Opinions on REI brand bikes (Novara)?



Z

Zix

Guest
Hi all,

Here is in the USA we have a co-op outdoor store chain
called Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) which has its own
brand of bikes called Novara.

I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
bike. Here is a link:
http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865

>From a parts perspective it looks good to me (I'm not

a bike mechanic, nor rich) but I don't know about the frame.
I was told by a salesman it was made in Taiwan by the same
manufacturer that makes the Litespeed. I haven't verified that
claim with the customer service people yet.

Can anybody offer any experiences / insights / advice
on whether this might be a good bike to get? It's on sale
locally is why I ask.

Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
and sale price and trying to be practical.

Thanks.
 
REI bikes are as good as any in my opinion. I especially like their
Randonee steel tourer, and the neato Fusion commuter.

What's more important is the staff at the REI. The ones at my local are
really nice and I'd rather spend my money there than at the two
arrogant ma and pa shops which are closer.

If it fits, is on sale, and you feel good about shopping at REI, take
it for a test spin and see if you like the ride.

Aluminum can be designed to soak up road buzz, but it's often
overbuilt. Tires can't fully make up for poor frame design--I've had an
alu bike that was harsh even with 35mm tires. Blowhards that say that
there's no difference are full of ****.

So take it around the block and see for yourself.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Zix" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Here is in the USA we have a co-op outdoor store chain
> called Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) which has its own
> brand of bikes called Novara.
>
> I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
> aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
> and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
> bike. Here is a link:
> http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008
> 000&productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865
>
> >From a parts perspective it looks good to me (I'm not

> a bike mechanic, nor rich) but I don't know about the frame.
> I was told by a salesman it was made in Taiwan by the same
> manufacturer that makes the Litespeed. I haven't verified that
> claim with the customer service people yet.
>
> Can anybody offer any experiences / insights / advice
> on whether this might be a good bike to get? It's on sale
> locally is why I ask.
>
> Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
> having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
> my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
> and sale price and trying to be practical.


Behold the Approved Standard rbt answer:

-the most important factor in enjoying a new bicycle is ensuring the fit
is correct, and this is likely to mean dealing with a shop that can fit
you properly and is willing to make the appropriate stem/bar/saddle
changes to get things right.

-the feel of "stiffness" is best tuned by adjusting your bike's tire
pressure in 5 psi increments. There are only a few exceptions, most
notoriously the infamously whippy Vitus 979 frames. The second most
important factor in the ride of a bike is probably frame geometry,
followed by the type of bar tape you use.

My opinion? If it fits and it's a good deal, buy it.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
 
Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Zix" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Hi all,
>>
>>Here is in the USA we have a co-op outdoor store chain
>>called Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) which has its own
>>brand of bikes called Novara.
>>
>>I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
>>aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
>>and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
>>bike. Here is a link:
>>http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008
>>000&productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865
>>
>>>From a parts perspective it looks good to me (I'm not

>>a bike mechanic, nor rich) but I don't know about the frame.
>>I was told by a salesman it was made in Taiwan by the same
>>manufacturer that makes the Litespeed. I haven't verified that
>>claim with the customer service people yet.
>>
>>Can anybody offer any experiences / insights / advice
>>on whether this might be a good bike to get? It's on sale
>>locally is why I ask.
>>
>>Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
>>having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
>>my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
>>and sale price and trying to be practical.

>
>
> Behold the Approved Standard rbt answer:
>
> -the most important factor in enjoying a new bicycle is ensuring the fit
> is correct, and this is likely to mean dealing with a shop that can fit
> you properly and is willing to make the appropriate stem/bar/saddle
> changes to get things right.
>
> -the feel of "stiffness" is best tuned by adjusting your bike's tire
> pressure in 5 psi increments. There are only a few exceptions, most
> notoriously the infamously whippy Vitus 979 frames. The second most
> important factor in the ride of a bike is probably frame geometry,
> followed by the type of bar tape you use.


that's parody, right? tire pressure has absolutely ZERO effect on a
frame's mechanical properties or a wheel's mechanical properties, both
of which are significant factors in ride quality. it may be ok to joke
about this stuff once in a while, but it's dangerous here on r.b.t.
because repetition means people start to believe the most outrageous
b.s. as "fact".

