Novara Randonee Bike - 2016
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With a sleek look, our iconic pavement-touring Randonee® bike features a smooth-riding chromoly frame and accessory compatibility that makes it a true classic.
Shop similar productsKey Details
- Classic touring frame accommodates fore and aft racks and fenders—rear rack provided (front rack and fenders sold separately)
- Double-butted chromoly steel frame offers great stability and strength under heavy loads, and you get the reliably smooth ride quality that steel is known for
- Dependable Shimano Deore crankset and front derailleur, along with the reliable Microshift bar end shifters and Shimano XT rear derailleur, make up the 30-speed drivetrain
- The Shimano XT rear derailleur accommodates up to a 36t rear cog for an ultra-low gear option for sweet relief when tackling mountain passes with a full load
- Tektro linear-pull brakes provide reliable stopping power; wide brake arm spacing allows ample room for fenders front and back
- Mavic A319 rims and puncture-resistant Schwalbe Marathon tires have the durability needed to log long miles; tires also have reflective sidewalls
- Randonee's fork features a cable guide braze-on for easy upgrading to a dynamo front hub; also includes spoke holders on the drive-side chainstay
- NOTE: Specs and images are subject to change based on component availability
- 1 year of free adjustments (see more below)
- In-store bike assembly
- Pickup in store or curbside
- Bike experts available at 170+ bike shops
- 20% off shop services
- Free tubes with purchase of flat tire repair (Co-op Cycles brand tubes only; tube must be installed at time of purchase)
New bikes go through a normal break-in period, after which they should be readjusted. All bicycles sold at REI include free adjustments for one year after purchase date—as many times as you need. Included: derailleur and brake adjustments, lateral wheel truing, hub and headset bearing adjustments, tire inflation and chain lubrication. Not included: replacement or installation of new components or accessories, any other services. Call your local REI Co-op Bike Shop for more information.
| Best Use | Bike Commuting |
|---|---|
| Frame | Double-butted chromoly steel |
| Fork | Chromoly |
| Bike Suspension | No Suspension |
| Crankset | Shimano Deore, 48/36/26 |
| Bottom Bracket | Shimano |
| Shifters | Microshift BS-M10 bar-end |
| Front Derailleur | Shimano Deore LX |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano XT |
| Rear Cogs | Shimano HG62, 11-34, 10-speed |
| Number of Gears | 30 gear(s) |
| Brake Type | Rim |
| Brakes | Tektro RX6 linear pull |
| Brake Levers | Tektro RL520 |
| Rims | Mavic A319 |
| Front Hub | Shimano Deore LX, 36h |
| Rear Hub | Shimano Deore LX, 36h |
| Wheel Size | 700c |
| Tires | Schwalbe Marathon with puncture protection, 700 x 32 |
| Tire Width | 32 millimeters |
| Handlebar Shape | Drop Bar |
| Handlebar | Aluminum |
| Stem | Novara aluminum |
| Seat Post | Novara aluminum |
| Saddle | WTB Pure V Race |
| Pedals | Sold separately |
| Headset | FSA with turn limiter |
| Chain | KMC X10 |
| Weight | 28.5 pounds |
| Bike Weight | Bike weight is based on median size, as sold, or the average of two median sizes. |
| Gender | Unisex |
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Good value for money ... very reliable and durable
I bought a Novara Randonee before moving to Europe a few years ago, having found one on sale in Portland, Oregon. It's a great bike, once you get is set up the way you like it. It's relatively light, smooth, tough and reliable - good bike for long rides. During the year, depending on weather and my mountain biking, the Randonee might hang unridden for months in my shed, but every time I pull it out, everything's smooth as can be. I've been very happy with it. No complaints at all, and I think that, in general, Novara bikes give very good value for money, comparing "name brand" bikes with the same components. I've not got a Novara Ponderosa and this bike ... love them both.
Absolute joy to ride
I bought the 2014 Randonee in April of 2014, and could not be happier. Some component specs are different for 2015 but I expect the frame is the same. Wheelset is the same and so far has served me well for 2000 plus miles. It is such a smooth, comfortable, stable ride, fully loaded or not. My bike is REI's large size and the frame has a monster head tube which I love. Gets the bars right up there for the more upright position I was going for. I prefer this larger headtube on the Randonee over the Surly LHT and others. Although you can get an uncut steerer tube with the LHT to meet the same objective, I just love the larger headtube without a mountain of spacers. Some changes I made: swapped the saddle for a Brooks Flyer. Swapped the stem for a higher angle Dimension stem, although I didn't really need to (I just happened to have the Dimension stem on another bike so I traded). Installed Surley front and rear racks which I highly recommend. I went with 700x38 for tire size instead of the stock 700x32. Makes an already smooth ride even smoother. Since I have had the Randonee, not once have I second-guessed the purchase. I wanted a touring bike and spent a long time researching reviews, online forums, etc. Sure, with the REI 20% discount the Randonee price comes in significantly lower than the Trek 520, Surley LHT and other comparable touring bikes. But the lower price is just a bonus, as I believe this bike is very comparable and has to be one of the most underrated tour bikes out there. I would buy it again over the other candidates even if priced the same. If you are looking for a solid stable comfortable ride, and more upright position, this is an excellent choice. This has become my favorite ride and do not plan on ever parting with it.
