2012 Demo vrs. Aurum vrs Wilson

saruti · Sep 7, 2011

the Wilson has a lot of flex in the rear triangle... and a friend broke one of those ...
the norco looks great and it has the FSR suspension. I really want to try it by myself...
demo is FSR too, but the norco look better.

samnation · Sep 7, 2011

Ryan the Demos are really low. so you may be into bb striking territory. Personally I like the Norco. I feel like the Wilson sizing may be a bit funny because they fit differently now a lot of guys at like 6' are riding larges.

armada · Sep 7, 2011

canyon torque frx

3600 fox 40, ccdb, e13 cranks, deemax ultimate....

chillindrdude · Sep 7, 2011

i'm really liking the aurum...

lightweight
nice frame features (integrated bumpers, and seatpost collar)
tweaked FSR design with more rearward travel.

captainspauldin · Sep 7, 2011

The "gravity tune" geometry for the aurum looks interesting(esp. for tall folk).. But being a first year bike I'd be a bit weary.

-Supposedly the Wilson's geometry is going to be tweaked for '12 to better suit tall(er) people. 2nd year bike, but never heard about any issues w/the '11s. Looks great also imo.

-Some nice color combos(I'm def. gonna get sh!t for saying that) for the '12 Demo8, I think everything else kinda remains the same (frameset does come with a CC DB now), I'm actually considering a '12 Demo 8 Frameset in that dope matte black/red finish.

norbar · Sep 7, 2011

Norco looks great on paper but if you tend to be heavy on gear take into consideration that it is the first year they are making it and it is a lightweight frame.

As much as I hate so say it demo is your safest bet.

btw. Trying to import a canyon wouldnt be a bad idea either

Mo(n)arch · Sep 7, 2011

saruti said:
the Wilson has a lot of flex in the rear triangle... and a friend broke one of those ...
the norco looks great and it has the FSR suspension. I really want to try it by myself...
demo is FSR too, but the norco look better.

That were the old FSR ones.

The new ones seem to be really stiff.
I don't know much about the new Wilson, but there are a few raving reviews from dirtmag, pinkbike, bikemag etc. around. Sicklines is currently writing a review.
Seems like the splitpivot and the other features of DW really work together. You have also the possibility to raise the BB height with a flipchip.

have been known to snap a frame or two

Lifetime warranty for the frame.

Demo looks sick, but as another one mentioned it's abit low. Otherwise really fun to ride. Bombproof as well. A friend of mine is riding one. The only complaints he has are that he always smashes the pedals in the ground during pedalling and that everybody and their sister has one

Norco looks awesome too, but I'd say maybe a bit light for you?!

epic · Sep 7, 2011

That Aurum sure looks good. I have to say though, unless you've ridden the Glory and know you don't like it, it deserves a look. For the money it seems like a hell of a bike.

William42 · Sep 7, 2011

why is "being low" a detriment? My session is 13.9 with current tire setup, I just rode it on the "east coast roxgnar" at whiteface, and some trails up in lake george that don't lack steep or rocks, and I could have stood it being another inch lower. I also rode some smoother trails at jimminy peak. Is whiteface not steep or rocky by east coast standards? I guess I'm just not sure what type of trails you ride that a little bit lower then the norm isn't a good thing? Maybe when bikes have 12 inch BB's and 9 inches of travel, I'll complain, but I feel like the geometry of the demo is what makes it so special and good and yummy. I donno, if you want to have a bike for a long time, buying a well engineered 12lb "made to last" frame with fantastic geo seems like the way to go, not buying an 8 lb race ready super light frame.

atrokz · Sep 7, 2011

Demo's aren't that low are they? Try 13.75 with 220mm. Even that felt fine at Bromont and St. Anne, with a few pedal strikes here and there.

Mo(n)arch · Sep 7, 2011

I meaned, that the low BB in combination with a few riders pedal-habits results in more contact with the ground.
Fact is that the demo is one hell of a fun rig.

