2012 Norco Shinobi 2 - Review
TESTER / REVIEWER:
Steve Dempsey
TEST LOCATIONS:
Marin County, CA, Chico, CA, Talent, OR, Cape Perpetua, OR, Galbraith Mountain, WA
INTRODUCTION
The big wheel movement has hit hard and continues to grow in strength. There is no doubt that the advantages of 29 inch wheels are appealing to the masses; they roll obstacles easier, increase trail contact (surface area of tire touching the trail), hook up exceptionally well on climbs, and hold momentum in the rollers. The misconceptions of a slow accelerating, sluggish machine are gone. The 29er is here to stay.
OVERVIEW
With 140mm travel in the front and 120mm in the rear, Norco has built an appealing ride for every type of terrain. The bike helps a rider with overly ambitious style stick risky moves. The test was as pure as they come. Each day it was a new zone, new trail, and each and every corner we had never been seen before. The Shinobi warranted an aggressive style that made each day more exciting than the next.
With 140mm travel in the front and 120mm in the rear, Norco has built an appealing ride for every type of terrain. The bike helps a rider with overly ambitious style stick risky moves. The test was as pure as they come. Each day it was a new zone, new trail, and each and every corner we had never been seen before. The Shinobi warranted an aggressive style that made each day more exciting than the next.
Each of my five days riding the Shinobi, there was that slow motion moment; “Uh oh, this is going to hurt!” Each day the Shinobi saved some skin. Nose-bone a rock, case a root, or overshoot a gap, the bike was routinely able to compensate for rider error (not to say, however, that I didn’t bleed a little along the way).
DESIGN BASICS
Upon initial glance, the Shinobi sits low and mean. With a lower BB height of 341 mm and elegantly sloped top tube, the bike felt ergonomically sound for the pedal up and equally comfortable on the ride down. The bike was set up with 80 mm stem and 760 mm wide bars. The tight cockpit coupled with a top tube length of 610mm was dialed for aggressive riding. The slightly steeper head tube angle (68.5) kept those big wheels feeling spry in switchbacks, a characteristic our test group thoroughly enjoyed—it never felt like we were behind the wheel of a bus. Much like a Victoria Secret model, the Shinobi was impressive from front to rear. Norco combines the 142x12 axle, post mount brakes, rear suspension pivots, derailleur hanger attachment and frame gussets into one single unit; elegance in simplicity. With this integrated design, shifting was precise and never compromised when navigating trail clutter under heavy load. Logical frame design and the functional Sram X-7/X-9, 2x10 components made this review bike tough to give back.
Upon initial glance, the Shinobi sits low and mean. With a lower BB height of 341 mm and elegantly sloped top tube, the bike felt ergonomically sound for the pedal up and equally comfortable on the ride down. The bike was set up with 80 mm stem and 760 mm wide bars. The tight cockpit coupled with a top tube length of 610mm was dialed for aggressive riding. The slightly steeper head tube angle (68.5) kept those big wheels feeling spry in switchbacks, a characteristic our test group thoroughly enjoyed—it never felt like we were behind the wheel of a bus. Much like a Victoria Secret model, the Shinobi was impressive from front to rear. Norco combines the 142x12 axle, post mount brakes, rear suspension pivots, derailleur hanger attachment and frame gussets into one single unit; elegance in simplicity. With this integrated design, shifting was precise and never compromised when navigating trail clutter under heavy load. Logical frame design and the functional Sram X-7/X-9, 2x10 components made this review bike tough to give back.
The Ride: CORNERS
With big wheels come a longer wheel base, longer chain stays, and taller fork which can make the bike more difficult to whip around tight obstacles. Steeper angles in the head tube and seat tube help compensate such design characteristics. With head tube angle ½ degree steeper than many competitors, the Shinobi remained nimble in the twisty corners. Just keep pedaling, smile, and stuff it into the next one. I felt that the bigger wheel base was harder to sling around the tightest of switchback turns, but quickly forgot any turning radius issues once I hit the tight rock gardens with dominance.
