Submitted by
stuart
a Downhiller
from vancouver canada
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2007
Strengths: frame, axle, guessets, everything. the bike rode so ncei and smooth. so veery stiff. never felt any flex. i also liked the tall bb. i culd still rail corners. this bike also catwalk and manuals very easy.
Weaknesses: the top tube is high for doing nfc so u need to be really flaxable.
Bike Setup: monster, truvativ, hayes, shimano deore, red color.
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Submitted by
jp guymand
a Downhiller
from montreal
Date Reviewed: February 10, 2005
Strengths: the price
Weaknesses: i dont understand why people say its so strong... in 3 months i broke everything on this bike ... this was my first bike and im a hucker... i blewe the rc and craked th t2 one wheel callapsed . thank god i got a sponsership at the end of the season i cost me way to much in bike repairs..
Bottom Line:
for the price the bike is good for a beginner. but if you wanna huck or race Dh put a bit more money on a good bike
Strengths: very solid,great feel while riding,boosts your confidence while taking drops,very pardoning when making mistakes in drops(with another bike i would be in the hospital),great monster in front
Weaknesses: the grip suck,also the chain guide is not something ,chain keeps on falling ,
Strengths: very strong, nice componants, good hucker/dh bike
Weaknesses: heavy,not a very good fork,
Bottom Line:
I feel that this bike is a good bike for the price but you will end up upgrading it alot like I have found myself doing. I found that it worked the best with a shiver DC up front, the stock springs in the Monster T2 were VERY soft so I suggest you upgrade to a medeum spring.
The hayes comp brakes work Great..but the tires that came on it (kenda kinetics) wore out very fast, and the alexarims would not stay true...after I would true them and they would wobbleright away, the fork swich saved me about 5 lbs and the bike feels alot better with the new fork....the stock seat that came on the bike was uncomfortable and always cought my pants/shorts.. so i upgraded to a Axiom Dj seat..much better.. i also found the grips to wear away fast and they woulds slip quite abit so pick up a set of lock on's....the stand over hieght on it was very uncomfertable.but i dont really mind.. the hussfelt cranks were very reliable and worked perfect, the 9speed rear derailer was great for highspeed riding though the 42tooth chainring up front was great for Dh this is not a climbing bike, this bike is a DH tank, the 7.8" of rear travel worked great, i could hardly feel anything after a 5ft huck, I am using a Med frame and i am a little over 5.5..a bit big so anyone smaller from me should go for a small, I paid 2000 Canadian for the bike and it is worth every penny, when I took this bad boy up to whisler ... and headed down the fabled A-Line..wow it worked perfectly... the truvaitive box guide works great.. but i suggest buying a bashgaurd so you dont smash your chain on the usuall logs,rocks etc. overall i would recoment thie bike to a bigger rider who can muscle around a big bike.. this is a great all around bike!
Submitted by
Lucas Gilbert
a Cross Country Rider
from Portage,MI,USA
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2004
Strengths: This is a great bike, the price value and the all around flexibility of this frame is amazing.
Weaknesses: The weight but its a downhill bike so what do you expect?
Bottom Line:
This bike will let you do whatever you choose, leave it stock and rip on some downhill, put some cash in add a couple chainrings up front and take it freeriding, drop some weight and do some cross country. Anything is possible on this thing. Its a strong bike that pedals well, great beginner bike to play on.
Bike Setup: Set up with tubeless conversion for the wheelset, FSA carbon cranks, Race Face Bashguard, Dirt Jumper I, Swinger 4way SPV, Azonic Love Seat, sete carbon seatpost and riser handlebars.
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Submitted by
Randy rempel
a Downhiller
from Fernie B.C
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2004
Strengths: It is all around awesome! I love this bike I have rode it in every condition imaginable and it rips in all of them. some key points are the Monster T2s the Fox Vanilla RC and the price.
Weaknesses: I dislike the grips, seat and the fact that it comes stock without a bash gaurd but for only $1900 what can you expect?
