Norco Fluid FS A1 // Bike Review
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- Reviewer Stats: 5’11” & 215 lbs
Geometry Specs reflect Large Size
Wheel Size: 29"
Rear Travel: 130mm
Fork: 140mm
Wheelbase: 1245mm
Chainstay: 435mm
Reach: 480mm
Head Tube Angle: 65°
00:00 Intro
01:34 Climb
05:36 Descent
11:00 Final Thoughts
SEE FULL REVIEW HERE: freehubmag.com/reviews/norco-...
NORCO WEBSITE: www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/...
Norco’s new Fluid FS is meant for anybody and everybody. But don’t be fooled; this is no cookie-cutter, crowd-pleaser of a bike. The Fluid FS does a stellar job of playing different roles for different riders, and that’s exactly what makes it stand out among the company’s broad line of capable trail rigs. The Fluid FS’s pure fun factor feels equally ready to please a cross-country fanatic looking for a ride with little more oomph as it does a downhill racer wanting to cover more terrain-and that’s where the middle of the road magic lies in this surprisingly capable 130-millimeter bike.
The new Norco Fluid FS is a surprisingly versatile bike that all sorts of mountain bikers can enjoy. Cross-country riders looking for a relatively efficient bike with excellent descending abilities will have the time of their lives on rough trails. Gravity riders will put up with pedaling uphill on a bike lighter than they’re used to for the surprising reward this bike offers going down. But most importantly of all, new riders entering the scene and looking for a bike that can take them on nearly any type of terrain will be the ones who benefit most from such a stellar package at a good price.
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My dude is leaning the bike in corners like he's Valentino Rossi. Impressive riding, the bike looks great!
"I can wind up on these dry corners" enough said about the stableness of the bike and the skills of the rider 👍
great review, I cannot believe you can talk calmly will riding. Great job!
Just want to say you do the best bike reviews on the interweb! 🍻
Love how they have polished the welds on the frame. Looks so clean that way.
Agree, Norco does a good job with that. Now if they just eliminated the cable rattle...
probably hydroformed like my occam. Really neat. Tricks people into thinking you have a carbon frame. I like the alu feeling better.
@@stephangauthier911 oh yeah probably right. The Scotts are hydro formed too. really cool video on that somewhere for their new spark and genius alloy frames.
Best Mountain Bike reviews on CZcams! No comparison.
Please add the Commencal Meta TR Staff Edition to your list of reviews! Would love to hear your thoughts.
Best bike reviewer period.
Great review on what looks like a killer trail! I was stuck between the YT Izzo Core 3 and the Ibis Ripley AF as my next bike but now I’m even more confused because the Fluid looks like another great option.
I initially wanted this one but the Optic C1 won me over, anything Norco is awesome in my book 😎
I purchased a 21 optic c1 due to the freehub review he did while ago. Absolutely love it! The optic in the right build and fluid are an amazing bang for your buck.
Nice review. Good to see some climbing in the video too. Most reviewers just bomb downhill doing jumps while a lot of us don't just shuttle but has to climb too. Ever tested the Orbea Occam? That one and this one is on my short list for my next mtb. Thanks for a great video.
sharp turns, the bike handles very well, but all the credit to you for the excellent ride, the bike looks even better when someone who knows how to drive it, thanks again for the ride and for the review
I just got this bike last November and I've only been out a couple of times so far but I am loving it and it climbs so well and I'm just having so much fun on the trails....can't wait to really test it out on our van trip out west this summer
I've got one of these on order, should have it in a month or so. I'm pretty new to MTB and Seeing your positive review of this bike has made me even more excited for its arrival!
When I first saw it this bike I fell in love with it can’t wait to get mine
Loved the review. Definitely picking one up in the spring.
Thank you for the video, I'm waiting for mine.
By chance I just rode my first proper full sus, it happened to be a fluid and I immediately fell in love. Climbed a crazy tech trail on the way up and hit some big features on the way back down and it turned everything into butter and I was almost twice as fast on the down compared to my torrent A2. Now I need to buy one
Love his reviews👍🏻
Bike looks so sick overall. The color is greatness as well☘💚.
Excellent, review and bike control...pleasure to watch! Camera and settings? :)
100% agree with your comments. Such a planted bike. So stable in the chunk.
Love my A2.
That is the bike with the bomber z2? I am considering both. Think saving the money is worth it? Bike been great?
@@derDKP it’s a great bike!
Loving mine. Took awhile to suspension just right. But now it rips.
Keeps up with all mountain bikes no worries
Another great review, as per usual.
Another superb review.
Great review. Really cool bike. Ever do a review on the Tallboy?
I was thinking about riding around Anacortes today, but after watching this just leaving up and over Samish Crest and up to Evo sounds good.....especially with Cheech with fresh trail love. Yeeew!!!
Thabks so much for this! Would you take the fluid or optic?
I rented one of these bikes for a couple days and it was a really nice bike, but felt like it just didn’t have enough travel. And I’m used to riding a hardtail all the time.
Your riding is very impressive
Looking forward to your review ride on the new Yeti SB-120!
Awesome riding as usual! If you had to choose in between the Fluid and the Optic which one would you choose and why?
looks like norco's answer to an alloy version of the optic. Maybe not quite as poppy with the alloy frame/ slightly longer wheelbase?
I bought the new giant trance a few months ago sounds like I should have bought this
Well shit, the way you rode that bike and how smooth it was, impressive. I'm saving now.