With big wheels come a longer wheel base, longer chain stays, and taller fork which can make the bike more difficult to whip around tight obstacles. Steeper angles in the head tube and seat tube help compensate such design characteristics. With head tube angle ½ degree steeper than many competitors, the Shinobi remained nimble in the twisty corners. Just keep pedaling, smile, and stuff it into the next one. I felt that the bigger wheel base was harder to sling around the tightest of switchback turns, but quickly forgot any turning radius issues once I hit the tight rock gardens with dominance.
The Ride: DOWNHILL
The steeps are one area I felt the 29er really excelled. When faced with a slew of rocks and 16-plus degree grade, leaning back and letting the bike do its thing was easy enough. Let off the brakes for a bit and this rig increases mph real quick. The combination of the big wheel and all-mountain frame geometry ensured the Shinobi held a substantial amount of stability once things got blurry. When you did want to jump on the brakes, the bike was free of the dreaded “brake jack” associated with some dual suspension bikes. Norco has done well in designing the rear dropout area. By integrating the axle retention, post mount brakes, rear suspension pivots, derailleur hanger attachment, and frame gussets into the rear dropout, the Shinobi boasts a stiff, strong, and simplified rear end. I particularly enjoy the stiffness and functionality of the integrated derailleur-hanger. This feature offers increased rigidity and precise shifting and when Norco sends each frame out with spare hanger bolts so you can fix on the fly, it really seals the deal. The Holloform Link Arm and Clevis-less pivots kept the rear end as stiff as humanly possible. There were no “ghost shifts” that can be associated with preloading the suspension and stuffing a corner.
The steeps are one area I felt the 29er really excelled. When faced with a slew of rocks and 16-plus degree grade, leaning back and letting the bike do its thing was easy enough. Let off the brakes for a bit and this rig increases mph real quick. The combination of the big wheel and all-mountain frame geometry ensured the Shinobi held a substantial amount of stability once things got blurry. When you did want to jump on the brakes, the bike was free of the dreaded “brake jack” associated with some dual suspension bikes. Norco has done well in designing the rear dropout area. By integrating the axle retention, post mount brakes, rear suspension pivots, derailleur hanger attachment, and frame gussets into the rear dropout, the Shinobi boasts a stiff, strong, and simplified rear end. I particularly enjoy the stiffness and functionality of the integrated derailleur-hanger. This feature offers increased rigidity and precise shifting and when Norco sends each frame out with spare hanger bolts so you can fix on the fly, it really seals the deal. The Holloform Link Arm and Clevis-less pivots kept the rear end as stiff as humanly possible. There were no “ghost shifts” that can be associated with preloading the suspension and stuffing a corner.
The Ride: CLIMB
In the climb, the Shinobi shines bright. One can stand or sit with efficiency due to the Advanced Ride Technology. A.R.T. was created to combat the “squat forces” associated with pedaling a dual suspension bike. The result is efficient power transfer and limited “bob.” Lock out the suspension, the standing efficiency increases even more. On the trail and in the saddle, all suspension open and active, the Shinobi rolls over step-up roots and rocks easily. Never before had I enjoyed the technical climbs as much as the techy descents.
In the climb, the Shinobi shines bright. One can stand or sit with efficiency due to the Advanced Ride Technology. A.R.T. was created to combat the “squat forces” associated with pedaling a dual suspension bike. The result is efficient power transfer and limited “bob.” Lock out the suspension, the standing efficiency increases even more. On the trail and in the saddle, all suspension open and active, the Shinobi rolls over step-up roots and rocks easily. Never before had I enjoyed the technical climbs as much as the techy descents.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
Despite this being a completely new bike on a completely new trail, I awoke each morning smiling with confidence knowing I had a bike that could handle whatever was thrown in its path. I felt comfortable from the first pedal strokes and the bike became an extension of my body as the days rolled on. I decided to upgrade the tires for the remainder of our trip, but as a basic out-of-the-box-build the bike was amazing!
