Submitted by
Evan
a
from Santa Cruz, CA Date Reviewed: April 2, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Spot on geometry, nice build, excellent freeride hardtail.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Crap-ola Azonic DS-1 Santa Cruz Chameleon
Bike Setup:
32-tooth chainring with bashguard, 40 spoke XT tandem wheels, Fox Forx Vanilla 125RLC
Bottom Line:
Norco 2002 Torrent, Frame only They got it right when they stretched out the top tube. This is a medium bike with a large size top tube, and it feels great, so you can run a nice short stem. High bottom bracket, bunnyhops and wheelies like a mo-fo. Head tube is quite slack, but it makes for a lot of stability on those narrow North Shore bridges, eh? I don't like the complete-bike setup as much because the Bomber Dirt Jumper fork is very dead-feeling, perhaps fork was defective? But don't take my word for it, ride this bike and decide!
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Submitted by
Jordan
a Weekend Warrior
from PG, BC, Canada Date Reviewed: August 10, 2001
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$2249.00
Strengths:
I bought this bike originally for freeride/urban but now its downhill specific, it works either way. Good value.
Weaknesses:
I had to change so components on it, changed the victor platforms to azonic A-frames and the girly saddle to an Azonic love seat... could use an 8inch rotor in the front.Also, seems to me that the paint chips easily.
Bike Setup:
Stock *NEW* saddle and pedals
Bottom Line:
My torrent is year 2000 and i've beaten it up pretty bad already. it is a great freeride bike and even good for climbing but if you are doing DH... look into getting an F/S bike.
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Submitted by
ROGER ZAITLEN
a Weekend Warrior
from VENTURA,CA.USA Date Reviewed: May 14, 2001
Favorite Trail:
SUICIDE-DEADCOW-BACKBONE
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$1950.00
Purchased At:
JOHN HENRY BIKES
Strengths:
BOMBER QR20 DROPOUT 130mm-GRIPSHIFT-HAYES-RACEFACE OVERALL GREAT COMPONENTS BOMBPROOF
Weaknesses:
2001 MODEL PURCHASED NEW MAY 01 NO WEAKNESS AFTER 2 WEEKS
Similar Products Used:
TREK HARDTAIL 14,500 MILES MAY IT REST IN PEACE
Bike Setup:
2001 MODEL NORCO TORRANT STOCK
Bottom Line:
GREAT CLIMBER,SUPERIOR DOWNHILL BIKE WITH A LOTS OF CONTROL,5"TRAVEL BOMBER, THAT SO FAR HANDLES EVERYTHING I'VE THROWN AT IT.
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Submitted by
Wilso
a Downhiller
from Australia Date Reviewed: April 4, 2001
Favorite Trail:
kuranda
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Edge Cycles
Strengths:
Farkin sweet, tiny frame, strong as, chicks dig it, Motivation to put out the vibe
Weaknesses:
Nutting, can cause bodily harm if you fall of it
Similar Products Used:
INTENSE M1sl, gt i drive, bianchi DH, giant atx 2, Diahatsu Terios, Dunlop banshee, repco, Giant atx 980, Chicks in town (good ride), random pumps with tourists on the esplanade
Bike Setup:
Rock shox psylo, formula disc, azonic, esp 9.0
Bottom Line:
farkin sweet dual, jump or freeride bike. 13.5 inch nearly a bmx. the only better ride youll get as some hot blonde pice of machinery you find sunbaking nude at the beach.
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Submitted by
astro-man
a Weekend Warrior
from Hell Date Reviewed: March 27, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
man! this frame kills!!! built to last and to take major damage. that Jamie dude from N.S. what bike are you reviewing? 'cos it can't be the 2000 torrent that i'm riding?anyway this frame is nuke proof! anyone that is looking for a north shore,free-ride hard tail,this in the bomb,the panzer tank division!
Weaknesses:
NONE!
Similar Products Used:
other free ride hard tails, but most won't be as tough as the torrent.
Bike Setup:
24" sun dbl wides, w/ a 24"x3" IRC kujo up front and a 24"x2.35 IRC kujo on the rear,Marzocchi Jr. T,f.u.n.n henchman steam,azonic 2" riser bar,kooka free ride cranks/bashguard,avid discs,DK iron cross peddals,other shimano stuff, who really cares abt that stuff, none of that stuff like derailleurs,BB's etc....will not last anyway.your frame,wheels and fork are the main gear.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is to find a bike for your style of riding, if your style is bombing it,north sore,urban even jumping the norco torrent is a great hardtail. it's built to last and is north shore worthy, the frame is built to take on drops,insane single track,downhill... and it's able to climb, since most of us have to climb to be able to go down.
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Submitted by
Dave
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver, BC, CANADA Date Reviewed: June 4, 2000
Favorite Trail:
Anything fun
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Similar Products Used:
Kona Roast, Kona Chute, Santa Cruz Chameleon, Brodie Holeshot, Brodie Bigshot, Rocky Mountain Reaper, almost any good hardtail out there. This one wins! Maybe it is a bit too expensive, but awesome!
