Home | Reviews | Manufacturers | Norco | 2002 Hardtail

Login  |  Register

Norco Katmandu

MSRP $
# of Reviews 19
Average Rating 3.26/5
More Products from Norco



Submit a Review

Description:



Other Ways To Shop
  • Buy and Sell the from our Classifieds.
  • Shop for Similar Products








    Submitted by djLEGER a Downhiller from canada
    Date Reviewed: July 15, 2008
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $475.00
    Purchased At:ancaster cycle
    Strengths:hills dual wall rims

    Weaknesses:EVERYTHING!!! my forks broke in half crank is messsed not enough travel sprokets are all bent
    Bottom Line:i do not suggest this bike to anyone
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Kirill a Weekend Warrior from Toronto, ON, Canada
    Date Reviewed: July 7, 2007
    Favorite Trail:Humber
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $410.00
    Purchased At:Wheels of Bloor
    Strengths:Great frame. Excellent Shimano SIS shifters, superb handling and very comfortable seat.
    Weaknesses:Front fork gets stuck in cool weather. Front front shifting mechanism can't be balanced perfectly. Awkward frame angle - bad for jumping.
    Bike Setup:Stock
    Bottom Line:Great beginner bike. Suitable for light to medium level trail riding. For the price that you pay you get an entry-level good all-around bike that will last you a very long time if maintained properly.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Daniel a from Halifax
    Date Reviewed: April 16, 2007
    Favorite Trail:beaverbank crossing
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $475.00
    Purchased At:sportwheels
    Strengths:handle bars/ frame/ brakes
    Weaknesses:tires/ tubes/ gear shifters
    Bike Setup:ok....
    Bottom Line:Its a good bike for trails and jumps but not for road.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by charlie fiblie a Cross Country Rider from edmonton alberta
    Date Reviewed: August 14, 2006
    Favorite Trail:got lots
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $450.00
    Purchased At:sportshack
    Strengths:strong fram and handle bars
    Weaknesses:gears (rims shocks tubes crancks)all stuff broke
    Bike Setup:sucks
    Bottom Line:cheap and ok i sell mine it is a good bike for parts
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Robert a Weekend Warrior from N.S
    Date Reviewed: August 10, 2006
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $454.00
    Purchased At:Sportwheeles
    Strengths:frame, gears, trigger shift,and shocks are good too.
    Weaknesses:the tires and that you cant put a disk on the back but o well it is saweet
    Similar Products Used:raleigh matterhorn
    Bike Setup:new pedals and front rim and new back tube
    Bottom Line:it is a strong bike and you cant go wrong by getting this bike
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Jon Smith a Weekend Warrior from Canada
    Date Reviewed: July 10, 2006
    Favorite Trail:n/a
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $350.00
    Purchased At:United Cycle
    Strengths:Awesome brakes
    Weaknesses:Bad tubes, rims
    Similar Products Used:n/a
    Bike Setup:huh?
    Bottom Line:Great bike
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by J A a Weekend Warrior from Abbotsford B.C.
    Date Reviewed: February 12, 2004
    Favorite Trail:n/a .....rookie
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $400.00
    Purchased At:Salmon Arm bike shop
    Strengths:strong bike
    Weaknesses:shifter
    Similar Products Used:none
    Bike Setup:stock
    Bottom Line:This is my first Mountain bike and think its a bit heavy in comparison to others I have ridden. Maybe it's just the over sized tires but I'm not sure. I have put this bike through easy to moderate trail riding and have no complaints thus far. I too found the suspension crappy compared to the more bling bling bikes. Great ride for the price your paying in my mind.
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Jordan Anderson a Downhiller from Jasper,Alberta, Canada
    Date Reviewed: May 21, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Panorama
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $400.00
    Purchased At:Friend In Jasper
    Strengths:Umm well it did have like rst's on it so i put some z-1 bombers on it, didn't do a whole lot, the tires are alright
    Weaknesses:where do i start...Grip shift hahaha!, the old shocks on it (rst), pedals, crank, handle bars, frame sucks!...Bent easily! and the brakes SUCK!
    Similar Products Used:Wal-Mart Bikes
    Bottom Line:This bike is not meant for me and it is good for little kids just getting into mountain biking...or just like to go on average day strollls with the familly
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Kirill a from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Date Reviewed: April 25, 2003
    Favorite Trail:Humber
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $300.00
    Purchased At:Whels of Bloor
    Strengths:Very rigid bike with front suspension and lightweight frame. Even though it does not have rear suspension it could easiy handle realtively small jumps like 3-5 feet (I don't wanna try the big ones yet, 'cause I love my bike too much ;-)). I'm really happy with the front suspension it absorbs most the small obstacles on the road. I bought the bike for $427 CDN and I think for the money it's an excellent bike. Also I got 3 year store warranty with that.
    Weaknesses:Can't think of anything right now since I'm still excited about how good this bike is ;-)
    Bike Setup:Norco steel frame with chromoly seat post, Shimano brakes and shifters, Omni shox.
    Bottom Line:If you are a beginner like I am, and searching for a performance mountain bike that's gonna last you but at the same time won't be hard on your wallet, Katmadu is the right choice.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by sir pimpallot pimpin a Weekend Warrior from Toronto
    Date Reviewed: April 12, 2003
    Favorite Trail:the Don
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $420.00
    Purchased At:silent sports
    Strengths:parts,tires,hubs,brakes
    Weaknesses:FRONT SUSPENSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Similar Products Used:specialized hardrock comp
    Bike Setup:mostly shimano parts kenda tires formula hubs
    Bottom Line:Its a good bike for the money but u should definitley change the fork!!!!!!! so my oppinion is GET THE BIKE!!!!!!!!!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Sam Hynes a Cross Country Rider from Kamloops
    Date Reviewed: February 20, 2003
    Favorite Trail:OFF ROAD
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $333.00
    Purchased At:Caps
    Strengths:Frame,handle bars,rims,cranks
    Weaknesses:shocks!!!
    Similar Products Used:Norco screamer
    Bike Setup:Custom frame with rock shock judy 175 mm.shimano lx
    front and back
    Bottom Line:Ok I got this bike for christmas and I thought wow
    then when I started ride it off ramps and jumps I could tell that the shocks sucked big time. I ended up bending the shocks, braking the cranks and just thrashing the bike
    so then that's when I said to my self save up get the best
    bike out there for cross country....
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by Richard S. a Weekend Warrior from Victoria
    Date Reviewed: December 13, 2002
    Favorite Trail:anything swervy challenging and with drops
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $500.00
    Purchased At:some bike shop or other
    Strengths:its ok if your just gonna stay on the outside edges of mtn biking and not really do much
    Weaknesses:lets see where do I start... lol uh bad suspension pedals deraleiurs cranks hubs tires are ok but pop easily etc
    Similar Products Used:um...
    Bike Setup:stock
    Bottom Line:you'd be better off with either a better bike or a ridgid and just not mtn bike... unless you're just gonna ride down hill a bit and not do much
    Value Rating:2Overall Rating:2

