Touring - Any problems with a Novara Randonee?

So, I've been doing my research for the past month or so on all the pros and cons of the different touring bikes (Trek 520, Jamis Aurora, Cannondale T800 and T2000, Long Haul Trucker, Raleigh Sojourn, Bruce Gordon, etc) and have basically finally decided to go the the Novara Randonee, in part because of price ($850 for a member) but also because it's decently spec'd (Tiagra and Deore - not the hottest but when I test rode they worked like a charm), has space for fenders, comes with decent rack, 36 spoke rims, etc. Basically, everything stock is fine (especially gearing! yay!) as is and won't need changing out (though I am open to possibly getting into the clipless realm - but that's another day and post).

I haven't ridden any other road-type bikes (mountain bikes all my life) so I don't have much to compare it to, but it seemed solid, stable, and smooth. However, I don't know if it was my unfamiliarity with drop bars, but the handling seemed a little on the squirmy side. I felt a little uneasy turning sharply; then again, it might just take some getting used to. Of course, it'll handle much differently loaded with panniers, but, any thoughts?

No bike shops in here in Sacramento have any of the other bikes to test ride, so that's part of the consideration, but essentially what I'm looking for is some reassurance that what I'm going to get is a good choice. :)

On a side note, does anybody know about REI bike sales? I know members get a 20% off coupon, but it usually excludes bikes, and I'd have to wait until May to get 15% off in the anniversary sale. I read somewhere here about a 30% off sale in March, but when I asked at the store they didn't know anything about that. >_>

The coupons are good for Novara bikes so you can use them on a Randonee. My friend got one and she really liked it. She moved all the parts over to a LHT frame I gave her, but not because there was a problem with the Randonee she just wanted to try out the LHT and it was free so why not.

I just finished tuning up her bike which is essentially all the Randonee bits on the LHT frame. Everything is holding up well. No problems at all.

I have an '03 randonee and love it! I use it as my exploring/touring/s24o/trail bike. They're awesome.

I bought an 07 Randonee last March using my 20% off coupon, the coupon is good for bikes. I bought the bike to use mostly as a commuter, and for weekend rides. I have put about 1500 miles on the bike and it has performed great, no problems. Please note I have not toured on it, the heaviest loads I carry are me (175lbs) and maybe 15lbs of extra stuff.

I did not like the stock saddle and replaced it with a Brooks B-17. I also had cyclocross style in-line brake levers installed, these are great, you can brake with your hands on flats. The only other thing I do not like about the bike is the ugly brown paint job, I hate the color.

One thing I love about this bike is I can ride on roads to a local rail trail, let some air out of the tires, ride the trail, then pump the tires back up and ride on the road back home.

Any problems with a Novara Randonee?

The standover was too high for me and I also hated the color. I liked the color and the slightly sportier geometry of the Jamis Aurora much better.

I also bought the Randonee last year at the Members 20% off sale in March. I use it mostly for commuting and for long rides. I really like it. When I first rode it, I thought it felt squirrelly compare to my old road bike which I had for over 20 year. Now it fells normal when I ride it.

My commuting loads can get heavy and I've used it for shopping, and it seems to handle the load well. I have not toured with it yet.

I like the saddle. I was trying to get a new saddle for my old bike and tried a Specialized one where they measure your sit bones (:eek: it hurt) and the Terry Fly. Neither one fit me well, but the Fizak Rondine that came with was really nice. I do plan to try a Brooks one day, back when I was a kid I had a leather saddle that I liked.

-- John

I have an 06 Randonee with 1200+ miles and several tours and not a single problem. Not even a flat tire. With the 20% off coupon, and my dividend, there was really no way that I could pass it up or justify getting something else. It hasn't disappointed me yet.