>
> My opinion? If it fits and it's a good deal, buy it.
>
 
In article <[email protected]>,
jim beam <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > "Zix" <[email protected]> wrote:


[REI Novara]

> >>I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
> >>aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
> >>and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
> >>bike. Here is a link:
> >>http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865


> >>Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
> >>having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
> >>my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
> >>and sale price and trying to be practical.

> >
> >
> > Behold the Approved Standard rbt answer:


> > -the feel of "stiffness" is best tuned by adjusting your bike's tire
> > pressure in 5 psi increments. There are only a few exceptions, most
> > notoriously the infamously whippy Vitus 979 frames. The second most
> > important factor in the ride of a bike is probably frame geometry,
> > followed by the type of bar tape you use.

>
> that's parody, right? tire pressure has absolutely ZERO effect on a
> frame's mechanical properties or a wheel's mechanical properties, both
> of which are significant factors in ride quality. it may be ok to joke
> about this stuff once in a while, but it's dangerous here on r.b.t.
> because repetition means people start to believe the most outrageous
> b.s. as "fact".


Jim, I hope I'm not misrepresenting others here, but my impression is
that one regular in this newsgroup who makes his living designing and
selling titanium frames (Mark Hickey) and one regular in this newsgroup
who literally wrote the book on bicycle wheels (Jobst Brandt) have both
basically said that given the relative amounts of flex in an inflated
tire (significant by design) and virtually any bike frame or wheel
(magnitudes smaller), the chance of the frame or wheel's "ride quality"
being discernible to any sensible degree is virtually nil.

I would treat geometry considerations separately: angles and dimensions
affect how a bike feels in interesting ways, but most bikes exist within
fairly small variations on these parameters.

I know you disagree, but I judge the "tire-supremacist" arguments as the
most reasonable explanation. My own experience has been that frame
materials are not very important to bike feel, but I would not put
myself forward as an expert.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
 
On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 19:23:20 GMT, Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Jim, I hope I'm not misrepresenting others here, but my impression is
>that one regular in this newsgroup who makes his living designing and
>selling titanium frames (Mark Hickey) and one regular in this newsgroup
>who literally wrote the book on bicycle wheels (Jobst Brandt) have both
>basically said that given the relative amounts of flex in an inflated
>tire (significant by design) and virtually any bike frame or wheel
>(magnitudes smaller), the chance of the frame or wheel's "ride quality"
>being discernible to any sensible degree is virtually nil.


That's won't impress Jim Beam; he routinely disregards anyone else's
opinion, no matter how well informed, and in particular seems to take
delight in loudly denouncing any position taken by Jobst Brandt. He's
also fond of denouncing any genuine consensus that he disagrees with
in the slightest regard.

>I would treat geometry considerations separately: angles and dimensions
>affect how a bike feels in interesting ways, but most bikes exist within
>fairly small variations on these parameters.
>
>I know you disagree, but I judge the "tire-supremacist" arguments as the
>most reasonable explanation. My own experience has been that frame
>materials are not very important to bike feel, but I would not put
>myself forward as an expert.


I have, on occasion, seen him be demonstrably right about something,
but he's in my killfile for a number of reasons that are good and
sufficient for me, and will stay there.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.
 
Avoid aluminum road bikes if you desire comfort. For all day rides find
a steel frame. Novars bike have a good reputation. I'd advise to find
a ike that is comfortable first.
 
"Zix" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Can anybody offer any experiences / insights / advice
> on whether this might be a good bike to get? It's on sale
> locally is why I ask.


My experience with Novara is getting old, but fwiw it's this:

The bikes are competitive and comparable to other name-brand bikes that come
from Asian factories. The prices can be attractive, especially when on sale.
REI's warranty is excellent.

What colors the decision (other than your compatibility with the bike
itself) is the quality of the bike department in your local REI. Some seem
to be as good as many an LBS (and in some locales, they function as such).
Others seem to be little better than mass-market stores. This will
principally affect how well the bike is assembled and prepped, how flexible
they are with matters like stem-swapping and other custom setup issues, and
what you can expect from the wheels.

My 6-year old Novara Randonee, a steel touring bike, has been entirely
satisfactory and was a singular bargain. But I needed a taller stem and the
store was completely unable to do anything for me (I ended up buying a
Nitto), and the buying experience was notably free of any references to
fitting. On the other hand, there was a highly skilled wheelbuilder who did
a great job of rebuilding the rear wheel under warranty. On the third hand,
the bike should not have been sold with the rear wheel so poorly prepared to
begin with. On the fourth hand, that's what led me to decide to become my
own wheelbuilder.

