trail tested: Norco revolver 130 c3
The Norco Revolver 130 is the Canadian brand's recently released downcountry bike. The frame is super lightweight, but is also uber capable. Moose has been abusing this bike on our chunky Southern Utah trails for the past 6 weeks. Scroll down to check the full review or read on.
This bike was a giggle fest. Point it down hill and it wants to rip. Being a bit longer than some other downcountry bikes gave it a super planted, yet playfull feeling. It wants to go fast and has the ability to do so. Luckily, that's not its only trick. This bike is a super capable climber as well mating the two for a super fun, capable downcountry bike.
The C3 is the entry level version of this bike coming in at $3999. To put some context on that, the frame alone is $3500 making this a great way to get into a highend frame in a complete package that can be rallied, but is also begging to be upgraded as you grow with the bike. The two upgrades that would make this bike a ripper would be a more powerful set of brakes and some higher end wheels. With that said, the Revolver is capable of handling the trails in Southern Utah right out of the box.
Pros:
- Great climber, no noticeable bob
- Excellent descender
- Guaranteed to make you smile
Cons:
- Brakes are under powered for how capable this bike is.
- Shimano freehub body engagement is slow