So, I've been doing my research for the past month or so on all the pros and cons of the different touring bikes (Trek 520, Jamis Aurora, Cannondale T800 and T2000, Long Haul Trucker, Raleigh Sojourn, Bruce Gordon, etc) and have basically finally decided to go the the Novara Randonee, in part because of price ($850 for a member) but also because it's decently spec'd (Tiagra and Deore - not the hottest but when I test rode they worked like a charm), has space for fenders, comes with decent rack, 36 spoke rims, etc. Basically, everything stock is fine (especially gearing! yay!) as is and won't need changing out (though I am open to possibly getting into the clipless realm - but that's another day and post).

I haven't ridden any other road-type bikes (mountain bikes all my life) so I don't have much to compare it to, but it seemed solid, stable, and smooth. However, I don't know if it was my unfamiliarity with drop bars, but the handling seemed a little on the squirmy side. I felt a little uneasy turning sharply; then again, it might just take some getting used to. Of course, it'll handle much differently loaded with panniers, but, any thoughts?

No bike shops in here in Sacramento have any of the other bikes to test ride, so that's part of the consideration, but essentially what I'm looking for is some reassurance that what I'm going to get is a good choice. :)
On a side note, does anybody know about REI bike sales? I know members get a 20% off coupon, but it usually excludes bikes, and I'd have to wait until May to get 15% off in the anniversary sale. I read somewhere here about a 30% off sale in March, but when I asked at the store they didn't know anything about that. >_>

REI offers great support. :)

REI offers great support. :)

In fact you can buy the bike and give it a go. If you aren't 100% happy just take it back. You don't get much better terms than that.

In fact you can buy the bike and give it a go. If you aren't 100% happy just take it back. You don't get much better terms than that.

+1

And with no complaints from them.

An excellent company to deal with all around. :)

For some reason, I can't find the chain stay length on the NR...everything else looks great.

43.5cm (17.1in) for all frame sizes

2008 Novara catalog, geometry specs are in the middle
http://www.rei.com/rei/gearshop/novara/novaracatalog_08.pdf?cm_re=NovaraHP*middle*08catalog

Thanks. Can a large person comment on heel clearance. I think it's gonna be tight for me with 47s.

don't worry about the handling being "a little on the squirmy side". when i first got a mountain bike, i rode it instead of my road bike for the better part of a year. when i finally got back on my road bike, the handling seemed almost scary.

for about 10 or 15 minutes maybe. you'll quickly come to prefer the drops.

I went out and found a dealer that had a Jamis Aurora in my size, gave it a test ride, and found it rode basically the same as the Randonee. The fit was better on the Randonee though, so I'm still probably going to go with that; I'm just waiting for my 20% coupon. :)

Thanks for all the help! My main concern was the handling, but it seems that's just normal for a bike with drops.

I have the Randonee and the heel clearance is not a problem with size 11 shoes. It shouldn't be for you either.

It is one tough bike with excellent build and components. I am very happy with it.
Fenders were no problem and I put Tubus racks front and back. Great bike

Just picked up my new Randonee on the 29th of Feb. Made some modifications to it. Used my REI 20% coupon and my dividend and left for just under $600!

So far it's by far the sweetest ride I have ever had.

http://web.mac.com/mdavison1/Studebaker_Road/Home/Entries/2008/3/8_Where_are_the_Commuters_files/IMG_1871.jpg

I think I'm going to be using my 20% coupon for one of those babies too... I just need to get down there and do it.

I thinks it's a great choice for a first touring bike. Here's mine:

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj95/starvingmusician_in_pa/GAP10-07.jpg

Judy

I thinks it's a great choice for a first touring bike. Here's mine:

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj95/starvingmusician_in_pa/GAP10-07.jpg

Judy

Dude! You forgot to pack the kitchen sink!

