Norco’s full-suspension Fluid FS & hardtail Rampage Youth mountain bikes get major overhauls for 2020 to create adult-level progressive trail bike performance in smaller, lighter packages for the next generation of trail riders & gravity junkies. We got a first look at the new fullies back at Crankworx, but now details have been updated and more affordable options added… plus, new dirt jump Rampage Youth hardtails, too – all available in both 20″ & 24″ wheeled versions!
Norco Fluid FS Youth trail-ready mountain bikes, kid-sized
Norco calls it their path towards ‘Total Gromination’. This new Fluid FS Youth line-up packs in all the performance capabilities needed to shred any trail or bikeparks, alongside mom & dad. And likely kids on the Rampage Youth dirt jumpers will be showing up their parents in no time.
Looking through both the spec of these new bikes, and photos of kids riding them, it’s not hard to imagine the very near future when this next generation of rippers will be flying past most of us playing at trail centers!
See, the trick to building trail-ready kids’ bikes is finding balance. Bikes must lightweight so they don’t overwhelm light kids who just don’t have the strength to muscle heavy bikes around on the trail. They of course have to have enough standover to fit small riders, and quality components, sized for smaller bodies as well. They need enough suspension travel to take whatever kids can dish out, but that travel has to actually work with small riders. And the bikes need to actually hit a price point parents might be willing to pay…
All that pretty much highlights what Norco has achieved. The bikes aren’t cheap, by any means. But for families looking to bring young riders on technical trail rides and trips to the bikepark, the Fluid FS Youth family puts a lot of performance onto small wheels.
Norco Fluid FS Youth – Tech details in 20″ & 24″
Norco says these new 20″ & 24″ Fluid FS Youth bikes are a natural evolution of the first generation, taking into account feedback from both riders & parents. For 2020 the youth full-suspension bikes get updated with modern trail-ready or even bikepark-ready geometry – what they call Progressive Trail design. What that means is longer reach, a slacker head angle to 64/64.5° (for the 20″ & 24″, respectively) and steeper seat angle to 75°, plus more standover clearance & lower BB heights. They sound super slack, but Norco assures that they were targeting similar trail characteristics like on modern adult bikes.
The 6061 alloy trail bikes are also built to withstand adult-level trail riding conditions. Norco says they’re “bikes that aren’t just scaled-down, but thought out.”
The 20″ Fluid FS pairs 100mm of rear wheel frame travel to 120mm of fork travel. Then the 24″ Fluid FS gets even bigger, mating 120mm of rear wheel travel to 145mm travel forks. Manitou J-Unit forks across the board deliver suspension tunes optimized for lighter riders. And rear shocks and the dropper post also are designed for riders under 90lb/40kg.
All the bikes get Boost spacing and 1x drivetrains, with the 20″ versions taking advantage of shortcage Shimano Zee derailleurs. Both 20″ & 24″ bikes get two spec levels, to open up their affordability to a wider pool of parents & young mountain bikers. Finishing kit is also sized down with kid-specific kit from SDG and Norco’s own in-house components.
Fluid FS pricing, spec & availability
The top-spec, Valencia orange Fluid FS 1 20″ sells for $2400 with a Zee+Deore 1×10 drivetrain, MT500 hydraulic brakes, a Manitou Machete Expert Air fork, Fox Performance Float shock, and a TransX light action 80mm dropper post.
The electric blue $1800 Fluid FS 2 20″ dials back to a TS Air fork, X-Fusion O2 Pro R shock, with the same drivetrain but a fixed alloy seatpost and Tektro Jr hydro brakes.
The top-spec Fluid FS 1 24″ is just a hundred bucks more at $2500. The slate blue bike gets a SRAM NX 1×11 drivetrain, MT500 hydraulic brakes, the longer Manitou Machete Expert Air fork, Fox Performance Float shock, the light action TransX dropper with 100mm of travel, & 24×2.4″/2.3″ Maxxis Minions.
The charcoal grey $1900 Fluid FS 2 24″ gets a similar step back in spec to a longer TS Air Machete fork, X-Fusion O2 Pro R shock, with a Deore 1×10 drivetrain. It still gets the TransX dropper, but lower spec wheels & 24×2.25″ Vee Crown Gem tires.
Norco Rampage Youth kids’ dirt jump hardtail
The Rampage Youth bikes take a similar approach to the Fluid FS, as burly alloy hardtails with dirt jump-specific geometry and scaled-down components that will still take the abuse of young riders sending it.
The little dirt jumpers also get 6061 alloy frames and two spec in both 20″ & 24″ wheelsizes. Much like the mini Fluid FS, the min Rampage bikes get a modern jump geometry, whether for hitting the dirt jumps under the powerlines, slopestyle runs, the pump track, or indoor bike parks.
Rampage pricing, spec & availability
The premium 20″ Rampage 2.1 features a 100mm Machete fork, SDG Jr components, mixed Tektro hydraulic rear/mechanical front disc brakes & Maxxis Grifter 2.3″ tires for $1500.
The $1000 20″ Rampage 2.2 gets an 80mm SR Suntour XCM Junction Air fork, 2.3″ Kenda K-Rad tires & Norco alloy cockpit.
The top-spec 24″ bike is the Rampage 4.1 that for $1500 gets a Boost 100mm Machete fork, 2.25″ Schwalbe Table Top tires, Tektro hydraulic rear/mechanical front disc brakes, and an SDG Jr cockpit.
The more affordable $1000 24″ Rampage 4.2 steps down to an 80mm RST Dirt fork, mechanical Tektro brakes, 2.3″ Kenda K-Rad tires & a Norco finishing kit.
All of the new Norco Fluid FS Youth bikes are available now through Norco dealers & online, as are the Rampage Youths.
