The Fluid FS series is no longer the clunky, awkward little sibling of the Optic and Sight. For 2019, it’s grown into a much more refined looking bike, with cleaner construction and all the attention to detail you’ll find on the higher priced Norco duallies. The tube shapes, the excellent internal cable routing, the paint finish – it’s all top notch. All the Fluid FS bikes share this same frames too, so whether you’re spending $3199 on the bike we’ve got on test, or $2199 on the entry level Fluid FS3, they’ve all got the same well-executed chassis.
A bike for those making the leap.
This bike is firmly aimed at the rider making the leap to their first serious mountain bike. With 120mm rear travel and 130mm up front, it’s got the travel numbers that tread the line between efficiency and enough bounce to start pushing your limits. What really makes us smile though, is the geometry; Norco have prioritised confidence over snappy uphill performance.
High five for whoever specced this thing!
Nothing has been missed. And while many of the components aren’t exactly from the top shelf, they’re all great choices, ticking the fundamentals for a solid trail bike. The RockShox suspension package is high quality, and free from too many complicating adjustments. Of special note is the new Revelation RC fork, which now has a Charger damper for 2019. The whopping Maxxis Forekaster tyres get a big tick too, especially once you’ve converted them to tubeless. There’s SRAM’s new NX Eagle drivetrain, too.
Options?
Like most of the Norco duallies, you can choose between 29er or 27.5, but only in certain sizes. It’s an approach we’ve seen from other brands like Polygon before. In X-Small to Small sizes, you’ve got 27.5″ wheels. In a medium frame, you can choose 27.5″ or 29er. Then in large and X-Large it’s 29er only. For our medium sized test bike, we opted for a 29er. A 120mm-travel 29er is just about the ideal platform for a huge swathe of the riding in Australia. Plus the bigger wheels adds confidence in the rough, which plenty of riders who’ll be looking to start pushing their limits will appreciate, and it rolls faster if you’re thinking about a race or two.
We’ll be taking this bike out for some Christmas break ripping, so stay tuned for a full review soon!
