Opinions wanted on Novara bikes

[foxfirefey]

Soooo I am apparently a member at REI which means until 4/18 I can get 20% off of a Novara bike, and I kind of like the looks of the Novara Mia 2010. Would this be a decent idea? I'm thinking I could probably try it out at my local REI. It's certainly not my only option; I could also go for a used cycle at Recyled Cycles. It's starting to get very nice outside, and I think I might want to start testing out bike commuting.

Comments

[killing_rose]

I think Novara's what one of the relatives had 2, 3 years ago. It was a good mountain bike for quick mountain cycling on a semi-regular basis; not a great bike for anything else. Definitely couldn't stand up to the hell I put my bikes through on a daily basis--on road, off road, on trail, off trail, and a couple streams besides.

But if I didn't know that? The bike's damned shiny. I like the frame and the design; if it were me in the market (as it will be in another year), I'd go for a similar design, just a different brand.