Novara Verita Bike - 2012

Comments about Novara Verita Bike - 2012:

Novara Verita 2011 ~ Between my LegsI am just hitting the 400 mile mark (644 Km) and have not had a glitch yet. I'm riding in the Piedmont southeast of Asheboro and the only issue is that I have been riding for 40 years and have to get off the saddle and walk to the top of at least two grades every ride.I chose to upgrade to a Brooks B-17 saddle and it was a good choice. It will require a few thousand more miles to get it well broken in to the point that it requires some adjustment. It's simply my opinion that for the long haul the B-17 just cannot be topped.________________________________________This Verita (best definition I can find is: Italian for truth) is truly a hodgepodge of parts and geometry and it all works smoothly. I have no idea who or what committee came up with all this but they were not afraid to mix it up. It really is a touring bike in road geometry. I grew up in the age of Eddy Merckx then Greg Lemond; Columbus and Reynolds tubing in all their myriad of specifications were de rigueur so I have returned to the days of steel. Cyclist should and usually do, understand that really great bicycles can be concocted in any of the given materials; whether steel, aluminum, titanium or carbon or any combination of these materials. I've had the good fortune to ride them all and my former Specialized Roubaix stands clearly at the top; the Roubaix in its many configurations is a 5 star ride, particularly after the 30 mile mark on any given day. If I were to spend that much again I would opt for the Sram Apex drivetrain over the Shimano 105 triple simply due to the quirkiness of the triple. The Sram compact is smoother and retains better gear ratios than the triple; I spend approximately equal time between the 50 tooth chainring and the 34 tooth, the shift is always positive and the chain has yet to derail. When it does the adjustment is straightforward; but all cyclists have good reasons for their choices, sometimes it requires quite a bit of saddle time to come to clearer decision points. I may modify my opinions after the 2000 mile mark (3200 Km). ________________________________________I sold the Roubaix after the caged fusion operation on my back and it was a mistake; 15 months after the operation I was back on a bike. I actually have no real regrets the Verita fits my current needs better than the Roubaix, it may have something to do with age; it may have more to do with saddle time. The 2 to 3 hour mark suites me now but I may be out most of the day. Mileage does not really measure a ride. It does not account for wind or 8% grades, stops to take photographs or enjoy a breakfast or a lunch.________________________________________I have found it necessary to add a rear rack and trunk to toss in all the normal gear I carry; windbreaker, camera, phone, wallet, Kindle, protein bars, ham & cheese on rye, repair kit, pen & pad, etc. it has no effect on the ride quality. The Verita remains steady, quiet at any speed and efficient. No, it does not climb like a Roubaix but it's not made as a copy of a Roubaix. It, so far, has proven to be solid, comfortable, capable, and the 700 X 28 cm tires (I keep them at 90 lbs.) are the primary reason for the comfort. I really like these tires. I have had bikes go out on me on wet roads, not with these tires. The frame geometry provides for a very good climb and a secure (sometimes thrilling) descent. The brakes are more than strong enough for this 180 pound rider. I sold my long wheelbase aluminum frame touring bike to make room for the Verita and it's proven a good choice. This is a keeper for the long haul.

Comments about Novara Verita Bike - 2012:

I'd give it 5 stars but very, very few bikes ever rate that highly. 4 is as good as it gets with me. It's a great bike.

The purists may laugh but no one should question the value of this bike - it is an excellent value.

I was comfortable on it from the very first ride - fits well, rides great, the classic ride of steel.

The best part was dealing with the REI staff. Very knowledgeable, all riders. Great people.

Comments about Novara Verita Bike - 2012:

I agree with the previous reviewer (K7). I *love* this bike. The overal style, Apex components, gearing, weight, responsiveness. I have been waiting for such "light-touring" bike. Unfortunately, I found flaws with it which would cost too much to fix and still keep it at the "good deal" range for me.

The cheap rims it comes with would do the job had they not been welded this badly. The welding alignment is so bad that it makes your bike shake and rattle when breaking with a slightly higher speed. In longer term, there is a good chance this will damage your break shoes and calipers. The welding edge may possibly be sanded off, but that will not re-align the rims and some vibration will likely always be there. This fact made me decide to return my bike.

Another cheap thing is the headset. The image on the REI site shows a simple & stylish headset (pic attached). This baby matches very well the design of the bike. The real bike though comes with an ugly, bulky, concaved conical top instead. Parts in mine started jingling on the first averagely steep decent.