No regrets on 2014 model after 4,000 miles
I purchased the 2014 model last April, choosing it over the Surly Long Haul Trucker simply because it fit me better. Since then I have put over 4,000 miles on it in all conditions: day, night, rain, snow, and temperatures ranging from single to triple digits. I have ridden it mostly for commuting (20 miles each way) and some touring (300-400 miles in '14) pulling a Bob trailer. The bike has performed flawlessly. My only regret is that I didn't make this investment sooner. In researching this purchase, I came across a few objections from previous reviewers. Let me address those here: Weight. Yup, it's a steel framed bike built for the long haul. If you're looking to join your local racing club, this bike IS NOT for you. However, if you're in the market for a comfortable bike in which to spend countless hours day after day touring, commuting, or cycling recreationally, and you want to have a bike that will still be around when your heirs settle your estate, this is your ticket. Bar end shifters. I think most of the negative reviewers of this feature weren't used to them and wanted the newer sleeker shifters mounted by the brake levers. I had a touring bike in the '80's with bar end shifters, so it wasn't hard for me to adapt, and the style of shifter didn't influence my buying decision one way or another. Stem. I did make one slight modification before riding it off the floor, and that was to replace the stock stem with a slightly longer model. This gave my knees a little more breathing room to avoid hitting the shifters when peddling around turns, but more importantly it gave me a lot more stability allowing me to stretch out a little more in the dropped position. The modification was less than an inch, but it made the feel of the bike change from "no way" to "perfect". I realize everyone's body is different, so this may not be an issue for someone else; I just share it as something to be aware of. Tires. The 2014 model came with Continental Touring Plus tires. I love the tread pattern and the added safety feature of the reflective sidewalls, which is handy during those dawn and dusk commutes. However, I was surprised when the rear tire tread wore out within 1,500 miles. I see the '15 model comes with the Schwalbes, which most reviewers praise as the longer wearing alternative to the Continentals. I considered these as a replacement, but kept looking when I found the price point to be nearly triple. In the end, I went with another set of Touring Plus because, for me, they struck the best balance of low rolling resistance, decent tread for sloppy shoulders, and reasonable price point. I addressed the wearing issue by rotating the tires after about 1200-1500 miles. At that point, the front tire was barely showing signs of wear and by rotating them I could get a set to last significantly longer. Using that method, I will be able to get 2500-3000 miles on the replacement tires before I need to replace them again. In short (or not so short) this bike has been great. I look forward to many more years of riding on it and hope one day to take it cross country. The issues described above are very minor and didn't warrant (in my opinion) downgrading my review to 4 stars. I simply made the points to help others make fully informed, well balanced decisions. Happy ridingI
Great Bike for my Commute
I bought this bike in February have commuted on it to work on most fair weather days. I am mountain biker and my last commuter was my mountain bike with a spare wheel set with commuting tires. Commuting on this bike with some panniers is much nicer! The drive train/shifting works well and the wheels and frame have soaked up the dirt sections of my commute just fine. The tries are an excellent choice for commuting, being bullet proof. I had REI install slime tubes because of the goat heads in the Reno, Nv area, but I have yet to see any slime come out of the tires after removing goat heads. Overall, I am very pleased and will be commuting to work much more often as a result.
Booty kicking big heavy tank bike
This bike rocks. I got an XXL and ride it Crazy hard. I am a massive dose - I weighed 280 when I toured on fairly technical with 4 loaded pantiers and the wheels are bang on true after 2 years. Regarding the review whining about the brakes and the strength of the rack: I routinely rode this in the inner city with 4 loaded bags, a Handel bar bag and tow a trailer loaded to 80 lbs. with the rider included the bike weighs over 400 pounds. The brakes work great! The rack had never failed. Regarding the comment about the gearing : change it then. Takes 10 minutes. But there is a lot to be said for leg strength. I have to problem- I tend to ride in loaded up 8 percent grades in the middle chain ring. I have a lot of bikes and some were very pricey carbon fiber with top end component groups. In a lot of ways this is my all time favorite bike. Lots of bang for your buck. Is it heavy? Oh yes it’s heavy!! It’s a beast! And it rocks.
