AdvXtrm

So says an REI rep when answering this question,

"Red Rover · 19 days ago
Why is this bicycle on sale? Is there a new model coming out?

REIservice · 18 hours ago
The Safari bike is being discontinued. REI will have new bike models coming out in early 2017."

https://www.rei.com/product/874998/n...fari-bike-2016

I'm curious to know if the model is actually being discontinued, or if it's just that a new version is being released. Perhaps this is the end of the road for the Safari after all of these years. I just bought one, and I really love it so far.

indyfabz

I was no English major in college, but it sounds like it has been discontinued.

pdlamb

I'd guess the odds are 50/50. I've heard similar things about the Randonee a few times, and at least so far when new bikes came in the next spring, they were in the shipment.

alan s 

No idea, but they are probably taking up valuable space on the floor. MTBs, hybrids and road bikes fit the bill for 99% of the market. Last time I was at REI, the bike mechanic looked flustered. He had the task of assembling dozens of MTBs for an upcoming sale, and didn't have time to work on bikes.

fietsbob

My guess : 'Mazama' will be the touring bike from them.

Darth Lefty 

Three touring models is probably too many for a store brand, and they do conflict

chintanjadwani

Hopefully they'll have a 26" version too in the new line up!

BigAura

REI seems to periodically closeout and redesign the Safari model (and its other bikes). Fashion & merchandising are a large part of what drives retailers and REI is no exception. The Mazama seems a nod to the rise in popularity of no-longer-boutique bike-packing style rigging. I'm guessing you'll see a continued merchandising differentiation with a somewhat redesigned Safari as a pannier oriented rig.

mstateglfr 

Now if REI could just manage to build the Mazama(and other bikes) to handle more than 250# of total weight.
Rider plus gear limit of 250# really limits a lot of what is already a small segment of the market.

AdvXtrm

I'm sure that's nothing more than an "artificial limit" set by their legal team. I think a minimum limit of at least 280 would be more realistic.

mstateglfr 

Probably. Or maybe just perhaps.
Thats the thing, you are guessing.

Without such a sticker, i wouldnt even consider rider+pack weight to be an issue, but its slapped on there clear as day.

You mention its the legal team. Ok, maybe. But Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, etc dont have that weight limit.

I bought a Black Mountain Cycles frame last month. Butted cromoly tig welded from Taiwan frame. No weight limit listed.

Trek and Specialized are at 300# for their adventure/touring bikes. But tig'd cromoly Novara bikes are only 250#. A shame.

BigAura

I tend to agree with:

As far as REI is concerned, they may be dealing with more customers asking bike weight vs carry capacity. Bike weight seems to be carryover from the racing world and a common checked-point with new bike purchasers. I'd guess REI's content to leave your "small segment" to others.

Surly is a manufacturer that over-builds their bikes with little to no emphasis on the weight of the bike. They state that 300lbs carry-weight is fine and my guess is 350 is probably realistic. Of course they also make the Big Dummy that is set to take on virtually any load.

AlanK

It seems it's not the only discontinued Novara model. Apparently, REI is replacing/rebranding all their Novara bikes:

https://gearjunkie.com/rei-bike-brand-co-op-cycles

robow

Couldn't they come up with a more elegant name for the bike line other than Co-Op? Marketing gem right there for sure.

Q: "What kind of bike is that?"

A: "It's a Co-Op."

"Oh" thinking to himself, what a tightwad, "Do you go by robow?"

mstateglfr 

Thought the same thing. They want to market the barnd at a higher level...co-op just doesnt do that in my mind. Ill still probably like their offerings, just like i did the Novara products, but i wont hear that name and synonymously link it with upper end.

Mindblown. Hopefully they keep many of the features that made bikes like the Mazama and Randonee such great products.

AlanK

I agree. It might be spot on, but in terms of pizzazz and being memorable, it falls flat.

It terms out there's already a thread for this topic, started about 3 days ago, so we should probably continue the discussion there:

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cy...op-cycles.html

bikemig 

I have a hard time believing that a chrome moly frame, 36 spoke wheels, and 700 x 48c tires can only handle 250 lbs (rider plus gear). I don't find this to be a credible limit.

mstateglfr 

Some group got them to create a weight limit and talked em into it being very conservative...heh heh.

But yes I totally agree. It should easily hold more than the legal stated limit.

3speed

I don't quite understand the issue with a 250lb weight limit. I don't Think most people weight more than 200. Maybe I'm wrong. That leaves you 50lb for gear. That's a hell of a lot of gear weight. I certainly wouldn't want to be close to that. I shoot for less than 25lbs personally.

Edit: I just checked and the average weight of a US male is 190lbs. That still leaves a pretty big gap to 210 with 40lbs of gear before you hit 250lbs. I bet their weight limit covers the large majority of the population.

1Mule

I've got a 2014 Randonee, I weigh 260 and have toured with 4 panniers and a rack pack, roughly 40 pounds of gear 1,800 miles so far without a problem. That weight recommendation is conservative lawyer speak.

1Mule

Bought my girlfriend a Safari last year for her birthday, I had to instal one of those stem risers on it for her, swapped out the crankset for a 42/32/22 and added Surly Nice Racks front and rear, it's her "go-to" bike for running around town now, she loves that bike.

mstateglfr 

Its an issue because, by what most here can see, the limit is absurdly low.
Its low compared to the competition.
Its low when considering the materials used.
Its low considering the average weight of a male user.

REI's adventure and touring bikes are really great products as they are overally well designed and spec'd for the price. This weight limit is a glaring mark against them though and may push buyers elsewhere. Thats the issue.

Yes, the average male is 190. Look around- there are a whole lot over that weight...right about half of all men, actually.
A 6' tall 220# man shouldnt have to even take overall weight into consideration when packing 30# of gear(racks, bags, water, clothes, camping gear, etc) on a cromoly bike with 36 spoke wheels. That person shouldnt have to think whether or not he will exceed the warrantied weight limit of the bike. That just isnt an excessively large man and excessive gear.

fietsbob

Well REI is a Consumer Co Op , why are you hung up over branding ?, they didn't burn one in your skin..

FrenchFit 

REI has a host of problems, including their wrestling with their "Novara" brand for years. I believe they were set for a major brand overhaul a few years ago, then ran into problem when the new branding strategy wasn't vetted properly. Is "Co-Op" more hi-end? Humm...

One more set-back, and more to come. It's tough to be your hometown co-op, and a national retailer with 12K employees and 6Mil members at the same time. Of course, a significant number of those 6Mil members are pets of members registered to score additional annual coupons...another REI eccentricity.

'Homeless and starving' Seattle employees demand REI union

himespau 

Reminds me of Netflix's failed Quickster.