Norco's $1,500 Fluid HT Review: Ready For All-Day Pedal Fests | 2021 Pinkbike Field Trip
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- Stoked on big days oin the saddle or riding fast flowing single track? The $1,500 Norco Fluid HT 1 might fit the bill. Check out what Mike Levy and Sarah Moore have to say about this "progressive" hardtail.
More 2021 Field Trip: pinkbike.link/2021fieldtrip
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0:00 - Intro
02:54 - Setup
03:40 - Climbing
05:53 - Descending
07:46 - Components
10:06 - Pros
10:34 - Cons
11:03 - Verdict
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So what's the story on the tires? "More on that later", never mentioned again. Suddenly wearing a pair of Schwalbes in the huck-to-flat footage.
They aren't tubeless ready but the wheel set is pretaped for tubeless. It's kinda weird, I guess they wanted to save some more money
@@PetrolHead209 Oh weird, they really aren't TR. I didn't notice that at first, but if you zoom in on the shot with the bike on the stand it's clear as day: EXO label is there, but no TR label.
Funny that Maxxis doesn't even list that as an option on their site, I wonder if it's only available in the OEM version (with the white lettering).
got one of these for my wife, wire beads, absolutely horrible tires to deal with. rims were also not taped, they used some stretchy plastic strip.
@@AnnexEngineering Have you had any issues with cable rattle? I can't work out how to shut mine up, maybe I'll have to find some foam wrap for the housing.
@@PetrolHead209 I had the cable rattle too. Most annoying. I just fixed it by pushing the ones on the left further down the downtube. That opened up enough of a gap.
Make the review of commencal ht please .
watch tom bradshaws bike check
My fluid form 2017 came with a Roc Shok Sektor and I upgraded most of the stuff. New tires, stem, brakes, and it is a super aggressive player on all terrain.
Levy + PB Podcast = A better world than we’re in right now. Please!
Hi! the cassette is a Shimano Deore CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12 Speed I think You got that wrong. Nice content as always! thanks
Great review. May have found the HT I’ve been looking for. Have my Bronson for bombing. Looking for a fun, capable on the decents and playful (cause no matter how old I get I still ride like I’m 15) HT for some of my less gnarly local trails. This bike looks to fit that bill. And cheap with just a brake and bar upgrade. 👍 thanks for helping me out Pinkbike!! 🤙
fantastic review
Please do a field test on specialize's new 27.5 fuse
I got the 2021 norco fluid fs 3. Same fork but 130mm. Agree it's beat expectations. And agree breaks suck on this entry level full squish too!
I have a 2019 ht2, decent bike all round. You can ride it all day in any condition and on any terrain.
Would like to see you opinion compared to the Fluid full squish
*I'm very happy with my **Latest.Bike** . I have put a lot of miles on it, paved trails, gravel, sand, and it rides great. Thank you for a quality product.*
I was going to buy this bike but it was not in stock where I live. Kelowna. I ended up with a Scott Aspect 950 that I have already heavily modified.
👌 nice rig and paint job, cant decice on this model or the sentier, can i ask what size is the norco, and how tall are you? because im 6ft 1 near the end of the large, or go XL and swap the stem?
your advice would be appreciated👍
I'm nearly 6'2" and found the XL to be WAAAY too large. It felt unwieldy, like I was sitting inside it, rather than on top. Initially, I found the large a little on the small side but with some tiny saddle and handlebar rotation adjustments, it's now perfect. I'm guessing a slightly wider bar with a bit of a rise will help even more.
Was the medium size ok? I’m 5’9.5 and Norco sizing says Large. But there’s this pretty long 470mm reach which seems bit too long for me.
Please review the new Norco Fluid FS1.
I had a norco fluid 2017, used to be trail bike not xc, and pretty agressive then, liked it alot, ride it bike park and all mountain. But at the end I ride it with 160mm fork 😄
Could you guys please review the commencal meta ht am origin
wow great review.
How would you rate/compare this bike to the Marin Team 2?
does anyone know if Pinkbike is coming to the sea otter in Ontario to do some bike checks????
You actually rode the bike. So many reviews just read the specs. Thank you! Are the brakes good enough if a rider just does cross country? Narco bills this bike as a trail bike not a really a mountain bike. It seems like mountain bikers always rate a bike for how it goes down the mountains. I have already broken my back going down a mountain, so I don't do that any more. I love riding all day in the bush with a few hills, but no more mountain decents.
Currently I’m thinking about buying my first mtb. I’m debating the 23’ norco ht 2, or the marlin 6 or 7 gen 2 series. Thoughts anyone? Any help or suggestions is much appreciated 🙏🏽
It's crazy the difference between PB and Beta reviews. I appreciate them both, but I have to say PB really gets to the point with practical and concise reviews whereas Beta is more "feeling" oriented where sometimes you wonder if they said anything at all.
Bike Mag/Beta reviews have only been any good as bike review ASMR for years. If you want a review providing actionable information, literally any other channel is better.
LOL. I feel the same way. And I’d like more shots of the riders themselves riding, so I know what type of a rider is giving me a review of the bike to help put into context their feely descriptions. I mean, when they put someone who is a sit in the saddle and spin rider on a big bike meant for big jumps and drops and sends, I’m not sure how much value any of their feelings has.
I was surprised to see them with a fluid and not a torrent. Honestly, I would have loved to have seen a torrent in this test it would have been significant competition to the growler as opposed to sitting in that middle ground. I guess its probably better to have more bikes that are really trail bikes with a couple more at the extremes.
triple the price bud
Is there a problem with people waiting on these bikes for delivery? I’m new and trying to get my first bike
What do you think of the Norco torrent?
Had this bike a good solid year now, still holding up perfect, I got the XL version for a peace of mind as I'm picky with sizes
i just got the fluid ht 2 2022, ordered today ! lot of bike, recently on sale in canada!
cant wait, first bike for general biking on gravel, dirt, and roads and off roading.
@@12odriguezz sounds good bro enjoy!
Where is the long term review on the meta tr?
I know this test is comparing stock bikes, but, how would it compare to the growler if you put a 140mm fork on this?
Still not the same. You'de still have a steeper head angle than the RM and now you'd have a slightly slacker seat angle which isnt good for climbing which this bike is more oriented towards. Not to mention you'd be shortening your reach aswell which is already on the conservative side. Unless you change your handlebars or stem to compensate.
Why didn’t the Commencal Ht Am make it through the list??
They should have reviewed the Torrent A2
Resin specific rotors?
Bought a 2020 last year, It came with non tubeless ready 29×2.6 Schwalbe Smart Sam tires not what was listed when I ordered it months before. Replaced them with Maxxis 29×2.5
29×2.6 Schwalbe Smart Sam has a great all-rounder tread pattern. I really wish they made a TR version.
@@watertankhikes I replaced them with Maxxis Aggressor 29×2.5 and went tubeless. The bike was stolen last Summer so now someone else can enjoy the upgrade. I replaced it with a 2021 Norco Fluid ht1 and it again came without TL tires this time Maxxis Ardent 29×2.4
I got the HT 2 not long ago and either plan on selling it or sink more into it and upgrading the brakes, pedals, grips and maybe someday the fork. Spur of the moment decision buying this thing and didnt do enough research.
You don't like it?
Why do you need “better” brakes, are there any stop signs in mountains?
RE: chainstay protection and noise, doesn't it have a clutched rear derailleur?
Yes, the deore M6100 is clutched.
I think one of those slack'r headsets would help it a lot
The norco torrent is the slack norco hardtail
@@ryanmorse4507 look at the actual geo, instead of marketing
@@benjacobson7490 I just bought a 2021 Torrent A1 and know for a fact it has a 64 degree head angle as well as 150mm Rockshox 35 gold RL
I have the Blue/Black color HT 1, so far I love it. First major upgrade is to get a 130 or 140mm travel fork slapped on it.
What forks did you use ?
@@h0wlingSp1rits 150mm Rockshox Gold 35 👍
@DBrown87 how well has this held up I'm currently running a 35 gold rl but set to 130mm and fancy bumping it up to 140mm. I ride pretty hard-core and hit fairly big jumps
@@michaelderrick8709 i have a Rockshox Gold 35 150mm on it, it's been awesome and no issues. I ride some decently sized stuff. Steep tech and yeah mostly for the nasty stuff it's set up for.
what's the music at ~8:00ish?
I own a Norco Fluid HT 2 2020 and bumped up the travel from 120 to 140. It surely chaged the geo but in a good way tho. Also installed beafy Assegai x DHR II tire combo and a highrise 785 handlebars🔥
I also have a 2020, isn't overforking it by 20mm too much?
@@AFryingPan I have a Fluid HT2 2021 and also went from 120mm to a 140mm fork. Geometry changed for the better all round IMO.
