Hybrid Bicycles - Navara vs. Trek

I tried out a Navara Express bike yesterday and it felt decent but I am unsure about the reputation. Has anyone went to REI and got a Navara bike? I am debating getting either the Navara Express or maybe a Trek 7300. The Navara is $670 and the Trek is $570. The Navara seems to have better components and has a carbon fork. I am looking for a performance based hybrid that is the most reliable and easy on me. Let me know what you think about what I should get. Thanks.

I looked at the Novara bikes earlier this year when I was shopping and I searched for reviews on them here and on the web in general. My impression and that of most reviewers is that they are decent bicycles. I'd say their reputation is good and I considered them the equal of all the other similarly priced and equipped brands/models I was interested in. The model you are talking about looks similar in many ways to the Fuji I ended up getting from the LBS so you won't hear me dissing it. I'd say it is certainly worth considering and the REI website says the price is currently $599.93, not $670. As for the Trek, I am not familiar with them although on this forum I would expect that you will shortly get 10,000 people posting to tell you to consider nothing else....

Ken:lol:

I tried out a Navara Express bike yesterday and it felt decent but I am unsure about the reputation. Has anyone went to REI and got a Navara bike? I am debating getting either the Navara Express or maybe a Trek 7300. The Navara is $670 and the Trek is $570. The Navara seems to have better components and has a carbon fork. I am looking for a performance based hybrid that is the most reliable and easy on me. Let me know what you think about what I should get. Thanks.

Don't you know that comparing a Trek to Novarra is like comparing a Mercedes to a Yugo with severe body rust that's also burning a quart of oil every 200 miles.

Seriously, I think most of the value in a bike is in the components. Though Trek will probably win on resale value.

i also think that novara bikes are quality bikes. i heard that frames are built by giant and are then fully assembled by giant's own people.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=48887

and tim and cindie travis (my favourite touring team ;) ) who are on the road since 2002 suggests novara touring bikes for entry level touring cyclist.

http://www.downtheroad.org/Equipment/Bikes/best_value_touring_bicycles_economical_buy.htm

I own/have owned many Novara bikes. My Safari has prolly close to 10k miles and has been through every kind of weather,hauled heavy grocery loads,and did time getting abused as a polo bike. It has been absolutely stone ax reliable. I would put them up against any other brand. My one and only complaint with the company has been their use of straight blade alloy forks on some models which give a terrible ride,but I ride crap roads and have mild carpel tunnel so YMMV.

N - O - V - A - R - A

My old 1980s Novara Veloce rocked. That's all.