Bike Setup:
2000 Torrent frame with Z1 QR20's, XT/XTR, RaceFace North Shore XS cranks, RaceFace DH headset, Black Iodinized Sun Mammoth Rims, RaceFace bottom bracket, Axonic Double Wall Bars, Hayes discs,
Bottom Line:
This bike rules on the downhill (awesome for being a hardtail), it kills everybody in duel slolam, and if you raise the seat a little, it climbs like an crosscountry bike. I am more of a North Shore type thrasher and this bike rips down everything. It rules off drops as well. I did 8ft no problem. I admit that the stock torrent is not the best for the price (with Z3Qr20's and a not too bad component spec), but the way I have it, it rules. All that I am really rating here is the frame and I know that it rules. It is totally stiff. I dont know about that '99 one that has 1 1/2 inches of flex that Jamie from Nova Scotia above rated, but my torrent rules. I am going to race in the summer and than I will post a follow-up but for now, I will continue loving it! If you want a hardtail, get this one. Also, Kenny Maude rides this as his hardtail (a guy with a VPS-1 on North Shore movies, works at John Henry Bikes in Vancouver). That proves beyond a doubt that this is a worthy bike as he is a crazy rider.
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Submitted by
Paul none
a Racer
from Port Coquitlam BC Canada Date Reviewed: April 15, 2000
Favorite Trail:
All BC trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
The Bike moves and is very north shorish. Also the costumer service is awsome. The price is right and the components rule
Weaknesses:
cheap decals, nice paint though
Similar Products Used:
Asuna Rockline Pro and Raleigh
Bike Setup:
Bomber Z-3, Sram shifters and everything else stock
Bottom Line:
This bike rules the world. It's fast as hell and the shocks are the best. It weighs next to nothing and is a bike made for hammering. The costemer service is awsome. This bike is really fast for racing but just looking at it makes you a better trials riders. I'm not great at trials but this bike scream to get better
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Submitted by
Wai-Ben
a Racer
from Ottawa, Ontario Date Reviewed: December 10, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Multiple Orgasm
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Awesome spec Great pricing Love the geometry Really light and stiff and fast
Weaknesses:
Could be prettier
Similar Products Used:
similar konas, rocky mountains and other norcos.
Bike Setup:
stock (easton elite frame, z2 atom bomb, XTR/XT, RaceFace cranks, Sun Sub4 rims)
Bottom Line:
An awesome bike. It's great for racing, but its setup could totally be for freeride with its sloping toptube, riser bar and high ground clearance. It makes you feel higher up, but is still really stable and handles great. The wider bar makes for dead-accurate steering. The fork is beautiful and the whole setup just works great. You get a lot of bike compared to other companies' stuff at this price.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dustin
a Racer
from B.C Date Reviewed: August 27, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Ladies Only
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
The Fork,Shock, Geometry,super stiff frame and XTR shifters and rear derailleur. my hat goes off to the genorous people at norco for sponsoring me and letting me buy this bike for 20% below cost!!!!!
Weaknesses:
Stupidly heavy riser bar, (easy fix)
Similar Products Used:
C-dale F1000
Bike Setup:
stock easton compisite straight bar and seatpost, Time ATAC pedals, Maxxis Wormdrive tires for racing, 22.3 pounds like this
Bottom Line:
five flaming hot chili's i'm never going back to anything else but Canadian!! Norco Kick but!! don't take my word for it, try it yourself
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jamie
a Racer
from nova scotia Date Reviewed: August 18, 1999
Favorite Trail:
went worth
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
light frame
Weaknesses:
FLEXY
Similar Products Used:
norco magnum
Bike Setup:
mostly XT with lx hubs and bb. race face cranks
Bottom Line:
When I first got this bike it felt very stiff compared to my old magnum but after a while I started to notice the flex in the frame. I flex the bottom bracket about an inch and 1/2 not good for racing. It does have good single track handling though. But the flex is just horrifying. Rating: 2.5 burning dead horses
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Submitted by
jamie
a Racer
from nova scotia Date Reviewed: June 15, 1999
Favorite Trail:
race course at victoria park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
stiff light fast
Weaknesses:
none right now
Similar Products Used:
norco magnum
Bike Setup:
axiom anti gravity riser bars race face cranks lx hubs rest XT with bomberZ3
Bottom Line:
this is a really good race bike. it climbs really good and has great handling in a technical situations. The only thing holding my bike back is me. Norco also has a great warranty. I had a magnum with good parts and I broke the frame. Norco then sent me a torrent frame. THanks norco.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ken
a Racer
from Calgary, Alberta Date Reviewed: April 22, 1999
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Light, stiff, and responsive. Oh yeah, and even has eyelets for mounting a rack!?
Weaknesses:
Ugly decals.
Similar Products Used:
Rocky Mountain Vertex T.O.
Bike Setup:
Crappy Manitou FS Ti
Bottom Line:
I really like this frame. After a year on a piece of ?*!#@# Reynolds 735 frame (the deadest riding frame I've ever owned), this frame feels great. It rides almost as nice as my T.O. frame did.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James Robinson
a racer
from Sydney Australia Date Reviewed: January 29, 1999
Bottom Line:
An impressive package. The new XT is near faultless and virtually as good as XTR. The frame goemetry is perfect for technical riding and is light weight. The Atom Bomb is plush as any other XC fork on the market. But there are some downsides. The headset is crap and i replaced it after just two weeks. The problem is that the clamp with the internal taper designed to pull the headset together does not apply enough pressure and keeps coming loose. Also the rims are a bit weak and need fairly regular attention. Overall, a very raceable bike and heaps of fun to ride. Ride On!
$ 1799.00
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