@@zachanderson54 I’m looking to get my first mtb, the 2023 Fluid HT 2. Would y’all say it would be a good bike for a beginner? It would be mostly for flowy trail, progressively small dirt jumps… nothing too crazy. Thank you
Has this held up well? I'm currently running a 2020 norco fluid ht went upto 130mm over a year ago and its been fine, but fancy 140mm
Give us the Growler review already
A review on the nuke proof scout would be very interesting
My NukeProof Scout was stuck in customs for weeks. I finally gave up and bought a Fluid HT1 at the LBS instead, even though I liked the geo numbers better on the Scout.
@@watertankhikes That sucks about the customs bs. Was that from Chainreaction to U.S.?
@@SCnative64 Yes, it was a Chain Reaction purchase shipped from the UK to the USA. The order was stuck in a FedEx warehouse in the SE US for weeks. The order was finally shipped back to Chain Reaction, and I was eventually refunded all my purchase costs. My total purchase with a wheelset was over $1000, and that might have been the reason for a customs hold.
@@watertankhikes yeah, I was eyeballing one of those too. Apparently they're pretty much unobtainable :(
Oh god it has a Ardent as the front tire, YIKES 🤣🤣🤣
Its xc man, all about the straight line speed.😉😂
They mentioned the tyres, said "more on that later" and never talkad about them again. Was wondering if the complaint was for tread pattern or the OEM 'white label' maxxis compound
@@TheROOTminus1 yeah I was waiting for them to circle back to the tires. What were the issues exactly?
@@therealridedmc tyres are wire-bead non tubeless. OEM only
I know PB reviewed the 2020 Kona Honzo last year but I feel the 2021 model should have been revisited for this field trip. Slightly updated geo than last year and way better kit (tires, shimano drivetrain). Its a way better bike than the Fluid in basically every regard and only $100 more.
Way better kit? I don't think so. And I say that as Honzo 2020 owner. They are both little better than the other in some regard.
@@Iggy52 2021 Honzo comes with way better rubber - tubeless ready and comes with tubeless valves.. all you need is sealant. I'll take 11 speed Deore over 12 speed SX (sorry but it shifts like garbo). Also longer travel and easy to adjust dropper post. Combined with little geo update its a way better bike out of the box, sorry bro.
Review the cube beginner hardtails please.For example:Cube attention
Please review all Marin hardtail bike..
I would love to watch that!
I thought we were doing enduro bike? Where these values bike come from
That's a nice looking bike! I wouldn't trust those Tektros on anything but mellow rolling single-track either.
I got them on a new hard tail last year and within 5 weeks the bike ship replaced them under warranty because the piston weren’t moving at the same. Even the shimano mt200 they put on are so much better
@@georgegande1779 they're really basic. Have em on my wife's Trek Marlin. They started leaking at the lever. It took a year and a half but still. It shouldn't do that. The cheap Shimanos are always a safe bet.
I have these exact tektros on my bike now and they've been great for the past few months. Plenty of stopping power and modulation for me even on steep rock slabs. I probably also only weigh 175 with all my gear, so take that with a grain of salt 🤷♂️
@@seasonedsurfer23 probably a nicer model then
@@georgegande1779 that's possible... Maybe I have the HD version if that makes any difference 🤷♂️
got this bike with SLX 4-piston brakes, 203mm rotors, raceface carbon bar, stamp 7 pedals and dissector 2.6" tyres running tubeless. X-fusion fork is OK, compared to my fuel ex9 with Fox factory DRCV (yes its a classic!) - there's a little less initial response to smaller bumps, but better on the rough. X-fusion gets a bit of stiction as well, whereas the Fox with it's ultra slippery Kashima coat doesnt' seem to have that issue. Best of all I got this bike barely ridden second hand for less than the price of a Fluid HT2...
yeah the x fusion has bad stiction... but its an air fork i guess.
@@High_Octane I've since upgraded to a Fox Rhythm 34 - second hand - had it serviced and its night and day difference.... just so much better
8:00 it’s actually a 10-51T cassette, not 11-51T as you said.
Surprised they're only doing a 750mm handlebar. Kinda feels like they're throwing old parts on these bikes lol.
The brakes too. These are complete fucking junk and ive bolted these onto plenty of 500€ bikes at the bike shop i used to work at. I would estimate that about 20% of them had siginificant ammounts of air in them and 5% were so bad we just warrantied them right away.
