We spotted Norco’s prototype downhill bike in the Fort William pits. Full carbon with an idler and an interesting linkage, will this see production?
Pete popped by to have chat with Joe Smith’s mechanic Kenny to get the lowdown on the prototype Norco Joe and Blenki are riding this weekend at the Fort William World Cup.
Details are pretty thin on the ground but you can catch the Norco boys flying down the hill on this beast.
Breaking the mold.
Prototypes don’t often go straight to carbon but Norco have gone to town with their downhill bike underneath Smith and Blenki this weekend. A great departure from the Aurum, the latest Norco offering sports an idler to isolate chain and pedal forces. While idlers might not be anything new to downhill bikes, Commencal Vallnord sporting one most of last season, the linkage is the interesting setup.
Rocking.
A lower rocker link pulls the main rocker to compress the shock down the way, and linkage plates are available with 5% increments to get the desired performance the riders are looking for. In the current setup the initial stroke is super plush, the shock compressing under its own weight before ramping up considerably further into the stroke.
Blenki finished a solid 20th in Lourdes, will we see the Kiwi pedal his way to a podium step this weekend? Joe Smith DNF’d in France so hopefully we’ll see the Shropshire pinner getting a full finals run under his belt come Sunday.
