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Submitted by
John K
a Weekend Warrior
from Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Malden Park, Brunet Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$670.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle World | | Strengths: | Good entry level MTB with decent quality components, great for non-competitive trail riding and short commuting. The frame appears fairly sturdy and does not creak or groan after the first 3 months of wear and tear. I like the mechanical disks and Rock Shox. Gear range gives impressive hill climbing leverage. The aggressive tires only lost traction once: on a slow and steep, muddy hill climb. WTB rims stayed true after a very nasty trail riding accident that would have easily trashed anything of lesser quality. | | Weaknesses: | I love my new ride but it is wanting in certain areas: The seat (Velo) is uncomfortable, but that is not unusual and I'm shopping for a replacement. The headset was loose on delivery, and again after about 400km ...LBS adjusted both times. The rear disk developed an annoying sqeak after about 200km ...LBS adjusted and problem appears to be gone. The Shimano center-lock hubs are decent quality, but do not allow easy upgrade to better brakes (Avid.) The frame geometry does not leave much room to mount a heavy duty lock, a necessity for this attractive bike. The Hutchinson Rock tires are great off-road, but definately not high speed pavement burners. QR hubs may be handy, but I have no need for them and their failure potential leaves me a little uneasy. | | Similar Products Used: | last bike was a late 70's vintage "10-speed" dept. store road bike (used in MTB fashion!) | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | Influenced partly by the price of gas, this is my first bike purchase in 30 years(!) I'm happy with my choice, a 2008 model Norco Kokanee. It's a fun bike for a beginner trail rider like myself. 75% of my riding is on pavement, but I wouldn't recommend this for long commutes since it is noticeably difficult to maintain road speeds above 23 km/h for any duration. Many of the weaknesses I listed above are not brand or model specific and should not detract from an otherwise excellent product. Obviously I do not have alot of experience riding other brands or models and can't offer any valid comparisons, but the quality in this product is quite evident and will stand up to rudimentary examination. An educated LBS should be able to explain the pros and cons of each component. Also due to the minor problems encountered, I would recommend purchasing from a reputable LBS who will stand behind and service the product. A break-in period service call is also recommended for the same reason. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Trent John
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$570.00 | | Purchased At: | Eddy's | | Strengths: | Good, nice looking quality alluminium frame. Rims are ok. | | Weaknesses: | The fork (SR Suntour XCP) is weak for heavy and aggressive riders. Hayes MX2 is a noisy and not reliable on high speeds. Saddle sucks. Rear hub was finished after a year. | | Bottom Line: | If you're shopping for a bike and you're on a tight budget, it's a right choice. All depending on the kind of rider you are. If you're like me and performance is your goal, you'll need to upgrade this bike. So do your math. What's better, just get the frame and buy parts or ride this bike and upgrade it slowly?
Have to say that this is first and last norco bike I ever buy. I've looked at their high end bikes and even those need to be upgraded. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jamie Stone
a Weekend Warrior
from Delta, bc, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Watershed | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Caps | | Strengths: | Brakes, Rims, Seat, Shifters, Gears, Frame | | Weaknesses: | Forks, Cranks, Bottom Bracket, Handlebars | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Shop | | Bottom Line: | Its a good bike for a cross country rider, but for someone who likes jumps, I sugest geting new forks. The cranks and bottom bracket get stripped easily, so you have to carry around an allen key when you ride. Overall it is a good bike, with a few flaws, but that can be worked out. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mitch
a Cross Country Rider
from Sooke B.C. Canada (broomhill land)
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Coaster | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Purchased At: | Friend owns it i just tested it | | Strengths: | Frame, components, shifting, brakes and tires | | Weaknesses: | It has v brakes but they're strong so it doesnt matter, tubes pop nicely, seat keeeps coming undone even after I tightned it. I also disliked the tire treads | | Similar Products Used: | Norco Wolverine, Norco Katmandu, Gary FIsher Tasajura, Giant Yukon, Miele dont know | | Bike Setup: | Shop | | Bottom Line: | Nice bike, could use disc brakes but what bike couldn't the seat was lame as hell. I liked the smoothness of it's ride but I like burly bikes. If you like soft doubletracks this bike is for you but it's not a terribly good drop/jump bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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