[Udi]

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/norco-dh-bike-lourdes-world-cup-dh-2017.html

Slightly old news now but I didn't see a thread on it - what do people think of this?
Cooler than slapping a bigger wheel on an existing bike anyway.

I did accidentally read the last line of the article while looking at the pictures, a mistake.

''The kinematics are so different in a way, and the forces that they generate are really high,'' they said of the design.

 

[xy9ine]

as a fan of high pivots, i think it's super rad. of course it'd be even radder with 29" hoops, but what can you do.

also: i want a trail bike version of this.

 

[jonKranked]

that seat mast is....... interesting.

 

[Peregrinebikes]

High pivots are the way to go. Been riding them for years now. Won't go back to a low pivot. Not too keen on all the aesthetics of that bike, but it is going to ride nicer than all the low pivot designs

 

[StiHacka]

that seat mast is....... ucking fugly.

FTFY

 

[slyfink]

I did accidentally read the last line of the article while looking at the pictures, a mistake.

me too. and I wondered what that meant, and what the implications are. but they didn't elaborate.

 

[Sandwich]

me too. and I wondered what that meant, and what the implications are. but they didn't elaborate.

somewhere between "a falling rate doesn't tell the whole story" and "People have been missing a piece of the puzzle, the rider, when talking about kinematics". Also, "Lots of geometry on tap".

 

[Sandwich]

as for the frame itself, it's pretty interesting. reminds me of both the old sunns, the katipo DH, and the commencal v4. I don't know how I feel about the shock arrangement, but all of the forces being collected down at the BB makes sense. Then that area can be heavily reinforced rather than the center of the tube. I love the low slung design of the frame.

That being said, not sure how I feel about idlers. With the abuse that DH bikes see, I like the idea of having a simple drivetrain. That being said, it looks like the enclose the pulley on the main pivot, so that should be durable at least.

 

[jstuhlman]

slomo vid from vital of it compressing is pretty interesting . . . http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/Lourdes-Slomo-Sickness,33574/iceman2058,94

 

[boogenman]

looks flexy

 

[kidwoo]

corner like shit
pump like shit
jump like shit

Probably mows chop like none other (except for the commencal)

I for one am NOT a fan of high pivots.

 

[norbar]

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/norco-dh-bike-lourdes-world-cup-dh-2017.html

Slightly old news now but I didn't see a thread on it - what do people think of this?
Cooler than slapping a bigger wheel on an existing bike anyway.

I did accidentally read the last line of the article while looking at the pictures, a mistake.

I'm still waiting for Deepak Chopra and Dr. Phil to start talking about bike suspension. Given the amounts of fake science we're lately seeing quantum suspension should be soon with us.

Overall I like it but that seat mast is stupid. I hope you can slam your seat relatively low. Hate how many enduro bikes come with ball smashing clearance.

 

[hmcleay]

I like it.
The shock actuation looks a bit funky in motion, but it makes sense from a structural perspective.
Idler appears to be mounted on the swingarm (not concentric with the main pivot), similar to the Commencal.

also: i want a trail bike version of this.

AFAIK, the Craftworks ENR is the only non-DH production bike with a high-pivot.
Hit me up if it interests you.

That being said, not sure how I feel about idlers. With the abuse that DH bikes see, I like the idea of having a simple drivetrain. That being said, it looks like the enclose the pulley on the main pivot, so that should be durable at least.

We haven't had a single issue with idlers on the ENR. They're 7075 alloy, they do wear a bit, but I've only sent out one replacement one (as a precaution - to a customer taking his bike OS soon). I think one would have to look completely destroyed for it to not be functioning anymore (remembering that the teeth don't transmit any load like they do on your chainring/cassette).

 

[Sandwich]

well, Hugh, the one thing I don't doubt about you is your engineering ability. For somebody who describes their bike as having "a lot of kinematics", it's a little more unnerving. I keep recalling the corsairs from back in the day.

 

[norbar]

well, Hugh, the one thing I don't doubt about you is your engineering ability. For somebody who describes their bike as having "a lot of kinematics", it's a little more unnerving. I keep recalling the corsairs from back in the day.

They didn't say who they asked at Norco. If it's a marketing person it happens. Just go to Eurobike (though maybe it's better now) and ask about technical stuff and you will hear stuff like "no one in dh has ever used tubeless" or "all the pros run their damping fully open"

 

[troy]

Quoted from earlier Pinkbong article on that bike:

"One area of the frame in particular, the 'wings' that extend down from the swingarm that the pull-links are attached to, proved to be virtually impossible to prototype out of metal, says Pemberton: ''If the shape of these weren't pretty similar, you wouldn't be able to get the geometry, and the geometry is pretty unique on this bike. If you didn't have that you wouldn't be testing what we want to test. If we tried to weld some wings hanging down this far, with the amount of force that the suspension design generates, it's just going to rip itself to pieces.'' That's a pretty clear hint that you probably won't be seeing a less expensive aluminum version of the new bike.

Frames tearing themselves apart is best avoided, of course, and while Norco's new downhill bike sports a similar silhouette to what Commencal are producing, Pemberton was quick to point out that the leverage ratio they've put to use is unlike anything else out there right now. ''The kinematics are so different in a way,'' he said of the team's work, ''and the forces that they generate are really high.'' High enough, it seems, that an aluminum version of the frame would require so much material that the geometry and layout Norco wants simply wouldn't be possible due to clearance issues, which partly explains their trip straight to the carbon ovens of Asia."



I like the 1 front triangle mould - different head tube inserts for different sizes idea tho.

 

[Sandwich]

I like the 1 front triangle mould - different head tube inserts for different sizes idea tho.

I only like that if the cost savings for a single mold instead of 4 are passed on to the customer.