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Novara Zealo Bike - 2013

$999.00

(4)

Item # 837491

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Sure, all-weather stopping power of disc brakes are paired with the agile, speedy design of road bikes to offer up the robust and reliable, do-all character of our Novara Zealo bike.

The Zealo is built to go the distance, whether commuting, doing off-season training or even a bit of light, off-roading on fire roads and gravel paths
Sturdy butted 6061 aluminum frame strikes a balance between resilience and efficiency, offering superb versatility
Shimano Tiagra shifters and derailleurs offer dependable, precise shifts across the 20 gears
FSA Vero compact crankset is paired with a wide-ranging 11-34 cassette to make easy-spinning work of hills, descents and speedy pursuits
Avid BB7 Road mechanical disc brakes deliver consistent, powerful braking no matter the weather—even in rain—so you can confidently stop when you need to
Tough 32h rims are wrapped with 700x28c Schwalbe Marathon tires, which boast puncture protection and a versatile tread; reflective sidewalls enhance your visibility
Frame boasts braze-ons for both fenders and rack for added versatility (fenders and rack sold separately)
FSA Wing Compact handlebar offers riders plenty of comfortable hand positions, from the "wing" shaped flatter bar tops to the shallower drops
Please note: pedals are not included with our Novara Zealo bike
Specs 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 837491

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Novara Zealo Bike - 2013 Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Novara Zealo Bike - 2013

4.3

(based on 4 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Comfortable (3)
Handles well (3)

Cons

Best Uses

Commuting (4)
Casual riding (3)

- Was this a gift?:
- No (4)

Reviewed by 4 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-4

May

2013

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great Utility Bike

By Mike Z Diver

from Bellevue, WA

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Good Geometry
Handles Well

Cons

Heavy

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting

Comments about Novara Zealo Bike - 2013:

This is a great all-around utility bike for commuting, light touring, pavement & gravel. The frame is relatively heavy and durable. The wheels and tires are very high-quality. This bike is a good value compared to the similarly equipped (disc/Tiagra) Specialized Tri-Cross, which retails for $500 more. The Tri-Cross has a beautiful brushed aluminum frame, but is this worth $500 more? Cyclo-cross bikes make good commuters, but their gearing is usually way too high for practical use. The Zealo has low-end gearing (almost 1:1) that makes it perfect for the hilly roads in which I ride. The range of gearing on this 20-speed is impressive thanks to its full-size rear derailleur. Most 20-speed cyclo-cross and road bikes use compact derailleurs which limits their gearing range. I routinely ride this bike down a steep hill in which I briefly hit about 35 mph. It is only at this speed that higher gears might be useful.

I love the Avid mechanical disc breaks on this bike. They offer consistent performance under all conditions. I've had several close calls on my previous commuter with wet breaks going down hills (despite it having very powerful v-brakes).

Like the previous reviewer, I added fenders and a rack to the Zealo, and had to bend the fender stays around the disc brakes (no problem). I also chose the Topeak disc rack and found that my Ortlieb panniers stuck way out, so a tried the non-disc version of the Topeak rack with a spacer (available from REI) to clear the disc brake on one side. With this configuration the pannier position is pretty much the same as a non-disc bike.

One complaint I have is that there doesn't appear to be any way to install a kickstand. I asked at REI and did my own research and couldn't find anything. If someone knows of a solution then please contact me.

I haven't ridden this bike much yet but so far I'm impressed. I disagree with the other reviewer saying that Tiagra components are low quality and require more adjusting. My other bikes have higher end 105 and Ultegra components and frankly I haven't noticed a difference.

Comment on this review

May

2013

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great commuter

By John C..

from Long Beach, CA

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Handles Well
Responsive

Cons

Best Uses

Commuting

Comments about Novara Zealo Bike - 2013:

I bought this bike to commute to work 20 miles round trip more or less five days a week on flat generally smooth streets and so far (little over a month) it has worked flawlessly.

This bike is a re-release of the old Novara Buzz Road bike with nearly identical hardware. I owned the Buzz road and it was stolen, so when I found out that they were rerealeasing it it was a no brainer.

The bike is very responsive when weaving around traffic, and the disk breaks work great.

Comment on this review

May

2013

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great buy

By Mattburn87

from Philadelphia, PA

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Good components
Responsive

Cons

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting
Exercising
Light Touring

Comments about Novara Zealo Bike - 2013:

After a month of daily commuting, I've been very pleased with the Zealo. The bike has good quality components and desirable tires for a price less that other disc road bikes.

My one dislike is that the brake caliper was placed on the seat stay instead of the chainstay. The chosen caliper placement makes most rear racks incompatible. Compatible racks seem to generally wider and cause panniers to stick out further than ideal.

The Zealo, outfitted with SKS Longboard splash guards, Topeak disc mount rack, and Ortlieb panniers makes a great long distance commuting bike.

It's quick, well put together, and sharp looking.

Comment on this review

Apr

2013

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great so far

By John J F

from Auburndale, NY

About Me Commuter

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable
Fast
Handles Well

Cons

Heavy

Best Uses

Casual Riding
Commuting
Exercising

Comments about Novara Zealo Bike - 2013:

This bike has been putting in 30 miles a day 5 days a week for 2 weeks now through the streets of NYC. So far its been great, if you rode a big buzz the geometry is the same because they took that frame and install a road bike drive train. The BB7 brakes offer lots of stopping power in the city but if your coming from a straight bar bike it will feel less powerful if your braking from the hoods. The new 10 speed Tiagra feels very adequate though on the rear deraileur I wish they'd charged us a bit more and threw a 105 on only because I've had it stick almost every day even after having REI readjust it. Last thing, the "wing" drop bars are great for the city, very comfortable drops, lots of riding positions and they leave you with enough heads up to see everything around you in the city.

So far its a great blend of speed with durability even if its substantially heavier than a typical road bike its geometry and cockpit lend itself to speed vs say the Muirwood or Big Buzz.