It’s no secret pros get custom bike set up and prototypes to race, but a lot of times, they’re racing bikes being tested for mass production. In this case, a mere five bikes were made and even Norco admits the market for something like this is pretty small.
The frame is full custom, designed in house and built by YESS Products. Chainstays are extremely short and the leverage ratio provides a very tight rear suspension. Why go to all this trouble? What’s to be learned from a bike like this that translates to the broader market?
“We did it for Jill because she’s such a phenomenal athlete,” says Dustan Sept, Norco’s PR Marketing Coordinator. “It’s also a showcase for taking existing Norco full suspension technology and showing that it can work in a variety of applications. This one’s custom geometry and design, but it borrows a few tubes from our other bikes, our tapered headtube and Hollowform link arm.
“It’s more taking what we’ve already learned and giving it to a team rider. We’re still learning and as Jill takes this to more events, we’ll see what sort of wear and tear occurs and use that to improve future bikes. We use that info whether it’s a stock team bike or completely a one off.”
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