2013 Norco Aurum 1 Review

Norco bikes have been making, designing and breaking their teeth on the Canadian North Shore for almost a half century. Many of us will recall the days of the VPS and Shore bikes. These bikes were running the FSR style rear suspension system and were overbuilt to take the abuse that North Shore riding put the bikes through. Those of you needing a history lesson check out the video below to find out more about Norco.

Specifications

• Aurum One 200 mm travel frame 
• Manitou Dorado Expert
• Cane Creek Double barrel coil (300 / 350 / 400 lb) 
• Sun Inferno 29 welded rim
• Maxxis Minion DHF 26 x 2.50
• Kenda Light weight MTB 26" tube
• Sun Jumping Flea 
• Sun Jumping Flea 157 x 12
• DT Comp stainless spokes (butted)  
• Saint 10 speed rear  
• Jagwire LEX housing 
• Shimano Saint short cage RD 
• Shimano Tiagra 12-28T cassette 
• Truvativ Decendant DH single 36T 83 MM BB
• Shimano CN HG54 10 speed chain
• E-13 LG 1 chainguide with Taco 
• Norco Lite two bolt 2014 aluminum 30.9 mm 
• WTB Silverado Race SL saddle  
• Cane Creek 40  
• 1x10 mm, 2x5 mm , 3 x 3 mm headset spacers  
• Alloy top cap 
• Easton Havoc bolt on direct mount 31.8 mm  
• Easton Havoc DH bar 800 mm , 31.8 mm clamp 
• Ergon GA1 Evo grip  
• Shimano Saint disc brake (200 mm rotor)
• Shimano Saint disc brake (200 mm rotor)

The Norco bikes of today have shed the weight in key areas while lowering the bikes center of gravity. They still use the tried and true FSR (Four Bar) rear suspension system that is licensed through Specialized. The FSR system stays active under braking while providing a progressive leverage curve. This is not the best pedalling platform but since the introduction of the 5th Element with platform dampening in the early 2000's the bob that was once a very noticeable aspect of a FSR bike has been drastically reduced resulting in a Downhill Bike that has decent pedaling. Along with the platform based shock Norco has also updated the FSR layout on their frames to pedal better than the standard design.

"The rear end is a true Horst Link, four-bar affair. Norco has long licensed Specialized’s FSR suspension design, though they’ve tweaked it a bit in 2011 with an eye toward improving pedaling efficiency. The axle path now takes a more rearward trajectory, which, according to Norco, accomplishes two things: First, as the suspension compresses, it creates a bit of chain growth, which, while pedaling, extends the rear shock and reduces its tendency to bob; and second, it reduces the rear wheel’s tendency to hang up when tracking over roots and rocks."

The Horst Link Defined

"A Horst link suspension has one pivot behind the bottom bracket, with one pivot mounted at each of the chain stays, in front of the rear wheel drop-out (this pivot being the venerated "Horst link"), and one at the top of the leveraged shock linkage that connects to the seat stay. Some notable examples of Horst link four-bar designs include the Specialized FSR and related bikes, Ellsworth, KHS, and Merida.

The Horst Link patent system proved popular since its debut, becoming a standard for rear suspension designs using an 'active' model. Specialized bought several of Leitner's patents in May 1998, and other manufacturers in U.S. now license the Horst link design from Specialized for the use of the 'Horst link' or FSR suspension patent. It is used by notable companies such as Norco, Ellsworth, KHS, and Fuji. European manufacturers, such as Cube, do use the same suspension design, but can not import it to the United States.^[5] The FSR patent system uses a wheel path that attempts to position suspension compression between a preloaded and an unloaded condition throughout most of its travel."

The claimed benefits of the FSR system are listed below.

• Reactive to small hits

• Variable wheel/shock ratio

• Handles large hits

• Progressive leverage ratio

• Non-linear/vertical wheel path

 

The Norco Aurum has slick flowing lines notice the built in fork bumpers.

