Norco made waves four years ago when it introduced its refreshed lineup of reasonably priced aluminum-framed Fluid mountain bikes. Those models earned very high praise and won numerous awards for their on-trail performance and budget-friendly prices. Today, Norco is announcing the next generation (Gen 3) of its affordable and highly regarded Fluid MTBs. It’s not a massive departure from its predecessor, but a refinement of Norco’s award-winning platform.
The Gen 3 Fluid is still the 130/140mm travel 29er that folks already know and love, but Norco says it now has a lighter frame, user-friendly guided internal cable routing, and some differences in frame sizing. It also comes in three new complete builds with prices starting at $2,299 and topping out at $3,899.
“Fluid has always been about delivering real trail performance at a real-world price. This new generation refines that formula with a lighter frame, improved ride quality, and thoughtful details that make the bike easy to maintain and more capable on the trail.”
-Paul Burnett, Senior Product Manager at Norco
Norco Fluid Details
Norco says one of the most notable changes to the Fluid is a full 6066 aluminum frame, which is lighter than the previous generation with reportedly no compromises to strength or durability. Norco does not specify the actual weight savings, but complete claimed bike weights now start at 35.2 pounds (size S3). Along with a lighter frame construction, Norco has added nylon guide tubes to the internal routing to simplify maintenance tasks. It’s also covered by Norco’s No Other Way Limited Lifetime Warranty.
The Fluid has 130mm of rear wheel travel and comes with a 140mm travel fork. It comes with 29” wheels front and rear and is compatible with a 27.5” rear wheel via a link-arm flip chip that maintains both geometry and suspension performance. Like its predecessor, the new Fluid relies on Norco’s VPS (Virtual Pivot Suspension) layout, which is a simple and effective Horst Link design. Norco worked with suspension brands for custom shock tunes, and the Fluid is supported with the Ride Aligned setup guide for dialing in suspension settings.
Geometry
Norco already had a crowd-pleasing geometry formula with the previous generation Fluid, and it remains largely the same for Gen 3. The 130mm travel Fluid is intended as a versatile all-around trail bike, and that is reflected in the geometry chart. Specifically, the 65-degree head tube angle, which lands squarely in do-it-all trail bike territory. Reach numbers increase in 20mm increments across the five frame sizes, starting at 432mm on S1 and topping out at 512mm on S5.
Like its predecessor, Norco gave the Fluid Gen 3 some size-specific geometry details, which isn’t super common at its lower price point. Still, whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned rider, the steepening seat tube angles and increasing chainstay lengths are meant to provide similar proportions and a balanced ride feel across the size range. Chainstay/rear center lengths increase in 4mm increments, starting at 428mm on S1, and topping out at 444mm on S5. Likewise, seat tube angles increase by 0.25 degrees per size.
Norco Fluid: Builds and Pricing
Along with 130mm/140mm of travel and capable all-around trail-riding geometry, Norco recognizes that components play a huge role in a bike’s performance. So, they’ve included size-specific droppers, 4-piston brakes, and grippy Schwalbe Radial tires on all builds, even the entry-level Fluid A3. Additionally, all builds share the same cockpit setups, including Norco Alloy riser handlebars, stems, and WTB Wavelength grips, plus TranzX droppers and WTB Solano saddles.
Norco Fluid A1: $3,899 USD / $4,700 CAD
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select+, 140mm
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select RT
- Brakes: Shimano SLX 4-piston w/ 203/180mm (f/r) rotors
- Drivetrain: Shimano XT 12-speed w/ Deore cranks
- Wheels: WTB KOM Team i30 rims w/Shimano TC500 hubs
- Tires: Schwalbe Magic Mary Trail Radial 2.5”, Rear: Schwalbe Roamy Trail Radial 2.4”
- Weight (S3): 16.2 kg /35.7 lbs.
- Color: Gloss Blue Alloy
Norco Fluid A2: $2,899 USD / $3,800 CAD
- Fork: RockShox Psylo Gold RC, 140mm
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select
- Brakes: Bhimano BR-MT420 4-piston w/ 203/180mm (f/r) rotors
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore 12-speed
- Wheels: WTB ST i30 rims w/ Shimano TC500 hubs
- Tires: Schwalbe Magic Mary Trail Radial 2.5”, Rear: Schwalbe Roamy Trail Radial 2.4”
- Weight (S3): 16.0 kg / 35.2 lbs.
- Color: Satin Raw Alloy Silver
Norco Fluid A1: $2,299 USD / $2,800 CAD
- Fork: RockShox Recon RL, 140mm
- Shock: DVO Opal
- Brakes: Tektro HD-M535 4-piston w/ Tektro TR203 203/180mm (f/r) rotors
- Drivetrain: Shimano Cues 10-speed
- Wheels: WTB ST i30 w/ Formula hubs
- Tires: Front: Schwalbe Magic Mary Trail Radial 2.5”, Rear: Schwalbe Roamy Trail Radial 2.4”
- Weight (S3): 16.9 kg / 37.2 lbs.
- Color: Gloss Pistachio Green, Gloss Flat Black
Availability
Norco’s Gen 3 Fluid bikes are available now. Head to the Norco website or your favorite Norco dealer to learn more or buy yours.