Norco Storm 2010 – An Average Joe Cyclist Product Review

Thought I’d review one of the most fun bikes I’ve ever had – the stalwart, handsome Norco Storm 2010.

So you’ve probably already guessed that I kinda like this bike. But what’s so great about the Norco Storm 2010? you ask. After all, it’s just another mid-level, decently specced hard tail front suspension trail bike, right? The thing about this bike is that Norco just got it right: all of the pieces come together with precision smoothness, giving a great ride off road and on. Even when you’re belting down the side of a mountain, part of your mind is surprised, thinking “Wow, this is SMOOTH.”

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First off, let’s get the components out of the way. The basic specs look like this:

• Lightweight double butted 6061 alloy frame with XC geometry
• RockShox Dart fork with 100 mm travel and Turn-Key lock-out
• Shimano 27-speed drive train with Shimano Deore Shadow rear derailleur

(Detailed specs at the bottom of this post.)

Ride

My Norco Storm 2010 gives me a light, fun ride on trails, and is smooth and speedy on the road. This is partly thanks to the Kenda Small block Eight Dual Tread Compound tires I upgraded to when I bought it (not standard with the 2010 model, but well worth the hundred dollars upgrade). I got these because it was an upgrade introduced with the 2011 Norco Storm. The basic idea is that these Kenda tires are intended to work well on AND off road. And they really do, which I find awesome. I can ride on pavement to get to a trail, then enjoy the trail and ride home – instead of having to transport a bike designed only for trails on the back of my car.

The Avid Juicy disc brakes give smooth, precision, powerful braking power, no matter how fast you’re going, and no matter how muddy the terrain.

Gears

The Norco Storm 2010 gears are in the full specs below. They work smoothly and I really enjoy them. Also there are three cogs in the front, for a total of 27 gears – which means it is pretty easy to get up hills, even for people like me who are just average cyclists.

Frame and Fork Strength

Despite the robust strength and rugged good looks of the frame and form, the bike is surprisingly light. I LOVE the shocks, which give you the option of locking them out when you’re not using them. This means you can get full use of the 100 mm travel when you’re on a mountain, then lock out the shocks for a quick ride home. Locking them out is simple: stop the bike, lean forward, turn a knob, and you have instant lockout.

This feature illustrates another key point about this bike: in my opinion, it is better to spend the extra money to get something a bit better than an entry-level bike. Extra features such as the lock-out shocks put this bike in a class above, and are well worth the few hundred extra dollars you need to spend.

Bottom Line on the Norco Storm

A friend of mine used to often say, “It’s all a matter of horses for courses.” This is what I would say about this bike. If the courses you want to explore include off-road trails and city streets, this is the steed for you. It is really A GREAT bike for anyone wanting a good, strong hard tail mountain bike. It would work for someone wanting to do weekend trails, or even for a commuter (given that many urban streets are rougher than the average mountain trail). Note that it is NOT full suspension, and so it is obviously is NOT intended for someone who wants to do huge downhill jumps.

Whether you get a new one, or pick up a good used one, you cannot go wrong with a Norco Storm.

Full Specs of the Norco Storm

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