novara (REI) bikes

On Mon, 31 Mar 2003 00:21:55 GMT, "Scott" <[email hidden]> scribbled:

Quoted message said:

Hey, does anybody have any input on REI's Novara line of bikes?

I've got a 2002 Ponderosa FS and am quite happy with it. It's not a light bike, but has good solid
feel to it. Handles uphills and downhills quite respectably and doesn't mind being tossed around a
bit. I haven't taken it off of any big jumps or drops, so I can't speak for its extreeeeeeeme
ability, but it treats me well. I swapped out my fork from the stock 80mm Judy C to a 100mm
Marzocchi MXR, which made quite a difference as far as smoothing out trail bumps. I didn't pay the
normal price for mine (it was a customer return [he upgraded] and I got it at a steep discount) so I
can't really say how they compare value-wise, but REI is usually decent in that regard. I can't
speak for other REI stores, but the one I shop at has extremely good customer service, and you can't
beat the warranty.

They don't seem to have many highend bike offerings, but for an entry/mid level setup I don't think
you'll be disappointed. Worth considering, at the very least.

-Slash
--
"Ebert Victorious"

- The Onion

Thanks, that's good information. I was thinking of getting the "Safari" adventure touring Novara
bike. I just started working at REI and I get a really good discount on the gear. I'm glad to hear
you like the customer service. You can't beat their return policy, can you?

Scott

Slash said:

On Mon, 31 Mar 2003 00:21:55 GMT, "Scott" <[email hidden]> scribbled:

Quoted message said:

Hey, does anybody have any input on REI's Novara line of bikes?

I've got a 2002 Ponderosa FS and am quite happy with it. It's not a light bike, but has good solid
feel to it. Handles uphills and downhills quite respectably and doesn't mind being tossed around a
bit. I haven't taken it off of any big jumps or drops, so I can't speak for its extreeeeeeeme
ability, but it treats me well. I swapped out my fork from the stock 80mm Judy C to a 100mm
Marzocchi MXR, which made quite a difference as far as smoothing out trail bumps. I didn't pay the
normal price for mine (it was a customer return [he upgraded] and I got it at a steep discount) so
I can't really say how they compare value-wise, but REI is usually decent in that regard. I can't
speak for other REI stores, but the one I shop at has extremely good customer service, and you
can't beat the warranty.

They don't seem to have many highend bike offerings, but for an entry/mid level setup I don't
think you'll be disappointed. Worth considering, at the very least.

-Slash
--
"Ebert Victorious"

- The Onion