The bottom bracket is threaded for longevity and there’s plenty of room for the big lugs and fat carcass of the 29 x 2.6in Maxxis DHF tyres. Geometry is edging towards edgy with a sub-67-degree head angle and 470mm reach in the large and it’s low enough that you could size up if you wanted more stretch. Even at this low price point, the tubes are size specific to tune the ride, internal cable routing is neat and there’s a threaded bottom bracket for longevity. Props to Norco for taking the time to create a bike line packed full of high-end features that is affordable to a majority of riders.The Fluid frame is unchanged for this year but that’s fine as it was already a cracking chassis. Knowing you’ll have a shop and North American brand with local inventory nearby is always a plus when you know that you’ll be pushing yourself and your equipment into dangerous scenarios all in the name of fun. Regardless of which model Fluid Alloy you pick though, you’ll have a solid dealer network, brand backing and help from bike setup to ride experience, and that’s something we really like compared to a lot of other bikes in the roundup. We all agree though that it blends some really nice upgrades to the A3 with a very competitive price. Overall Norco’s Fluid FS A3 and the entire Fluid Alloy lineup are incredibly capable, well-priced and awesome bikes! We would likely pick, and recommend, the Fluid A2 as our model to buy, however it’s just outside our $3,000 price point for this test. However, the longer wheelbase and weight could be an issue for certain regions and types of riding. It’s also happy to cruise along and be pedaled for long miles of exploratory riding and fun. It really likes being pushed into berms, hard corners and ridden aggressively. The upside to that is, the bike rides high in the travel, remains sporty and active on the trail too. It’s not harsh but was enough for us to notice it. The suspension platform on both the A1 and A3 we have, are on the stiffer end of the spectrum, meaning they do deliver riders a bit more feedback and energy when hitting square-edge bumps. It’s the heaviest and longest bike in the mix, which keep it planted on the ground and feeling confident on steeper and gnarly terrain. Beyond that, the bike rode well from the start and maintained its performance over the months of testing in some cold, mucky conditions.Ĭompared to other bikes in the roundup the Fluid FS A3 is a worthy contender. Again, the RockShox 35 Silver fork was a bit of a struggle here and needed help not blowing through the travel on bigger hits or steeper trails, but we realize that many riders looking at this bike may not be pushing as hard or would take time to improve the progression of their own fork. Thanks to Norco’s website and Ride Aligned program, the bike was setup rather quickly and got us in the ballpark for most of our riding. From size-specific geometry, bike setup assistance and custom-tuned rear shocks for each model in their lineup, Norco have really set the bar for what can be delivered to riders in a budget-friendly mountain bike. When it came time to evaluate all of these bikes from the setup to the ride, Norco have undoubtedly stacked the cards in their favor when it comes features found on much higher-end mountain bikes. However, we did not love the bar and especially the grip combo and would likely suggest this as a quick upgrade, which thankfully you’ll be able to afford thanks to the awesome price tag of this bike. We loved the fact that Norco put a 170mm dropper on this bike, one of the only bikes that had one in this test. Rounding out the spec is a 35mm diameter e*thirteen alloy bar with 20mm rise paired to a 40mm length alloy stem and 34.9mm diameter SDG Tellis dropper post with size-specific length (170mm on the large). However, for this test all of the bikes were equipped with Versus tires to give consistent performance across the board. The wheelset is a Stans Flow D rim laced to Bear Pawls sealed bearing hubs, which are wrapped in a Vittoria Mazza and Martello Trail G2.0 tire pairing as standard. The brakes are Tektro’s 4-piston HD-745s, which stop on 180mm rotors on both ends. The drivetrain is a full SRAM SX Eagle 12spd affair, including their SX Eagle DUB alloy crankset, with an 11-50T cassette. While we were impressed with how well the X-Fusion shock performed, the RockShox 35 Silver was definitely a lowlight of the build, specifically when it came to the weight of the unit and how it affected the bike’s overall feel. Suspension duties are handled by a 140mm RockShox 35 Silver TK Air fork, and X-Fusion O2 Pro R AV with a custom tune. For this money, you get the 6061 Alloy frame with a purposeful mix of components. Norco’s Fluid FS A3 reviewed in this group test is the second-from-cheapest in the Fluid FS lineup, and the cheapest bike in the shootout at $2,499.
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