edthesped

Novara Mazama Bike - 2015



Not a bad looking build and good for those who appreciate bar end shifters...

edit: am I missing something or is the front QR on the wrong side???

bikemig 

I like it and the price point is good. I'm not excited by the octalink BB (per the specs page); I hope that's a mistake on the webpage. No info yet on geometry yet. Still during a REI sale, that bike will be a very good buy.

linnefaulk

I really like that bike but have no desire for bike packing.

nun

Bikepacking is cool and for hipsters, touring is for old people.

Darth Lefty 

Adventure Touring must not mean what I think it does because I thought you needed a 1200cc BMW motorcycle for it.

djb

hey, can't we be both?

Its interesting to see everyone going for this market, Spesh makes their cool, hipster, badass vids of the Awol and the Whatsit, Surly followed the Fargo with the Troll etc.....in the end, I think its neat that more bikes can take wider tires and there are a bunch of interesting choices out there that can be used for varying sorts of rough road/off road stuff, with varying amounts of load that they can handle.

to me its better than folks buying road bikes when they would be better off with something like these bikes.

cyccommute 

Wise old people use mountain bikes with suspension for bikepacking. Dumb young people use "adventure cycle" bikes for bikepacking and wonder why their kidneys hurt

Brian25

Misses for me are 1) low spoke count wheels 2) weird handle bars with almost no tops, sort of between a velodrome handlebar but 46 cm wide. 3)the zero off set seat post which has your hips more forward than a 20- 25 mm set back of a normal seat post.

bradtx

edthesped, I like it. I sometimes wonder if "Adventure Bike" is simply a marketing term that maybe referring to a class of bicycles trying to work as well as a Bianchi Volpe. If I were to go bikepacking there is no substitute for my mountain bike.

Brad

BigAura

Looks like a good value to me...especially with the REI 20% off deals...$879!

mdilthey

Smart young people use cyclocross bikes for bikepacking, and don't sit flat in the saddle when the trail gets rough!

sstorkel

On disc brake-equipped bikes, the QR lever sometimes ends up on the side opposite the brake caliper due to clearance issues. In addition, some believe that it's safer or more secure to have the lever on the side opposite the caliper.

BengeBoy 

Bike trivia: The Mazama used to be the name of the frame that Co-motion built for riders over 250 pounds. They stopped making it in 2008 or 2009 (?).

Mazama trivia: very nice general store just off the North Cascades Highway:

Mazama Store - Mazama, WA | Yelp

edthesped

thanks, I learned something new today.

alan s 

I've always been told the lever should go opposite the rotor so you don't get dirt or grease on the rotor. I've never followed that advice though.

indyfabz

I have been there. Had hot apple cider made from a dehydrated mix.

krobinson103

Looks ok. I'd prefer hydros, a flat or bull horn bar, better bottom bracket (Hollowtech II) and 53-39-30 crankset.

cyccommute 

The bottom bracket on the bike above is a Hollowtech II...i.e. external bottom bracket. And a 53/39/30 is too high for the intended purpose, i.e. off-road riding. The current crank on the bike could have a lower gear and probably should.

krobinson103

Depends. If its a road tourer (rather than more off road) then my preference is a larger crank. Others might not find it better but I do. Off road? Sure its a good match. The first thing I'd do if I got that bike would be switch out the cranks. Specs list octalink as the bottom bracket. Thats an older standard. Decent, but not what I'd expect on a 2015 spec bike.

Then again, the picture shows a current Deore Hollowtech II crank. I think perhaps someone made an error?

BigAura

The specs say Shimano Deore, 48/36/26 & Shimano HG62, 11-34, 10-speed cogs

I wouldn't have chosen Octalink but not worth swapping out, IMO

cyccommute 

No, they probably just dropped the "II". It's not really needed since Shimano doesn't make a Hollowtech I crank anyway.

For off-road riding, the gearing is too high unless you enjoy walking. They could have done a 48/36/22 and offered a usable low gear but gearing seems to be designed by 20 somethings who have boundless energy and good knees...but don't understand how to keep their knees good.

elbonian

"•Low-rider fork mounts and rear braze-ons accept front and rear racks for light touring"

A newbie question, but what about this bike would make it "unacceptable" for regular/heavy touring? Not asking for a full comparison to a LHT, just wondering...

Thanks from a wanna-be touring rider...

Ron

bmike

nope... i run mine on the drive side on my disk brake bikes.

bmike

not sure how i can continue on my 1x10 with 30 upfront... damn. someone always changing the rules~!

IMG_3809 by mbeganyi, on Flickr

FWIW, i really thought i needed lower gears on my Fargo - put on a mountain triple... found I walked about the same stuff on the same route as i did with the 28/42 double. only difference was i was way way slower on some pave sections as i basically dropped all my gears and just sat there and spun it out. i did the same with the double, just had a bit higher gearing.

Untitled by mbeganyi, on Flickr

and with the krampus (above) - was walking next to a couple of friends as they were granny gearing up a climb. basically pacing them step for step.
really enjoying the 1x10 on the Krampus. simple. would love a rolhoff, but can replace alot of chains and rings for that cost.
might go to a 42t rear cog setup to keep it simple if i can't HTFU this winter.


so YMMV, RYOR, CYOG, etc.

pdlamb

My daughter described it as "The only gas station I've ever been to that has fresh cinnamon rolls and sells Smartwool." Some of those rolls fueled the climb to come!