Novara Randonee Bike - 2012

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

I'm a daily commuter in the hills of Southern California, so I ride lightly loaded on my way to and from work (and have been finding excuses to make my commute wind along unexplored routes more and more). Somebody was doing their homework when putting this ride together because the details are just right. I agree with the previous comment: know what your measurements are, the top tube on the XL model is on the short side, so the ride is compact. This isn't a problem for me, because it allows me to ride more upright, which I prefer anyway.
The bar-end shifters are super nice, with 10-speed indexing on the rear, and friction on the crank derailer. The gearing is solid, though I'll likely upgrade from the 32 to a 34 or 36 max rear cog before taking it out to tour. I've switched out the stock saddle for my trusty Brooks, so I can't comment on that, but the bar tape is comfy and the ergonomic flat handle bars are gentle on the ulnar nerves. I also love the shallow drop bars, perfect for getting the right aerodynamic advantage without the accompanying back ache. In fact, I find myself riding in the drops more often than not.
Elsewhere, I'd read some lukewarm reviews of the Tektro RL520 levers, but after 3 weeks of riding up and down hills (loaded and not), I find their stopping power more than adequate, even after a couple of 50 mph + descents that ended abruptly in red lights (buzzkill).
Steel is the name of the game. The frame is not light, but it's sturdy as a tank and smooth as butter on the blacktop. I've even taken it on a little light trail riding and it handles well.
The stock rear rack (surprisingly, pretty decent quality), the Continental Touring Plus tires, the extra long chainstays, the integrated spoke holders (with 2 extra spokes in 'em!), the braze-ons for racks and fenders, and the classy forest green paint job all point to Novara's attention to detail. I've been very impressed in the first couple hundred miles, and hope to continue to be for many thousands to come.

Service and delivery comments:

Took a little while to get here, because I guess they're only building the bikes as they are ordered. Customer service at the Arcadia store was fast and friendly!

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

You need to think about what you want from this bike. The sizing is very personal. know your measurements when making your decision. other that that, this bike has the response of high end Cadillac. it is not a "road bike" but the handling is spot on. the frame eats up road chatter like only steel can. great for commutes, i can only wait to tour with it...

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

My wife actually bought this bike last summer, and loves it. I find it superior to my 2009 Trek 520 in several ways. Better rear derailer. The SRAM X7 shifts more smoothly and crisply than my Shimano LX. And this year Trek has put a basic Deore rear derailer on the 520, which is a bit hard to understand. The basic Deore retails for $30, the Sram X7 about $97. Big difference. The Randonee has a better rack and better seat, but the 2012 Trek looks like it has improved on those flaws.
Trek still fails to understand that touring cyclists do not want to assume the extremely bent over posture seen on racing bikes. The Trek fork comes way too short, and you have to buy a riser or expensive new stem to bring the bars up to the right height. The Randonee fork comes longer, making it easy to get the bars to the proper height.
I have weighed both bikes and the Randonee is actually about 1.5 pounds lighter.
And the Trek 520 is several hundred dollars more. Get the Randonee. I wish I had.

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

My last bike has been my companion for 30 years and has provided good service, but I felt the need to upgrade my ride to take advantage of lighter components and construction. I was looking for a bike for exercise, commuting, and potentially for touring. The REI store assistant suggested this or the Strada for the bikes in my price range. After trying both, I went for the Randonee despite its weight being greater than the Strada. For me, the positioning felt more like I could stay in the saddle for a longer period. In fact, one of the things I liked best about the Randonee was the sizing. Being 5'5" and a long torso, the fact Small frame actually fit my body has been a big bonus (Back to the previous posts about knowing your size requirements).In talking about the relative merits of the two bikes the REI assistant praised the Randonee as one he had personally ridden for thousands of miles, using the phrase, "This is a truck" as opposed to the Strada described as more like a roadster. I did not quite get that reference until I road the Randonee for a long while. Its gearing is wide from top to bottom, but there is definitely more at the bottom than at the top. I can comfortably cruise on the level in highest gear in the 15-18 mph range, so there are plenty of bikes on our local recreational riding trail, The Silver Comet, racing past me going 25 and more. Expect to be able to haul a load up a mountain but don't try challenging your buddies to a race.The seat is very comfortable, with a good combination of stiff and cushy. Same for the leather handlebar wraps. The gears shift smoothly. I prefer their positioning on the ends of the handlebars rather than integrated into the brakes as with so many other systems (My only complaint is very idiosyncratic: The left shifter is pushed down for down downshifting and the right one shifts down by pushing up - it has taken me a while to get used to it). The rack is solid. Like with the rest of the components, the tires are built more for touring on a variety of surfaces than for racing on smooth pavement. As indicated in previous posts, all the parts works together quite well. All around great ride, at least for me.