The Tapered headtube.

The Aurum's hydroformed tubing helps keep it light and tuff.

Built in seat post clamp is oh so clean.

Norco 5 Point System

1. Custom hydroformed tubing: strong in key areas, stiff, light and beautiful
2. New integrated fork bumps: wider turn radius and designed to accommodate a wider range of forks
3. Gravity Tune: optimal body position, ideal weight distribution for increased traction & control
4. A.R.T. suspension, optimized for DH: efficient pedaling, confident braking, square-edge bump compliance and bottomless feel
5. Syntace X-12 157mm axle system: superior stiffness for better handling through rough stuff

Advanced Ride Technology

"Advanced Ride Technology, or A.R.T., is the direct link between engineering and experience. More than a single suspension platform, A.R.T. is a system that we optimize for each intended use. Norco's engineering team strategically manipulates pivot locations to precision-tune suspension kinematics, ensuring that every full suspension bike will excel in the environment it was designed for. For downhill applications, we increase rearward axle path for a more controlled ride over gnarly, unpredictable terrain. For cross-country we increase pedaling efficiency and small bump compliance for a faster, smoother ride. A.R.T. delivers four major benefits to riders: enhanced pedaling efficiency, increased square-edge bump compliance, improved braking performance and progressive suspension characteristics. These benefits are balanced in different proportions based on intended use, creating a ride experience unique to each model.

Enhanced Pedaling Efficiency
A.R.T. is designed to effectively manage chain growth to create anti-squat forces that counteract the forces responsible for suspension bob. The result is an incredibly efficient pedaling platform, superior power transfer and unmatched climbing ability.

Increased Square-Edge Bump Compliance
Rearward axle path describes the rear wheel's trajectory as a bicycle moves through its travel. A.R.T. uses a pronounced rearward axle path that enables the wheel to travel both rearward and upward, up and out of the way of obstacles.

Improved Braking Performance
A pronounced rearward axle path also allows a bike's suspension to remain fully active when pressure is applied to the brakes. A.R.T. delivers powerful, predictable braking with fully active suspension and superior traction at all times.

Progressive Suspension Characteristics
A.R.T. suspension uses a progressive leverage ratio curve, meaning that the forces required to engage the shock increase progressively as the shock moves through its travel. The first part of the stroke is very supple and effectively absorbs small to medium-sized impacts. Toward the end of the stroke, the shock becomes progressively stiffer, resulting in a 'bottomless' feel. To the rider, this progressive curve is experienced as consistent, predictable suspension at every point in the travel."

Gravity Tune 

"With traditional frame designs, engineers adjust front-centre lengths for each frame size but use a single, fixed rear-centre length. This approach leaves riders of certain body types in a poor position when standing. Poor body position leads to uneven weight distribution and negatively affects traction, control and overall performance and ride characteristics. A simple solution to a complex problem, Gravity Tune fixes the front-centre/rear-centre ratio across all frame sizes, effectively optimizing geometry for every bike in the line. As a result, weight is always optimally distributed – regardless of rider height. Available only on Norco Bikes, Gravity Tune means equal ride characteristics and unrivalled control for all."

Hollowform Link Arm 

"Norco's Holloform linkarm is a hyper-rigid, one-piece linkarm that provides two distinct benefits to riders. First, it provides lateral support to the seat stays and stiffens the rear triangle, keeping the bike tracking straight and true through any terrain. Second, it prevents torsional forces from affecting the rear shock, reducing stiction and increasing shock life."

Hydroformed Tubes 

"Norco's hydroforming process uses high-pressure hydraulic fluid to form tubing into precise, structurally superior shapes with strategic curves and tapers. The process allows our engineering team to design tubes and complete frames that will behave exactly as intended. Hydroforming also enables engineers to increase strength in key areas and incorporate functional features such as stand over clearance into designs. The result is a visually striking frame that is functional, light and extraordinarily strong."