Love the paint color throwback to a 1960s Schwinn Sting-ray!
6:55 YEAH - Gettin' Slideways!
@@Leeman... That's funny, I just watched his video review of the SC Hightower 3 and he got slip-slidy at the same place 6;55! Weird.
Yep, darn close to Schwinn "Varsity" metallic green.
Hope you get to ride and review the We Are One Arrival 170!
Same
@@wdrross5100 I have mine on order (SP2) and was hoping it would be shipped before the snow but sadly the snow came first. So I'll have a nice bike to stare at until spring.
It sounds like the lockout on the derailleur hanger is off.
Please do Orbea Rallon
Mine was very unstable when I first got it. I couldn’t get used it. I dropped the stem down 1 1/2 spacers and cut the bars to 770 and it’s much better. Really the only thing that sucks about it is the seat.
You can check out Norco's ride aligned. The set up is an excellent starting point. Bar width and stem spacers are in there. You can get a specific suspension tune for your riding style and weight. Having used this option on 3 different bikes i can tell you it works well. Cheers.
Ride aligned!
Which trail/ trail system is this ?
I remember Chris Cocalis said their short travel bikes dont need steep seat tubes because they pedal so well. OK...
6:39 - *_Someone_** hasn't been watching the news! - lol*
It's a cool bike !! Wonder how it rides compared to the Trance 29 ?
They ride completely differently. Trance is firmer and pedals very well, snappier feeling bike overall. The Fluid is not a great pedalling platform but is super smooth and plush. It is very stable at speed and forgiving when shit goes wrong. Somehow, it doesn't wallow in its travel even though it is so plush. There's 10mm of travel difference front and rear between the two bikes also.
Destroying the trail whilst casually chatting away like ' nothing to see here bruh'!
Any thoughts or comparisons to the Norco Optic? - also loved the review you did on that
Not the same bike. Its more like the Sight's little brother. The Optic keeps its own category as a mini enduro bike. The Fluid is a better all rounder bike.
@@13thbornpr would have thought the opposite being alloy and a slightly longer wheelbase?
@@quban79 i know its weird. The numbers tell a different story from how the bike feels. Even the sizes. When he said in the video that the cockpit feels like a medium its true. I'm in between the medium and the large at 5'8 and i got the large. Normally 480 reach would be stretched out for me. But it really does feel smaller.
@@13thbornpr yeh ok so you own the optic or the new fluid? Agree with sizing, I was in-between l and xl and shoulda sized up for sure but didn't want the 1275 wheel base. Which actually seems pretty modest for an xl these days
@@quban79 same for me. I thaught the 1245 wheel base was a bit much. I owned the 2020 Optic and now the Fluid.
What would you say between how this climbs and how the Trek Top Fuel climbs? It there that much difference? My struggle is getting the bike to the top of the hills, not going down. Going down is easy, it can be done on any bike, as hardtails prove, it is the going up that really separates all bikes. Having to stop 5 times to catch my breath on every hill is much worse that having to hit the brakes a little more often going down.
I’m sure the top fuel climbs better but rider fitness is going to make an exponentially bigger difference
@@ervin7178 ,...Thanks for your reply. Yes, absolutely, fitness is the key, however, when one is in their 60's achieving and maintaining a high enough fitness level to ride these bikes to the tops of mountains is not that easy. So, a bikes climbing prowess is key, but it must also be able to safely get one down the mountain as well.
I think the two bikes I mentioned are good candidates for both going up and down without too much difficulty. But as I said, the uphill is by far the hardest for me. I ride in Arizona and southern Utah and the hills are steep and very rocky and make for some difficult climbing.
I think the Trek Fuel would be a more realistic comparison. I would imagine the Top Fuel is a better climber
It would be great to know what your five favourite bikes are.
Great review man! Anyone have th weight for a large?
16kg
I'm not a fan of the single clamp designs for brakes and dropper/shifter. You're either holding your braking finger at an angle (like you are here) or the dropper/shifter is too close to the grips.
it seems a bit squeaky dont u think?
11:13 damn that's close
Good eye, I swear that tree moved closer to the trail, haha!
I'm a flatpedal-person so i was wondering if the 130mm rear travel would let me more bounce around on the pedal, is this the case?
My friend put this bike together for his son and before I knew it he was done czcams.com/users/postUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L When the son came to put it together he was surprised to see it was already done. All he had to do was take the bike to get air and be on his way. My friend did not have any major problems putting this bike together; small issue was putting one of the brakes on straight; however when the son got home he was able to fix it. The bike rides well gears move correctly; good bike for the price. Wrote review after the son took the bike. Sorry.
If you check the website it’s got taps for a 750ml water bottle
Nice review, this is a really interesting bike that just showcases the fact you DON't need to go Carbon / Top end everything to enjoy the support. Love Norco bikes, seriously under rated.
To be fair the suspension,brakes and drivetrain are pretty damn close to top end lol.
@@MillerRL96 Lol, its a 5k bike in Australia, Top end bike start at 8-10k here lol. I get the gold lushness of Kashima, but the rest isn't top end by any means.
@@shaun1900 I mean it gets pretty top end parts for a fantastic price. TRP trail evo brakes are some of best on market, Shimano XT is incredible and definitely not low end plus top end suspension. They cut cost on parts like bars and stems which is great!
@@MillerRL96 I have one to muck about on, cost less than half the cost of my other MTB. I'm a fan.
WEN PROPAIN