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

When I 1st ride the bike after the winter break, I'm still surprised by how great it is -- comfortable, smooth, a pleasure to ride. I bought the bike several years ago, so the features have changed, but I'm riding much more now than ever before, and it lives up to all expectations. When riding with bike club groups, it matches or exceeds the performance of many much more expensive bikes. Other than a larger ultra-low gear rear cog, there's nothing I would want to add or improve. As long as the bike holds up -- and it is very sturdy -- I can't foresee ever buying a different touring bike.

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

Both my wife and I purchased one of these bikes. I got a medium frame and she got a small. We have just finished 214 miles on the Natchez Trace from Nashville TN to Tupelo MS with a couple of side trips into small towns to stay in Bed & Breakfast Inns. We rode the bike several times before starting our tour to work out the bugs and make any adjustments. So far I've only had to make a few minor adjustments that you would expect to make when breaking in new bikes, no big deal. We did change the seat on her bike. After only a few miles on the first ride she could not go any further and the seat had to be changed. After that the bikes preformed very well on the tour. As my wife said it's like riding in a luxury car, feels like you are floating along. We are planning on a four week European tour next year on the bikes, can't wait.

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

This review is of the 2010 Randonee (Navy Blue)I bought this bike at an REI store, took it home and road it for 25 miles and then took it to ride the Great Alleghany Passage and C&O Canal(340 miles). It handled perfectly. The GAP trail surface is crushed cider and the bike handled well even on the 28mm tires (OEM). On the C&O towpath, I wish I had 32mm or bigger as the surface is dirt and mud. I rode with rear panniers weighing a total of 35 pounds and I noticed a break in the weld on the rack at the end of the trip. [...]

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

For me, this bike has plenty of positive features and few negative ones. Because I'm old and inflexible, I don't much like drop bars or bar end shifters, but those are only personal prejudices on my part.

My main concern is that this bike lives in a pretty rich neighborhood and there are many other bikes out there with equal or better spec that I think are a better value.

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

Super bike. We each got one. Now have front racks as well- bikes accommodated them nicely. We ride them everywhere including weekend tours and longer tours. I really have no complaints at all. For this price point, it is an 11 on a 1 to 10 scale.

Service and delivery comments:

Store help was great.

Comments about Novara Randonee Bike - 2012:

I got this for commuting with a rear pannier & perhaps some touring. It rides nicely & has good components, i.e. LX crankset, hubs; Mavic rims. Came with Kenda Kwick Bitumen tires 700/32.
Geometry is good, not strange, as another reviewer asserts. Head tube length--which should be published in the size chart--on this size Large, is 21.5cm. Allows for negative drop up to a saddle height of about 82cm. Makes for a good compromise between upright & aero position. Compact bar also effective in this regard.
Seatpost: Kalloy high polish, decent copy of a Nitto, but scuffs easily, particularly when seat tube inner diameter is too large and the slot in the back of the post is poorly honed. Unless the seatpost collar is already somewhat tight, the post just drops into the tube. Major Con. I have a beach cruiser with better tolerances.
SRAM shifters are crisp. Rear is index only. No 'bump' shifting--unless you hit it with your leg--not sure about repairability in field versus Shimano friction. Look slick, but more liable to harsh contact with top tube than rubber-ended shifters if bars swing about, which happens even without front panniers. Rear wheel removal is more difficult than with Shimano due to high spring tension on derailleur.
Tektro brakes satisfactory, but of lower quality. Japanese alloys are stouter and better anodized, but can't be had for this price.
Also, be alerted, bike is misnamed, as well as misspelled. It is not a randonneuring style bicycle, or would be set up for a front rack and large saddle bag. The Velo saddle with which this bike is equipped has no provision for a saddle bag. Also, randonneuring bikes tend to be lighter, unlike the stout 520 tubeset which the 'Randonee' purports to sport, which is suited for more heavily-loaded touring.
In short: good design, poor to average execution. Misnamed, misspelled, but rides OK. The frame should have tighter tolerances, a kickstand mount (also serving as chainstay bridge, fender mount), a reverse-slotted seat tube, and disc brake mounts. Should also be equipped with road disc brakes, though I would expect the price to go up a bit. Not wild about the highly sprung rear derailleur and flat rear tire changes.
I also don't recommend the touring pedals in the pic; not long enough. Will try a low-profile larger platform downhill or BMX pedal.

Service and delivery comments:

Delivery prompt.
Product arrived in good condition.
Service: eleven days for a supervisor to respond to a forwarded internal company mail. Subsequently, I had to look up "peremptory"--and then "perfunctory"--in order to describe it.