Things have been tumultuous since my last tumultuous post over on MarathonMTB.com. At that stage, I was coming back from illness and trying to formulate plan C or maybe D of my Europe trip. I think I’m up to calling the situation ‘fluid’ now! After a bumpy start to the …
How do you decide what bike to buy? Maybe how it looks or what build kit is on it, or maybe something more practical like price. I could go on but the right answer is how it looks, so let’s move on and check out the ‘ridonculously’ looking Norco Revolver 9.2 FS 29er! Ok, I’m a little biased being sponsored by Norco, so there is that, but really, this bike is my dream bike and I’m extremely grateful for everyone who has helped put this weapon together. So let’s take a look at what makes this weapon tick!
Shimano XTR M9000 groupset. For racing an 11-40 rear cassette and an 11-42 for training. Up front the chainring is switched from a 32 to a 34 depending on the course. A Stages M9000 power meter measures the all important watts! The Gen 2 pod has made big improvements over the Gen 1 and any issues with water ingress or battery life have been addressed. The MRP V3 Carbon Chain Guide adds additional security along with the specially designed XTR chainring teeth.The A.R.T suspension of the Revolver is controlled by the Fox Float shock with no remote lockout. The handle bars are MT Zoom Ultralight Carbon in 720mm. The Ultralight’s offer a 9 degree bend and weigh in at 134g!The Fox Remote Lockout offers a two-stage setting for the three-stage 32-SC fork. I have it set to lockout and medium settings and I forego the open setting. Shimano XTR M9000 Race brakes handle the stopping. No I-Spec clamp for the front brake and shifter means the shifter can be located more inboard for a custom fit.
Front bouncy bit is the super light Fox 32 step-cast fork. The weight savings over the previous F-32 are substantial. This makes the front end much lighter and easier to manoeuvre in tight single track. Wheels are Stans Notubes Valor Pro with Stans new Neo Ultimate Pro hubs. Maxxis take care of the tyre department with the Ikon model in 2.2 the go to choice for most races.