Bottom line: if the store isn't nearby, and you aren't equipped to do your
own maintenance, and you plan to do a lot of riding, investigate the local
REI's service reputation carefully, just as you would any other LBS you were
considering buying from.

RichC
 
"Zix" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
> aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
> and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
> bike.


I had this bike for about five years. I dk if it's a racing bike per se -- I
think the staff at REI seemed to think it was an entry-level racing bike. I
used it as a club ride/commuter/light touring bike, and it was fine for
those purposes. I put 3000 - 5000 miles on it annually, slowing replacing
the 105 components with Ultegra as they wore out. I just sold it off to
someone for $125.

There's nothing for me to say about stiffness, as I really don't have an
opinion. It didn't feel particularly noodly to me, but something has to be
pretty flexy before I notice that sort of thing. It's reputation was that it
put more shock up through the butt than many people would like, but also, I
didn't particularly notice.

Probably my biggest bias in this matter is that I've been an REI member
since birth, and we spend a lot of time/money at the place as it is. I know
the personnel at the store and especially at the bike shop, and that makes a
difference to me. Which store are you looking to buy it from?

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
Sponsor me for the Big Climb! See: www.active.com/donate/cpetersky06
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky
 
Zix wrote:

>
> Can anybody offer any experiences / insights / advice
> on whether this might be a good bike to get? It's on sale
> locally is why I ask.
>
> Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
> having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
> my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
> and sale price and trying to be practical.
>

A friend of mine has one of these and she likes it just fine. She has
some biking experience so I'd say her opinion has value. In her case, it
was on sale plus she had some sort of REI credit for past purchases
making the bike net cost to her of about $700. I think it a steal at
that price for a new bike.

I rode it and it felt ok, but I'm not expert enough to be a bike critic.

-paul
 
Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> jim beam <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>>
>>>In article <[email protected]>,
>>> "Zix" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> [REI Novara]
>
>
>>>>I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
>>>>aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
>>>>and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
>>>>bike. Here is a link:
>>>>http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865

>
>
>>>>Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
>>>>having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
>>>>my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
>>>>and sale price and trying to be practical.
>>>
>>>
>>>Behold the Approved Standard rbt answer:

>
>
>>>-the feel of "stiffness" is best tuned by adjusting your bike's tire
>>>pressure in 5 psi increments. There are only a few exceptions, most
>>>notoriously the infamously whippy Vitus 979 frames. The second most
>>>important factor in the ride of a bike is probably frame geometry,
>>>followed by the type of bar tape you use.

>>
>>that's parody, right? tire pressure has absolutely ZERO effect on a
>>frame's mechanical properties or a wheel's mechanical properties, both
>>of which are significant factors in ride quality. it may be ok to joke
>>about this stuff once in a while, but it's dangerous here on r.b.t.
>>because repetition means people start to believe the most outrageous
>>b.s. as "fact".

>
>
> Jim, I hope I'm not misrepresenting others here, but my impression is
> that one regular in this newsgroup who makes his living designing and
> selling titanium frames (Mark Hickey) and one regular in this newsgroup
> who literally wrote the book on bicycle wheels (Jobst Brandt) have both
> basically said that given the relative amounts of flex in an inflated
> tire (significant by design) and virtually any bike frame or wheel
> (magnitudes smaller), the chance of the frame or wheel's "ride quality"
> being discernible to any sensible degree is virtually nil.


well, i wouldn't call hickey a "designer". he merely parrots anything
brandt says, has no interest in data acquisition and doesn't know what
modulus is. brandt otoh uses deliberately misleading examples to try to
convince either himself or others that he knows what he's talking about.
if a bike had /no/ tires, it would still react to loading based on its
structure. the fact that loading still ends up being transmitted to the
bike via the tires cannot be avoided - a 200lb person sitting on a bike
still exerts a 200lb load regardless of tire pressure.
>
> I would treat geometry considerations separately: angles and dimensions
> affect how a bike feels in interesting ways, but most bikes exist within
> fairly small variations on these parameters.
>
> I know you disagree, but I judge the "tire-supremacist" arguments as the
> most reasonable explanation. My own experience has been that frame
> materials are not very important to bike feel, but I would not put
> myself forward as an expert.
>

i don't know much about tires either, but i know a bit about materials
and their application, and i can say with certainty that the structural
attributes of a bike are /not/ affected by tire pressure. and it's the
structural attributes that affect the way a bike reacts to you riding it.
 
> i don't know much about tires either, but i know a bit about materials and
> their application, and i can say with certainty that the structural
> attributes of a bike are /not/ affected by tire pressure. and it's the
> structural attributes that affect the way a bike reacts to you riding it.


I think the point being made was more relevant to tires affecting *comfort*
of the ride. Frame "stiffness" obviously isn't affected by anything you toss
onto it, but overall comfort is definitely impacted by tire choice.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com


"jim beam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> jim beam <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>>>
>>>>In article <[email protected]>,
>>>> "Zix" <[email protected]> wrote:

>>
>>
>> [REI Novara]
>>
>>
>>>>>I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
>>>>>aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
>>>>>and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
>>>>>bike. Here is a link:
>>>>>http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865

>>
>>
>>>>>Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
>>>>>having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
>>>>>my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
>>>>>and sale price and trying to be practical.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Behold the Approved Standard rbt answer:

>>
>>
>>>>-the feel of "stiffness" is best tuned by adjusting your bike's tire
>>>>pressure in 5 psi increments. There are only a few exceptions, most
>>>>notoriously the infamously whippy Vitus 979 frames. The second most
>>>>important factor in the ride of a bike is probably frame geometry,
>>>>followed by the type of bar tape you use.
>>>
>>>that's parody, right? tire pressure has absolutely ZERO effect on a
>>>frame's mechanical properties or a wheel's mechanical properties, both of
>>>which are significant factors in ride quality. it may be ok to joke
>>>about this stuff once in a while, but it's dangerous here on r.b.t.
>>>because repetition means people start to believe the most outrageous b.s.
>>>as "fact".

>>
>>
>> Jim, I hope I'm not misrepresenting others here, but my impression is
>> that one regular in this newsgroup who makes his living designing and
>> selling titanium frames (Mark Hickey) and one regular in this newsgroup
>> who literally wrote the book on bicycle wheels (Jobst Brandt) have both
>> basically said that given the relative amounts of flex in an inflated
>> tire (significant by design) and virtually any bike frame or wheel
>> (magnitudes smaller), the chance of the frame or wheel's "ride quality"
>> being discernible to any sensible degree is virtually nil.

>
> well, i wouldn't call hickey a "designer". he merely parrots anything
> brandt says, has no interest in data acquisition and doesn't know what
> modulus is. brandt otoh uses deliberately misleading examples to try to
> convince either himself or others that he knows what he's talking about.
> if a bike had /no/ tires, it would still react to loading based on its
> structure. the fact that loading still ends up being transmitted to the
> bike via the tires cannot be avoided - a 200lb person sitting on a bike
> still exerts a 200lb load regardless of tire pressure.
>>
>> I would treat geometry considerations separately: angles and dimensions
>> affect how a bike feels in interesting ways, but most bikes exist within
>> fairly small variations on these parameters.
>>
>> I know you disagree, but I judge the "tire-supremacist" arguments as the
>> most reasonable explanation. My own experience has been that frame
>> materials are not very important to bike feel, but I would not put myself
>> forward as an expert.
>>

> i don't know much about tires either, but i know a bit about materials and
> their application, and i can say with certainty that the structural
> attributes of a bike are /not/ affected by tire pressure. and it's the
> structural attributes that affect the way a bike reacts to you riding it.
 
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Avoid aluminum road bikes if you desire comfort. For all day rides find
> a steel frame. Novars bike have a good reputation. I'd advise to find
> a ike that is comfortable first.


Well, that advice is a bit vague. Cannondale's made aluminum framed touring
bikes for a long time, and their bikes have been ridden millions of miles. A
well designed aluminum touring bike with big fat tires should be very
comfortable. However, I rode a KHS racing bike with 23s that was a
tooth-rattler. I don't know if this was a frame material issue, a tire size
issue, a geometry issue, or a combination of any or all of those.
 
Zix wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Here is in the USA we have a co-op outdoor store chain
> called Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) which has its own
> brand of bikes called Novara.
>
> I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
> aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
> and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
> bike. Here is a link:
> http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865
>
> >From a parts perspective it looks good to me (I'm not

> a bike mechanic, nor rich) but I don't know about the frame.
> I was told by a salesman it was made in Taiwan by the same
> manufacturer that makes the Litespeed. I haven't verified that
> claim with the customer service people yet.
>
> Can anybody offer any experiences / insights / advice
> on whether this might be a good bike to get? It's on sale
> locally is why I ask.
>
> Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
> having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
> my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
> and sale price and trying to be practical.
>
> Thanks.