Finally got it about a week ago! :) Shifters are awesome, but needed some tweaking after the first 100 miles - front deraileur was rubbing on the outside. Other than that (which I finally figured out could just be fixed by cable tension instead of adjusting the deraileur) it's been smooth and comfortable. But the Ritchey adjustable stem creaks like crazy when any stress is put on it (out of the saddle, etc) and I've tightened it 2 or 3 times. Any thoughts? I'm thinking of just getting a non-adjustable... also, the seat has an annoying tendency to inch down... but I'm nitpicking. >_>

I love my Randonee - two years old. The only issue I had was toe strike and the underside bottle mount is to high on the tube and does not allow for anything except a short bottle and not all of those. I modified a bottle bracket to change it.

The_Driver - nice looking mods to the Randonee. I'm in Costa Mesa and hope to see you on a local trail somewhere. What did you use for the front mud flap. Looks great in your pic.

I love my Randonee - two years old. The only issue I had was toe strike and the underside bottle mount is to high on the tube and does not allow for anything except a short bottle and not all of those. I modified a bottle bracket to change it.

The_Driver - nice looking mods to the Randonee. I'm in Costa Mesa and hope to see you on a local trail somewhere. What did you use for the front mud flap. Looks great in your pic.

The mudflap came on the Planet Bike Freddy fenders. I wanted the hammered Honjo fenders just for the looks but am very pleased with the Freddy's.

Look for me on either Peters Canyon bike trail, San Diego Creek trail or heading from Tustin to the Spectrum business area and back.

But the Ritchey adjustable stem creaks like crazy when any stress is put on it (out of the saddle, etc) and I've tightened it 2 or 3 times. Any thoughts?

My thoughts are to use the adjustable stem to help you find where you're confortable at. Then find a non-adjustable stem that closely matches where your adjustable stem ended up at. You can then put your adjustable stem on a shelf at home in case someday you need it shipped to you while on a tour.

Not sure about your slipping seat post though. Maybe a little light (very light) honing inside the seat tube and some fresh grease? Or try a different seat post. I was down at the local REI last week to look at the Randonees, but they were hanging from the ceiling and I didn't notice what seat post they were using. If I wasn't building up a converted MTB I'd be considering one of these.

I love the Randonee. I'm saving and saving. By the time I have enough money, I might have my girlfriend convinced it's okay for me to have one more bike. Or I might have decided which one I could part with to make room. Nah.

I love the color. I want to feel like a creature of the forest.

I went out and found a dealer that had a Jamis Aurora in my size, gave it a test ride, and found it rode basically the same as the Randonee. The fit was better on the Randonee though...

Interesting. I took a Surly LHT, a Jamis Aurora, and a Randonee out for a test ride on Tuesday. The LHT was a 50cm with 26" wheels, the others 52cm with 700c wheels. In order of preference I ranked them LHT, Randonee, Aurora. I just didn't like the way the Aurora felt to me and on my hill climb test (Dayton Ave in Fremont neighborhood, Seattle) I was all the way down to the lowest gear. On the other two I still had a couple of gears left. The Aurora's ride felt the harshest of the three when I deliberately rode over bumps, potholes, and manhole covers. I preferred the bar-end shifters on the LHT and it just felt a little better overall to me. But I didn't like the noise of the wider tires and it maybe felt a little slower on the flat section of trail. Whether the LHT felt several hundred dollars better is the question I'm still trying to answer. I ended up riding the Randonee in fairly heavy Seattle afternoon traffic getting back to the store and felt completely comfortable with the way it handled. The front derailleur needed multiple pushes of the STI shifter to go to bigger cogs on several shifts. That could just be an adjustment issue and I mentioned it to the store employee when I brought the bike back. The friction bar-end on the LHT just seemed more reliable to me.

I'm coming from years of road bike experience in the drops and can't imagine riding a bike with straight bars and sitting upright. I also found myself reaching for my old-fashioned downtube shifters on all the bikes I tried. I want to make my decision before this month's REI 20% off coupon expires.

Yea.... I have the Randonee itch. The 20% coupon is burning a hole in my wallet. All I have to do is convince myself to sell my Flyte cyclocross bike.

Can anyone tell me the wheelbase on the 'Novara Randonee'? I couldn't find it on the REI page. My interest is it's wheelbase versus that of the Surly LHT. Thanks.

