So, after riding the Norco Fluid 1 for the 2007 season, I thought I had found the perfect mix of light weight, smooth travel, efficiency and all-around performance. Shortly after posting the review of that bike, I get a call from Norco talking up the release of the 2008 line at Crankworx 2007 in Whistler. Unable to attend the event, I had to wait until the press kit arrived in the mail, but once it did, the all-new Fluid LT 1 caught my eye. This bike looks SICK!
Read my review of the Norco Fluid LT 3…
Check out the 2008 Norco Fluid 1 in all its glory…
Initial specs on the Norco Fluid LT1 are as follows:
- Rear Shock: Fox DHX Air 5.0
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik with 2-step air, mission control and 160mm travel — One of the best forks on the market!
- Travel: Adjustable from 137-158mm via FSR Horst linkage
- Brakes: Avid Juicy Carbon
- Drivetrain: Mix of Shimano XTR and SRAM X.0
- Weight: ??? (guessing low 30′s)
- Geometry: Taller BB and slacker head angle vs. standard Fluid frameset
- MSRP: $5179
I’m stoked on this new addition to the Norco all-mountain lineup. Rocker-arm FSR suspension designs are by far the most efficient and best handling framesets available today. I’ve ridden a ton of bikes and a ton of suspension designs, but nothing I’ve ridden competes with the overall functionality offered by a true FSR rocker-arm design. My all-time favorite bikes are all rocker-arm FSR’s: 2002 Turner RFX, 2007 Ellsworth Moment and now, quite possibly the 2008 Norco Fluid LT 1.
Other Options for the Working Man
Check out the nicely-spec’d and still affordable Norco Fluid LT 2 ($2999 USD) and Norco Fluid LT 3 ($1999 USD) for less high-zoot and more bang-for-your-hard-earned-buck workhorses for those without $5k to spend on a new bike. These are still nicely equipped and ready to rip.
More Information
Stay tuned for more information on the 2008 Norco lineup including a review of the Fluid LT 1. And, head on over to Norco.com for the full Fluid LT specs and information.
A Seattle native, Jason developed a love for the outdoors and a thing for mountains. That infatuation continues as he founded
What’s the drivetrain on the LT3 version?
It looks like the Norco Fluid LT3 comes with the SRAM X-5 drivetrain. The majority of the components are workhorse quality with a solid frameset that can be upgraded for years to come.
I did ride the Norco Fluid LT1 at Interbike 2007 Outdoor Demo and liked the bike overall, but it wasn’t as stellar as I had hoped. I found out that the seatstay on the test bikes was pre-production and needed some additional structural rigidity to stave the vibrations from disc brakes.
It vibrated enough to give my butt quite a massage on the downhills. Other than that, the bike handled well and (like all Norco’s) descended extremely well.
Look for Norco to fix the vibration problem prior to production and I’m sure it will be a stellar ride.
Looks like I’ll be getting my hands on a Norco Fluid LT 3.0 for review this Spring. So, look for an update and a full, saddle-time review by the end of April.
I just completed my review of the new Norco Fluid LT 3… check it out:
http://www.feedthehabit.com/mountain-biking/2008-norco-fluid-lt-3-mountain-bike-review/