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'03
Norco Two50
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The folks at Norco Performance Bikes were kind enough to hook me up with one
of the first complete Two50s off the line. Although rumoured to be having supply
problems at the start of 2003, the boys at Norco delivered the Two50 straight
off the team truck and into my greedy little hands on the weekend of Hammerfest
in Parksville.
As I am an unseasoned dirt jump rider, the idea of this review was to get a
perspective on how the bike performed during the learning process. To provide
a more detailed opinion on how the bike feels I will be putting the Two50 into
the experienced hands of local rider Jack Johnston and he in turn will put it
in the air.
The '03 Norco Two50 - one speed but plenty of versatility
Norco bikes are well priced and built to do the job and do it well. The Two50 is no exception. Dirt jumping is a punishing segment of cycling and the stresses on bike and rider are some of the most severe in the sport. The Two50 is designed to take this abuse and ask for more. Built along the lines of a mountain bike version of a BMX, the Two50 is heavy and the components are well thought out and chosen for robustness. This is no light race bike.
Unlike other Norco bikes, the Two50 frame is made of 4130 Chromoly and has been gusseted to further strengthen the high stress areas. The test rig we have is a medium and the geometry is quite comfortable. Compared to other hard tail bikes I have had the opportunity to ride the Two50 is quite long in the top tube, but it still feels nimble and manoeuvrable. I attributed the nimble feel to the 24” wheels and 42” wheelbase. This bike rolls fast and likes to jump in the tight sets.
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The 250 comes complete with a number of good components. Stock stoppers on the bike are Hayes HMX 1 Mechanical 6” brakes. The brakes provide more than ample stopping power for this bike. The wheelset consists of Alex MT-28 24" 36 hole rims mounted to an Axiom (Norco's house brand) Shovel 20mm hub in the front and a Novatec single speed disk 135mm hub in the rear. The bike's rubbered with a Kenda K-Rad 2.3 rear and a Kenda Kinetic 2.6 front. Both do an outstanding job gripping the dirt or the street. |
 No knobbies on this bad boy. |
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Version 3.0 of the Two50 is a single speed and the gearing is relatively easy to pedal around the city if you want to hang out on the street rides. The 36-16 combo will get you rolling on your local set of jumps and but it isn't too high to pedal uphill. Spec'ed with a Perv BMX 68mm X 25mm bottom bracket and a set of Perv BMX 3pc dirt jump specific cranks, the drivetrain is set to take some serious thrashings. Your ass sits atop an Axiom Shovel saddle that is strong and easy to pinch - for those of you inclined to let go of your bars. |
 Perv cranks - made by the same folks who make FUNN. |
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Marzocchi handles the front suspension duties. The Two50 comes equipped
with a DJ3 QR20+ that offers 4" of travel. The fork is nice and stiff
and so far it seems up to the challenges of dirt jumping and street rides.
The DJ3 has air assisted compression damping and can be tuned quite easily
using a shock pump. It will get you out of trouble when the going gets
sketchy. |
 The aptly named Dirt Jumper III from Marzocchi. |
I look forward to getting a few more hours of jumping the bike under my belt. For what this bike actually can do out on the dirt…look out for our follow up article outlining the feel and performance of the 2003 Norco 250 with contributions from Jack Johnston (Steed Cycles racer, DJer extraordinaire recently signed to the Hoots Jump team). Until then keep the rubber side down.
