NSMB.e.MAGAZINE - Freeride, Extreme and North Shore style Mountain Biking

I always have big plans for Dirt Demo: arrive early, ride 15 bikes (sought after new machines only) and then get home early to write about it all. Getting bikes can be a bit like securing a date with Angeline Jolie. There's a long line up of dudes ahead of you and many have fatter wallets and better abs. When it's three of us trying to find bikes at the same time it's a gong show for sure - but we managed to connect the dots twice for a total of six bikes. First on my list was the Norco Six. I rode the tasty new Shore at Whistler and I was jazzed to see the bike evolve into something lower, lighter and more lively than before. What puzzled me some was how Norco would differentiate the prospective rider for the two bikes. Looking at them they appear identical but close inspection reveals some key distinctions.

The Six boasts a similar silhouette but it slims things down further with a 1 1/8 headtube vs. 1.5, a 135 rear hub vs. 150 on the Shore and a Fox DHX Air rear shock instead of. a Marzocchi Roco Coil. The Six One I rode is said to tip the scales at just 35lbs with 6" of travel front and rear (the Shore One is a shade under 41 lbs.). The Six shared the confidence inspiring, quick out of the corners feel the Shore displays but with air front and rear it didn't have the Shore's teenaged bounce. It smoothed things out nicely and it loves to turn but the Shore has that little bit extra that makes you want to - dare I say it...shred.

If you like to earn your vertical the Six would be a better choice. 35 pounds is a sweet spot to hit for a bike capable of anything in the Whistler Bike Park and much more. This is a bike that wouldn't shy away from the nastiest lines on the Shore - thanks to it's low slung geometry, low leverage ratio and a head tube that is just relaxed enough to go down anything and yet not so slack that it's slow when things get tight. To me the Six, like the Shore, represent a new level of achievement for Norco.

My second mission was to get on Trek's new suspension platform. The Fuel EX has a revolutionary new pivot location. The rearmost pivot isn't a Horst Link (which pivots just ahead of the rear axle on the chainstays) and nor is it what those without access to the Horst Link patent use (above the rear axle on the seatstay). The Fuel Ex has a pivot that rotates concentric to the rear axle. In essence the rear axle is the pivot. Trek figures this is the Holy Grail and that this placement 'creates less suspension stiffening under braking loads.'

Now I'd love to tell you that I can confirm and deny this claim but alas this is not the case. I can tell you that it felt like the climb we did was easy on the Fuel but for someone who normally rides bikes that are 40 lbs + a carbon fibre ride that weighs below 26 lbs is bound to ease the up. On the way down we rode Girl Scout - which my friend John Schafer from mtbr figures is his favourite trail - anywhere. It hugs the contour and weaves in and out valleys and rolls up and down the natural undulations in the earth. What makes it amazing is how rarely you need to clamp on the binders. Bermed corners and well planned ascents mean you can stay off the brakes for long stretches. This is a great for riding enjoyment but less suitable for evaluating brake jack.

The good news is that it sounds like I'll be going to Copper Canyon Mexico in November to ride the Fuel's big brother; The Remedy. The six inch version of the Fuel replicates the Active Braking Pivot and the Full Floater suspension. Full Floater means that the rear shock is mounted between the rocker and an extension of the swingarm at the bottom. The idea is that the leverage ratio can be tuned to suit the rear shock. Trek has made an inherent falling rate

Cam McRae - keep scrolling for more words and photos from Ed Snyder and David Ferguson.