Can anyone tell me the wheelbase on the 'Novara Randonee'? I couldn't find it on the REI page. My interest is it's wheelbase versus that of the Surly LHT. Thanks.

You have to click on "Description" and then "Bike Sizing Chart" down at the bottom.

The wheelbases are:

47 cm frame: 101.3 cm
52 cm frame: 102.4 cm
55 cm frame: 103.0 cm
59 cm frame: 104.5 cm

There is also a 57 cm frame, which I have and is available in to purchase, but not in their chart.

I've had my Randonee for almost a year and absolutely love it. Havent done any really long distance in it yet though, that comes this summer. I've been riding my friends Cannondale T2 around this week because I've been having issues with my brakes and I like the feel of my Randonee much better. Plus you cant go wrong with REI's service, I even drive an hour and a half to the nearest store.

You have to click on "Description" and then "Bike Sizing Chart" down at the bottom.

The wheelbases are:

47 cm frame: 101.3 cm
52 cm frame: 102.4 cm
55 cm frame: 103.0 cm
59 cm frame: 104.5 cm




Thank you very much...................

Today was another test ride day -- in a light northwest drizzle. First I took a Trek 520 out for an in-town spin on a route that was essentially all hills. I figure if I like how a bike handles up and down hills then the flat roads will take care of themselves. The Trek handled well, was comfy over broken pavement, and fit well. But the brake levers were definitely a deal breaker. My hands are smallish and the levers were too far out for comfort. I just wasn't comfortable going down steep hills with them. Uphill was OK, but I used the lowest gear on my test route.

Then I rode my old bike over to REI and took the Randonee out for a spin on the same route (but different sequence). My impressions were pretty similar to my Seattle test ride a week ago. It's a comfortable bike, gear range is sufficient for pretty steep hills (if you know Bellingham, I rode up Ferry Street which is pretty darn steep). The brake levers fit my hands and the downhill braking was comfortable. The STI shifters still don't behave quite like I want them to (multiple pushes to get to the large chainring, a little trimming needed on the middle chainring, and jumps on upshifting in the rear under load).

All in all, I decided that the Randonee is a very good value and should make a good ride for the coming years. I put a hold on it and will go back later this week to buy it.

Here is mine very slightly modified:

http://www.bikejournal.com/images/JacobiIMG_1350.JPG

First post :D

What do you guys think about the Randonee vs. the Safari? I am going to be doing my first tour ever in Western Europe in October 08' until I run out of money. I am a bit worried about snow and ice as well as dirt roads and the Safari is supposedly better on those terrains.

First post :D

What do you guys think about the Randonee vs. the Safari? I am going to be doing my first tour ever in Western Europe in October 08' until I run out of money. I am a bit worried about snow and ice as well as dirt roads and the Safari is supposedly better on those terrains.

Unless the roads are really nasty, pick the randonnee. The Safari is better in very rough terrain, but if you are only worried about the occasional dirt road, with the stock tires, the Randonnee should handle that just fine. If you are worried you could probably fit 38s on the Randonnee.

Here is mine very slightly modified:

http://www.bikejournal.com/images/JacobiIMG_1350.JPG

Sweet Brooks set-up. Very classy.

Tomorrow's the last day of the 20% off sale. You can place your order by phone or online or at the store through tomorrow. I bought a Randonee last week. I have REI's Visa Credit card which is good for another 5% off REI purchases, but added on top of the 20% coupon it actually comes to 24% off, so $950 - 24% = $722. I bought the bike minus the saddle (I put on a Brooks) and handlebar (too narrow for me) and pedals (put on an MKS touring pedal), and they deducted $78 for that = $644. Then deduct my big dividend (I use my REI card for everything and get 1% back in dividend)....and the bike is almost free!

PS Do I also get a 10% dividend for this purchase, too? Hey, they'll wind up paying me when I'm through with this transaction!

