AdventureManCO 

I'm totally in love with this bicycle

First the bike, then the story.

Here is the bike, how it looked when I picked it up -


Image from the store




Image from the store




Getting it home...I know - nice seat, right!




Love the well preserved Tange tube sticker.



The shop where I got it from (Replay Sports Exchange in Evergreen, CO - awesome store!) had no information on the bike, and it came with no pedals and a flat front tire, so nothing reported about its riding condition.

Well, I can for sure report about its riding condition. This bicycle is freaking incredible. I don't know if it is simply due to well-met expectations given the price (almost free), but I feel like I can ride this bike all-day every day. I gave the frame a once over and compound polish, repacked the wheel bearings, tossed the junk seat and put on an old Brooks, took it for a shakedown ride and something magic happened. Everything just clicked.







I can't explain it. It doesn't make sense...nothing on this bike is high end, or really 'mid' end for that matter haha. It weighed 25+ lbs without pedals, and it is not even really my size. I mean just look at that goofy stem. The dreaded unicrown fork. The hoods are gummy. The granny gear is chain-sucky. But after a little fidgeting with the saddle height and handlebar placement, BAM. Done. It feels unbelievable, like I can ride it for days. If I'm being completely honest, I didn't really even like riding drop bars before today. This bike is a total game changer. A total sleeper. One of the guys I rode with on a group ride a week ago had a hi-ten bike that he kept riding because, as he said in his own words, '...it corners like a Porsche 911'...and taking some quick corners on this thing instantly brought his comment to mind. I totally get it.

What is going on here? I know this isn't 'honeymoon phase new-bike-syndrome' because I just brought home a Trek 560 and 957 about 2 months ago and never was more excited. Nobody gets excited by a Novara. I've got a PX-10 in the garage as my 'vintage classic' commuter, so I've been exposed (at least a little) to some great riding bikes. I nearly passed on this bike because it looked too small. It probably is too small! And yet here we are. And I'm not going to fight it because if the dream ride comes from something that was nearly free, I'm game. And if she rides this nice with all this boat anchor low tier stuff on it, what could she do with some tasteful upgrades? A sweet rider and I get to tinker? I'm in bike heaven over here and it was a complete accident.

Moral of the story...your best ride may come from the most unexpected place. Mine now has.

I might not even need a Trek 957 and all that Super Record stuff. And I'm serious.

AngryFrankie

Nice score! i'm always watching for the Novara Randonee when I scroll through the listed bikes. There's something really cool about those, especially the older models.

AdventureManCO 

Here's the story -

It's your fault! Something on this forum made me look up Novara bikes. I can't even remember what. But I like hearing bike names I'm not familiar with and going down the rabbit hole (we all know about that). I know that Novara is the REI house brand, but had no idea they went back decades. Anyway, so I search the classifieds for 'Novara', and this bike pops up, from a small used sporting goods store. I text them to see if it was still available (it was a good price). No response.

I finally hear back a day or two later (turns out the store was closed when I replied). I had forgotten about it. So I keep thinking I'll go pick it up, maybe, just for kicks. Its probably too small for me anyway, but who doesn't like a Randonneur-ish bike? The price was great so I figure I'll pass it on if nothing else. I tried for a week to get out to this store, but it is a little out of my way and work, plus a sick day here and there keeps me from it.

I finally got out there the other day. I called the store to ask if they still had it. I had tried searching for the ad again but the ad mysteriously disappeared and I never saw it after that first day. Fortunately the initial text included the name of the store, so I looked it up and found their info. Well, they still had it, so I said 'I'll be there in about 1/2hr to pick it up!' and was on my way.

I ended up in the small town of Evergreen, CO at a little place called Replay Sports Exchange, a store that primarily deals in used sporting goods equipment. Before I even got to the front door, the owner came out and asked me 'Need any help?' I told him I was there for the blue Novara bike - he had already brought it up to the counter, expecting me. Next thing that happens completely caught me off guard! He says, 'So, you've got a choice to make. To be honest with you, we just listed this bike for free this morning to anyone who wanted it. We listed all our bikes for free - we need to clear them out and we don't want them going to the dump. So, you can pay for it...or you can take it for free.'

We ended up in a nice arrangement where I told him I wanted to pay for the bike, and got to take a couple of other bikes home for free - I was happy to get more than I initially bargained for, and he was delighted to get some $$ for bikes he was giving away. The other two I got were a (can't even remember...its in the truck still = mystery bike #1), a older Specialized Crossroads in great condition that my son is going to grow into, and then this little Novara.

Based on some previous threads, it looks like there have been several iterations of the Randonee, some of which were made in Japan. The 'Novara Made in Japan' headbadge leaves little room for doubt.

It sounds like these bikes were made by a company called Tano and if we are going off of the N(1) serial format, this bike was made in 1988, which makes sense given the unicrown fork and splashy graphics. Going to do more research on this company to learn more about the bikes they made.