FRAME SPECS
Frame: Shinobi 29er trail frame , 120 mm travel , 6061 aluminum, hydroformed aluminum mainframe tubing
Fork: RS Revelation 29 140 mm travel 20 mm axle, tapered steer tube
Rear Shock: Fox RP 2 BSD LV large volume air sleeve
WHEELS
Rims: Sun Inferno 25 29er rim
Tires: WTB Bronson 29 x 2.2 Race
Front Hub: Formula 20 mm sealed bearing
Rear Hub: Formula 142 x 12 mm sealed bearing
Spokes: DT Champion stainless steel 2.0
DRIVETRAIN
Shifter Front: Sram X7 trigger
Shifter Rear: Sram X7 trigger 10 sp
Front Derailleur: Sram X7
Rear Derailleur: Sram X9 mid cage
Cassette: Sram PG 1030 10 sp 11-36T
Bottom Bracket: Comes with crank
Crankset: FSA V Drive CK-7080 BG/32/22 w BB /7000 10 sp
Chain: Sram PC 1031
COMPONENTS
Seat Post: Norco SL double bolt 2014 alloy post 2D forged
Saddle: WTB Silverado Race SL with chromoly rail
Headset: FSA #57 E sealed ( tapered internal ) 1.5" to 1-1/8"""
Stem: Norco short reach MTB trail stem 3D forged
Handlebar: Norco 19 mm rise 760 mm width butted alloy
Grips: Norco Lock on grips
Front Brake: Avid Elixer 7 hydraulic disc, 180 mm rotor
Rear Brake: Avid Elixer 7 hydraulic disc, 160 mm on sm /med 180 mm rotor on LG / XL
Brake Levers: Avid Elixer 7
MISC
Colour: Black/Red
Sizes: AvailableS,M,L,XL
Bike Weight (lbs): 29.60
PRICE: $3,550 (complete)
Norco Website
Despite this being a completely new bike on a completely new trail, I awoke each morning smiling with confidence knowing I had a bike that could handle whatever was thrown in its path. I felt comfortable from the first pedal strokes and the bike became an extension of my body as the days rolled on. I decided to upgrade the tires for the remainder of our trip, but as a basic out-of-the-box-build the bike was amazing!
FRAME SPECS
Frame: Shinobi 29er trail frame , 120 mm travel , 6061 aluminum, hydroformed aluminum mainframe tubing
Fork: RS Revelation 29 140 mm travel 20 mm axle, tapered steer tube
Rear Shock: Fox RP 2 BSD LV large volume air sleeve
WHEELS
Rims: Sun Inferno 25 29er rim
Tires: WTB Bronson 29 x 2.2 Race
Front Hub: Formula 20 mm sealed bearing
Rear Hub: Formula 142 x 12 mm sealed bearing
Spokes: DT Champion stainless steel 2.0
DRIVETRAIN
Shifter Front: Sram X7 trigger
Shifter Rear: Sram X7 trigger 10 sp
Front Derailleur: Sram X7
Rear Derailleur: Sram X9 mid cage
Cassette: Sram PG 1030 10 sp 11-36T
Bottom Bracket: Comes with crank
Crankset: FSA V Drive CK-7080 BG/32/22 w BB /7000 10 sp
Chain: Sram PC 1031
COMPONENTS
Seat Post: Norco SL double bolt 2014 alloy post 2D forged
Saddle: WTB Silverado Race SL with chromoly rail
Headset: FSA #57 E sealed ( tapered internal ) 1.5" to 1-1/8"""
Stem: Norco short reach MTB trail stem 3D forged
Handlebar: Norco 19 mm rise 760 mm width butted alloy
Grips: Norco Lock on grips
Front Brake: Avid Elixer 7 hydraulic disc, 180 mm rotor
Rear Brake: Avid Elixer 7 hydraulic disc, 160 mm on sm /med 180 mm rotor on LG / XL
Brake Levers: Avid Elixer 7
MISC
Colour: Black/Red
Sizes: AvailableS,M,L,XL
Bike Weight (lbs): 29.60
PRICE: $3,550 (complete)
Norco Website