I have a Novara (steel road) bike that I purchased in the early '90s,
which I recently upgraded the drivetrain to 10s. I think they are a
great value when they are on sale.

The staff/parts stock at the local stores makes a big difference,
subject to huge variability between different locations. At the time
of purchase, my front wheel had schrader (the rear had presta), which I
insisted that they replace (and they did). I was a bike mechanic in a
former life, so I replaced the ill-fitting stock stem/handlebar with
some Modolo's which they had in stock. They didn't seem to be
happy/willing with doing the replacement work at the time, so I did it
myself, on the premises, before I bought it. (Yes, IOW, service was
poor at the store where I bought it, but I didn't really care since I
knew what I was doing. YMMV)

I cannot attest to their (or anyone else's) Al frames since I have a
personal bias against Al, un-alignable and harsh rides. In my
experience most stock Al frames are misaligned, and can't be corrected.
This bias against Al was from a few experiences riding my brother's
Cannondale, which he un-coincidentally, no longer rides.
 
Gooserider wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Avoid aluminum road bikes if you desire comfort. For all day rides find
>>a steel frame. Novars bike have a good reputation. I'd advise to find
>>a ike that is comfortable first.

>
>
> Well, that advice is a bit vague. Cannondale's made aluminum framed touring
> bikes for a long time, and their bikes have been ridden millions of miles. A
> well designed aluminum touring bike with big fat tires should be very
> comfortable. However, I rode a KHS racing bike with 23s that was a
> tooth-rattler. I don't know if this was a frame material issue, a tire size
> issue, a geometry issue, or a combination of any or all of those.
>
>

combination. my aluminum nashbar definitely promotes dentistry. my
aluminum bianchi with curved rear stays is so comfy you could use it in
front of the tv. go figure.
 
Mike Jacoubowsky wrote:
>>i don't know much about tires either, but i know a bit about materials and
>>their application, and i can say with certainty that the structural
>>attributes of a bike are /not/ affected by tire pressure. and it's the
>>structural attributes that affect the way a bike reacts to you riding it.

>
>
> I think the point being made was more relevant to tires affecting *comfort*
> of the ride. Frame "stiffness" obviously isn't affected by anything you toss
> onto it, but overall comfort is definitely impacted by tire choice.


we agree. but tires are not the /only/ thing affecting comfort as some
would have us believe.

>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
> www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>
> "jim beam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>>
>>>In article <[email protected]>,
>>> jim beam <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Ryan Cousineau wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>In article <[email protected]>,
>>>>>"Zix" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>[REI Novara]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
>>>>>>aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
>>>>>>and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
>>>>>>bike. Here is a link:
>>>>>>http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
>>>>>>having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
>>>>>>my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
>>>>>>and sale price and trying to be practical.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Behold the Approved Standard rbt answer:
>>>
>>>
>>>>>-the feel of "stiffness" is best tuned by adjusting your bike's tire
>>>>>pressure in 5 psi increments. There are only a few exceptions, most
>>>>>notoriously the infamously whippy Vitus 979 frames. The second most
>>>>>important factor in the ride of a bike is probably frame geometry,
>>>>>followed by the type of bar tape you use.
>>>>
>>>>that's parody, right? tire pressure has absolutely ZERO effect on a
>>>>frame's mechanical properties or a wheel's mechanical properties, both of
>>>>which are significant factors in ride quality. it may be ok to joke
>>>>about this stuff once in a while, but it's dangerous here on r.b.t.
>>>>because repetition means people start to believe the most outrageous b.s.
>>>>as "fact".
>>>
>>>
>>>Jim, I hope I'm not misrepresenting others here, but my impression is
>>>that one regular in this newsgroup who makes his living designing and
>>>selling titanium frames (Mark Hickey) and one regular in this newsgroup
>>>who literally wrote the book on bicycle wheels (Jobst Brandt) have both
>>>basically said that given the relative amounts of flex in an inflated
>>>tire (significant by design) and virtually any bike frame or wheel
>>>(magnitudes smaller), the chance of the frame or wheel's "ride quality"
>>>being discernible to any sensible degree is virtually nil.

