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Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012

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29er Bikes

Novara

Big wheels keep on turnin' and the Novara Matador 29er bike pairs those with a suspension fork featuring lockout and a set of sweet disc brakes to satisfy all your trail riding needs.

Butted 6061 aluminum frame features an S-bend down tube and bent seat tube for enhanced handling and performance
SR Suntour XCR MLO 29 suspension fork offers 80mm of travel, preload adjustment and lockout; magnesium lowers, alloy steer tube and crown offer weight savings
SRAM cranks power a 27-speed drivetrain for easy spinning on varying terrain; SRAM X5 shifters guide an X7 rear derailleur and Shimano front derailleur for precise shifting
Avid BB5 mechanical disc brakes use CenterLock design for enhanced performance and low profile
Weinmann rims use double-wall construction for strength and are decked out with lightweight, 60TPI WTB Nano tires for excellent traction
Specs on the new Novara Matador 29er bike 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 807239

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Manuals and Instructions:

manual Novara Owners Manual

Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012 Specs

Specification

Description

Best use

Mountain biking

Mountain bike

Aluminum

6061 aluminum

Front suspension

SR Suntour XCR MLO 29, with lockout, 80mm of travel

SRAM S600 3.0, 44/32/22

Truvativ Power Spline

SRAM X-5

Shimano Deore

SRAM X-7

SRAM PG-950 11-34, 9-speed

Disc brake

Avid BB5 mechanical disc

Avid FR5

Weinmann Taurus 2000

Shimano RM65BL, 32h

Shimano RM65BZL, 32h

29 inches

WTB Nano, 29x2.1

Riser bar

Kalloy

WTB Pure V Sport

FPD Alloy platform

FPD

KMC Z99

29.3 pounds

How we measure bike weight

Unisex

Bike style

Bike frame material

Frame

Bike suspension

Fork

Crankset

Bottom bracket

Shifters

Front derailleur

Rear derailleur

Rear cogs

Number of gears

Brake type

Brakes

Brake levers

Rims

Front hub

Rear hub

Wheel size

Tires

Handlebar shape

Handlebar

Stem

Seat post

Saddle

Pedals

Headset

Chain

Weight

Bike weight

Gender

Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012 Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012

4.2

(based on 25 reviews)

92%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Handles well (21)
Great components (18)
Rugged (18)
Smooth ride (18)
Versatile (16)

Cons

Best Uses

Casual trails (22)
Cross country (16)
Single track (13)
Free riding (8)
Downhill (6)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual/ recreational (14), Avid cyclist (7), Commuter (4)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (25)

Reviewed by 25 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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May

2013

4.0

Purty Good

By Matt Buddy

from NYC

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Great Components
Handles Well
Rugged
Smooth Ride
Versatile

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Trails
Cross Country
Free Riding
Single Track

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

This is great for rough streets around town and urban exploration and also good for gliding over rocks, roots and creek beds. The pedals need to be upgraded to a strap or binding and the Avid Elixer brakes squawk bad but have great stopping power.

Comment on this review

Jan

2013

2.0

Squeaky Brakes

By tjszabo

from San Diego, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

29 Inch Tires
Comfortable seat

Cons

Noisy Brakes
Poor Shifting At Times

Best Uses

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

Despite changing the brake pads, the brakes had horrible squeaking. Unacceptable for a new bike. Shifting gears also often was not clean. After 3 months of seeing if it would get better and making adjustments to the brakes, my wife and I returned our bikes (we both had the same model, just different sizes). I'm not surprised that their 2013 model has completely different brakes, and hydraulic ones too (we ended up getting Scott bikes with hydraulic, and no squeaking so far!).

Service and delivery comments:

We worked with so many staff in the Encinitas, CA store through frequent visits to fix our bikes. They were all patient and wanted to help us be happy with our bikes. They were generally knowledgeable, although their advice differed greatly. And some thought squeaky brakes was normal and we should accept that if we want to ride off-road, but I know that is not the case with my new bike! In the end, they took back both our bikes for refunds after 3 months of regular use, so that is great customer service.

Comment on this review

Sep

2012

5.0

Wow!

By Coopdawg

from Eugene, OR

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Brakes On A Dime
Great Components
Handles Well
Rugged
Smooth Ride
Versatile

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Trails
Cross Country
Downhill
Free Riding

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

Bought on clearance/close out for a decent price. Helpful salespeople! Bike is easy to get used to.

Comment on this review

Jul

2012

5.0

This middle of the road bike is GREAT!!!

