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Novara Express Bike - 2013

$721.59
$849.00^*

REDUCED PRICE You Save 15%

(11)

Item # 826068

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Blending comfort and speed, our Novara Express® bike offers all the agility and efficiency of a road bike with an upright, comfortable riding position.

6061 aluminum frame is strong and stiff, supplying quick acceleration and efficient power transfer; shaped seatstays and top tube enhance comfort and performance
Fork boasts a tapered alloy steerer with a 1-piece alloy crown for strength and stiffness where it counts; carbon legs help damp road vibrations and reduce weight
Flat handlebar positions the rider upright, thereby reducing the stress to hands, neck and back while also improving heads-up visibility
Bar ends help you stand over the pedals to power up steep ascents; platform pedals with toe cages let you wear everyday shoes while helping keep feet positioned on pedals
Shimano triple crankset and 9-speed cassette provide 27 gears to handle any grade
Shimano trigger shifters and derailleurs offer smooth, precise and dependable shifts
Linear-pull brakes ensure easy speed management
Shimano hubs are laced onto Weinmann rims and outfitted with puncture-resistant, smooth-rolling and reflective Vittoria Randonneur tires for all-around riding
Frame features eyelets for fenders or a rear rack (sold separately) for easy utilitarian upgrading
Replaceable rear derailleur hanger help extends the usable life of the frame
Specs on our Novara Express bike are subject to change

All bicycles sold at REI include a free warranty tune-up. New bikes go through a normal break-in period, after which readjustment is important for longevity and performance. Bring your new bike in to your local REI for its free tune-up within 20 hours of use or 6 months from purchase, whichever comes first. Contact your nearest REI bike shop to schedule this important service.

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Item 826068

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Novara Express Bike - 2013 Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Novara Express Bike - 2013

3.8

(based on 11 reviews)

91%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Lightweight (10)
Handles well (9)
Responsive (9)
Fast (7)
Comfortable (6)

Cons

Uncomfortable seat (10)

Best Uses

Casual riding (10)
Exercising (9)
Commuting (8)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual/ recreational (7), Commuter (4)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (11)

Reviewed by 11 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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May

2013

4.0

Great bike for the cost

By Fraidknots

from Boston, MA

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Fast
Good Geometry
Handles Well
Lightweight
Responsive

Cons

Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Commuting
Exercising

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

I actually got rid of my ropad bike, which I was using for commuting, I felt it was to fradgile to ride about 90 miles a week.

I choose this bike because it gave me the features of a road bike, but is a lot more durable. So far, I have ridden 300 miles in about 3 weeks and I am very satisfied.

The bike is easy to ride, very fast, and manuverable on city streets. I like the precision of the shifting and the brakes are fine.

This is not a super fast road bike, but it gets my 200# butt back and forth to work very reliably. I have ridden recreationally on the weekends and can keep up with most of the semi-serious riders out there.

I would recomend this bike alot. it's not the high end speedster some people want, it solid all around bike which does what I want it to do extremly well.

Comment on this review

Apr

2013

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Second Review: Almost a year later...

By PrettyMoonBeam

from Madison, WI

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Fast
Good Geometry
Handles Well
Lightweight
Responsive
Takes Rack And Packs Well
Takes Rackpacks Well
Takes Rack Packs Well

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting
Exercising

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

This is a second review after having the 2012 Express for about a year. I still *love* the bike, and here's some ongoing feedback:

Pros:
* Handles great even with a heavy pannier. I threw a rack on the back, and have had no trouble maneuvering with a heavy work bag or fully loaded grocery bags on either/both sides.

* Still fun to ride. Seriously… it just never gets old; riding this bike is a lot of fun. It's fast, light, responsive and very easy to ride.

* It's just a great-looking bike! I still get lots of comments and compliments on my awesome-looking bike.

Cons:
* For moderate to heavy commuting you may want to replace the tires. I've actually gotten a flat in the last year with the stock tires (Clement Strada LGGs), as in "visible hole all the way through the tire". That is in comparison to zero flats in 10 years on my former bike. I'll be picking up some sturdier, more puncture resistant tires.

* The paint on the bike chip/scratches pretty easily. In less than a year there are a number of shallow scuff/scratches, as well as three chips that are all the way down to the metal frame. While this doesn't concern me from an aesthetic standpoint, I don't want the frame to rust. I'm not particularly hard on my bikes, and make an effort to care for them well… having "weak" paint is a little frustrating.

Overall I dropped my rating down to 4 stars, due to the cost of new tires and the effort of maintaining the paint. Even with those points, it's still a great bike and has a lot going for it given the price point.