I donno, if you want to have a bike for a long time, buying a well engineered 12lb "made to last" frame with fantastic geo seems like the way to go, not buying an 8 lb race ready super light frame.

In combination with the habits of the OT the demo or the WIlson should be a good choice.

norbar · Sep 7, 2011

William42 said:
why is "being low" a detriment? My session is 13.9 with current tire setup, I just rode it on the "east coast roxgnar" at whiteface, and some trails up in lake george that don't lack steep or rocks, and I could have stood it being another inch lower. I also rode some smoother trails at jimminy peak. Is whiteface not steep or rocky by east coast standards? I guess I'm just not sure what type of trails you ride that a little bit lower then the norm isn't a good thing? Maybe when bikes have 12 inch BB's and 9 inches of travel, I'll complain, but I feel like the geometry of the demo is what makes it so special and good and yummy. I donno, if you want to have a bike for a long time, buying a well engineered 12lb "made to last" frame with fantastic geo seems like the way to go, not buying an 8 lb race ready super light frame.

Yeah. I rode this season more with a backpack and leat + gained a few kgs which meant my legend had over 40% sag and with a 13.7 inch bb I could touch the ground with my heels if I tipped my pedals back. Even that wasnt too low and I didnt notice an increase in pedal strikes. Maybe if you are all about mashing your pedals everywhere but in most places it is just better to learn to pedal properly.

btw. I thought the newer demos are lighter so 12lb?

chillindrdude · Sep 7, 2011

still the typical lame / thinly veiled superiority complex arguments

light frame = must not be durable
1st generation frame = don't buy, must be full of bugs/issues

bashing pedals/low bb = you must not know how to pedal

grabby / "too powerful" brakes = you don't how to brake

single pivot / brake induced stiffening = you brake too much or ride too slow.

:rolleyes:

norbar · Sep 7, 2011

chillindrdude said:
still the typical lame / thinly veiled superiority complex arguments

light frame = may not be durable
1st generation frame = risky buy, may be full of bugs/issues

Fixed it for you

Im all for lighter frames but he mentioned he tends to hurt bikes so if your choice is between 2 bikes that you have NO KNOWN issues with durability and one you have no info about what is the safest bet?
I really like the Norco and hope it will hold up great but they had their share of cracking frames in the past, some not so long ago so why are you so angry about it.

As for pedaling - Dont feel superior. Just an observation. All my friends who complain about pedal strokes are either overly concerned about a pedal stroke here and there or pedal in really dumb places.

chillindrdude · Sep 7, 2011

not angry...just tired of the same knee-jerk responses.

theres a few gems of threads where colorful, funny, and intellectual (somewhat) banter and debate occurs. just wished there was more of them.

Sandwich · Sep 7, 2011

http://trailburn.ca/2011/09/06/gold-standard-2012-norco-aurum-ride/

dreads · Sep 7, 2011

i think specialized would be the most reliable and durable, the norco looks awesome and felt great for the one test run i did on it but once again it is a first year production bike so not sure how it will hold up to bugs and such (although the dirt norco riders have been testing them for 3 years or so). the devinci rides really well and is lots of fun on fast gnarly trails and flowy jump trails it has its share of bugs this year so i would hope they iron out a few things for next production year.

FlipFantasia · Sep 7, 2011

dreads said:
the norco looks awesome and felt great for the one test run i did on it but once again it is a first year production bike so not sure how it will hold up to bugs and such (although the dirt norco riders have been testing them for 3 years or so). the devinci rides really well and is lots of fun on fast gnarly trails and flowy jump trails it has its share of bugs this year so i would hope they iron out a few things for next production year.

I spent a day on one and didn't want to give it back...I also know a whole slew of whistler shredders who've been beating the piss out of theirs all season long and winning races with no issues, at all.

Dogboy · Sep 7, 2011

FlipFantasia said:
I also know a whole slew of whistler shredders who've been beating the piss out of theirs all season long and winning races with no issues, at all.

