Originally Posted by
Bonthius
I haven't seen the Trek 520 yet (it's on craigslist) but I plan to see it this weekend. If it's in good shape (has 500 miles on it, supposedly), I think I will be leaning towards it rather than the Novara Randonee, but is there any reason I should be rethinking the Randonee? My only thought where the Randonee would be superior to a genuine Trek 520 would be maybe the security of buying it at REI, where customer service is fantastic. Please, I'd like to hear some advice!
It's for an 8 week ride I'm planning in May-July. London to Athens.
It would depend on the age of the 520. For several years, Trek was outfitting the 520 with road bike style gearing which is way too high for touring. In more recent years they have been smarter about the drivetrain specification and have a more tour friendly drive train. The bad years are prior to 2009 but after 2002(ish). But $1100 for a model older than 2009 is too much. It's almost too much for a 2009 model.
The Randonee, on the other hand, has a rather low high gear, in my opinion. A 48 tooth outer would be nicer for those times when you want to take advantage of a downhill. The 44 tooth on the Randonee spins out at a lower speed. But that's only a minor quibble.
Last edited by cyccommute; 01-23-13 at 11:53 AM.