Article by Corey Anderson

When I am not on my bike or stuck grinding away at work, I can usually be found on the patio or in the middle of my kitchen working on my ride - depending on the season. If my bike is 100 per cent, I'll be buried in a stack of bike mags or glued to the monitor reading up on what's new and exciting. As much as I may try to deny it, I actually think I might be a bit obsessed with the bike thing. I thrive on specs, build kits, geometry, and suspension. Like it or not, I am a bike nerd.

When I got the opportunity to share my experience with something new, I was finally able to take my level of obsession above and beyond what my close friends thought was possible. It was my turn to create an article like the ones that keep me so stoked on new gear. Here goes.

Introducing the 2003 Norco Team NS

Norco recognized a split in the applications of its previous "big bike" model: some riders were taking the Team DH and racing it, and others were kitting that same bike out for Shore riding. In order to cater to the needs of both types of riders Norco stepped up and created the Team NS to replace the Team DH as the flagship freeride model, and developed the Team Race (available as a frame-set only) to satisfy racers.

The Bike

The Team NS is finished in a unique bright blue, and attention to detail is impressive. All-new, moto-inspired graphics are sealed in under the clearcoat, which means no gouged up or peeling stickers after a summer of shuttles, chairlifts, and crashes.

The new frame design takes an already-successful platform to the next level. The 6061 aluminum monocoque front end now comes in three sizes, allowing the small, medium, and large bike sizes to be altered by a means other than the seat-mast lengths (as was the case with previous models). More notably, the new monocoque has allowed Norco to shorten the headtube from 140mm down to 120mm. Stand-over height has been increased significantly and the new headtube length accommodates greater fork height adjustment, giving riders the option of dropping the front end. The brace on previous models that spanned from the headtube to the bottom bracket has been replaced with a burly downtube that features a clean gusset at the headtube. The front derailleur option is still there, with cable guides added to the downtube.

The rear end has some subtle changes. Most obvious is the curved chainstays, designed to reduce chain slap on the rough stuff. The stays have also been lengthened to 440mm, lending to a slightly longer wheelbase than the previous year, and allowing greater rear tire clearance. Tubing thickness has been increased from 1.8mm to a full 2mm on both the seat- and chainstays. The Team NS is graced with a Hadley 12mm axle rear hub, and the shiny blue anodized finish is guaranteed to have your friends gawking on the trail. The beautifully machined hubs are pure quality and they

Curved stays for less slap and more clearance

work extremely well. Everything rotates on massive sealed cartridge bearings, and the audible buzz of the three pawls locking in as you roll delivers confidence in the right place. These hubs are rock solid, and fully user serviceable.

Rear Suspension

The Team NS has had the rear travel bumped up a full 8" via an 8.5" eye-to-eye, 2.5" stroke Fox Vanilla RC; you can also run it at 6.8" if you're so inclined. Norco worked with Fox USA to create rear dampers that are custom-valved for the frame's leverage ratio and travel. The end result is maximum performance out of the frame and damper, and a larger range of usable adjustment. All the pivots rotate on fully sealed cartridge bearings, ensuring long-term durability and the ability to withstand the wet and muddy conditions on the West Coast.

Inverted double crown goodness

The Fork Up front is a 2003 Marzocchi Shiver DC. The Shiver features 190mm of plush, inverted travel. Damping is controlled via dual Speed Sensitive Valves (SSV) with a High Speed Compression Valve (HSCV) open bath cartridge in each leg, with externally adjustable pre-load and rebound. The 35mm alloy stanchions protrude from the clean CNC alloy uppers, and the fork uses Marzocchi's new, adjustable bolt-on stem that attaches to the forged BAM top clamp. Make no mistake, this is one burly fork and after two years on the Monster T, I'm eager to see how it will perform in comparison. Pricing What's it going to cost to get you on a Team NS? Norco has done a good job in giving you quality equipment at a price that won't leave you eating Mr. Noodles for the rest of your life. MSRP on the frame (including rear shock and hub) is CAN$2,059 and the 2003 Shiver with bolt-on stem is $2,500.

That's as much as I can tell you about the bike at this point. The tech specs and talk of refinements sound good, but the reality of how they work on the trail is a different story. Check back in a few weeks after I've put some hard miles on this machine, and I'll let you know what it all means.