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Submitted by
edouble
a Cross Country Rider
from LI,NY
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | many | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$750.00 | | Purchased At: | mtbr classifieds | | Strengths: | awesome singletrack handling, light weight, perfect geometry. | | Weaknesses: | it took me so long to find one | | Similar Products Used: | jamis dragon, airborne black widow, voodoo bizango, zero flux and a curtlo AM. ALL STEEL ALL THE TIME BABY!!!!!! | | Bike Setup: | sunrace shifters, titec hellion bar, avids, manitou mars elite, lx cranks, time pedals, xt derailleurs, salsa stem and post, mavis 225's w/ spec. enduro pro's (2.2)24.25 lbs without even trying. | | Bottom Line: | ive always wanted a canadian built steel hardtail because of the type of xc riding canada is know for. my theory was that they must have the geometry of the bike really dialled in. the reputation of the R.M. blizzard only made me think that it was true. that bikes geometry dosnt fit me quite as well as this one though, so i went with the exceedingly rare norco team issue. boy am i glad i did!. ive been riding this bike on the super rocky trails of Mass. and it has been awesome. it climbs, descends, corners and sprints, handles rock gardens and roots, goes over logs, climbs out of ruts etc. for technical xc this bike can do it all. plus you'll almost never, ever see another one. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Graham
a
from Prince George, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | light, great handling, solid frame | | Weaknesses: | none | | Bike Setup: | xt/xtr, mavic wheels, judy forks, raceface cranks | | Bottom Line: | amazing bike. I rode it all day on dirt or road and it was sweet! Could pull any speed on dirt or road. Even got it up to about 75km/h on road once, with no wobbles. Unfortunately, I got hit by a car on it last the fall, and the rear triangle is now bent enough that the cranks don't go round. It was a VERY, very sad day. Anyone who lovesXC should find one of these, for sure. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simon
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, BC
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Test of Metal | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | On loan from Norco sponsored racer | | Strengths: | -Climbs like a dream
-Solid frame (853 is a dream material)
-Top notch components (Almost all XT or XTR)
-Light and getting lighter as I upgrade components.
-Superlative XC bike | | Weaknesses: | -Meagre travel on the RockShox Mag 21 forks. (But hey, they're vintage.)
-No disc tabs. (But it is a 1994 frame) | | Similar Products Used: | 1990 Jamis Dakota (Hardtail, rigid fork, Biopace rings. You get the picture.) | | Bike Setup: | Full mid 1990s 8-speed XT/XTR, with XTR brake levers/shifters, XTR Canti brakes, XTR FD, XT RD, XT F+R hubs, Control Tech seat post, Bontrager Ti bars, Mavic and Sun rims.
-Upgraded FD to newer XTR. Seat post to Thompson. Seat to new Selle Italia XO.
-I put on lots of distance (5000+ kms per year, mainly XC) and consequently I'm starting to upgrade the components as they wear. I planning to change over to V-brakes, and later versions of 8-speed shifters, cranks etc. I may upgrade the fork and change over to front mechanical XT or Avid disc. | | Bottom Line: | -This bike is now 10 years old, and still rides like a dream. This was my first "real" mountain bike and a quantum leap from the Jamis. (Heavy and thus a bit of a pig uphill.)
-If you can find one of these frames BUY IT. In following years Norco made the Team Issue frame in titanium, but 853 is a stellar material and as they say, steel is real.
-My value rating is a bit of a shot in the dark as I didn't pay for this bike, but it is such a dream to ride it would be worth it if I did have to pay retail for it.
-My overall rating is a very strong 5 flamming chilis. Outstanding bike with a strong, simple and robust frame, great component set and great geometry for XC riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
buechsi
a Racer
from steinhausen,zug, switzerland
Date Reviewed: February 23, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | swiss and franc alps | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Strengths: | Best Bike i ever had.
The 853 frame is very strong but also very comfortable to ride. all the components are first choise and work very well. | | Weaknesses: | formula disc brake leaked after 2 years but i guess that's normal | | Similar Products Used: | GT Zaskar LE, Norco Team Issue 96, | | Bike Setup: | Marzocchi Z2, Formula disk-brake front, Magura HS33 rear, Race-Face, SRAM 9.0, | | Bottom Line: | This bike was my baby for every ride and stund i liked. now i turned from a cc-racer to a freerider attracted to the northshore riders so i just ordered a Norco VPS Launch to save my Team Issue. Till now the 853 frame had to put in all the wheel drops and crashes and it still works without any problems. Now i'll use it only for some cc-races because on those trails it's just the best bike you can get.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
KRAZEE MAN
a Weekend Warrior
from SASKATCHEWAN
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | PEEGEE | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Strengths: | purchased "98 Team frame. Best riding hardtail I've ever ridden! Not to heavy and the handling is awesome! It is still a hard choice when I go out between this bike and my new Pipeline! Great frame for the price! | | Weaknesses: | The paint is not as good as it could be(thought it chips easily) | | Similar Products Used: | ridden brodies, rockies, fishers, none come close! | | Bike Setup: | XT drivetrain, raceface cranks and rings, Z2 Atom Bomb, velocity rims, risers with 100mm stem. | | Bottom Line: | I enjoy the ride of this frame alot. It was a great deal for the money and I would recommend more people look at the Norco lineup. Their product is good for the money! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
853
a racer
from Maple Ridge B.C.
Date Reviewed: July 3, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I know I really shouldn't but.....
Ok this bike starts out with a killer raceing package. But the disc is a little thing to play mind games with. if you live in a place with lots of mud keep it on but have paitence when working with it. Try different methods of bleeding and filling it and other stuff ot get better modulation.
The rest of the bike is killer. 853 frame, all i wish is that the rear stays were 853 too but you have to setlle for Fuji stoutlight stays that do there job admirably.
Bomber Z-2 BAMS are exactly the same as an Atom bomb exceot for the color and disc brake tabs. Rear brake is Shiman Xtr with the same lever. High end stuff all over the bike ESP is great with crisp shifts and great under pressure. Norco uses there in house brand parts Axiom for the post, stem, and bar. They are good quality aluminum while retaining a good weight. Only problem at all is the tires. You MUST i repeat, MUST trade these right away, get your dealer to do it off the floor, go with the Panaracer Fire XC pro and this bike could be almost perfect, but next years bike will kill it.....hehe the joys of being sponsored. Also I am not saying this because Norco told me to, I am saying this because the bike works great for the money, all for under $2500 American and under $3500 Canadian.
And one more thing is that Norcos' Axiom XC riser bar is a great ad on.
happy trails.
5 chilis oh so hot.... | | Overall Rating: |
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