Norco six-1 vs R/M switch 2

Hey guys I'm new here, and to suspension rigs.
Was informed about the site from a friend who lived in Canmore for some time.
Been riding mtn bikes since the mid 80's, only ever had rigid or hardtail, and have predominantly rode xc/all mountain… love heading down hill. Currently riding a 23lb carbon fiber hardtail with a sid.
I'm from New Brunswick, living in Phoenix Az., at the base of south mountain, and am itching for a rig that will climb ok, and put a smile on my face heading down, rather than terror that occupies the space regularly. Terrain is mostly rock, rock, and some more rock. Most drops are in the 4' or less range, but the terrain is very rough… in a sharp and abrupt sort of way… not much rolling…
I'd like to buy Canadian, and 3 large is going to be pushing the envelope.
Having rode xc for over 20 years I'm ready for something different, but, there are no lifts here. I want to be able to climb, but, pushing 40yrs old, being first to the top is no longer important.

What are your thoughts on the rigs mentioned?

Ps I'm all of 155lbs.

The Norco would be a good choice. Here's a review of it by a beginner female, but I'm sure you can find some nuggets in it. She spends a lot of time comparing the 04 Six and the 06 Six.

http://www.nsmb.com/gear/six_one06_07_06.php

I ride an 05 Norco Shore, and am very happy with its quality. I can get support easily here in Canada, but I don't know what it's like in the states.

If'n you want to ride up then maybe an RMB Slayer or its Norco = might be better?

The Switch is 46 pounds. The Norco Six is quite a bit lighter. For a 155 lb rider, this is pretty important.

Both nice bikes.

I think the better comaprison would've been the Six vs the Slayer. But for Switch vs Six, then I think I'd go for the Six. It's lighter, and I think that it's a better choice for what riding you're going to be doing.

There are many reasons why the Six is a better choice than the RM Switch.

I can only think of a few reasons to choose the Switch over the Six…

1. Made in Canada

2. Strength - arguable

3. Workmanship

Des

Having owned both, the Six is definately better suited to what you want over the Switch. I ride South Moutain quite a bit, I really think there are better choices than the Six to be riding what you want to do.
I like the Canuck bikes too but If theres a better choice out there, it might be worth it to look at something else. I think the Slayer would be a great choice, but I dont think you can afford a 'South Mountain friendly' version of it.
The Slayer 50 is in your pricerange but that might not be able to physically handle South Mountain with the stock setup and the price of it might not leave you much in the way of upgrading. A bashgaurd is definately a necessity, strong cranks, the XC's will work, just have a bashgaurd put on, and a good stiff fork. I have no experiance with the AM2, so I'me not sure about how it will handle the terrain, nore am I familiar with the adjustability. Suspension with good compression dampening is very nice to have for the transition of up's and downs, rough to smooth terrain.
If your still more into the XC side of things, then the Slayer 50 might be what you want (70 or 90 would definately be what you want :D ). If you want to get into some harder FR or DH, the go for the Six I suppose, but look around some more though.

I have a Six One, and I can't say enough nice things about it (Except for the brakes). The components are fantastic, and it's relatively light ([HTML_REMOVED]35lbs). It's nimble, fast and plush, although at your weight, you would need a much lighter spring than stock.

rm switch is a better freeride bike hands down.
from drops jumps and ground clearance its the ride to have.
the norco six is more of an extreme all mountain styled bike.
very pedalable, but also a ton of fun on the way down…
so if you plan to step up gnarlyness of your riding..
the rm's slacker geo and extra suspension, will kill downhill.
for all around the norcos best bang for buck]

ps. check out devinci and brodie.

w jumps at 4 ft or less the six will serve you well. i have a 05 six and it is an awesome bike.mine weighs 41 lbs, the new ones are much lighter(at the expense of forks and a few dh/fr type factors).def take the six for a test ride before dropping the bling on a rm.

The Switch is 46 pounds. The Norco Six is quite a bit lighter. For a 155 lb rider, this is pretty important.

Both nice bikes.

Yeah, the Switch is fairly heavy.

If you want something more all-mountainish, there are a lot of options in the 35lb range that will give you a bike which will decend well yet still pedal very well. I'd take the Six over the Switch.

Consider looking at a Kona Dawg or Coiler. They'd be in the 33 to 35 pound range, and the price would be well within your range. And since you're light, a bike like the Norco Fluid and RM Slayer would probably hold up.

Too bad you want Canadian, because a bike like the Heckler would be a nice option.

Not that I've tried it but a Banshee Wraith might fit your needs? 5" of suspension f+r, all-mountain freeride, 32lbs, US$2364 at time of writing.

..Too bad you want Canadian, because a bike like the Heckler would be a nice option.

I dunno about switching from a 4bar for a heckler?

Wow, I had no idea the switch was that heavy… Not a big fan of the slayer.
Norco's closest dealer is over in california, that is the one short comming in going with the six-1…
For xc I'll keep my hardtail, I am definatly looking for something that will descend well, handle 4' drops, but, needs to climb… and if that means seated in granny, that's fine.

I looked at Iron Horse's 7point7 as well… thoughts?