The quick release skewer runs right through the pivot on the Remedy. Photo ~ David Ferguson

David Ferguson loves making friends at Interbike. This lovely lass was helping people stay powered up at the Power Bar booth. Photo ~ Cam McRae

Norco Fluid LT
A nice light trail bike with super hard skinny tires to take the virgin run down bootleg canyon’s dusty playground. We snared rides from Norco and caught the early shuttle up the hill to beat the lines. After dropping about 30 psi out of the front tire I still had about 30 more to get me down the trail but the added traction was welcome on the marbled surface. The bike floated beautifully over the roughest rock lines the canyon dished out but struggled a bit in the turns. The loose surface, skinny tires and the head tube that registered a bit on the high side combined to make turning at a speed above idle a challenge in the canyon. The parts spec was great, combining an XTR crank and XO rear derailleur;creating a welcome bit of comfort on unfamiliar ground. A couple of turns of positive rebound damping made the tail of the bike come in to line nicely. The Juicy carbons were near perfect and had modulated feel to spare, keeping me off the ragged edge more than once. Hospital rooms everywhere should endorse these brakes as great way to limit patient visits.

The Fluid LT - 137-158mm of travel in the rear. The Fluid LT has 6" of travel like the Norco Six but they are very different beasts. Photo ~ David Ferguson

Overall it was a fun, light (31 lbs.) trailbike that pedaled well and ate up straight rough terrain with ease. With a few runs of dialing to get the shocks working in harmony it would be a welcome all-mountain weapon in any weekend warrior’s arsenal.

Ellsworth Moment
My next trip in Bootleg Canyon was going to be a old-fashioned one... earning turns. The shuttle line had grown to unhappy lengths so we opted for a pedal half way up the canyon for our next run. I snared an Ellsworth Moment and was off up the fire road for a bit of old school butt-kicking. Cam and Fergs set a pace my newly-healed ankle balked at and I settled the surprisingly light rig in to a slower but steady pace towards the top. It was a very stable and even climbing platform that responded well to every pedal stroke. Despite its excellent ascending manners my mind was focused on what it could down for me on the way down. Once the trailhead was achieved and the armour was applied it was time to see what all the Ellsworth hype was about.

Ellsworth's Moment in the sun. Photo ~ David Ferguson

I was comfortable on the bike immediately and pushing the corners within the first few turns. By 200 metres I was in full 2-wheel drift and hooting all the way. The suspension was firm but not harsh and kept the tires pinned to the rolling trail. The bike handled G-outs and berms the same way it handled the climb up to them; steady and without a fuss. I had a great run down the canyon the Moment had a lot to do with that. It’s a bike that is easy to ride fast, up or down.

Ed Snyder loved the Ellsworth Moment. Photo ~ David Ferguson

And if hauling tail along the trail on the Moment solo isn’t enough thrill for you, you can always recruit a friend and try this beast on for size. Photo ~ David Ferguson

Overall it was great day at Bootleg Canyon and day two holds even more promise. We’ve got rides lined up and even more guests testers waiting in the wings. Day two should be all that day one was and more. Keep checking the site for updates throughout the day as we may even try a post or two live from the demo.

Ed Snyder

The Bionicon is not the six million dollar bike - but it is two bikes in one. Or is it a Transformer. Photo ~ David Ferguson

I was impressed with the suspension system on the Bionicon Edison Ltd (sram/truvative/formula/dt swiss). On the top end of the rear air shock sits an adapter that is connected via an internally routed hose to the fork and a valve control button on the handle bar. Pressing the control and then pushing down either on the front or the rear end of the bike causes that end to pivot down and the opposite end to pivot up. This is done by air moving back and forth between the fork and the adapter.

The Bionicon Edison in climbing mode (top) and downhill mode (bottom). Photo ~ David Ferguson

With the front end down, the bike is ready to tackle the climbs. In this position, the leverage ratio on the shock is reduced, thus stiffening up the back end. When you're ready to ride dh, hit the button again and push the back end down (causing the front to come up). With the air shock, the initial force required to set into the sag seemed a bit high, but once riding the suspension was very active and natural feeling. The bike handled well on the fast and flowy trails up in Bootleg Canyon. Travel is listed as 150mm on the front and 140mm in the rear. Look for a future review on NSMB of the Bionicon Super Shuttle and their unique suspension system.

David Ferguson

We're off to breakfast and then back to Bootleg Canyon for Day 2. Let us know how we did here.