Integrated Dropout 

"Norco's integrated dropouts combine a number of traditionally independent features into a stronger, more efficient rear dropout system. Our integrated dropouts combine axle retention, post-mount brakes, rear suspension pivots, derailleur hanger attachment and frame gussets into a single structure. The result is a stiff, strong and light dropout system."

Syntace Derailleur Hanger System 

"Proven to be substantially stiffer and less prone to damage than conventional derailleur hangers, the X-12 system ensures incredibly crisp and precise shifting. Each frame comes with a spare hanger bolt integrated into the frame for emergency trailside repairs."

360 Lock Pivots 

"Norco's 360º Lock pivots employ a tapered collet insert that, when the pivot hardware is tightened, expands to grip the inner race of the pivot bearing around the full 360 of its inner diameter. This design creates a much stronger grip, prevents unwanted forces from acting on the bearing and prolongs bearing lifespan."

Geometry

The 2013 Norco Aurum 1 sits right in the middle of the Aurum line. It has a beautiful build kit consisting of the Dorado Expert fork, Saint brakes, shifter, deraillure, CCDB rear shock, Easton controls and other mid to high end parts. The MSRP on the complete bike is $5700, which from the build kit alone is a very good price point.

Norco offers 3 less expensive version and one called the LE that will save you 3-4 pounds at the cost of $1400 over the price of the Aurum 1. Although it is the only factory bike I know of that weighs 33LBS so considering that the LE is also a good deal.

The build kit on the Aurum 1 is astounding for the price of the complete bike. This new Dorado Expert has the exact same internals as the more expensive Pro version but uses a 6000 series aluminum so it is almost 300 grams heavier. Most would agree that the Saint gearing system is almost flawless and with the new clutch system this bike is almost silent. The only parts that we would consider replacing would be the cranks and maybe the wheels. Ride it for a year and replace as needed. You can for sure shave weight off the bike by swapping these out for lighter parts. 

Setting up a CCDB takes some fair bit of time. Cane Creek's set-up helper is located below for the CCDB shock. We would suggest using it unless you are familiar with tuning a Double Barrel shock. It took us a bit to get the bike set I run my rebound a bit slower than some of the faster riders. We also ended up adding some LSC to the shock to keep it firm under pedaling. 

Norco Answers Some Questions On The Aurum

1. When Norco began laying out the Aurum on paper what were the traits and strengths you were looking for the bike to have?

We were aiming to design the fastest possible downhill bike. To do this we paid special attention to wheel-path, leverage curves, braking performance and geometry.

2. Can you tell us a little about the custom hydroformed tubing you are using?

The Aurum frame uses double butted and formed aluminum for optimal strength, stiffness and weight. The frame’s curves are also functional, creating room for the shock, improved stand-over, heel clearance, chain clearance, caliper mounting, etc…

3. The Aurum features what is referred to as a Gravity Tune can you elaborate a bit on what it does and the benefits it provides? Is there anything a customer should keep in mind while setting up their new Aurum?

Gravity Tune ensures that all sizes of riders get equal and optimal handling characteristics. To do this we modify the front-centre and rear-centre within the frame’s front triangle to optimize the rider’s weight distribution.

4. With all the different suspension systems out what made you choose the FSR four bar for the Norco Aurum?

Norco has a strong belief in the Horst-Link as it offers superior square-edge bump absorption, optimum braking characteristics, lateral stiffness and great pedaling efficiency.

5. Can you elaborate some on the A.R.T. Suspension and explain a bit what was altered and why?

A.R.T. suspension is all about the rearward axle path.  This helps the bike hold its momentum through rough terrain, helps the suspension remain active under braking and also improves pedal efficiently.

6. Was weight a very big concern when you went to create the Aurum bike? Do you know what the frame and shock weigh in it?

Weight is always a concern for any bike and the Aurum is no exception. Coming in at  7.5 lbs with a shock, the Aurum’s strength to weight ratio is something that we are very proud of.

