The Forest of Dean is a great little venue, the tracks are relatively short only being about a minute long and are all great fun to ride. I went down on the Saturday to do a few runs on the track as I knew that the race was fully booked and there would be a good three hundred riders trying to get down come Sunday morning so Saturday was the best time to get used to the track. I did about five or six runs and felt comfortable on the bike and track.

Sunday morning was a cold one with temperatures only just making it in to the plus figures. Practice was very busy in the morning with a lot of riders out. I managed to get a good couple of runs in and got everything on the track dialed down ready for race runs.

There had been a lot of talk of rain over the weekend so wanted to put in a fast first run just in case the heavens opened between first and second runs. I got a low 57 in my first run giving me a 1.5 second lead over second place which I was pretty happy with. Second runs came around and still no rain so I decided I needed to put in another fast one as I thought that the track might be running faster. I came down 0.3 slower than my first run but I think this was because I was a little hesitant in the lower part of the track because it was getting dark.

Despite being slower on the second run I still took the win in Pro-Am and the race overall winner as well. I was really happy to get a win this early in the season on my new Norco and this has set me up for a great season to come.

Thanks to my sponsors Norco Bicycles, One Industries, 661, Adidas, Kore, Sun Ringle, Maxxis, SRAM and Action Cameras

Are you doing the 2012 Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer? Do you have questions, concerns or need clarification on any aspects of the ride? Well, Norco Bicycles is participating in the Epic Impact Day Twitter Town Hall event. What is that you may ask?

Norco will be on hand for one hour offering advise, tips and ideas for tour participants. We will be answering live questions via twitter for the Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia Ride To Conquer Cancer Events. If you have questions, tune into Norco’s Twitter at the following times to get all your questions answered. If you want to ask a question or follow along use the norcobicycles twitter handle as well as the specific Town Hall info below.

Looking forward to hearing your questions.

Wednesday Feb. 8th, 1 pm EST Ontario
@TheOntarioRide
#EpicTO01
Follow Live

Wednesday Feb. 8th, 1 pm MST Alberta
@TheAlbertaRide
#EpicAB02
Follow Live

Wednesday Feb. 8th, 2 pm PST British Columbia
@TheBCRide
#EpicBC02
Follow Live

The latest Norco Facebook contest could be your ticket to a new Norco Rampage Frame. Winning this frame is a two step process. The first step is taking a photo or video of you riding your bike. You do not have to be riding a Norco bicycle to win either, any old bike will do. Just upload a riding photo or video to the Norco Facebook Page wall and you are entered. Please only upload a content that you have full rights to though. You have 1 week from today to enter. All submissions uploaded by 12pm, Monday Feb 15th, PST will be eligible to win. The photo or video does not have to be taken during this week but any photos previously uploaded are not eligible. Please, only one entry per user.

From the photos that have been uploaded between Feb 6th and 13th we will pick 5 of the best photos to move onto the second round. From here, we will allow for a week of voting. Whichever image has the most likes on Feb. 21st at 12pm PST takes home the frame.

Please upload your photos or video to the wall of facebook.com/norcobicycles

Good Luck!

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.

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

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

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!

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 1^st in two downhill races and 1^st 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 3^rd at my first race and 1^st 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.

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.

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 2^nd 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

#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!

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