Reading (For Dummies)

Novara Deadly

Long time no see. Yep.

I've been having a fun winter, all things considered. The Palouse are deathly cold (most of December was below zero, fahrenheit). I visited some family in Texas. I've just about given up driving, except for trips to the Man-Shack (more on this later) and the occasional cross-country ski trip. So yeah, life is good.

About the giving up on driving, I bought a new bicycle. It's a crazy commuter bike made by REI. It's fun, but it can be deadly in the cold, and REI is kind of giving me the run-around on that.

The problems with the 2009 Fusion are many. My attempts to say so on REI's web site are met with null messages (I attempt to post some concerns in the form of a review, and REI absorbs my complaints without letting anyone see them). I'm an REI Co-Op member and I say let's fire the webmaster...

The first problem with the bike is a pretty serious one for anyone that plans to ride it in the cold. The rear brake is a disc brake that sits inside the rear wheel triangle, nestled between the non-drive-side seatstay and chainstay. The cable goes into a cable sleeve at the bottom of the downtube, just above the bottom bracket. The sleeve then dives down under the bottom brake and back up to the chainstay, where it curves up a bit to meet the caliper itself. The sleeve forms a basin in which water settles. In cold weather, this water freezes, and the rear brake behaves erratically -- sometimes it is impossible to pull the rear brake, and other times you can pull it but then it refreezes with the cable pulled, efffectively locking up the rear wheel with no way to disengage the brake.

That problem will probably kill a cyclist sometime soon, and then REI will have a wonderful wrongful death suit on its hands. Or something.

The other problem with the bike is their choice of tires and fenders. The tires are 700x32c, and they don't leave enough clearance for studded snow tires. 700x35c tires will just barely fit, though you'll have to tweak both the front and rear fenders a little to give them enough clearance. Finding 700x35c studs can be pretty difficult. I've tried two varieties in this size: Innova and Kenda Klondike "Skinny" tires. The Kenda's are more expensive but a bit narrower and better-fitting than the Innovas. The Innova will fit in the front, but will be really really really tight in the rear (every so faintly scraping the fender). Buy accordingly.

Removing the rear wheel of the Fusion is not at all like some internet videos will have you believe. I bought the "Large" size frame. Removing the wheel requires removing two (non-quick-release) bolts, pulling the lever for the hub forward (towards the front of the bike) and simultaneously screwing the cable release with a pair of pliers. You then have to swing the kickstand down so that the wheel has enough room to come off the bicycle. You also have to remove the chain tensioner, because it doesn't allow enough swing to remove the wheel. Re-installing the wheel is made more fun by the fact that the washers on each side of the wheel are notched, and the main bolt that goes through the wheel has to be rotated so that the washers can fully engage.

If you get a rear tire flat on the road, you'll need these tools to change your tube: 15mm box wrench, 5mm hex key, pliers, in addition to the usually tire pries and spare tube. Kind of annoying, and not very easy to do on the road.

All that aside it's still a fun bike, with a lot to love. I just wish that REI would let people post the cons on their website, instead of being utter noobs and trying to keep the bad quiet.

Please note that there is an update to this post...