7. The current crop of downhill bikes has undergone a slow evolution becoming
lighter, slacker and lower. Do you think we are approaching the magic set of
numbers for downhill bikes like MX bikes have had for years?

There will always be differences based on rider preference and suspension design but the variances are becoming less with every passing year. I believe that we are approaching a zone of perfection.

8. How do you think the three big suspension companies are doing with their most recent offerings of forks and shocks?

We have seen huge advancements over the past few years. Each manufacturer has stepped up their games and are pushing each other to remain competitive. The suspension technology available is getting better every year and will continue to improve moving forward.

9. What would you suggest to the suspension engineers to improve their products?

Mountain bike suspension could be improved through addressing durability and reliability. Weight reduction is another area to look at moving forward through the optimization of air springs in forks and shocks.

10. On future version can you see having adjustable BB, HA and chainstays or any form of chassis adjustment?
 

Not telling.

11. How long did it take to get the bike from Cad drawings to first production run?
 

The Aurum was a big push for Norco that we put a lot of resources into. Given the push we were able to move from a CAD model to a first production in a little over a year.

12. Who helped develop the frame?
 

The Aurum was a team effort. Our engineering team, product managers and team riders all had a great influence on the design and development of this bike.

13. How has the response been to the Aurum line?

Response to the Aurum has been extremely positive. Everyone who rides the Aurum raves about it.

14. What do you envision changing on the current Aurum frame over the next few years?
 

We are always striving for perfection and when it comes to the Aurum that means making it faster.  Wait and see.

15. Any other thoughts or things we should know about the frame?
 

Go ride one and find out for yourself.

Kyle Hogan takes the 2013 Norco Auarum 1 for a run down a local trail. This is only his second time on the trail but he managed to keep the Aurum 1 moving at a good rate.

A short film by BFree Media on the Norco Aurum 1.

Ian Wilkinson

The first trail I took the bike down is a short rock filled one. This trail is not very steep but has rocks from golfball to waist high boulders the whole way down. The Norco Aurum 1 tracked straight and true. The FSR suspension stayed active while riding the brakes something I do but not much on this trail. I had been riding a 41 LBS bike last and the Aurum 1 weighs in at 38 LBS so it was a bit more lively and easier to move around and change lines while navigating down the trail. Overall the bike felt very good on this first trail. It tracked well, ate small and big bumps alike. All while being nimble and pretty easy to change direction on.

I have not been riding much so the next trail I brought the bike out on was a little much. Having more saddle time on the bike I realized it started to get stable and feel balanced as speeds increased. This wasn't a problem on the previous trail but I was a bit worried with this next one. It is very long and rock filled the entire way down it also has some steep roll in sections on it. The bike again ate the rocks well, held a line when asked and seemed to provide a decent amount of traction. I noticed the weight of the bike this time it seemed to bounce around a bit more than some of the other bikes I have ridden down this trail. It could also be that I was just not pushing it hard enough to get into its comfort zone. The slack head angle combined with the low BB allow the bike to roll down steeps with ease. This bike for sure favors an aggressive riding posture elbows out and over the front to maintain traction.

The Dorado fork and CCDB shock combo are about as good as they get. We have not ridden a fork that is better then the Dorado yet at smoothing out the rough terrain especially at higher speeds. Having so many shock adjustment options on the back of the bike with be a huge plus to riders that like to tweak their bikes at every race or trail they ride. We suggest making a log to keep track of what works where to make the task a snap the next time around. The Saint brakes worked very well. There was a weird feel to the lever pull where we had it adjusted to. If you adjust the lever out or in further it went away. This was the only complaint.

Norco's dropout and derailleur hanger system are pretty clever. Having an extra derailleur hanger bolt in the frame is a nice touch. The Aurum frame itself is very nice. Having the built in bump stops for the fork and a built in seatpost clamp are just the icing on the cake. Attention to detail on the Norco is first rate. All the little things that some of other bigger companies overlook Norco took full advantage of and included them on their Aurum frames.