@@obi-wankenobi9871 that's why I swear by only buying shimano or magura brakes
@@obi-wankenobi9871 They are the same brakes I got on my $450 Co-Op (REI) Drt 1.1, which is literally the cheapest adult bike that REI sells. We got it for putting a bike seat on and riding the neighborhood with our toddler, and even there, I didn't like them.
@@obi-wankenobi9871 hah those tektro brakes came on my first hardtail, definitely not great to say the least. Shimano is so much better.
I have a 2020 fluid ht1 which came with stimano brakes nx group set and a rockshox sector after 6 months of medium-hard riding I found myself paying 900 Australian bucks for a service due to the components, the hubs sent the best and the fork seemed to need a service after 20 hours of riding, tyres where horrible
Edit: also after washing with a regular hose the paint seemed to just wash off, not even with a pressure washer
nice
Is pinkbike ever going to make an app?
I don't understand why you would get this bike over the Vitus Sentier. Everything about the sentier is just better. I mean seriously, brakes, tires, suspension, and geometry are all better. Why didn't you compare these to each other? Would it be way too obvious that the Vitus is better?
It would be, guess why they did not
Yes but some people still like local bike shop
Shipping can get crazy on a single bike. After shipping, you can sometimes get better deals on a bike store bike. In Canada anyway. Shipping and duties add up quick.
The Vitus is better value from a components basked perspective but in terms of longevity the 12 speed of the Norco is better. The Shimano micro-spline hubs are more future-proof in terms of wheel selection. The only problem with the Vitus is that it's not easily available. And once I change the tyres on my Norco, increase the travel to 130 my Norco will be more than a match for the Vitus.
@@blackdevil7183 I absolutely agre, my local bike shop gets my support. I have a Fluid HT 2 XL 29" on order.
Can I have one please
P.s. but seriously, isn't there a bike shortage....can I even get one?
Where is the marin sq2
How come Norco bikes are so damn heavy? This one comes in at 14.2 kg. My xc/trail hardtail weighs 13 kgs flat in size large, including alloy pedals, a mud guard and bottle cage. It's also got a 120mm fork, but sturdier tires and four pot brakes, and it cost more or less the same.
12sp cassette, dropper post, stronger wheels, wider handlebar, larger brake rotors maybe...all that combined is 1kg added weight EASY
For an intended xc/trail capable bike I don't see it as a bad thing, there's that saying:
Cheap, light and good never get along
If it's cheap and good, it's not light
If it's light and good, it's not cheap
If it's light and cheap, it's not good
it applies also for GT bikes, that are quite heavy but quite strong and cheap
Ha, I was thinking this looked like my Growler.
hello guys, nice video, You guys should review the Montague Highline... Folding bike. please ;)
please get steve on the hardtail reviews.
I feel reviews are biased. Both, Norco Fluid and RM Growler, are marketed as *Trail* bikes, and we compare its performance *downhill* and finding that Growler is *better*, then some people try to upgrade 750mm handlebar on Norco, some other think about fork upgrade, and so on.
why does a 1500 dollar bike come with tektro brakes?? weird!
X fusion are highly under rated
That fork can't go to 140/150mm internally adjustable 0 cost
Can or can't go? Wdym
I'm looking for a fork upgrade for my Fuji Tahoe 1.5 2018, it has a Rockshox Judy Silver TK, I'm thinking on a RS reba or a X Fusion RC 32 like that, what do you think? I haven't heard much about x fusion here in Brazil, my main concern is about its serviceability, once I do that on my own and there's no x fusion official distributor here, I would have to get it in aliexpress
I'm looking at a norco fluid fs 3 which comes with a x fusion fork and I'm kinda worried about the x fusion because I'm coming from a hardtail with a rockshox 30...
Now what exactly is a progressive hardtail? Sorry, noob here!
Hey, have you had your coffee already? Lots'a love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines!
Long, low, slack, but without rear suspension. Think 64 to 65 degree head tube angle, 76 degree seat angle, 1000 mm wheelbase...
@@vomErsten Thank you for responding! I'll keep that in mind. Cheers, eh mate!
