But for families looking to bring young riders on technical trail rides and trips to the bikepark, the Fluid FS Youth family puts a lot of performance onto small wheels.Norco says these new 20″ & 24″ Fluid FS Youth bikes are a natural evolution of the first generation, taking into account feedback from both riders & parents. © The previously poor suspension has now been sorted, but the brakes are lackingThe Norco Fluid 29er mountain bike looked awesome on paper in 2019, but constipated suspension meant early versions struggled on the trail. We cover the shiny new things, with in-depth interviews and detailed stories about how the bicycles and components work, plus reviews to see if they live up to the hype. The chunky tubes make it a hefty chassis but the same frame is used right through the Sight range and overall bike weights are competitive for the cost. We love learning the technology and celebrating innovation at every level -from crowdfunded start ups to major global brands- and sharing it all here with you!Get Bikerumor’s top stories delivered straight to your inbox every week!Bikerumor.com reaches close to one million passionate cyclists per month. The Fluid FS 2 20 features 100mm of X-Fusion 02 Pro rear suspension matched to a Manitou J-Unit Expert Air 120mm fork. The bikes aren’t cheap, by any means. It features Norco youth-specific touch points, a Shimano Zee/Deore 10-speed drivetrain and Tektro The Stan's Flow rimmed wheels give a livelier feel than last year’s WTB hooped set and while the Shimano hubs are heavy they’re damn near indestructible.The groupset switches to new Shimano 12 speed with an XT highlight on a predominantly SLX drivetrain, complete with smooth transitioning 10-51 tooth cassette. Even at this low price point, the tubes are size specific to tune the ride, internal cable routing is neat and there’s a threaded bottom bracket for longevity. Add the big tyres at teen pressures and this translates into ample grip for climbing and braking, but it still rips corners with excellent feedback and preserves predictable ride height through rough sections really well. The bottom bracket is threaded for longevity and there’s plenty of room for the big lugs and fat carcass of the 29 x 2.6in Maxxis DHF tyres. ©2019 BikeBoardMedia, Inc. Geometry is edging towards edgy with a sub-67-degree head angle and 470mm reach in the large and it’s low enough that you could size up if you wanted more stretch. Norco calls it their path towards ‘Total Gromination’. It features kit that bikes several hundred pounds more expensive would be proud of. A great package with spec that far exceeds its price-point. It’s even mounted fat-end frame side to reduce unsprung weight and increase sensitivity.
This new Fluid FS Youth line-up packs in all the performance capabilities needed to shred any trail or bikeparks, alongside mom & dad. 2020 Norco Fluid FS 1 20″ The top-spec, Valencia orange Fluid FS 1 20″ sells for $2400 with a Zee+Deore 1×10 drivetrain, MT500 hydraulic brakes, a Manitou Machete Expert Air fork, Fox Performance Float shock, and … The Fluid FS 2 20 features 100mm of X-Fusion 02 Pro rear suspension matched to a Manitou J-Unit Expert Air 120mm fork. There’s none of the spike and choke of 2019 and bottom-out is well controlled, so you won’t get too punished if you forget it’s only a 130/120mm travel bike.While the weight takes some wattage to get moving out of corners, speed is sustained excellently due to the big tyres and more sensitive suspension, so you’re generally just topping up velocity rather than torquing from a standstill. What’s really impressive is that Norco does it on frames that are still well-shaped and really well made, right down to tough paintwork and accurate pivot/frame alignment for friction-free suspension action. A switch to Maxxis DHF tyres from Forekaster’s adds a bit of weight but a tougher carcass means you can properly play with the low pressure potential of the 2.6in width and wide rims. Both Pike and Deluxe shock float on the supple transition between high volume negative chamber and the main air spring before easing into a really well-controlled mid-stroke. The World's biggest biking photo gallery of photos like, crashes, north shore. Much like the mini Fluid FS, the min Rampage bikes get a modern jump geometry, whether for hitting the dirt jumps under the powerlines, slopestyle runs, the pump track, or indoor bike parks.The premium 20″ Rampage 2.1 features a 100mm Machete fork, SDG Jr components, mixed Tektro hydraulic rear/mechanical front disc brakes & Maxxis Grifter 2.3″ tires for $1500.The $1000 20″ Rampage 2.2 gets an 80mm SR Suntour XCM Junction Air fork, 2.3″ Kenda K-Rad tires & Norco alloy cockpit.The top-spec 24″ bike is the Rampage 4.1 that for $1500 gets a Boost 100mm Machete fork, 2.25″ Schwalbe Table Top tires, Tektro hydraulic rear/mechanical front disc brakes, and an SDG Jr cockpit.The more affordable $1000 24″ Rampage 4.2 steps down to an 80mm RST Dirt fork, mechanical Tektro brakes, 2.3″ Kenda K-Rad tires & a Norco finishing kit.All of the new Norco Fluid FS Youth bikes are available now through Norco dealers & online, as are the Rampage Youths.Bikerumor.com is the world’s largest cycling tech blog.
You’ll have to be really going some to unhook the DHFs though, they’re a lot less drifty than most 2.6in tyres and being able to drop to teen pressures has been great in treacherous early autumn conditions when expectations are still set to summer grip levels.It’s immediately obvious that the RockShox Select suspension pairing is synced in more than just name, too. Norco says they’re “bikes that aren’t just scaled-down, but thought out.”All the bikes get Boost spacing and 1x drivetrains, with the 20″ versions taking advantage of shortcage Shimano Zee derailleurs. The Norco Fluid is the perfect trail mountain bike for riders who are hooked on mountain biking and looking to take their riding to the next step on the Brisbane / SEQ MTB trails.