Ryan Leech is one of the best known names in mountain biking. His frame of mind on the sport may have changed slightly over the past decade but he is an absolute inspiration to watch. All that yoga sure has paid off keeping Ryan’s riding as sharp as ever! Here is 2:54 of absolutely amazing footage with Ryan going for a leisurely weekend ride in the city and on the beach.
Video by Matt Dennison/NSMB
Norco did it right for the 2012 model year when they introduced a DH bike that both looked fast and went fast by modern standards. For 2013 the platform sees minor revisions and an updated spec range. Pricing structure has been updated, expanding the available models to five options from a previous three, with the Aurum 1 coming in either a Boxxer / DHX RC2 or Dorado / Double Barrel as seen on our test bike.
As soon as I jumped on the 2013 Norco Aurum 1 Dorado, the reason for this bike’s popularity was evident; generous top tubes and solid out-of-box spec make for confidence-inspiring gravity sled. Connor Macleod did a great job of covering the Aurum’s heritage in his initial overview last year and wrapped up its riding characteristics in the long term review – both with photos from Derek Dix. Using those articles as a backbone, this one can stay short and sweet.
Through the photo set below I will detail the Aurum’s changes for the 2013 model year and give my thoughts on a few months with the low slung racer. Click in to the first photo to enlarge and advance through using the arrow keys…
Read more at nsmb.com
This winter, with Whistler and Pemberton sitting under a blanket of snow for the last few months, most of the riding I have done has been in Squamish. The majority of the time I have been on my new Range, pedaling over a lot of ground under my own steam, and accessing trails that you simply can’t drive to.
I have learned a lot of new rides, and on the way down certain trails, have often thought how fun it would be to have a downhill bike on some sections. I didn’t need to be asked twice when Matt Dennison mentioned that he wanted to make a video with the big bike. I threw the Aurum on the car and ripped down to Squamish to test out some of these trails with a bit more travel underneath me.
Holy crap was it fun! Obviously downhill bikes are faster on burly, rough and steep terrain, but I sometimes forget how a piece of relatively simple terrain can be transformed by the technology of a bigger bike. The extra travel, softer, wider tires, more powerful brakes, more sophisticated dampers, they all enable you to shift up a gear, and give you that margin for error that means you can ride faster and stay in control. Suddenly you are up to a speed where the trail isn’t so simple any more, because it is coming at you so fast!
It was great to get the downhill bike out again, and to feel like I was riding totally different trails because of what the bike was doing for me. It was also great to have Matt there to capture some speed and some experiments on the trail. Please enjoy!
Paul Stevens
Post by Paul Stevens
I like winter. Skiing is awesome, and getting as much snow in the face as I do some days makes me appreciate why Whistler is one of the leading resorts in North America in the Winter, as well as the summer.
I was just getting in to the swing of winter, mounting my bindings and waxing new skis as I watched the snow fall, anxiously checking the snow forecast every day, and waking up early each morning to find out what had fallen from the sky while I was asleep. I have been getting stoked for powder days, and excited to see the snow base growing fast.
The Aurum is ready. The trails in Whistler have a ways to go.
Then my new Aurum 1 arrived, and everything changed. Suddenly I am floating over the bike park on a chair lift, looking down at the thick layer of snow shrouding every jump, berm and drop, and pillowing over the sides of every bridge. All I can think about is my new downhill bike, and I want to fast-forward to the dust and heat of summer.
: At least I can look and dream. Even once the riding starts, I don’t think I will ever get sick of looking at this bike.
I had a similar feeling as a kid, when I knew I was getting a new bike for christmas. My parents had let their guard down, and I had managed to catch a glimpse of the red frame, with its yellow frame pads and mag wheels, before it was locked away in the shed. Then I had to wait, writhing in anticipation, knowing what was there, waiting on the other side of the door for me. I would think what a waste it was, having such a beautiful bike sitting there, out of my sight, and not being able to ride it. And now, years later, I am waiting again. At least this time around I can look at my new bike whenever I want to, and it will be very soon that I drive somewhere that has dirt under foot and not snow. And until then, the view over my skis really isn’t so bad!
Ready to drop in and make a trail of our own.
Paul
Photo by Ian Hylands
NSMB’s resident video master Matt Dennison headed down to the 2012 Jamaica Fat Tyre Festival earlier this year, and produced some beautiful video work. First came the bike-free scenery edit, then an amazing riding edit. However, Matt had one outstanding piece of business from this trip: Norco had lent him a 2012 Sight 1 to rip around Jamaica, on the promise that he would publish about his experience on the bike. Being Matt Dennison, he couldn’t just do something normal…
A Jamaican Bike Review from nsmb.com on Vimeo.
Original Post from NSMB.com
Still got that showroom shine after 4 months of Pacific Northwest winter riding. This winter I conducted some long-term testing aboard Norco’s latest DH offering – the Aurum. In December I shared my initial thoughts on the overall bike and build, all of which were impressive. The bright yellow Aurum gets attention wherever it goes; it’s fresh, light and fast like a McDonald’s salad or something.