Everything functions properly czcams.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L Nothing was damaged in the box aside from a decal on the fork. The decal was missing a piece of a corner but I ended up peeling them off anyways. Assembly is easy BUT make sure you tune up the derailleurs. Both the front and rear need adjusting. I'd advise going to a bike shop but I opted out and put in 10+ hours with the help of CZcams. Ended up fraying a shifter cable but all in all I learned from the experience. The Brakes work well but the front caliper needs adjusting or at least mine did because the rotor was rubbing against the pads. Make sure you swap out the seat, grips, and pedals. For the short run you'll be fine though. I've read that this bike isn't built yet for hard trails but I just need it for the city. PA has some of the worst roads and being in a mountain this was a great choice. Worth the investment!
I'm not against "trail" geometry. I also love the Enduro/All mountain HT - Chromag Rootdown/SurfaceTI (I'd say started it) then NS Bikes, then Torrent, Growler, Honzo CR, Fuze
however that said, if you do a gravity oriented HT... Steel is probably best
These trail geo bikes I think are "great" - they don't need a stupid long reach and ultra slack HTA, but they do need a more slack HTA than full squish due to how much they steepen so much during compression
I think most people need to realize that the "Proper" effective Seat Tube Angle is about 74 on a conventional crank position and at least with these latest HT's that is well preserved. Trek on the other hand with the Roscoe just took a Gary Fisher 29er HT and slackened it with a fork and now their STA is like 70/71..
Back to STA - from a XC and Roadbike perspective, I think that 74 is ideal for power and Ergo, where as the >75 STA (i.e. 77/78s of Norco Sights) seems extreme but compensates for the huge travel which slackens the bike naturally and also the Sag set on something that is say 25% of 150+mm.
So effectively I feel that when riding a "Big" enduro with that super steep STA, it becomes quite "normal" when climbing on the saddle with the right sag.
Something's not right with u my man
The Fuse has the same head tube angle as the Fluid
"dropper pOOOost"
I believe those Tektro rotors will accept sintered pads.
Yes, but the rotors are resin-pads-only, so you need to change the rotors at the same time.
Tektro’s rotors aren’t resin only. They’ll accept sintered pads with no issue: the metal is hard enough. The toughest part might be just getting the pads since all bike parts are hard to come by.
Me who just ordered a bike
I want
Dropper POST
just one bottle cage mount? really? not three, neither two, just one...
We get it, you love saying “all the things”…
He said it like 4 times lol.
They went backwards on spec compared to 2020
How so? I’m not familiar with the 2020 build spec.
Wow, you’re right! The 2020 model was a rockstar compared to the 2021. Better brakes, better levers, better shock, better derraileur. But the 2021 does have better deore gearing with the 10-51 rear cassette.
2020 had 3 levels. 2021 has only 2. This HT1 is actually closer to the 2020 HT2 in spec
Fuck the sanctions. I wanted to buy big trail 500, it cost 95k rubels. Now, after a week, it costs 130k rubles. Today i bought this bike for 86k and im so happy about that, this bike was almost the last in the Moscow. Btw i dont support all this shit, our president's just mad. All adequate people in Russia are against the war
can’t we all agree that the simple comments are the best, this one is pretty simple
Why is the intro so loud and the guy presenting so quiet?!?!?!?!?!?
Imagine riding a bike with 900mm handle bar.
Ive a 960mm flat bar on my motorbike....tempted to whack it on for a laugh now haha
its made in vietnam not in canada
The whole bike or just the frame?
@@SuzukiKid400 the whole bike thats why im mad at least wit devinchi bike the frame is made in cananda and parts in thaiwain yea id stay away from norco evem google it it will tell google if narco bikes are made in cananda
@@18stmaniac63 “Norco Bicycles was founded in British Columbia, Canada and is a 100% Canadian owned company. All design and engineering is done in Port Coquitlam, BC at our head office. Our frames and components are manufactured using top vendors from around the world with final assembly at your local retailer.Aug. 23, 2021”
“Every day our staff proudly make Devinci bikes in our Canadian factory. We firmly believe in making the most reliable, highest-performing bike, backed by a lifetime warranty, that’s worth every penny. Our commitment to quality and value means we make the right bike in the right factory. Sometimes the right factory is overseas. So, while we don’t make ALL of our bikes in Canada, we make MOST of them here.”
The sad reality is that most stuff is made outside the country these days. I wish the government would tax companies extra for outsourcing everything so we could keep manufacturing quality things here.
Fourth lol
AL HT, not interested.
69th comment
Even by Canadian standards these are two of the whitest people in the face of the planet 🤩🤩😎😎🥰🥰
This bike won't be available until 2025
first
bruh you weren’t first
@@sdscrew312 ok