    Submitted by Mark Corkum a Cross Country Rider from Canada, eh
    Date Reviewed: October 27, 2002
    Favorite Trail:Sunnybrook trails
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $350.00
    Purchased At:Cyclepath (yonge st.)
    Strengths:Great frame, tires worked well, much more than I expected in this price range
    Weaknesses:As everyone said, the derailers blow. ive had problems with the bottom bracket, but not that bad. SUSPENSION - it just blows, expect to pay another 200 us if you want something adiquite(sp?)
    Similar Products Used:First real MTB
    Bike Setup:changed shifters to rapid fire, works great. Bar ends are also good to add. thats all i did cause im getting new bike soon
    Bottom Line:Great bike for the money. If your willing to spend another 300 dollars us, you can make this bike a real nice one. I cant think of anything else to say but that if your looking to get into the sport of MTB, get this bike. Great price, great value, and it has lasted 2-3 years on me and hasnt had any major problems.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by AJ a Weekend Warrior from Ottawa
    Date Reviewed: September 28, 2002
    Favorite Trail:Kicking Horse in BC
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $379.00
    Purchased At:Kunstadt
    Strengths:I like the Rapid Fire, nice quick shifting, grippy tires, frame is outstanding. I like the paint job!
    Weaknesses:The cranks and the forks. These RST's suck.
    Similar Products Used:Peugeot Hudson
    Bike Setup:2002 Katmandu, shimano components, cromoly frame, RockShox Jetts
    Bottom Line:This is a great bike if you are starting mountain biking. the frame is awsome, so are the shifters. the worst thing about this bike is the fork. 181's are a peice of crap. I replaced em with some RockShox Jetts. Overall, this is a great bike.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by clay a Weekend Warrior from b.c.
    Date Reviewed: September 9, 2002
    Duration Product Used:Tested or demo'ed only
    Price Paid: $375.00
    Purchased At:all seasons
    Strengths:none
    Weaknesses:cranks bottom bracket handle bars forks stem all bent broken or just suck
    Bottom Line:this bike sucks it's the most worthless piece of crap out there spend some more money and get some thing different
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