Traction was never a problem onboard the Aurum, thanks to a refined FSR suspension and 3C Minions. It’s evident that Norco designed this bike in conjunction with World Cup racers because they nailed all the essentials and then some. Furthermore, it’s proven in its first year of production, which is rarely accomplished. I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw the newly designed bike last year, even more impressed after my first ride and sold after 3 months. If you have read other reviews of mine your aware I actually ride the bikes, like to the max. This usually fast tracks a bikes weakness and or strengths. The Aurum showed no weakness; however, I did find room for improvement with the build.
Despite the Aurum’s race geo it still pedals better than I expected even with the lackluster Vivid. The Aurum fits and feels natural with no quirky features or marketing ploys. Everything serves a purpose and is seamlessly integrated into the frame. From the integrated fork bumpers and seat collar to the clever breakaway hanger system. Cable routing is clean and simple running straight back externally under the top tube and down the seat stay. Smart routing means your cables work and last longer and when the time comes time to replacement it’s only a five-minute job. Read the full review at nsmb.com
The bike business is filled with characters. Those hungry for a fat paycheque, or an easy one, quickly move on and you are left with a rare and splendid selection of individuals. Many started out wrenching in shops and then graduated to schlepping on the road as sales reps, or at a desk selling to far off shops – and they are all full of tall tales and history. Trade Titans, introduced with the help of the venerable Pete Stace-Smith, will be our effort to introduce you to some of the masochistic bike zealots who shape the industry.
When I think of Norco I think of Pete Stace-Smith. It’s that simple. Despite Norco’s high profile athletes and their mountain biking innovations, Pete SS would be my response playing word association; within the bike industry he is the face of the brand. Riders outside the bike industry may not have heard of Pete, but if you’ve ridden a Norco or if you’ve been entertained by a Norco athlete like Ryan Leech, you’ve felt the influence of the man they call Steak Sauce.
Pete’s title is Marketing and PR Manager but I’ve always felt he means more to Norco than any label could relate. To get a little perspective on that I tracked down Skip Swain, Norco’s VP of sales, who put it this way: “Pete is known by his coworkers, riders and media from around the world as Norco’s ultimate ambassador. Our marketing plan would be complete if we could bottle Pete and ship it to all corners of the world.”
Pete doing some product testing on Leppard trail on Fromme. Photo ~ Morgan Taylor
Read the full article at nsmb.com
Norco’s roots are in British Columbia Canada at the base of Vancouver’s North Shore. In fact, a large part of Norco’s continued success can be attributed to the iconic “Shore” model that evolved from 2001 to 2011. The successor of the Shore is the Norco Truax and it seems only fitting that NSMB have a kick at reviewing this evolution in Norco’s interpretation of freeride.
The Truax spent a good bit of the summer on Vancouver’s North Shore mountains, performing ‘self-access gravity riding’ (Norco’s term) duties, as well as punching out Whistler bikepark laps. The ‘freeride’ label fits the bike, though that moniker seems to be of fading relevance. Perhaps ‘big hit trailbike with bike park inclinations’ is an effective descriptor, if a bit cumbersome. Regardless, this is a long travel bike of burly build, with perfectly capable climbing abilities despite its not so svelte girth. Speaking of which, listed weight is 36.3lbs; my scale indicates 37.5lbs for my medium example. Unfortunately, optimistic weight claims are not unexpected in this industry, but I like to be pleasantly surprised by accuracy occasionally.
Mike Hopkins is a rider that in many ways defines what the modern freerider is. Sure he rips on a bike, but what differentiates him from other riders is how he connects and communicates with his audience. He works tirelessly on producing original content for magazines, web, and film. He has a strong idea of what biking means to him and how to convey that to readers and viewers.
Mike recently signed to Vancouver bike brand, Norco Bikes, and whilst he was in town picking up bikes we managed to drag him for a quick lap of Bobsled on Fromme. Afterwards we asked him a few questions about sponsors, direction, his favorite seat-post diameter and what the word moist means to him.
Hopkins came in for a mellow sesh on his dirt jumper and to chat about his next couple years.
Read the full interview at nsmb.com
NSMB knows what a bike needs to be in order to take on some of the roughest terrain in the world. They put this knowledge to the test in a recent review of the 2012 Norco Aurum in the heart of Vancouver’s North Shore. Have a read through this review and let us know what you think. How do you think the Aurum will do this year on the world cup circuit. There will be as many as 10 sponsored Norco riders on the Aurum in 2012 so keep an eye out for this bike out on the trail and race course in the year to come. (Rider names to come in the new year)
So far I am blown away with the performance of the Aurum, especially in its first year of production. Its evident that Norco have done their homework on this one. Something tells me the Dirt Norco Team had some input for the design and engineering team. The Aurum feels like a concept bike with all its features, except you can own one for as low as $3550. I’m Glad to see a local company as influential as Norco back in the gravity game in a big way. Stay tuned for part 2 of the Aurum Review with visuals from Derek Dix and Matt Dennison.
Read the full review here