Tomorrow's the last day of the 20% off sale. You can place your order by phone or online or at the store through tomorrow. I bought a Randonee last week. I have REI's Visa Credit card which is good for another 5% off REI purchases, but added on top of the 20% coupon it actually comes to 24% off, so $950 - 24% = $722. I bought the bike minus the saddle (I put on a Brooks) and handlebar (too narrow for me) and pedals (put on an MKS touring pedal), and they deducted $78 for that = $644. Then deduct my big dividend (I use my REI card for everything and get 1% back in dividend)....and the bike is almost free!

PS Do I also get a 10% dividend for this purchase, too? Hey, they'll wind up paying me when I'm through with this transaction!

According to REI, their normal 10% dividend is not applicable to sale or clearance items, or the 20% off coupon. However the 5% dividend that you get from using the REI Visa card is applicable to any REI purchase, sale or not. So in the case of a bike bought using the 20% coupon then you'll get the 20% off, plus the 5% dividend applied from using their Visa card, but no additional 10% "normal" dividend. Obviously you don't see the additional 5% immediately, that's just added to your dividend total for the year, which you actually get back early next year. A bit complex, but I think I have it straight in my head now. I actually called them to ask about this, since I bought a Safari for my wife this month using the 20% coupon and was wondering about the dividend thing myself.

Neil

I think that's the scoop, Neil. The guy next to me was looking to buy a nice road bike from REI with the discount - The Novara Trionfo or Team Trionfo, but they had neither in stock, and they seem to keep pretty mum about those two. I saw them both on the in-store REI website, but online now I only see the discontinued (I think) last years model Team Trionfo, but no Trionfo. Maybe they're sold out.

I bought an 07 Randonee last March using my 20% off coupon, the coupon is good for bikes. I bought the bike to use mostly as a commuter, and for weekend rides. I have put about 1500 miles on the bike and it has performed great, no problems. Please note I have not toured on it, the heaviest loads I carry are me (175lbs) and maybe 15lbs of extra stuff.

I did not like the stock saddle and replaced it with a Brooks B-17. I also had cyclocross style in-line brake levers installed, these are great, you can brake with your hands on flats. ...

I'm unfamiliar with the gear shift setup on my new Randonee - brifters or whatever they're called - incorporated with the brake, tho they are easy enough to use. I've only owned old-fashioned derailleur bikes before, with the shift levers on the downtube (where they belong). Anyway, I'm switching handlebars and if I switch to your brake levers - and could you please give me a link showing exactly what they are? - how would I change gears?

Oh, now I see what it means "in line"...

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/brake-levers-drop.html

Don't suppose I need that additional complication.

Thanks. Can a large person comment on heel clearance. I think it's gonna be tight for me with 47s.

I just bought my Randonee. I wear 48 and I use arkel panniers. No problems The rack gives wide flexibility to place the bags far back.

I didn't receive my coupon this year. I contacted REI and they emailed the coupon to me. this coupon excludes bikes. Was your coupon good for bikes?

Also, I was told that there was a 20% off bike sale in March. When I contacted them on 3/31 they said that the sale ended on 3/30. I guess there are only 30 days in March at REI!!! Any suggestions?

Pit

The REI 20% off member discount coupon was good through March and included Novara bikes. Be patient, the discount coupon will come around again next year.

My friend just picked up a Randonee last month for commuting. It's very nice from what i can see.

A question i have is does the frame come treated with Framesaver (or some other rust inhibitor)?

I called customer service and they provided a coupon that is good on bikes. They were very polite and understanding of my situation. This is why I continue to shop there. Customer service is not dead! Kudos to REI.

Any suggestions for tire replacement on the Randonee. I can't find a "32" Vittora only the "35."

http://www.schwalbetires.com/marathon_supreme

She moved all the parts over to a LHT frame I gave her, but not because there was a problem with the Randonee she just wanted to try out the LHT and it was free so why not.

A bit off-topic here, but why did you get rid of your LHT? :)