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome! This is the most bang for the buck you could possibly get. Some people will complain about the weight but I am 13 and I am able to do what most people can do on their light $5000 bikes. If you want an affordable ripper that will eat up anything you throw at it look no further.
Similar Products Used: Norco Drop, Specialized P2 and a Norco Shore
Bike Setup: Mostly stock except for the seat, grips, and bash guard
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Submitted by
Kris
a Downhiller
from The city of Wind
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2004
Strengths: the best thing about this bike is the price. It is a great big hit ride for the price. The marzocchi Monster T2's out perform any fork that I have ever riden. Everything about this bike is buttery smooth. This bike definately can handle anything you throw at it (huge stair gapers, drops).
Weaknesses: Grips, saddle, wheels are horrible. that is why you need to swap them out before putting a leg over the bike. The wheels have began to separate at the seem. The saddle will give you a mean case of the roids. the grips move all around, and they are uncomfortable. Other than those small problems, this bike RULES.
Bottom Line:
If you have a limited bugget, or just looking for a good deal, pruchase this bike. It will improve your riding ability. Despite the weight of the a-Line it is relatively easy to pedal. Make sure you are good shape if you want to ride the A-Line.
Bike Setup: Mavic D521's, Azonic Kevlar DH Saddle, ODI grips, Tioga 26x2.35f/r. Monster T2's, Manitou Swinger 6-way, Raceface north shore forged crank, SRAM drivetrain.
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Submitted by
Jarret
a Downhiller
from Sherwood Park, AB, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2004
Strengths: This bike is indestructable, you can huck anything at this bike. It is a very well built bike, strong frame,thick monster t2, RC. 16' total travel.
Weaknesses: This bike is heavy, but is a sacrifice for it's solidness. This is not an urban, trial, or cross country bike at all. It weights 53 lbs.
Bottom Line:
It's a great bike. It will build your strength up, it's a beefy bike that serves it's purpose as a master in freeride for a great price. In order to master this bike you have to be srong, it's heavy and very large, and gotta have balls to ride. it's a tank.
Bike Setup: Mostly stock except kevlar dh seat, blackspire bashguard, chainstay, 30 mags, 3'tires and odi lock on grips.
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Submitted by
Zlatan Dujsic
a Downhiller
from Mississauga Ontario
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2004
Strengths: The bike is great. I just got it today and rode it for the first time ever and I loved it. Everyone complains about it being heavy, who cares when you ride you dont think of weight! I love the fork and the rear shock.
Weaknesses: The only weaknesses were that it has a hard seat that you can change for a tiny price, the grips werent too satisfying. The chain guide (i dont know if they all do this since this is my first real bike) but it makes noises in the low gears. Those are all minor problems that dont bother me much. Oh yea, its not too heavy im 13 and I still throw it around like a little toy.
Bottom Line:
Great bike, I only rode it today my first day to get it and i love it. I went city freeride and a bit of downhill and it worked perfect in both conditions. If your looking for a good real bike to get you into biking, like i was then go with the 2003 A-line its soooooo fun. Great price too, go to www.sbcoutlet.com if your interested in one. happy riding!:)
Submitted by
Shawn Lovblom
a Downhiller
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2004
Strengths: soooo strong, vanilla rc, hayes hydros, monster t2, 02 team dh frame, pedaling efficiency, price is outstanding, eats up everything, beast of a bike
Weaknesses: cant adjust monster t2, rims arent that good, no bashguard, grips. people cry about it being heavy......WAKE UP! Its an 8" travel DH rig for like $3000!
Bottom Line:
such a nice ride, i cant believe how solid it feals, it makes you stronger, i rode my friends Launch and i realized how much my muscles got stronger cuz i was able to move his bike around like nothing. its great for guys (like me) that want to ride NOW and upgrade as you go, ive already started upgrading some specs and im going to race this thing this summer. i think a shiver or stratos S*8 will be a nice match for this tank, so if you buy it, think about upgrading it after a few months it will be soooo worth it. I'm going to ride this bike for years!