    Submitted by Merrill Newell a Cross Country Rider from Toronto, Ontario Canada
    Date Reviewed: August 15, 2002
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $349.00
    Purchased At:Cycle Solutions
    Strengths:This is a great entry-level bike and I'm going to mirror the first two reviewers here and say that the frame and brakes are first rate, good and solid. I like the grippy tires and the SRAM GripShifters as well. The front suspension is adequate; no more or less than what I expected on a bike at this price range but you'll definately want something substantially more beefy for regular off-roading.
    Weaknesses:Derailleurs, both front and rear, are garbage... Period! I replaced them with higher-end Shimano components and haven't looked back. Also, within three months, the junky, low-end bottom bracket was trashed! Again, I replaced it with a higher-end Shimano SEALED unit and things have been great. I removed the useless front fender as I was never able to get it to stay aligned (hopefully Norco has fixed this).
    Bottom Line:I've been very happy with this bike after the above mentioned modifications. Replacing the derailleurs and the bottom bracket are almost REQUIRED on this bike and the front suspension is just okay. I added a proper gel seat and suspension seat post to cushion the bottom end, so-to-speak... I've also added a Cateye Tomo cycle computer which has been working like a charm. I used to ride extensively years ago and the Katmandu has reintroduced me to the sport with flying colours. I'll replace it next season with something much higher-end but I'll always have a fondness for this bike.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Connor a Weekend Warrior from Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Date Reviewed: July 14, 2002
    Favorite Trail:Vancouver Northshore and sfu
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $420.00
    Purchased At:bike doctors
    Strengths:FRAME ITS BEUTIFUL And STRONG good welds perfect wieght good brakes i like there rapid fire
    Weaknesses:the front derailer, suspesion sucks, i had alot of problems with the cranks but that was just a bad case of a falty acle not real prob with the bike
    Bottom Line:SWEET Frame GOOD Bike NICE brakes Bad suspension BAD Derailer
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Sunny Shams a Downhiller from Sidney, BC, Canada
    Date Reviewed: May 31, 2002
    Favorite Trail:Hartland
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $420.00
    Purchased At:Russ Hays
    Strengths:Unbreakable Chromoly Frame with RAD tubing. Strong welds, great stem and bars Cranks are okay.
    Weaknesses:Derailleurs are not that great, Cranks are plastic coated aluminum, and the Bottom bracket comes loose quite a lot.
    The Forks are peices of garbage. They say they have 63mm of travel? More like 22mm barely. They feel like rigid forks.
    Similar Products Used:DMR Dirtjumper. Norco Sasquatch. Miele Frontrunner
    Bike Setup:2002 Norco Katmandu, Axiom double jump flat pedals, Ninja 26x2.6" tires, Alex rims, Shimano Rapid Fire Shifters, Rock Shox Judy TT forks, F.U.N.N Downhill Seat.
    Bottom Line:The Norco frame is great. It's not too heavy, but not light. It looks awesome with its RAD (square to round) style tubing. The Forks though...the RST 181CL's need to be changed. They don't seem to work very well. I bought some Judy TT's and they get the job done. The Bike is a great bike for beginners or intermediate bikers who do some trail/downhill stuff and use it to get around to school or work or something.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by christopher fitzsimmons a Downhiller from calgary, Alberta, canada
    Date Reviewed: November 18, 2001
    Favorite Trail:c.o.p.
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $300.00
    Purchased At:mission cycle
    Strengths:frame, v-brakes and bars are good
    Weaknesses:The derailers and the rims, suspension
    Similar Products Used:norco fireball
    Bike Setup:?
    Bottom Line:I recently sold it for another bettere norco. Its suspension sucked ass and its derailers are garbage. But if you look past that stuff its not abad bike.
    Value Rating:1Overall Rating:3






    What's New
    » Dinotte Lights Giveaway Contest! Just in time for night riding season, you could win a free lightset from Dinotte»
    » Best Of Mtbr.com! - Highest Rated bikes, parts & gear»
    » Interbike 2008! Read news and info about new bikes and products from the upcoming show»
    Latest Articles and Reviews:


    Quick Poll

    (sponsored by Rocky Mountain Bicycles)
    How has the state of the economy affected your bike spending?

      I spend a lot less
      I spend a little less
      I spend the same amount
      I spend more

    Photo Caption Contest

    (sponsored by Maxxis)

    Enter here

    Contact Us  •   About Us  •   Terms of Use  •   Privacy Policy  •   Advertising
     MtbREVIEW.com  RoadbikeREVIEW.com  OutdoorREVIEW.com
     PhotographyREVIEW.com  VideogameREVIEW.com  ComputingREVIEW.com
     AudioREVIEW.com  CarREVIEW.com  GolfREVIEW.com
    Copyright ©1996-2008 All Rights Reserved.ConsumerREVIEW.com, a business unit of Invenda      RSS Feed