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Day three of the Norco Product Launch is the day where media, distributors and dealers are present. The whole shebang of people are all here to see the new line of bikes. Following 8 different planned rides, several meetings,  and some intimate time with the bikes, today ended with a BBQ at Inter-River Park in North Vancouver. A great day of riding deserves good beer and good company- this is what the BBQ is about. Now I will admit that after three days of riding, talking, wrenching, driving, photoing, and blogging…. I am getting a little bit tired so I am going to let some photos tell the rest of the story.

Dustan

Today was day two for the 2011 Norco Product Launch. Starting off this morning, the crew assembled for an early start and an overview of the 2011 line. With more than 150 bikes,  this takes a little while but with highlights such as the Range, Shinobi, Vixa and Phaser, it is worth the wait. Check out pinkbike.com for studio photos of the lineup.

The real story for the day is the launch of Norco’s Advanced Ride Technology (A.R.T.) suspension system。 Through the modification and optimization of proven FSR suspension Norco bikes will climb smoother and descend faster than ever before. A.R.T. delivers a ride which is more efficient while pedaling while offering improved square edge bump compliance to smooth and quicken rough riding conditions. Both of these features have been achieved by changing the location of the pivot points to achieve additional chain growth and a more rearward axle path.  The increased chain growth results in higher anti-squat characteristics which reduces suspension bob and makes the bike pedal more efficiently.  The improved rearward axle path lets the rear wheel move back at the same time as it moves up to get out of the way of large, square edge bumps more effectively, allowing the bike to roll smoother and faster over rough terrain.

That is a mouthfull… the real lowdown is that the new Norco Range, Shinobi, Vixa and Phaser will climb better and descend faster than ever before. Whether you are racing XC, looking for an All-Mountain machine or hitting up a Super-D, these bikes fit the part!

2011 Norco Range SE

Once all the bikes had been discussed, the photos had been taken and everyone had heared enough, it was time to ride. Heading over to ride the shore was only a short drive away so we headed over and had a blast. Following that up with a Trials demo from Ryan Leech… Sounds like a pretty good day to me! For more photos check out flickr.com/norcobikes

Today was Day 1 of the 2011 Norco Product Launch. Throughout the day, international distributors and Media rolled into town in preparation for the unveiling of the lineup tomorrow morning. Tuesday Morning is the main event with presentations going through highlights of the line from urban to mountain. Following the presentations, we will go ride some brand new 2011 bikes in the world famous North Shore Mountains.

While tomorrow holds a whole lot of excitement, this afternoon we chose to take out some of the jetlag through an urban ride around the city. Vancouver truly is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and why not enjoy it! Check out some photos from the day’s ride at: flickr.com

Today is the last business day before the 2011 Norco Product Launch. The last bikes are being built, the photos have been taken and the truckloads of gear are ready to be moved from Norco HQ down to the Pinnacle Hotel in North Vancouver. With the top dealers, international distributors, media, and many many more coming out for the launch, it all kicks off Monday. Check back here on early next week night for daily launch updates, then the full line of bikes will start popping up around the internet on Tuesday. Do a quick search for “2011 Norco Bikes” and see what comes up. There is lots to tell and lots to see, let’s just say that some of the bikes are pieces of ART.

Building the last bikes

all the photos have been taken

Show Bikes Ready to go

Demo bikes ready to ride

moving bikes down 3 floors

Come on back Monday for launch site photos and a few peeks at the new bikes.

This weekend was the 15th Annual John Henry Days in North Vancouver. For this otherwise quiet Saturday, the shop shut down the local street, brought in some dirt and made some jumps. With $1000 up for grabs the event drew names such as Dueck, Sorge, Wyper, Gullevich, van de Kamp and many more. Through three rounds of jumping the pack was first weeded down to the top 12, then to 5 and finally onto the grand prize winner, Kurt Sorge taking home the big check signed by the Bicycle Man himself, John Henry. Sam Dueck and Jeff Gullevich rounded out the podium in 2nd and third respectively.

Rather than going too in depth, check out this mash of photos from the day’s event.