Ian Morrison comes to mind :thumb:

I have had no issues with mine either. I'd like to hear some details about the "bugs" in the 2011 bike.

FlipFantasia · Sep 7, 2011

Dogboy said:
Ian Morrison comes to mind

I have had no issues with mine either. I'd like to hear some details about the "bugs" in the 2011 bike.

I was actually talking about the aurum, but the devinci has been pretty good too, although I know more than a few people that have had to have some bearing stuff taken care of, although people who ride a lot and ride hard...

Dogboy · Sep 7, 2011

FlipFantasia said:
I was actually talking about the aurum

Gotcha. I didn't get to swing a leg over one at Crankworx, but I checked the Aurum out pretty closely and it looks phenomenal.

HAB · Sep 7, 2011

William42 said:
why is "being low" a detriment? My session is 13.9 with current tire setup, I just rode it on the "east coast roxgnar" at whiteface, and some trails up in lake george that don't lack steep or rocks, and I could have stood it being another inch lower. I also rode some smoother trails at jimminy peak. Is whiteface not steep or rocky by east coast standards?

My DH is an inch lower than your Session (albeit with .5" less travel), and I've ridden it at Whiteface, Platty, etc quite a bit. It's really not a big deal. Yes, you need to pay attention to where your feet are, but it's not that hard to keep things in check.

JCL · Sep 7, 2011

Absolutely nothing wrong with any of the bikes in the list. Pick the one you like the look of.

Manifesto · Sep 7, 2011

Demos rail corners hardcore, but the one I rode scared me on the rock gardens as I smashed my feet many of times.

The Norco is real nice too, it has the same feeling suspension as a older glory(super supple at the start with a nice ramp up) and people said that they were light? Norco increased the weight from the prototype models even though they didn't have any failures.

The Wilson, I havn't ridden. But I do have a few friends who ride them and they absolutely love it, so I guess thats a good option aswell.

If I were you I would buy the Demo just because of its cornering abilities. First time I rode it I felt right at home and could take it up to 100% no problems. Then again, they're all great choices and you won't be dissapointed.

ustemuf · Sep 7, 2011

Demo is the easy choice! It's my first DH bike and I could not be any happier. I've thrown everything I could at this bike and it hasn't faltered me. Thing rails corners so hard... oh and it can handle some freeride too I suppose

---> http://www.railmaster.net/nstarshroom3.jpg <3

dreads · Sep 7, 2011

Other than the norco dirt team (and nick geddes and tim coleman) i wasn't aware other people had them so based on experience with first year production bikes i have slight concern that they will hold up to real world abuse. The devinci bugs i was talking about were having to take apart, re grease and re tighten the bottom bracket pivot around once a week as if it was too tight it would make the bearings feel really rough so to run it proper for the bearings it would come loose after a few days of riding. once the bottom bracket sleeve insert was available a few weeks ago i put it in and have had no issues since. Had horrendous brake howl for a while and tried organic pads, smaller rotor and facing the tabs. still get howl from time to time. Also i had problems with the hardware at the end of the stays coming loose when loosening my axle. Also some of the spec is not great had to replace those crappy elixir CRs and have some play in the truvativ bb. that being said i think when the bike is running well it rides amazing and have had tons of fun riding it this year.

FlipFantasia · Sep 7, 2011

dreads said:
Other than the norco dirt team (and nick geddes and tim coleman) i wasn't aware other people had them so based on experience with first year production bikes i have slight concern that they will hold up to real world abuse. The devinci bugs i was talking about were having to take apart, re grease and re tighten the bottom bracket pivot around once a week as if it was too tight it would make the bearings feel really rough so to run it proper for the bearings it would come loose after a few days of riding. once the bottom bracket sleeve insert was available a few weeks ago i put it in and have had no issues since. Had horrendous brake howl for a while and tried organic pads, smaller rotor and facing the tabs. still get howl from time to time. Also i had problems with the hardware at the end of the stays coming loose when loosening my axle. Also some of the spec is not great had to replace those crappy elixir CRs and have some play in the truvativ bb. that being said i think when the bike is running well it rides amazing and have had tons of fun riding it this year.