Immediate plans are to get some new tires. While the tread is in fantastic shape (I'm betting the bike was hardly ridden, and received more wear and tear being moved around a garage and the time it spent outdoors at this store), the tan sidewall is disintegrating and nearing the end of my ride this afternoon and the bike started giving me feedback that it was blowing out. It was perfect when I started out this morning, so it had sat for quite some time without being ridden and had gotten fragile. The ride actually changed quite a bit, and I could feel the tube was bowing the tire shape. It's a good bike, it let me know

I will also most likely get some slightly wider bars and at the same time get rid of the funky looking stem and replace with something more traditional, making note of the bar placement. I'm going to keep all the parts though, just in case I need to put something back on to keep the mojo! If the bike rides this good with all of these boat anchor low tier components, I can barely imagine what a nicer wheelset and high end components could do. I think I'm going to have a fun platform to change one thing at a time and see what it does.

I can't wait to hear from all the Novara connoisseurs!

AdventureManCO 

Last week I didn't even know this bike existed. It's like the bike found me.

I don't think I'll ever be able to buy another old road bike that doesn't have canti bosses. These things are fantastic...the power difference is awesome, and that is with old, ancient pads to boot.

Then again, am I ever going to need to buy another old road bike now? Hmmm!

Insidious C. 

I had one of those and put about 15k miles on it. A rugged and versatile bike IMO.

DonkeyShow

I got an REI version novara forza. Al frame, 20-21 lbs and hasn't let me down yet. It's not too shabby for a crappy learner bike.

thinktubes 

I had a Corsa pass through my hands. The build quality was very good and the design was well thought out. Congrats on finding that!

T-Mar

The Novara bicycle brand was introduced for the 1982 model year. The subject bicycle had its frame manufactured by a Japanese company called Nomura, that was associated with Tano. They manufactured frames for several other brands, most notably Centurion, Diamond Back, Nikko and Terry. The earliest examples I've seen of Nomura based frames dates back to the very late 1970s, though they may have been active earlier. Most Nomura frames that surface are mid-range models. They are a well respected framebuilder, particularly for the Centurion Ironman variants that they manufactured during the period of 1985-1989.

mhespenheide 

I'm trying to keep my eyes out for a Novara Strada with Tange #1 tubing. I just kind of want to try one.
No shame in liking a blue-collar bike if it's a good rider!

PilotFishBob 

I had this exact same model in a 63 cm a few years back, but at the time I wasn't comfortable with that size and I wound up selling it. Since then I have gone to larger frames and I like to ride that size, it was a good bike but can't hang on to everything waiting for possible outcomes. Darn it.

Korina

Congratulations on your unexpected grail find! I sincerely hope the two of you live happily ever after.

mstateglfr 

Novara may be a house brand for an outdoors lifestyle store, but it spec'd some really nice bikes and had a great range of offerings. Even up until the brand shut down a few years ago, it was spec'ing some cool bikes that were very much 'adventure/explore/get out and see stuff' style bikes. Their touring bike a few years ago was every bit as good as any other production touring bike and cost $400 less.

One of my backup road bikes is a Tange 1 frame made for REI/Novara in 1989. I think I bought it on this site, actually.
Novara Trionfo. Its Tange 1, barely fits 26mm wide tires, and is a blast to ride.

I had it powdercoated a couple years ago and its currently 5' from me sitting on the smart trainer as its my winter Zwift bike.

Here it is with the modern 2x11 drivetrain and innicycle headset(joejack951 ) created the headset to bridge threaded and threadless.

AdventureManCO 

Beautiful bike!!

AdventureManCO 

So just for fun, and to make sure I wasn't crazy about the way this bike rode, I took a spin on the Trek 957 (1981), the Trek 560 (1987), and then the Randonee to see how they compared one after another. Wow do these 3 bikes all ride completely different. It is very apparent!

The first up was the 957. The ride on this bike is very lively. I used the clincher wheelset from the 560 while I wait for some tubulars for it's original wheelset. It is a great bike, and I'm learning to appreciate it more and more. Raising the seat up on this one also dramatically changed the feel for the better. It is fast, compliant, a little twitchy, and for that reason not boring at all. It feels like a wild horse that isn't quite tamed yet.

Next was the 560...this bike it such a laser. It has a 'quicker' feel out of the gate than the 957, and wants to just directly connect to the pavement and go, and go fast. Super stable, and very predictable unlike the 957, like it can keep going faster and faster and you know exactly what it will do. I really enjoy it from that aspect, but the racing geometry is a bit intense and translates into a stiffer, more aggressive ride. Perfection for someone who enjoys that type of riding. What it gives up in comfort it makes up for in performance.

