Description:FS is the acronym for Full-Suspension but we think you'll be able to think of a few others; Free-Spirit, how about Freaking-Spectacular. Stay in control on bone-jarring trails and bottomless curbs with the super travel and compression of Judy RockShox. RS Deluxe rear shock smoothes out the bumps and keeps the wheel on the trail for solid traction. The Shimano component group keeps you in the saddle and on the trail with reliable, quick shifting and braking action. Durable lightweight Ritchey Comp/OCR rims are mounted with trail-gripping Ritchey Z-Max tires. The anatomically designed WTB Speed V Comp saddle provides all-day comfort. Ritchey Rizer Competition grade bars have the optimum bend, rise and sweep to reduce fatigue. Wellgo pedals come equipped with toe cages installed. Available in M(17"), L(19") and XL(21"). Each bike ordered online is shipped with a genuine Park Tool.
Submitted by
danielle
a Weekend Warrior
from lowell Date Reviewed: May 23, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
500
Strengths:
Nice light frame, great value for the money, nice group for an entry level cross country bike. this review is for the 2005 novara ponderosa fsl.
Weaknesses:
i dont know how rei (novara is made by rei) measures their frames, but they seem to run bigger than most normal bikes. it would be nice if their small 15 inch bike had a top tube that dropped, similar to a cannondale or a specialized. i find this bike hard to fit anyone under 5'7 or so.
Similar Products Used:
k2 attack 2.0, specialized enduro comp
Bike Setup:
stock...fox float front & rear suspension, wtb laser disc lite hubs, wtb laser disc xc wheels, wtb epic wolf race tires, shimano lx shifters, f. deraillueur, xt r derailleur, truvativ stylo cranks
Bottom Line:
the bottom line is that this is a great bike for the money. i owned it for three months, then bought a specialed enduro frame and took all of the parts off the ponderosa and put them on the new frame. so i am still using a lot of the bike haha. the real problem is that rei has this bike set up for much taller people. i am 5'5 and was sitting on the top tube practially. i owned the 15 inch version, but when i measured it from middle of the bb to the top of the seat collar i got 17.5 inches, so i think they meausre to the top of the seatube. the stem was 110mm and usally on a 15 inch bike they are 90mm. the crank arms were 175mm and usually on a 15' bike they are 170mm. for sure this was set up like a medium sized bike and not a small. this is the smallest size they offer unless you want to get a girls bike, which they dont have in a cross country style.
that being said i really did like the bike except that it was the wrong size. it was much lighter than my k2 was, and the shifting and braking was great, everything was so smooth. thats why i moved all the parts over to a new frame haha. if you are at least 5'7 then this bike is a great deal.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
curt larson
a Cross Country Rider
from memphis tn usa Date Reviewed: April 14, 2005
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
rei
Strengths:
it is well puttogether for the money
Weaknesses:
the shifting group is just ok
Similar Products Used:
trek, k2,jamis
Bike Setup:
stoke
Bottom Line:
well done for a guy who just worked at rei and now is making bikes.. for the money it is a sweet deal
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
MARK
a Weekend Warrior
from WESTERN MASS Date Reviewed: August 4, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$650.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
SHARP LOOKING BIKE. DESCENT GROUP-O FOR THE PRICE. WTB COMPONETS BETTER THAN I EXPECTED. COMFORTABLE COCK-PIT. BIKE PERFORMED WELL IN TIGHT,SLOW,ROCKY,ROOTY AREA'S AS WELL AS THE DOWN HILL'S. I DID NOTICE IT TO BE A LOT SLOWER ON THE STEEP CLIMB'S THAN MY HARDTAIL.
Weaknesses:
NO QUICK RELEASE SEAT POST CLAMP. CRANKS, FRONT DERAIL., AND SHIFTERS SHOULD BE UPGRADED FROM NOVARA IF THEY ARE GOING TO LEAVE THE 1000.00 PRICE TAG ON IT. BUT AGAIN, FOR $650 IT WAS WORTH IT.
Similar Products Used:
GIANT WARP 2, TREK FUEL 80
Bike Setup:
STOCK. PROBABLY WILL UPGRADE THE CRANKS FIRST. SEAT STILL A QUESTION MARK
Bottom Line:
HARD TO BEAT FOR THE MONEY, FULL SUSPENSION !!!!!!!!DONT EXPECT A SUPER PLUSH SUGAR 3 RIDE BUT THEN AGAIN IT'S NOT 2000.00 DOLLARS. NOT WORTH $1000.00 BUT DEF. WORTH IT IF YOU CAN FIND A DEAL.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Lafayette CO. U.S.A. Date Reviewed: July 22, 2002
Favorite Trail:
Still searching
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$895.00
Purchased At:
REI Boulder
Strengths:
Good value for the money. Suspension remains active during climbs. I'm 5"11' tall but the 15' frame was still a good fit for me, smaller=lighter and more maneuverable. Noncomissioned salespeople at REI.
Weaknesses:
Some Bob when pedaling hard, although no more on the hills than the flats. This is not exactly a product weakness but the pre-delivery "tune up" was worthless, I had to adjust nearly everything on the first ride to get the bike to function properly. I suppose this is the risk you take when you buy from a store that sells more than just Bicycles.
Similar Products Used:
Fisher Sugar 3+
Bike Setup:
Shimano 515 pedals
Bottom Line:
My first ride on this bike was the extremely rocky Sourdough trail. On my old rigid bike this trail would have caused everything from carpal tunnel syndrome to erectile dysfunction. On my new Ponderosa it was quite fun. Not as plush as the Sugar 3+ I tested but I don't feel deprived. It's a good value but you do get what you pay for, low end drivetrain and suspension. However the bike works well and is light enough for the casual rider so does it really matter? As Mountain bike technology seems to advance so rapidly I would personally prefer to spend less and upgrade more often than drop a huge wad of cash and feel like I have to hold onto the bike for a long time to get my moneys worth.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Cory
a
from Corvallis, OR Date Reviewed: January 2, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$530.00
Purchased At:
REI
Strengths:
This bike was so inexpensive for what I got. F/S bike, weight same as bike wice as much, comfortable and performance DH oriented with upgrade.
Weaknesses:
REI had to sacrifce somewhere for the price. Comes with cheezey botteom bracket and crankset. I already went straight to xt derailures,and deore level up cranks. Just because
Similar Products Used:
GT 4.0, GT nrs, GT lts
Bike Setup:
Aluminum frame, box tubing where it counts, oversize tubing and geometry is similar to many like K2 and fishers new sugar
Bottom Line:
can't beat the price, this bike can take a beating and with some component upgrades definately trail worthy. Would have liked to see a better front and rear shock, but for 500 bucks what the hell.
$ 799.99
Overall Rating:
Overall Rating:
