I take it in for the first tune-up, but the rack's doing most of what I want for now.

    As far as hills, I was a little worried about losing my low mountain bike gears, but I've found the Buzz climbs like a champ. Even as an overweight guy in my mid-30s, I've been able to get it up all the hills. And there are a couple brutal ones on my ride. Sure, I have to stop for a break on the last one of my ride home, but this bike seems to relish attacking hills.

    As far as going down the hills: the disk brakes are a dream. This is my first bike with disk brakes, and I love that I can effectively descend a hill at a controlled rate, rather than the full-on/full-off of cantilevers. And on a rainy day, this bike still stops in a fraction of the distance. As I've been learning to use my front brakes more and my rear brakes less, I've found that distance decreasing steadily too.

    The saddle has been surprisingly comfortable. I expected to have to replace it, but I'm actually quite happy with it. I think I'll just leave well enough alone for now.

    I have really only three complaints about the bike:

    First, I've had the chain skip a couple times when pedalling, and the shifting seems a little sloppy. I am fairly certain this is just a tune-up issue, but I wanted to mention it for completeness. I've put about 100 miles on my bike in the two weeks I've owned it, and I've had it skip maybe five or six times. I'll be asking about that when I take it in for the tune-up.

    Second, the grip shifts are annoying because of the labels. They have a clear plastic housing in which is a red needle pointing at a gear. The problem is, the needle is placed so that it looks like it moves in the opposite direction. So if I'm not looking when I shift, everything's cool. But when I actually look at the indicator, I typically shift up when I mean to shift down, etc. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's annoying. I like how the shifters work, I just want the labels to go away.

    Third, the handlebars are uncomfortable. I think a pair of extenders would make this problem go away, but the straight T-bars are making my hands numb after about 6 miles. The thing is, I wouldn't have been able to predict this from a test drive around the parking lot: I only notice when I've gone about half-way to work. I have found a pair of padded gloves go a long way to reducing numbness, but I'm definitely going to make some handlebar changes very soon.

    Aside from those three issues, I love the bike. I won't break any land-speed records on it, but I took 10--15 minutes off my ride to work on it. As far as I'm concerned, it's a perfect fit for commuting to work.

    • Gift:
    • No

    Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

    (20 of 21 customers found this review helpful)

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    Dec

    17

    2008

    (10 of 19 customers found this review helpful)

     
    3.0

    Nice bike, needs better gears

    By Goretex Guy

    from Seattle

    About Me Avid Cyclist

    Pros

    • Durable

    Cons

      Best Uses

        Comments about Novara Buzz Bike - 2009:

        A good bike for general riding, but why 2 chainrings, not 3? A 28 chainring x 28 cog doesn't give you a lot of help climbing hills. You'll need to be in good shape if you want to go uphill on this bike. I'd recommend a 24 x 28 as a minimum if you live in a hilly place like Seattle.

        • Gift:
        • No

        Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

        (10 of 19 customers found this review helpful)

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        Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

        Apr

        19

        2009

        (6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        Best bang for the buck yet

        By Komonoway

        from San Antonio, TX

        About Me Avid Cyclist

        Pros

        • Attractive Design
        • Durable
        • Handles Well
        • Lightweight

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Commuting

          Comments about Novara Buzz Bike - 2009:

          The best bike I've bought to-date. If I could I'd really give it a 4.5. Those grip shifts are what suck it up when you're in the city, their square design always leaves something jutting into your hand and whenever you lean foward or pop-up the front you're bound to accidentally shift and slip the chain; everyone can relate to doing that in the middle of traffic...not fun. You've also got to constantly push your 1" of grip back on the bars. However that's my only beef. The frame's solid, its got a fatty-headset, brakes are good, pedals are good, gearing's good, paint is unscratchable, and it rides like it should: unnoticed. After getting this bike you'll find any excuse to want to take it out.

          Hybrids are always funny because when you're on the road you think "Guah this bike is slow" and when you're tearin' through the mud you think "Augh, I should have just bought a mountain bike"...and then you realize..wait, if I had either...I couldn't be doing both.

          • Gift:
          • Yes

          Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

          Images shared by Komonoway

          This bike takes out the trash

          Image Thumbnail

          Tags: Picture of Product

          (6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

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          Mar

          20

          2009

          (5 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

           
          5.0

          Great commute bike!

          By out there somewhere

          from CDA, ID

          About Me Avid Cyclist

          Site Member

          Pros

          • Attractive Design
          • Durable
          • Great Components
          • Handles Well

          Cons

          • Avid "Upgrade" Brakes
          • Grips

          Best Uses

          • Commuting

          Comments about Novara Buzz Bike - 2009:

          I commute with a loaded briefcase on a rear rack. Also some Centennial trail weekend rides. Great geometry for avoiding potholes, ducking into driveways & crosswalks, and general urban use. REI put on a rack for me that takes tons of weight without hurting the handling. Twist shifters are the only way to go for urban riding. Could use another front sprocket for wider gear range. REI replaced stock brakes with Avids that SQUEEEEEAL every time (even after servicing)-drives me nuts! These Avids are also harder to modulate than the Hayes brakes that are supposed to be on it (and which I have on my mountain bike). Replaced front grips. Other than the terrible brakes (not the originals you'd likely get with yours), this is a terrific commute bike.

          • Gift:
          • No

          Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

          (5 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

          Was this review helpful? Yes / No

           - You may also flag this review

          Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

          Jun

          8

          2009

           
          4.0

          Great all Around Bike

          By flashlight

          from Boise, ID

          About Me Avid Cyclist

          Site Member

          Pros

          • Attractive Design
          • Durable
          • Handles Well
          • Lightweight

          Cons

          • Grips slip

          Best Uses

          • Commuting
          • Mountain Biking
          • Road Biking

          Comments about Novara Buzz Bike - 2009:

          This is a great bike that I have been using for all riding types and conditions. Recently it has become my best friend when I go geocaching as I usually don't have to find an alternate route as you would if you were in a car. I did find out today that everything but the rims will hold up to being hit by a car. This bike allows you the options to ride around in town or if you want to you can take it up onto trails in the mountains or foothills and ride without having to change wheels.

          The only thing that I have found after putting more than 1000 miles on it is that the grips tend to slide off when it gets hot outside. And that's not exactly fun to try and wiggle back on when you are out riding. Other than that I have had no problems with the bike.

          • Gift:
          • No

          Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

          Was this review helpful? Yes / No

           - You may also flag this review

          Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

          Displaying reviews 1-5

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