Last was the Randonee, and since the rear tire sidewall was just starting to give out, I couldn't really ride as far or push it quite as much. However, as soon as I got on the bike, it instantly felt like an old pair of boots - just right. Apart from the tire issue, it was pure pleasure. Very comfortable, and took a bit from each of the previous rides and blended them together. It has the suppleness of the 957, but the feeling of connection from the 560. I'm sure that this bike is slower than the other two, but I sure can't feel it. Definitely doesn't feel sluggish at all, quite the opposite.

So I might be crazy after all, but I think I'd rather ride the Randonee under most circumstances, and maybe the 957 when needing something more exciting or challenging.

AdventureManCO 

Thanks for this T-Mar - I've got an '87 Ironman hanging in the garage, and its nice to know they are distant cousins! It makes me excited to actually get the Ironman roadworthy so I can see what the ride on that one is then like if made by the same folks.

T-Mar

Don't expect the same ride characteristics. The Ironman leans more towards race geometry, while the Randonnée leans more towards touring. I have geometry for the 1989 version of the Randonée and it has shallower angles, longer wheelbase, longer chain stays and more rake than the 1987 Ironman. However, you may note a bigger difference due to the weight disparity and tyres. The Ironman will be about 4 lbs lighter (assuming same size frame) and, in it's stock form, usees muck narrower and higher pressure tyres. So, the Ironman should be notably more responsive and agile, while the Randonée should be more comfortable and stable.

If your Ironman is a 1987, then it should also be Nomura manufacture. There was a 2nd source but it has, so far, only turned up on the 1985 version. I'd appreciate the serial numbers of both, for my database. If you don't want to post them, you can send them to me via private message. BTW, is the Ironman an Expert or Master version? TIA.

rustystrings61 

I have a 1988 Centurion LeMans in the magenta and white two-tone fade finish with the N serial number mentioned above that is frequently attributed to Tano. I bought it for $35 last year during the Clunker Challenge. It was perhaps the filthiest, rustiest, most grease-and-hair-encrusted bike I'd encountered yet, complete with a mismatched replacement rear wheel. Everything got cleaned up to almost presentable levels, all bearings repacked, and I set out to grind out the statutory minimum 100km/62.5 miles ... and then just kept on riding it. Intellectually, I understand that it's a Tange No. 2 main frame with Tange Mangalloy forks and stays and the basic budget Shimano Exage Sports parts. Yeah, sure, it's a bike built to a price point - a MODEST price point. But someone forgot to tell it that, and it thinks it's a classical 531 sports tourer, and rides like one. I keep thinking I should thin the herd, and then I look at this one. It's not leaving any time soon.

The modest bikes can surprise you!

RB1-luvr

It's easy to see why you're smitten with that bike. It's a beaut. Happy miles on it.

AdventureManCO 

One of the first bikes I picked up back when I got back into bikes was a 1989 Centurion LeMans. A good riding bike! I think it also had Tange 2, like yours and like this Novara.

AdventureManCO 

T-Mar

Sorry for getting back to you so late, here are the serials -

1987 Centurion Ironman Expert -


Serial # N7E8386



1988 Novara Randonee -



A little hard to read in this image, but I believe it is # S8B5357

AdventureManCO 

So I've been working on a little rust treatment. The frame and paint are actually in really good condition, but when you look real close, you can see the little chips and scrapes. They aren't bad, but the bike had been sitting out somewhere where it was enough for surface rust to form. I was able to test mix a good match with testors paint, but don't want to paint over rust, so we are doing the Evaporust treatment. This is the 2nd go-around, and it was with the very last of a 1-gallon container that was already dirty and probably at the end of its life, so I picked up a new bottle and will do a 3rd round with some fresh stuff. I'm also going to dunk the dropouts and do a treatment coating inside.

RustyJames 

I’ll never forget a line I read from Peter Egan (car people will know him) that the amount he paid for a car or motorcycle had zero correlation to his enjoyment. This has been moving to front of mind for me lately. If I ignore $$ invested, do I like it? If I don’t, it’s going to go. N - ??

Enjoy the Novara! My “saved from the dump” Performance Bike MTB is a hoot and I don’t care what anyone else thinks of it.

zandoval 

Yep... I get it. I have an old 69 Sears Ted Williams Step Through. Years ago I was going to throw the frame away after stripping off the fenders and generator light set. It was then I realized it was very light weight. After some digging around I found it to be some kind of PUCH frame. Any way I put it together from my Road Bike parts bin and although totally Franken it too is a sleeper. When my Boys visit it the one they wanna ride...

PhotonDon

Nice bike and great story! Please tell me about that Brooks saddle on the Novara. It looks to be an old Professional, but did you "butcher" t or is it original? It looks very nice.

Lattz

Don't forget that many of today's most adored classics started their lives as beautiful but horrible pieces in their roles...
It is a totally okay bike, and sometimes low key things give big suprises