By far my best investment
I bought this bike about a month ago. I was debating between this bike and another really well known touring bike who's model is the 520. I test rode both bikes, went over every detail on both bikes and at the I chose the Novara Randonee. I just finished the Cycle Eastlake 100k on April 25th 2015 on this bike. I am so glad I chose this bike for the 63 mile ride that goes up and down some of the steepest hills that Chula Vista has to offer which includes the 7 mile Honey Hill Springs climb. The bike did awesome!! I was really comfortable throughout the ride and I climbed those hills with ease thanks to the Shimano Components. I highly recommend this bike. I'm an avid cyclist who has a garage full of bicycles. I can honestly say that thi is by far my favorite bike. A big THANKS to the cycling department at the Otay Ranch location. Also to the store manager who was a lot of help and made sure that I got the proper size frame and who answered all my questions.
Great bike!
Thank you Novara for making a XXL. I'm 6'5", 270lbs and enjoy taking this bike on long rides. Why would anyone want to ride a road a road bike with narrow tires when you can ride this bike. The 32mm tires along with the steel frame help absorb much of the road noise. I will replace the tires with 37mm tires when i wear them out. This bike feels solid and extremely stable. I carry about 20-30 lbs to work with me daily. This is a great all around bike. I did get a beefier rear rack from axiom and the brooks saddle. The seat that came with it doesn't compare to the brooks saddle. The handle bars have a nice wide grip. I added a frame bag from relevate designs. I also bought the ortlieb panniers from REI. Now I have the ultimate commuter/tourer. I don't think you can get anything else out there that is better for this price.
Comfortable, Affordable, Durable
Purchased the 2015 Randonee two weeks ago. Other than minor adjustments, this bike is a joy to ride. I was comparing the Randonee to the Surly Long Haul Trucker and kind of had my heart set on the LHT. However, after carefully selecting the correct LHT frame size, the test ride was uncomfortable. I was too stretched out and found it hard to reach the brakes. The Randonee, by contrast, was very comfortable during the test ride and riding in the hoods was not a problem. The bike is very stable. Also, I am happier with the 700c tires on the Randonee. The LHT in my size only has 26" tires. General comments: The components on the Randonee are okay. The only thing I may swap out sooner than later are the brakes. They are not as smooth or as powerful as I would like. The long wheelbase and rack make it very easy to attach panniers that say clear of my heals when I pedal. The saddle is comfortable. The 2015 color on the Randonee is taking some getting used to -- matte pea green. Some people really like it. I appreciate that the Novara decals are very light and not noticed from a distance.
I Really Enjoy My 2015 Novara Randonee
This past spring I started my search for my next bicycle. I was shopping REI and became interested in the Novara Mazama and visited a local REI for a few demo rides to determine what size fit me best and to get a feel for what the Mazama model was all about. I was interested only in a bicycle that would handle a slightly rougher trail than the paved bicycle trails. I decided to test ride a Novara Randonee for comparison purposes and it was over. I loved everything about the Randonee, it was comfortable, it shifted smoothly, and most importantly the touring geometry of the Randonee seemed to feel just right for me. At first, I was a little skeptical regarding bar end shifters. A little research and a few more demo rides later I was convinced that purchasing the Novara Randonee was a good choice for me. I have put a few miles on several paved bicycle trails and really enjoyed the ride. Next, I decided to try the C&O Canal towpath and the NCR trail, both are non-paved trails and discovered this bicycle may perform even better with some 700x35 tires. The Randonee performs well on the trails that I most often ride and feels very comfortable for me. I am very glad that I took my time searching for my next bicycle and ultimately purchased the 2015 Novara Randonee.
Fantastic
I purchased this bike in the spring specifically for a self supported trip that I just completed. My trip had me biking 1,200 miles, averaging 90 miles per day with a 40 pound load. Other than a handlebar bag, I only loaded the rear and used Arkel dolphin 32 panniers (this isn't a pannier review, but I also loved them). The bike performed flawlessly. I was a little apprehensive about the bar end shifters, I had had them in the past (20-25 years ago), but recently I have been riding with integrated brake shifters. After a day of riding, I remembered how much I loved bar end shifters. So much so, that I am considering putting them on my other road bike. I was also a little concerned about what seemed to be the wide tires on the Randonee. My normal road bike has 700x23 and the Randonee comes with 700x32. The tires worked great, I felt confident in all situations. The gearing was also great; allowing me to climb fairly easily, even with my load, through the Allegheny mountains of Pennsylvania. I would buy this bike again in a heartbeat. It was so comfortable it has me rethinking many of the choices I've made on my road bike.