By Hollywood578

from Santa Rosa, Ca

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Great Components
Handles Well
Lightweight
Rugged
Smooth Ride
Versatile

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Trails
Cross Country
Downhill
Free Riding

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

I ride 4-5 times aweek here in Santa Rosa, Ca in Spring Lake & Annadel Park trails with a buddy. We have a blast & this bike handles the rugged trail life! :-)

Comment on this review

Jul

2012

5.0

Great Buy for the money

By vtx charles

from Dallas, TX

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Great Components
Handles Well
Lightweight
Rugged
Smooth Ride
Versatile

Cons

The Fork

Best Uses

Cross Country

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

I have owned more expensive MTB's in the past and paid quite a bit for huge let downs. For the money, this bike is a winner. You get a great selection of components which would cost hundreds more on name brand bikes. The frame I believe is just as good as any bike up to $1,500. Size and adjust-ability are straight forward and easy. Weight for a 29er is very impressive.

As for the ride, this bike is fast and comfortable. Rode one of the hardest MTB trails in Dallas and never felt like the bike was insufficient. I really like the bike so far. The only thing I would change is the fork.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great Bike

By Outdoor Joel

from Northwest Washington

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Handles Well
Lightweight
Versatile

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Trails
Single Track

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

I have had this bike now for about 4 months. I used it in a local race and the bike was great. My only issue is the shifters. I think in this price range they could have but a better grade of shifter on the bike.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Found a new passion with this bike

By BohemianJoe

from Houston, TX

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Fast
Handles Well
Rugged

Cons

Rough shifting

Best Uses

Casual Trails
Cross Country
Single Track

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

I am a 26 year old 6'0 230 lb novice rider (in decent shape, but with a football build) who pretty much bought this bike on impulse. I had not touched a bike since I was a kid, but the heat and humidity of Houston plus the general distaste for plain old jogging made me put down the running shoes and try something new. I gotta say, I am really... really glad that I did.

I grabbed the bike about two months ago. I spent the first 100 miles or so taking it relatively easy and relearning how to ride on smoothed out trails in Memorial Park. There are some nice big loops here in Houston with steep hills up and down the bayou that really helped me get some confidence and strength. This bike could FLY on those trails and handled very well. Not a single fall on the smooth stuff.

I am hitting intermediate trails now, and this bike can still fly while barreling over big roots, ruts, and sharp drops. However, I will say, though it is probably largely due to to my weight, the bike will almost definitely bottom out when I drop a couple of feet. I am sure this will start taking a toll, but the frame and bike have held up very well. On the bright side, I am also shedding weight since I started riding, so that problem might work itself out with a little time.

So far, I have had three rough crashes. Two of them were because I switched to clipless and the other was an early attempt at a tough route. The bike has taken it like a champ. The only fatality has been the front reflector. I also managed to bend the chainwheel with my shin (hurt like a mother and swelled like a balloon), but that was easily fixed.

The big wheels and modest tread are also good for commuting. I use this bike on my 4 mile ride to and from work. It is probably not ideal, but it has worked well enough especially with the lockout feature.

Now for the big complaint... the shifter lets me down sometimes. It can be annoying when you approach a climb and shift without a response, so you shift again and end up spinning out in a gear too low (shifts twice). The tires are also built more for speed and I have lost traction on steep climbs and that can be very scary. That's about it though... and that really isn't too bad for the price.

To sum it up, as a novice rider, I am really happy with this bike. It probably wont live forever, but it is strong enough and tons of fun.

Comment on this review

May

2012

4.0

Great Bike

By chrisg123

from Emeryville, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Great Components
Handles Well
Lightweight
Rugged
Smooth Ride
Versatile

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Trails
Cross Country
Free Riding
Single Track

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

Let me just say that the component package is excellent for the price. to put it in perspective this bike has almost the exact drivetrain as the marin pallasades trail and that one costs 1300 bucks, almost double the price.
the only gripe i have is the breaks are pretty weak i ride a lot of downhill and the brake pads already need to be replaced after about 100 downhill miles.

Comment on this review

May

2012

5.0

Great bike for the price

By svgeek

from San Jose, CA

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Great Components

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Trails
Cross Country
Single Track

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

For the quality of components, this bike is well worth the price compared to similarly priced models from 'bigger' brands. The bike runs a little large though. I am 5'8" and chose the S model which fits perfectly. Well, almost: had to get a 400mm seatpost. The rear tire is also not the best for climbing but put in an IRC Fire XC Pro, you'll be all set. Overall, this is a great bike. Haven't had so much fun in my life; to the point of neglecting my road bike!

Comment on this review

May

2012

5.0

Great bike!

By boredtoo

from Atlanta, GA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Great Components
Handles Well
Lightweight
Smooth Ride

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Trails

Comments about Novara Matador 29er Bike - 2012:

I have ridden this bike several times, and I like it more each and every time. It has a very smooth ride and the larger wheels really soak up the bumps.

Comment on this review

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