The Norco Fluid…. A Confidence Inspiring All-Rounder

Oct 14

After a week of testing and just under 100 miles of riding on the Norco Fluid us folks at The Dirt Oracle are full of opinions on the bike! Our main testing ground for this bike was on backcountry trails in East Tennessee and in Pisgah NC, we focused mostly on singletrack riding and technical descents which we believe best suits the style of riding that someone purchasing this bike would enjoy (We sure did).

The Spec:

Our test bike was the A2 version of the Norco Fluid, we believe it is the best build for the money in the Fluid line. The first thing we noticed on this bike was how great the spec on the brakes were. Norco decided to run the TRP Slate evo brakes on this bike and we collectively agreed that these brakes were a great choice. These brakes provided plenty of confidence on descents and had more power than needed on the rough steep descents.

The DVO Diamond D3 fork fit this bike well, it felt very stable on the big jumps and drops but had enough small bump sensitivity and high-speed compression to smooth out some of the faster rough sections on the trail. However this is not the lighest fork spec for the price coming in at 2250 grams. For comparison the Rockshox Pike Select comes in at only 1778 grams which is just over a pound lighter than the DVO on the Norco.

Norco decided to pair the Fluid with a Rockshox Superdeluxe select+ shock in the rear. It does its job well in the back and keeps you feeling supported through the rougher stuff on the trail, but it is not much of a talking point on the bike. In short, the Superdeluxe does its job and wants you to forget about it……which may be the best thing a shock can do.

For the drivetrain we get the NX eagle shifter and derailleur that we have come to expect on bikes at this price point. While it isn’t as smooth or reliable as the new Sram 70 and 90 transmission drivetrains we were pleasantly surprised by its performance and once set up correctly it never caused any issues on the trail. Like the Superdeluxe shock we mentioned earlier the NX eagle drivetrain is built for you to forget it exists, it just plain does its job

While we initially expected this bike to come in with Continental tires on WTB rims it actually arrived with Maxxis tires on the Stans Flow D rims. A little bit of a curveball as this was not the combo that was advertised to come with this bike, nonetheless the Stans rims are durable but are not very stiff and flex slightly more than other rims we have ridden. The Fluid comes with the tried-and-true Maxxis Minion combo with a DHR rear and a DHF front. A combo that has been around longer than 20 years and may be the most used tire combo of all time.

Ride Impressions:

If I could only describe this bike in three words they would be, Playful, Punchy, Quick. Norco designed the fluid for someone who is looking for a rig to take them anywhere and feel comfortable on almost any terrain. This bike is one of the more playful bikes I’ve ridden and even does very well on jump trails. The 65 Degree headtube angle keeps this bike quick and stable on the downhills but is still steep enough to be punchy on the short techy climbs. This isn’t a light bike by any means (35.76 pounds for the size large) and you will definitely feel the weight on the longer fire road climbs or backcountry rides. I really enjoyed riding this bike on Pisgah style backcountry trails that are fast and flowy with some steep tech sections in between. The Norco fluid is playful enough to ride on lighter mellower trails but has all of the assets to push the limits and hit steep descents and tough singletrack

Pros: