Angie’s Latest Work – A Soon to be Released “El Faro”

February 3, 2012

Finally the Video is ready, take a bit but we want to release all in a Package, this is my „promovideo“ and also a short Trailer for the Bikemovie „El Faro“.

Norco Rider Angie Hohenwarter has been hard at work recently working with Philip Ruopp and Oliver Henke from VG Mediastudio on a film called “El Faro” The video stems from a trip with Tobi W to a beautiful Island called La Palma. With beutiful scenery, great trails and some amazing editing this film is going to be worth picking up.

The full length film will launch Feb. 16th on www.mtb-news.de and the behind-the-scenes story will run in the next issue of 6undZwanzig Magazine

While we all anxiously await the release of El Faro here is a trailer for the film.

Angie Hohenwarter – La Palma / Canary Island from Angie Hohenwarter on Vimeo.

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Fall Testing Video of the Norco Sight

February 2, 2012

The Silent Norco Race Team out of Toronto had the chance to head out and get some fall testing on the 2012 Norco Sight. Riding in the Don Valley, Toronto area these guys shredded the fall’s golden trails and got their first impressions on the Sight. This is a great shorty video and definitely worth 2:30 of your time.

Enjoy!

SNR: 2012 Norco Sight Ride from Jeff Stein on Vimeo.

Fiming by Jeff Stein
Riders – Jeff Faulds and Tom Kakamousias of Silent Norco Racing.
Location – Don Valley in Toronto ON

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The Truax up Close and Personal From the Roots of the Shore

January 30, 2012

Norco’s roots are in British Columbia Canada at the base of Vancouver’s North Shore. In fact, a large part of Norco’s continued success can be attributed to the iconic “Shore” model that evolved from 2001 to 2011. The successor of the Shore is the Norco Truax and it seems only fitting that NSMB have a kick at reviewing this evolution in Norco’s interpretation of freeride.

The Truax spent a good bit of the summer on Vancouver’s North Shore mountains, performing ‘self-access gravity riding’ (Norco’s term) duties, as well as punching out Whistler bikepark laps. The ‘freeride’ label fits the bike, though that moniker seems to be of fading relevance. Perhaps ‘big hit trailbike with bike park inclinations’ is an effective descriptor, if a bit cumbersome. Regardless, this is a long travel bike of burly build, with perfectly capable climbing abilities despite its not so svelte girth. Speaking of which, listed weight is 36.3lbs; my scale indicates 37.5lbs for my medium example. Unfortunately, optimistic weight claims are not unexpected in this industry, but I like to be pleasantly surprised by accuracy occasionally.

read the full article at nsmb.com

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BMX Plus Gives Their Two Cents on the Norco Siege

January 27, 2012

Norco BMX has been around since the 1970′s and over the years we have picked up a few things. The 2012 line of Norco BMX bikes features the first ever brakeless bike. The Norco Siege does come with brakes but the bike shines best without. The riders and writers down at BMX plus magazine recently tested the Siege and had some great things to say about it. Have a read for yourself and tell us what you think. Here is a PDF of the article

If you like the article head to your local news stand and pick up a copy for yourself!

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Norco Supported Team Names their 2012 Roster

January 26, 2012

The Silent Norco Racing Team is a Norco supported development team out of Ontario Canada. The 2012 roster is looking better than ever and we are excited to see the team yet again racing on Norco Bikes. This is the full team roster, have a read and say hi below in the comments. Original Story from ridingfeelsgood.com

Silent Norco Racing is gearing up to race hard and has set some demanding goals for 2012. The team will be focused on both Downhill and Cross Country racing in Ontario and nationwide. We have an exciting lineup that’s grown significantly this year. Returning is Jeff Faulds, Tom Kakamousias, Mike Hermanovsky, David Klaver, Rob Carmichael, and Forrest Groves. New for 2012 Taylor Rowlands, Shane Joachim, Monika Luebke, Anton Urtan, and Steve Hayes are joining us.

Silent Sports in North York will again be providing support and service to the SNR Team. They are one of the best bike shops in Ontario and your “go to” source for everything cycling related. They also carry & provide windsurfing, kite boarding and XC ski equipment and service.

The team will be riding Norco bicycles; whose 2012 lineup is incredible and provides the perfect tools for winning races. The smooth ride, easy maintainability and reliability are all aspects we’re looking forward to. All the bikes will be equipped with Shimano components which are the most reliable and best performing on the market, we wouldn’t want to run anything else. Troy Lee Designs will be hooking us up with their durable and trendy apparel, safety gear and race kits. We find their products are the finest, enough said.

Joyride 150 Indoor Bike Park in Markham is supporting the SNR team with the opportunity to train and prepare in the off season.  Joyride is an incredible facility where we can practice riding skills all winter long and get fit and stay sharp in their spin studio/gym.

With such a fantastic lineup of sponsors, SNR is positioned for our best season yet.

 

Jeff Faulds

Jeff’s dedication, technical expertise, unmatched enthusiasm and success in many cycling disciplines make him a perfect fit for a leading role on our team. Not only has Jeff found success on the race circuit, you will find Jeff teaching lessons at Joyride150, volunteering his time at trail building events, organizing mountain bike events, standing behind the lens, working with the OCA to help promote the sport, coaching at riding clinics, or helping a young kid shred at a wicked riding location somewhere in Ontario.

Jeff will continue to play a key role with the Team as manager for 2012. He will help the team as the onsite mechanic fixing any mechanicals and doing tune ups at home between races. He will be working with the riders to develop their skills and coach them throughout the race season. While doing this, Jeff will also be working hard on racing himself and working towards his goals of winning the O-Cup overall and working his way up through the ranks in the XC series.

Tom Kakamousias

Tom is an avid mountain biker and competitive racer. Throughout his years of racing, Tom has found a perfect balance between having fun on his bike and successful race results. During the summer, Tom has also been seen coaching at the Ontario MTB festival held at Kelso Conservation Area. His interest in all aspects of mountain biking has exposed him to multiple disciplines while also making him a great all around rider. He will be using his race experience from all the racing he has done across the country and put it to good use next season. Tom’s mechanical knowledge from his time working at Silent Sports will be an asset to the team through season.

For the 2012 season, Tom has his sights set on attaining a top ranking in the Ontario Cup DH circuit as well as hitting a few XC podiums in hopes of future upgrades into the Elite category for XC. He will be at Joyride 150 Indoor Bike Park a lot this winter with the rest of the team training. 2012 will be Tom’s year.

Mike Hermanovsky

2011 has been Mike Hermanovsky’s most successful season by far, which is only a forecast for seasons to come.  Mike trains hard, is extremely motivated, and has goals which encompass all aspects of performance ranging from race results all the way down to small training goals.  Mike has experienced success in both downhill and cross country racing, placing 1st in two downhill races and 1st in two cross country races (Expert and Sport respectively).

Mike has fairly extravagant plans for the 2012 race season.  He plans to attend all downhill and cross country Ontario Cups while attending the Canada Cups in the East Coast.  He will increase the intensity of his training throughout the winter months with the hopes of upgrading to the Elite Mens XC category within the first 3 O-Cups.  2012 will be another exciting season for Mike Hermanovsky since he is aiming to be a contender once again in the XC and DH O-cups.

David Klaver

2011 was a big year for me; it was my first year racing Senior Elite DH and also my first year racing XC. My goals for the 2011 season were to finish inside the top 10 at every O-Cup. I did not meet this goal; however, my season was in no way a failure. I have learned from the mistakes I have made, and will make sure they don’t happen again. These mistakes have sometimes prevented me from finishing races or performing my best. What I’m taking in school is also a benefit for me and the members of the team, because it gives me knowledge of proper training, nutrition, anatomy and physiology etc.

The 2011 season also exceeded my goals in the areas of XC racing. I went into my first race just hoping to finish. I had never even owned or ridden a proper XC bike or even XC gear. I didn’t even do any training to prepare me for the demands of XC racing. Despite all this, I still managed 3rd at my first race and 1st at my second race. Soon after our team upgraded to Senior Expert, and had some decent results there. I believe I have lots of potential in XC, and I can’t wait for the 2012 season. My downhill riding has also progressed, so much to look forward to.

For the 2012 season my goals are again to be within the top 10 for DH and also make some appearances on the podium, for XC top 5 finishes and podiums. To achieve these goals I am going to work out as much as possible and eat well. Also do lots of XC riding, DH riding, dirt jumping and pump track riding. During the winter months do some snowboarding and go to Joyride Indoor Bike Park. Also, I will need to use what I have learned from the past, and not make the same silly mistakes that keep holding me back.

Rob Carmichael

Rob loves to ride his bike no matter what he’s riding; from downhill to XC he always has fun doing it. But when it comes down to race time, Rob likes to get its done. In Rob’s 2011 season he quickly found what works for him taking him to the podium more then 3 times and winning the overall series in Senior Expert.

For the 2012 season Rob will continue to battle for the top spot in the Ontario Cup downhill series. He will be at Joyride 150 Indoor Bike Park a lot this winter with the rest of the team training for 2012. With the help of the team, Rob hopes to gain enough knowledge and skill to make the big leap into Elite downhill racing by the end of 2012.

Anton Urtan

Anton is an avid mountain biker and competitive racer. Throughout his years of riding, Anton has discovered the fun challenges it takes to win and has developed an ambition to ride well and race fast. He brings a positive attitude and always has the initiative to help others out all the time. During the summer, Anton has also been seen coaching at the Ontario MTB festival held at Kelso Conservation Area and spends a lot of time building at his local training grounds.  Anton is always looking to improve his skills and accept new challenges on his bike.

For the 2012 season, Anton will be racing as a Junior Expert in DH and a Junior Sport in XC. He has his sights set on attaining a top ranking in the Ontario Cup DH circuit ,while racing the full Canada Cup DH circuit, as well as racing the Ontario XC circuit. He will be at Joyride 150 Indoor Bike Park a lot this winter with the rest of the team training. Anton will also be involved in a High Performance Athlete program through school, allowing him more time to train and race in the spring semester. For 2012 Anton will be having a break out year.

Shane Joachim

Shane is Ontario Downhill. You can’t be at any event without seeing him and without talking to him. Shane makes a point to say hi and help out anyone he possibly can. He is a true ambassador of the sport and everyone’s best friend. Here is what he had to say about his new spot on the SNR Team.

“I like Norco’s commitment to continually develop a cutting edge bicycle.  I believe that Norco’s Engineered Technology Platforms for 2012 will give me the most agile, fast and efficient bicycles to race and ride.  The opportunity to ride such a well engineered frame is going to make the 2012 season, my best year of racing to date.” -Shane Joachim

Monika Luebke 

Monika is one of the top female racers in Ontario. She is also a great ambassador of the sport always helping out other female riders get comfortable and up to speed. She is also looking at going back to her roots and trying a few XC races again this year. Here is what she had to say.

“Over the years I’ve learned that nothing beats training with friends, learning from each other and celebrating each success together, no matter what size. Being a part of the SNR Team is exactly the type of support I am looking for. Aside from developing great friendships, it’s going to give me the opportunity to learn more about bike maintenance and repair, promote the sport and learn from some top of the line riders.”- Monika Luebke

For the 2012 season, I will be racing amongst many inspiring young women in the DH community and plan to take a stab at Master Sport (30-39) Female in a few of the Ontario XC races. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m stoked to see more and more girls out there riding 2 wheels.”

Taylor Rowlands

Taylor is a passionate cyclist. If he is not riding downhill at Blue Mountain, he can be found on his trail bike riding XC all around the Collingwood area. Being a local to Blue allows Taylor to ride his downhill bike 7 days a week with lift access, some days it’s only a run or two on his lunch break, but he is always hitting the trails.

Taylor is a downhiller through and through and will be once again focusing on downhill racing this year.

For 2012 Taylor will be focusing on Canada Cups and racing as many Ontario Cups in between. Taylor is motivated and working hard towards solid results in 2012.

Forrest Groves

Forrest is the youngest rider on the team but has no less passion or skill on the bike. Forrest has been riding downhill long before he was even of age to race. He is also big into all action sports from motocross, snow cross, snowboarding, jet skiing, and more. Forrest is right at home when it’s fast and dangerous.

For 2012 Forrest is looking at taking his racing to the next level. He will be racing in cadet for his 2nd year but with a December birthday, will still be younger than most of his competition. This extra challenge is what drives him to push even harder. Forrest is looking learn from the experience and skill of his teammates and get some podium action from it.

Steve Hayes

Steve lives and breathes bikes. Over the years he has learned much about what it takes to be a part of the Ontario riding community; whether that means helping out on any given day with a trail build, photographing an epic ride, giving it his all during a race weekend, or just going out and having fun on two wheels with everyone. Steve is always eager to learn and improve his own riding while keeping a positive and competitive attitude.

2012 will be Steve’s 3rd season as a part of the Ontario Cup DH circuit, and will be racing in Senior Sport in DH with ambitions of upgrading to Senior Expert in the near future. He is also hoping to test his skills out in the Mont Tremblant Canada Cup this year. This winter, Steve will be splitting his time between the gym and Joyride 150 to give him the training he needs to reach his goals.

 

2012 Planned Events

  • Complete Ontario Cup DH Series
  • Eastern Canada Cups
  • DH National Championships
  • DH Provincial Championships
  • Complete Ontario Cup Super D Series
  • Super D Provincial Championships
  • Cross-Country Ontario Cup Series
  • Cross-Country Team Events and Relays
  • XC Provincial Championships
  • Cycle-cross Events
  • East Coast Open
  • US Open
  • Ride to Conquer Cancer
  • Whiteface 5k DH Pro GRT Race
  • Toronto Bike Show Racing
  • Joyride Halloween Jam
  • Crankworx
  • MTB ON Festival
  • And more

 

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Facebook Questions Bonanza!!!!

January 25, 2012

We asked a super broad question today on Facebook to see what you wanted to know more about. There was an immediate response from a TON of people. Here are some of the first questions that were asked and an answer to match.

#1

You should probably ask her that one herself. Here is her facebook page. You never know, maybe she will say yes?

#2

Norco sponsors a ton of athletes at all levels of competition, if you are looking for sponsorship and want to send in an application you can learn more about what it takes to be sponsored in this guide. Grassroots sponsorship is done specifically at the retail level so getting on board involves talking to your local Norco dealer

#3

Paint is a tough one… While some of our high end bikes do come with touch-up paint there are many models that do not. This is for two reasons. One is that those little bottles of paint make your bike more expensive. It may be small but every little bit adds up. The second reason is that touch-up paint is a menace on the environment. Paint contains many chemicals and the packaging available is also not eco-friendly. Given that the majority of touch-up paint is never used it is simply not fair to our friend Mother Nature to include it with every bike.

#4

Models change based on demand shifts over time. The shore hardtails were very popular in the past but with technology advancing as fast as it is a hardtail this burly simply isn’t effective. A seemingly less aggressive bike may be able to handle the same abuse that the Sasquatch once did.

#5

Decals are another tough one. They are applied in the painting process beneath many layers of clear coat. This is done in the factory prior to even assembly. We do not actually make stickers that replicate these decals so aftermarket would be very difficult. Norco also has more than 150 bikes and colours in the lineup every year so individual sticker packs would not be affordable given the number that would have to be made.

#6

The cable routing on the downtube is external so it can be made singlespeed without having needless holes in the frame. The cable guides on the downtube are actually removable using a 2.5mm allen key.

#7

A derailleur hanger can unfortunately not be completely forgone. Something is necessary to mount the derailleur without risking damage to the frame. Norco suspension models have been adapting the Syntace X-12 system over the past couple of years though to improve traditional hanger systems.

#8

The prototype slopestyle frames that Mike H, Sam D and Mislav M are currently riding are purely prototype at this point in time. We could do something down the line but there is no definite date for production.

#9

This is simply a matter of demand. We do not make any single speed hardtails off the shelf. That said, our Rampage frame comes in a horizontal dropout option and any bike can be made single speed with a little bit of work.

#10

Not everyone can experience this much manliness in daily life.

#11

Diagnosing an issue like this is not easy through facebook but it could be a matter of your housing length or routing, a shifter problem or the chain. Unfortunately it is very difficult to tell like this though.

#12

All of our past demos are actually offered to retailers at a significant discount. If you are looking for a slightly used but discounted bike this is one option. You would need to go through a dealer though and models/sizes are extremely limited.

#13

Pretty sure that is best answered in three words “Ride A Bike”.

#14

Norco has been making FSR suspension bikes for nearly 20 years. FSR was first designed by Horst Leitner in 1991 and later purchased by specialized bicycles. With the rearward pivot below and in-front of the rear axle there are many aspects of ride characteristics that are improved over other suspension designs. Norco’s A.R.T. suspension uses FSR but has a much lower and further forward pivot position than traditional designs. To learn more about what this means to your ride have a read of this article.

To spend some more quality time online with Norco join us on facebook!

 

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The Darcy Adventures Continue

January 25, 2012

My January has been pretty standard, so far. I got a job shooting a music video for a Georgian billionaire pop star who’s music has been outlawed in the country because his dad is running for president and the existing government is unhappy about the competition. Pretty standard, really.

MY GEORGIAN TEAM: turns out when you rent equipment in Georgia, it comes with old man PAs with serious assembly skills.

So yes, I went to Georgia and made a music video. It wasn’t easy to relax when government agents would watch me eat and listen in on my conversations, among other things, but we finished the job without being kidnapped…so that was awesome!

Georgia is an amazing country though. The food is divine. The wine is divine( r). The mountains are huge and stunning. The people are solemn but friendly. The fur hats are rad. The swap meets are unbeatable…I saw a raw bear hide being sold next to an accordion and then I bought a Russian 16mm video camera and a CCCP badge at the vendor next door. Awesome.

I ended up in Tbilisi's oldest film studio. I think this will be the next addition to my camera quiver...

After escaping Georgia with only one trip to the Canadian embassy, I touched down in snowy Victoria and immediately headed up to my favourite ski hill in the whole world: Mt.Cain. Mt.Cain is a 6 hour drive from Victoria, 3 hours of which is without cell phone reception. At the mountain there are two t-bars, glades galore, massive backcountry bowls, and snorkel-worthy powder. However, as the sticker on all the local’s trucks say: “Cain sucks. Tell your friends.” I mean, there’s no running water up there…so you probably shouldn’t go.

CAIN CUP: REPRESENT!!

It happened that the annual Cain Cup ski race was happening this weekend, so my friends and I decided to pay the $5 donation fee and race GS on our fatty powder skis (and with our beacons on transmit). Word on the street was that almost 100 other people had the same idea and there was serious competition! Racing was the least of our priorities though when 40cm had fallen over the week and we were the first people to touch it, but Mt.Cain is so relaxed that they let us use our practice runs as our race runs. So I did just that…raced two runs and spent the rest of the day skiing pow. Turns out my powder skis are good for gates too and I took home the silver medal! Ski racing is fun!

Unfortunately/fortunately I don’t have any Georgian billionaire music video shoots lined up for February, but I will be travelling to Turkey, Qatar, and Harvard (is Harvard in Boston?) so the adventures shall continue…

Until then, remember: Cain sucks. Tell your friends.

Darcy

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Jill and Bryn’s First Race of the Season

January 23, 2012


While we are bogged down with the Winter doldrums in much of Canada it is sunny and hot on the other side of the world. Team Norco International’s Jill Kintner and Bryn Atkinson call Australia their winter home where they can better train year round. Plus, some pre-World Cup racing is possible in the Australia Nationals Series.

This past weekend was round two of the race season where Jill and Bryn were able to race their Norco Aurums for the first time. This was also Bryn’s first race back after injury last year. On the dry, loose and scorching hot track Jill flatted in qualifying but came back in the race run to finish 2nd behind Tracy Hannah. Bryn was seen as a bit of a wildcard coming into the race as he had not posted any results in nearly a year. He won this event in 2011 though so expectations were high. Bryn qualified in third place and raced consistently to finish third behind Troy Brosnan and Sam Hill.

Congrats to both Jill and Bryn on a fantastic first race of the season. The Australia DH Championships are coming up on Feb. 22 so watch for the duo to be in their best form and post some blazing fast times.

Check out this recap video from the race.

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The Bible of Bike Tests Takes On The Aurum

January 23, 2012


Bike Magazine – The Bible Review of the Norco Aurum
Words By Ryan Labar

Even before we got it dirty on the trails, it was clear that Norco did its homework when designing the Aurum. The standout features include the integrated fork bumpers, keyed and replaceable pivot-bolt receivers, post-mount rear-brake studs and an extra derailleur hanger stashed on the frame. These are all godsends for privateer racers or anyone spending some serious bike-park time.

The Aurum’s geometry numbers are also quite noteworthy. Not only does it push the slacker and lower trend with its 63.5-degree head angle and sub 14-inch-high bottom bracket, it is the only bike we know of that has size-specific rear ends-as the frame size increases the chainstay length also increases. Impressive.

The mix of Easton, Sun Ringle, Blackspire and SRAM components also seemed well considered, and were right on point with the rest of the bike’s reliable demeanor. Riding the Aurum was a treat. Norco’s ART linkage uses a chainstay-mounted pivot for a rearward axle-path and minimal brake jack. This rearward axle path, combined with the slack head angle, soaked up square-edged hits nicely, allowing the Aurum to hold speed through rough steeps. The linkage also has a good deal of anti-squat, which manifests as snappy acceleration when you put power to the pedals. The suspension tune on the Aurum
felt about perfect as well It was nice and linear through most of the travel with a bit of a ramp up near the end to prevent harsh bottom-outs.

When mated to the stiff, hydroformed tubeset, it made for a bike that held its line through
wicked rock gardens and accelerated like a greyhound possessed. Perhaps a literal chink
in the Aurum’s armor was its thin paint job. We liked the bright-yellow paint, but it chipped easily, which is a bummer considering all the attention Norco paid to making a bike that’ll last through the seasons. -Ryan Labar

Download the Article PDF Here

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Vid+Photos: Hoots on Coast and Shore

January 20, 2012

A Shore Boy at Heart
Words by Jay Hoots. Photos by Margus Riga.

The North Shore is my home with the epic 3 mountains – Seymour, Fromme, Cypress – as my riding backyard! Two months a year now I live on the Sunshine Coast for the Mountain Bike Operations Course and then I spend 6 to 8 months of traveling for filming and building.

Jay Hoots Margus Riga Shore Coast Norco Truax
Jay Hoots honed his skills on the Shore, and now spends fair chunk of time on the Coast.

For years I have been riding for Norco working on and riding different platforms searching for the best mix between up and down, skinny riding, jumps and drops, steep rock faces with slippery roots, speed and braking… Being from the Shore I learned all the technical aspects of riding in sloppy wet, ultra slippery conditions but found that the Sunshine Coast offered fast, flowy trail with banger turns and different styles of zones, from jumps to pumps to epic XC the sunshine Coast offers an amazing array of riding opportunity with only a fraction of the rain the Shore gets.

Jay Hoots Margus Riga Shore Coast Norco Truax
The dark, dank Shore is a different place, but Jay seems to have found the one bike for both spots.

2012 is the best year ever for me as my new 7” Truax bicycle is the best combination of all platforms of bike allowing me to travel with only one steed that does everything! 2012 is also the year that the Shore is recognizably smoother and flowier and the Sunshine Coast now has technical rooty steep gnarly trail!

Can’t say where this film was made but if you find it it’s worth it!

Thank you to NSMBA, and all of the dedicated builders that are out there who put the hours in the dirt and have the vision and stay power to follow through with it.

I love my Bike!

Ride ON!
Jay Hoots

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