Bike Setup: 2003 Norco A-line Red, Monster T2 (might change to a shiver), Vanilla RC, Azonic Chubby handle bars, Arrow Racing stem, XT rear derraileur, Black Spire DH bashguard and chainguide, (looking to switch my rims to maybe Mavic 321s or maybe a 24" wheel for the back)
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Submitted by
Doug
a Downhiller
from Edinburgh, Scotland
Date Reviewed: December 20, 2003
Strengths: Excellent value for money, the budget has been used on areas that matter such as rear shock (Vanilla RC). You get the same setup as the Team DH frame from the previous year for a lot less money. True Four Bar Linkage
Weaknesses: Very heavy as stock. Slack angles with stock forks.
Bottom Line:
For the money you cant get much better, ok the bike isnt light but sell the forks off and stick on something lighter, it makes a huge difference to weight and angles giving the bike a totally different feel. Norco have specced the bike well and put the good parts where it matters, I would rather get a nice shock and put up with a Deore mech. The bike pedals really well, better than some enduro style XC bikes I have tried!
As a first DH bike it has been a great choice and got me into the sport, will soon be making way for something bigger and better.
Similar Products Used: None owned but various tested
Bike Setup: Shivers, XT Disc Brakes, EA70 bars and Truvativ stem, SDG Saddle, Maxxis High Rollers. Rest as stock
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Submitted by
Jonathan
a Weekend Warrior
from Vernon BC
Date Reviewed: September 30, 2003
Strengths: This thing is built like a tank, and rides like cadillac. People complain its too heavy, well it is, get used to it, its meant to take a 20 ft drop, and be hucked into a tree, but still be able to ride it home. The bike also inspires confidence too, i immediately take it off a 4 footer as soon as i got in the saddle. The suspension is very plush, even though the monster T2 is not adjustable, you can still change the oil/springs to make it stiffer.. ect. The bike is designed in mind for people who want a tank DH racer/hucker, and just plain riding up down the street-this bike turns heads! And it also make u look like an authority just cruzing around, people get out of your way! Its specs are just right for the price, for the quality ofthe specs and the price you can't beat it!
Weaknesses: There aren't many but, its a price minded gravity racer. The only things that i didn't like were the truvativ cranks and that it had no bash guard. Also the weight cna be a factor, but hey, you definately gonna get in alot better shape alot faster then driving some south cal made lightwieght bullit. other than that this thing is bullet proof.
Bottom Line:
This thing was built for BC, if your from some where else I recommend getting something else, The VPS's are our secrets. This is the best bang for the buck, definately ahh downhill machine, but i also pedal this tank uphills, which has improved my over all strength! Its just a joy to ride.
Bike Setup: Stock, i changed out the cranks and BB for the MRP bones crank combo, which is very high quality, this is about the only upgrade, other than putting a 24 inch tire in the rear, which I like the feel of alot.
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Submitted by
mike
a Downhiller
from Saint John N.B.
Date Reviewed: September 21, 2003
Strengths: monster t2 eats up every thing on the trail without any flex,handling is amazing at high speed,the suspension is balanced and eficeint on the flats
Weaknesses: NONE
Bottom Line:
This bike is unbeatable for the coin . You get the ride of the team dh at a fraction of the cost.Once the bike is up to speed its 50 pound weight is not an issue . If you want a ready to go dh bike that works like a dream there is nothing better for the price
Similar Products Used: norco atomic,giant ac2 with boxxer team,norco launch,Rocky Mountain RM6,kona stinky
Bike Setup: stock
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Submitted by
dodge everything
a Downhiller
from swindon, wiltshire, england
Date Reviewed: September 10, 2003
Strengths: everything
Weaknesses: nothing
Bottom Line:
lush! if you want a bike to ride downhill on and also a bike to take massive drops then this is the one. the monsters are brilliant and brakes stop instantly! a very affordable bike and graet for the money. buy one if you get the chance. the people that say the bike is to heavy are wimps. it is just slightly heavier than most other bikes but i found it still reletively huckable.
In spring I will be looking for a new bike for DH and FR. I went to my LBS the other day and they had this frame. It looked pretty sick. It was relativly light and it has 8" of tra Read More »