sarah leishman and dave harder have been smashing their aurums most of the season, dave regularly cleans up the masters class and sarah the ladies in phat/phast wednesday race series here, and they ride the park hard and regularly

samnation · Sep 7, 2011

There's an Aurum floating around Ontario too being smashed by racers as a demo I guess but it seems to be holding up.

dreads · Sep 7, 2011

thats awesome, thanks for the info as i am considering getting an aurum next year and hadn't heard much about longer real term testing on it.

ekimox · Sep 8, 2011

I wouldn't worry too much about the durability of the first year of the Aurum. Norco builds bikes the right way and has the $$$ to make sure they're properly tested before releasing a new product. I'd stay away from first year bikes from the "boutique" companies though.

toodles · Sep 8, 2011

ekimox said:
I wouldn't worry too much about the durability of the first year of the Aurum. Norco builds bikes the right way and has the $$$ to make sure they're properly tested before releasing a new product. I'd stay away from first year bikes from the "boutique" companies though.

You serious?

norbar · Sep 8, 2011

ekimox said:
I wouldn't worry too much about the durability of the first year of the Aurum. Norco builds bikes the right way and has the $$$ to make sure they're properly tested before releasing a new product. I'd stay away from first year bikes from the "boutique" companies though.

Sorry mate but I couldnt resist

big-ted · Sep 8, 2011

FYI, Norco offer a lifetime warranty on all their frames and, unlike some of the other big guys, it's something they've always stood behind without a ton of fine print and get-out clauses. I'm not saying they'll hand out free frames if you run over it in the driveway, but if any issues arise further down the line, past experience suggests any customer with said issue will be taken care of.

xy9ine · Sep 8, 2011

^precisely. i'd have no qualms w/ buying a first year frame as long as the company has a solid warranty / customer service history. and the norco looks solid, indeed.

granted, i've a habit of buying first year frames from obscure companies that inevitably end up going out of business, so...

IH8Rice · Sep 8, 2011

big-ted said:
FYI, Norco offer a lifetime warranty on all their frames and, unlike some of the other big guys, it's something they've always stood behind without a ton of fine print and get-out clauses.

thats because they need to

NoUseForAName · Sep 8, 2011

dreads said:
i think specialized would be the most reliable and durable, the norco looks awesome and felt great for the one test run i did on it but once again it is a first year production bike so not sure how it will hold up to bugs and such (although the dirt norco riders have been testing them for 3 years or so). the devinci rides really well and is lots of fun on fast gnarly trails and flowy jump trails it has its share of bugs this year so i would hope they iron out a few things for next production year.

Tim "turners are terrible" Coleman has also been smashing around on an Aurum for most of this season. Given his record of breaking Norco DH bikes, that's probably a good indicator of sturdiness.

I rode an Aurum for a race run on one of our local trails out here, and it made me feel real good about having ordered a frame up. Felt more nimble than my current rig (Supreme Operator), but still handled the chunder straight line type stuff as well. Given that i was going into the run essentially with no time on the bike at all, i was stoked with how mild mannered it seemed, no quirks or odd behaviour to manage.

+1 for the trendy Norco.

ekimox · Sep 8, 2011

toodles said:
You serious?

norbar said:
Sorry mate but I couldnt resist

IH8Rice said:
thats because they need to

Norco has a certain stigma from certain people that they don't build quality bikes. It's a load of BS.

I find it funny how other smaller bike companies still have a big following after repeated screw ups, poor customer service, and broken promises but companies like Norco get **** on by the people who have never owner or even ridden one.

2012 Demo vrs. Aurum vrs Wilson

Monkey

Turbo Monkey

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intrigued by a pole

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause

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fork ways

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KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause

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Pig my fish!

Chimp

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Chelsea from Seattle

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ridiculously corgi proportioned

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause

Danced with A, attacked by C, fired by D.

Turbo Monkey

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I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!

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Monkey