Besides these two the bike is a winner. I hope the next year's model will be better equiped.

Comments about Novara Verita Bike - 2012:

This bike is awesome, in so many ways, and yet a complete let down in others. The Apex components are fantastic and, given the price of the bike, were some of the features that pushed me into the purchase.

So the bad... As stated in a previous review, these rims are poorly welded. This is not a fluke of the previous reviewer. Interestingly enough, I was not able to feel this weld with my finger or during a checkout ride. Since then, I've definitely noticed it. It's not such a problem for me as I enjoy building wheels and wanted a better set of hubs anyway. The headset is fully functional but that weird conical piece takes up a lot of room. It's a neat idea I suppose; the piece operates as a friction device so the fork doesn't fall out if you need to loosen the cap to move the stem around. But that could have easily been addressed with a locking spacer. Because of this, I can't really get my decaleur where I want it. So I guess I'll be changing out the headset as well.

Oh, and the breezer dropouts. Ok, this is my first bike with these dropouts and they're certainly different. Might I suggest that you try taking off the rear wheel when you're in the shop and see if the bike makes you want to assault pedestrians rather than fix your flat. It's not a problem in fine weather if you're calm, but I can already tell that if I'm having a bad day, or have one of those awesome flats in the thunderstorm moments, these dropouts might add to my frustration.

If you're looking for a project bike but want something rideable today, this bike is a fun one to consider. If you're looking for a top quality set of components in the stock bike, look elsewhere.

All in all, I like the bike 4 stars but given the amount of changes I'll be making it's just an average 3.

Comments about Novara Verita Bike - 2012:

I bought this bike last April and decided to transition into a full commuter lifestyle. Bike to work month was a great introduction and I went from riding around my neighborhood to biking to work nearly every day (14 miles) and riding all over Seattle on the weekends. I have only driven my car twice in over a month in a half. A testament to the bike as a great "get around town" ride.

I added some silver fenders, a silver back rack and a set of panniers and the bike holds its own for light touring and riding on wet streets. I did take it on a long trip this summer and it was great. I would have to agree with the observations of shaking while breaking at high speeds.

The seat is terrible. I don't know why Novara would try to rip off a Brooks design and do such a poor job at it. Besides being uncomfortable, the studs are set up a little high (because of the soft seat pressing down) and as a result wore thin the bottom of three pair of jeans this summer.

I had a few people try to help me fit the bike at REI but I don't think it is the right frame for me. I've taken it to several bike shops around town and they were able to give me a much better answer on frame sizing and fit.

All in all, the bike is pretty and I love it. I get complements on the bike all the time. I would highly recommend it for someone who is looking to move into commuting or using it as a main means of transportation. This bike was huge in gaining me independence from my car and feeling safe enough to ride in many, many rainy days here in the PNW.

I'm considering getting another one (mine was stolen) but may look at other styles or wait for the next upgrade to see if the problems in the 2011 were fixed.

Comments about Novara Verita Bike - 2012:

This is my first road bike, so I don't have a lot to compare it to. I usually ride a hard tail mountain bike for both commuting and trail riding. I bought the Novara primarily for commuting. It's a 16.5 mile one way route, with a mix of street, paved trail and hard-packed dirt trail.

I have about 60 miles on the bike so far and I quite like it. I don't have any problems with the saddle like some folks have said (could be that I'm only on it for about an hour at a time though). I find the geometry to be comfortable enough, though I feel like the handlebars could be out a little further. I'm 6'3" and bought an XL frame. I scooted the seat back as far as I could get it, but I still feel a little cramped. I'm not sure if this is the bike, or just me getting used to riding a road bike.

The double-tap shifters are great. They're responsive and accurate. The derailleurs so far seem great -- no rubbing and no missed shifts. I have no issues with the brakes, either.

The main downside with this bike is the rims, like others have already mentioned. My rims had the welding seam on both the front and back, and both would rub during braking. Additionally, on my third ride, the rear rim had a pretty much catastrophic failure. Every spoke became loose and the wheel so out of true I could no longer ride the remaining 6 miles home. I brought the bike into REI and showed them and asked for new rims and I'm happy to report that they delivered. I'm not sure what exactly they were replaced with, but it was an upgrade. I would advise anyone buying this bike to point out to the shop techs the seam in the rims and ask that they either lap it or replace the rims.