Comment on this review

Nov

2012

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Good commuter/casual bike

By Bay Arera

from San Francisco, CA

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Good Geometry
Lightweight
Responsive

Cons

Poor Components
Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

This bike is intended for commuting and it gets the job done. I commute 15 miles per day and this ensures me a fairly rapid ride. I also go on 10-20 mile rides with friends on weekends, an once again this bike fits the bill. It also gets me up the San Francisco hills which are quite steep.
There are 2 main issues with it:
- The bike seat is hard and uncomfortable -> I recommend getting a softer one
- The stock tires and air chambers are cheap and prone to holes. I had 8 leaks in 3 months commuting and the tire is a pain to get back on the wheel. I bought thicker tires and air chambers, and now the ride is a bit tougher but I don't spend my time on repairs anymore.

Comment on this review

Oct

2012

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Solid First Road Bike

By rspn14

from Yonkers, NY

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Handles Well
Lightweight
Responsive

Cons

Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Exercising

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

Great first road bike, flat handle bar is an obvious departure from the standard, which may bot attract and deter some buyers. The stock seat is uncomfortable, I recommend giving it some time before choosing a new one.

Comment on this review

Jul

2012

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Bike is absolutley amazing; I love it.

By PrettyMoonBeam

from Madison, WI

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Fast
Fun
Handles Well
Lightweight
Nice hand grips
Responsive

Cons

Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting
Exercising
Looking Awesome

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

This was my first new bike in 10 years, replacing my well-loved and well-used tank of a Specialized Rock Hopper. I've taken the Express on 12 mile commutes and about 25 mile exercise runs regularly and I could not be more pleased.

The frame is ridiculously light (I'm riding and small frame and it can't be more than 20lbs), very agile and super-fast... it's like riding a awesome-looking little dragonfly. Oh yeah, and it's fun! Do you hear me?? FUN!! Even tech at the store agreed when he took it out for a quick spin.

To make this my dream bike I did make a few small, inexpensive changes: replaced that *horrible* seat (my butt hurts just thinking about it) and raised the handlebars a couple of inches.

On top of everything else I got to use my lovely 20% discount making the price well below what I had budgeted to spend.

I recommended this bike to several people, and am glad I got mine when I did.

Cheers!

Service and delivery comments:

For my purchase and follow-up both the service staff and management at the Madison, WI store went above and beyond helping me choose, find, order and tweak my new bike. Most excellent.

I thought it was very unfortunate that another reviewer said the serivce staff was not helpful when their bike had problems... I've never had trouble like that myself.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Good Value

By DebV

from Loveland, CO

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Good Geometry
Handles Well
Responsive

Cons

Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting
Exercising

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

I got this bike for road riding (vs trail). It is super comfortable (once I swapped to a gel seat) & very easy to ride. I really like the handlebar design and features. The shifting is smooth and responsive. The carbon forks make it lighter than most. I had to remove the "baskets" and install my SPD pedals. The tires are very soft with little to no tread, so care is needed on gravel-filled surfaces. I also get a lot of rocks sticking to the tires. But all in all, I am really enjoying this bike.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

4.0

Very nice entry level bike

By VTNap

from Charlotte, NC

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Components
Good Geometry
Handles Well
Lightweight
Quality
Responsive
Service

Cons

Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting
Exercising

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

Great bike for the price. Might want to replace the seat though.

Comment on this review

Jun

2012

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great bike at a great entry level price

By bshot in Indy

from Indianapolis, IN

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Fast
Handles Well
Lightweight
Responsive

Cons

Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Exercising

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

I purchased the Express as an upgrade from a Giant hybrid. I am riding RAGBRAI for the first time this year and needed a bike that offers a bit more than my around town bike. WOW, the Express delivers and then some. It is fast, smooth, light, responsive, and comfortable. I am 6' 240# and built for comfort so I wanted the flat bar comfort and road bike performance. I could not justify the cost of the high end bikes but I really don't feel that I am missing out on much. Sure, the components on the Express are not top of the line but I was not looking for that. This was a purpose driven purchase. I needed a bike that I could rely on to get me across Iowa this summer and be a great ride for the future. I purchased this at the brand new local store with my 20% member coupon and I feel it is a great bike at a great price. The stock seat is hideously uncomfortable but the Brooks Flyer I added makes this bike perfect for me. With the money I saved I was able to tune, tweak, and upgrade some items. I have changed the pedals and will switch out the stock tires for Gatorskins but that is it. And with the REI service team and guarantee standing behind this bike, I could not be happier with my purchase. Highly recommend!

Comment on this review

May

2012

(0 of 10 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Not Happy

By pythonzuma

from Madison Wisconsin

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Fast
Lightweight

Cons

Falling Apart
Poor Components
Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Casual Riding

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

This Bike is Junk. It Starting falling apart after a couple months. REI was not helpful at all. I am not happy with the bike or REI.

Comment on this review

May

2012

4.0

LOVE THIS BIKE!

By jasonriff

from Minneapolis, MN

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Fast
Handles Well
Lightweight

Cons

Uncomfortable Seat

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting
Exercising
Racing
Serious Training

Comments about Novara Express Bike - 2013:

I upgraded to this bike from a mountain bike. It's like night and day how much lighter this bike is. It makes biking so much more easier. I signed up for a DuAthlon after taking it out a couple times.

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