When you win the Crankworx Slopestyle your stock rockets through
the roof. There's probably no better way to make your sponsor smile these
days - so
Norco has rewarded Ben with a Slopestyle bike designed exactly to
his specifications; the Norco Five. At Crankworx Ben was on a Norco Six and
because of the way the genre of slopestyle is developing he felt that a few
changes could make the bike even better for most courses. The Five is the
culmination of that effort. I had a chance to talk to Ben about the bike and
how it came to be.
The new Norco Five
- anxiously awaiting the spring melt. This is a prototype used for R&D
purposes - not Ben's actual bike.
nsmb - Can you tell me what you were shooting for with the design?
Ben Boyko - The point was
to design a bike that would match today's slopestyle bike courses. Seeing
as slopestyle courses these days seem to be getting more technical and moving
more towards dirt jump courses, I needed a bike that would be better for
dirt jumping but still be able to absorb a 25 ft drop. I figured a five inch
travel bike with a steeper head tube, lower bb, shorter back end with a five
inch fork would be an perfect for newer style courses. My six is perfect
for big step downs but a little to plush and slack for dirt jumping and technical
trix. Seeing as the 4xxxx is too small for Big drops, I designed a bike
that was between the 4xxxx and the six, I think there is an
entire world of mountain biking to be done with the bike that is in between
two old school purposes.
A Fox DHX Air keeps
the weight down while serving up 5" of travel.
nsmb - What is important in a bike for Slopestyle?
Ben Boyko - What is important
in a bike for slopestyle changes every course. Back in the day, who ever had
the biggest bike could make it to the bottom in one piece. The times have changed
to more technical stunts and alot of dirt jumps. Courses are all different
and the required bikes range anywhere from a hard tail to a Seven inch freeride
bike. I think you can have an average slopestyle bike as long as the course
has a good average of mountain bike style jumps mixed with mountain bike style
stunts and step downs. Seeing that there has been an increased rate of riders
wanting to have input into the courses, I think the course builders will be
doing a better job of making a happy average course. I do think things will
be getting a little smaller, more technical jumps, steeper landings and tighter
which is why me and Charles desighned the Five.
Jamie Wakeling has
been riding this bike and this is his custom tweak. Again - this isn't Ben's
personal Bike.
nsmb - What other riding situations will the five be suited to?
Ben Boyko - Dirt jumping, four
cross racing, Slopestyle, A line, jump trails and basically everything a 4inch
bike would be used for.
You'll see this bike
under Ben at Crankworx 08 where he'll be gunning to repeat.
Right now there are 10 of these frames in the world and they will only be
available for Norco Factory Team riders and selected test pilots. In
2009 you can expect to see the Five in the Norco line as a frame only and
as a complete bike - possibly in two trim levels. Because of the low
shock placement the bike will not be front derailleur compatible
What do you think? A bike you can dirt jump and
do 25 foot drops on? Anything you'd change? Tell
us what you think here...
For more on Norco and their 2008 line of bikes click here.
