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05/11/2008
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Norco for 2008
Whet your appetite
Click images to enlarge
Cam McRae
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It's always tricky attending a media launch during a busy event like Crankworx.
Ideally I like to be able to ride as many bikes as possible and immerse myself
in new lines. With the Slopestyle qualifier going off - and 5 team nsmb
riders competing - my attention was divided. Luckily I managed to get on
two solid rides and I had a chance to see almost everything up close. This
will be a first taste of what Norco's sending to market in 2008.
That looks a lot like a Team DH. The A-Line Park Edition
makes a bold entrance. In Canada it'll set you back $4050 while the regular
A Line is $3050.
The first ride I saddled up was the A-Line. I had ridden the first A-Line
model a couple of years back and it didn't light my fire. I found it a little
tall and a touch on the heavy side. Last year Norco trickled the previous
year's Team DH frame down the line and re-badged it as the A-Line. This
year the Team DH and A Line frames appear to be identical. This move has borne
some juicy fruit and the A-Line I rode this year was pretty much rock solid.
I liked the spec, the geometry (even though I was crunching my six foot frame
into a size small) and I was particularly impressed with the way it cornered.
This thing ate up berms well enough to justify its name. The 888 RCV fork
performed admirably with one exception; it would top out whenever the front
end was pre-loaded and pushed off the ground. I hate this feeling and it's
noticeable on most Marzoccchi forks I try. Cranking the rebound cures the
problem but then the fork is too slow. The Roco on the other hand was lively
and predictable and the Code brakes and SRAM drivetrain were perfect choices.
Nice bike.
That's a Norco Shore? You bet it is. The 2008 model is
new from the knobs up. This is the Shore 1 priced at $4550 Canadian.
The other bike I rode was the new Norco Shore. With hydroformed tubes,
an interrupted seattube and a low shock placement this ride has much in common
with Specialized's Demo models. With Norco licensing FSR technology from
Specialized it's hardly surprising that their frames would evolve in similar
directions.
The new silhouette attracted a lot of attention rolling through the village
but it was even more of a star on the trail. Norco calls this a bike that
can be climbed so we figured an off mountain adventure was in order. We
did some trudging and found ourselves at the top of a sweet line above Creekside.
This particular route is steep and sketchy and I wasn't sure how the Shore would
fare. It really felt like a small bike to begin with. It's nice
and light and it has more standover than other Norcos I've ridden and it didn't
feel like enough bike for the steepness ahead. Once we rolled in the 1.5"
Totem, tilted at 66 degrees felt great. In fact I began to get downright
rowdy on the Shore. This bike hits the right balance between DH stability
and small bike playfulness. Guess where this bike would be right at home?
With 7" travel front and rear, manageable weight and solid spec (aside
from post, grips and pedals there was nothing I wanted to change after one ride)
this is truly a Norco to lust after. The Shore was the highlight of the 2008
line for me and most of the other journalists I spoke to.
The Fluid LT (the 2 is shown) - a burlier build for riders who
want to get into some trouble. The LT 2 will lighten your wallet by $3700
Canuck bucks.
The Fluid LT gives a telling look into the product development cycle.
Norco found that riders were building Fluids up a little burlier than stock
and taking them on some serious adventures. Seeing this as an opportunity
the product team decided to build something that was ready for this crowd out
of the box. The LT has an inch of travel on the 'regular' Fluid (160 vs
130mm) and each model has an adjustable travel fork.
What do you think so far? Anyone ordering a 2008 Shore? Send
it here.
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