Norco Shore 1

The Shore series from Norco has a long and stored history. It has gone through many changes over the years and 2008 wasn’t an exception. For 2008 the Shore series got a complete make over. New hydroformed tubes, new forged 1.5 head tube, decreased standover height and a new forged yoke are the meat of the makeover list.

2007 Norco Shore 1.

Fitted to the front of the Shore 1 is a RockShox Totem with 180mm of travel, out the rear is a Marzocchi Rocco Coil with the same 180mm of travel. Truvativ Holzfeller cranks, SRAM X9 shifter & derailleur take care of the gears and Juicy 5 brakes are in charge of stopping this rig. The WTB laser Disc FR wheels come with Kenda Nevegal 2.5 rubber and the whole lot is steered by FSA Gravity bars & a Gravity Lite stem.

2007 Norco Shore 1.

As for the angles, the head angle is 66 degrees with a seat angle of 71.3. claimed weight is 40.5 lbs for a small.

Coming from my race bike with angles slacker than the Shore with a longer wheel base It took a little getting use to once I was on the Shore, but in the end I really enjoyed riding it. Mine was a medium and it felt a bit tighter than what I was use to, but worked well when it got onto its groove. I found that this bike liked to jump and be pushed around. Fast lines down Freight Train into Dirt Merchant were where the shore really started to shine. The shorter wheelbase made it easy to get the bike around in the air and pointed the way I wanted it to, but it wasn’t so short that I felt uncomfortable when the going got steep.

2007 Norco Shore 1.

When I pushed the bike and rode it like a bmx down the trails, it responded very well and was considerably more fun to ride. Point being is that rider input helps make this bike more exciting. It likes to be told what to do, and how to do it. The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Previously I hadn’t felt very comfortable on the Totem forks, but the revisions done to them since last year have made a huge difference and they were a great compliment to the bike.

There are two things that I would change on the bike. First would be to up-spec the brakes to Codes instead of the Juicy's. It is a bit of a weight difference, but when I am riding a bike that is meant to primarily go downhill having a set of strong/dependable brakes isn't a bad thing. Secondly I would love to the Shore come down slightly in weight. Realistically this bike was closer to 42 lbs for a medium, which is starting to get up there.

Opinion:Durable freeride bike that can stand up to the bike park, but can still be pedaled.

Plus: Beefy, plush, durable.
Minus: On the heavy side, could use stronger brakes. 
MSRP: $4549 cdn
Website: http://www.norco.com/bikes/mountain/freeride/shore_one.php

Rating: 4/5

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