2011 Norco Range 1: A week on the trails
For the 2010 model year, Norco axed the popular Six from its lineup of mountain bikes, and that decision made perfect sense when one considered the bikes that Norco had in its catalog at the time. The Six overlapped with the 2010 Fluid LT, which was meant to be used as a rider's all-day and all-mountain ride, and with the 2010 Shore, which was intended to cover a rider's park / shuttle / freeride needs.
For 2011, BC-based Norco didn't simply reintroduce the Six; instead its designers developed the 2011 Range, which is a bike that retains the climbing capabilities of the Fluid LT (which it replaces) while stepping it up a notch (or three) when the bike is pointed downhill. I recently picked up a demo 2011 Norco Range 1 to ride for a week, and I immediately made plans to ride a bunch of local favourites while traveling later in the week to sample some of the fantastic alpine singletrack that British Columbia has to offer.
Detailed Range 1 impressions inside,