>>
>>well, i wouldn't call hickey a "designer". he merely parrots anything
>>brandt says, has no interest in data acquisition and doesn't know what
>>modulus is. brandt otoh uses deliberately misleading examples to try to
>>convince either himself or others that he knows what he's talking about.
>>if a bike had /no/ tires, it would still react to loading based on its
>>structure. the fact that loading still ends up being transmitted to the
>>bike via the tires cannot be avoided - a 200lb person sitting on a bike
>>still exerts a 200lb load regardless of tire pressure.
>>
>>>I would treat geometry considerations separately: angles and dimensions
>>>affect how a bike feels in interesting ways, but most bikes exist within
>>>fairly small variations on these parameters.
>>>
>>>I know you disagree, but I judge the "tire-supremacist" arguments as the
>>>most reasonable explanation. My own experience has been that frame
>>>materials are not very important to bike feel, but I would not put myself
>>>forward as an expert.
>>>

>>
>>i don't know much about tires either, but i know a bit about materials and
>>their application, and i can say with certainty that the structural
>>attributes of a bike are /not/ affected by tire pressure. and it's the
>>structural attributes that affect the way a bike reacts to you riding it.

>
>
>
 
"Zix" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> Here is in the USA we have a co-op outdoor store chain
> called Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) which has its own
> brand of bikes called Novara.
>
> I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
> aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
> and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
> bike. Here is a link:
> http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865
>
>>From a parts perspective it looks good to me (I'm not

> a bike mechanic, nor rich) but I don't know about the frame.
> I was told by a salesman it was made in Taiwan by the same
> manufacturer that makes the Litespeed. I haven't verified that
> claim with the customer service people yet.
>
> Can anybody offer any experiences / insights / advice
> on whether this might be a good bike to get? It's on sale
> locally is why I ask.
>
> Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
> having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
> my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
> and sale price and trying to be practical.
>
> Thanks.
>


my 2003 Strada is getting close to 10k miles. i love the bike!it fits great.
im kinda tall with medium to long torso & other bikes were too much of a
scrunch, but get what fits you! when i bought it was the only bike with
105's less that $1K. i wouldnt call it a racing bike. i use mine for
communting on rough streets. the alum frame w/carbon fork is a great combo
(the fork offers a little more give in the front). only real problems are
the spokes were **** & rebuilt the wheels with no more probs there, and
there is no room for a regular fender in front or rear but i use a clip-on
mtb fender in the rear and wear waterproof socks in the front. if you are an
rei member & can wait there is a 20% off any 1 reg priced item sale later
this spring. it's a good time to buy something big.
-alan (seattle)
 
-also rei seattle main store has great support. they will help fit and align
the cleats etc...
 
Claire Petersky wrote:

> put more shock up through the butt than many peo ple would like


Since you are American, I believe the correct and patriotic expression
is "shock and awe".

Please, do your part to support the President in this time of war.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"greggery peccary" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> "Zix" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Here is in the USA we have a co-op outdoor store chain
> > called Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) which has its own
> > brand of bikes called Novara.
> >
> > I was looking at their Strada racing bike which has an
> > aluminum frame and Shimano 105 components in 5 places,
> > and I was curious if anyone had any experience with this
> > bike. Here is a link:
> > http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...productId=47968697&parent_category_rn=4500865
> >
> >>From a parts perspective it looks good to me (I'm not

> > a bike mechanic, nor rich) but I don't know about the frame.
> > I was told by a salesman it was made in Taiwan by the same
> > manufacturer that makes the Litespeed. I haven't verified that
> > claim with the customer service people yet.
> >
> > Can anybody offer any experiences / insights / advice
> > on whether this might be a good bike to get? It's on sale
> > locally is why I ask.
> >
> > Personally I am not sure that an Alu frame is for me,
> > having experienced for a year the Alu stiffness factor in
> > my previous bike, but I'm responding to the components
> > and sale price and trying to be practical.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >

>
> my 2003 Strada is getting close to 10k miles. i love the bike!it fits great.
> im kinda tall with medium to long torso & other bikes were too much of a
> scrunch, but get what fits you! when i bought it was the only bike with
> 105's less that $1K. i wouldnt call it a racing bike. i use mine for
> communting on rough streets. the alum frame w/carbon fork is a great combo
> (the fork offers a little more give in the front).


More than what? More than my Raleigh International,
Reynolds 531 fork blades?

[...]

--
Michael Press