Overall the Norco offers a superior build kit for its price point. The bike likes to go fast and gets into its element once riders start pushing the bike and themselves. This isn't one of those bikes that you just hop on and it is easy to go fast. It takes an aggressive riding style to get the most out of the 2013 Norco Aurum the bike responds very well as the speeds increase. Having a slack head angle and low BB help keep it stable and carving the turns. While out back the short chainstay keeps the bike lively and makes direction changes a snap.

Vance Bennett

The Aurum would be a top pick in the bikes I would love to ride for a whole season. The bike has an amazing look to it from the color scheme to the frame design. Everyone I rode the bike with asked me does it ride as well as it looks. In my opinion yes the bike rides great from the steep rocky terrain to smooth jumpy trails.

Getting on this bike was a shocker cause I felt almost instantly comfortable on it. Being a medium and I'm 6 ft it was a little small but wasn’t a problem at all when I was riding the bike. The Aurum goes threw rock gardens extremely well and it hardly made a sound. I would have to say my overall favorite thing about the bike was how quiet it was threw even the roughest rock gardens. It almost made me feel smoother because I couldn’t hear a rattle on the bike. The integrated features such as the seat clamp and bump stops are a major asset to the Aurum. The bump stops are very slim which allowed for a tight turning radius which I was stoked about. The integrated seat post clamp makes the bike look a lot cleaner.

The Aurum is incredibly light weight. It weighs about 38 pounds stock from the factory. The low B.B. on the bike made it comfortable to hit sketchy corners a lot faster and smoother. I first got on the Aurum on one of the steepest trails in the area and the first thing I noticed was how well it stops even in the loosest dirt. The Rear linkage looks simple but works very well and doesn’t cause any problems braking.

The small head tube was a concern to me because the look of it. But its serves a good purpose allowing people a much larger range to adjust there height. My one and only complaint was the cable routing on the rear linkage could cause the cables to bunch up. This is a simple fix of loosening or moving the zip ties in that spot to stop that from happening. So when setting up the zip ties just keep that in mind. All and all the Aurum was a great bike and I had a lot of fun riding it.

Kyle Hogan

I recently had the pleasure of testing the new Norco Aurum 1. My first impression was how good the bike looked. Clean lines, and an overall dominant look overwhelmed my senses, and I knew it was going to be an awesome ride. Some small, sizing adjustments later and I was ready to ride. So out to the trail I went.

The first thing I noticed was that the medium I was on was a bit smaller than other bikes I've ridden. The shorter top tube gave the cockpit a slightly cramped feel, but after a short while I found that the smaller stature was not a negative aspect of the handling. Under rough conditions, the bike performed very well. It seemed like it was more at home the rougher the terrain got. The shorter top tube was probably why it seems to handle faster in technical turns.

The build was very nice, with Shimano Saint parts and the Manitou Dorado fork. The crank set seemed like a downgrade in comparison to the rest of the parts, but I could only feel a very small amount of flex. Wheels were solid, and the bars/stem/seat post/saddle were all very nice feeling. Out of the box, I'd be confident in any situation, racing or not.

Obviously sluggish on the climbs (but it is a downhill bike), the only thing that I noticed as bad was the narrow handlebar. As it turns out the bars had been cut down, they come from Easton at 800mm which is about standard for todays low and slack gravity bikes! The Dorado had some seal seap happening and we assume it was just the typical thing that happens with inverted MTB forks. Their seals are not nearly as heavy duty as a MX fork so it is normal for some oil to bleed from the seal.

All in all, the Norco Aurum 1 was a lot of fun. It handled very well on almost every condition I could put it through. Rough, uneven terrains were where it felt most at home, and the parts specification makes it a “ready to race out of the box” machine.

Conclusion

Having spent a fair amount of time on the Aurum 1 we can say that we would suggest one to a friend. The bike does all it was inteded to do. It delivers a light, low, slack and well built gravity machine at a reasonable price point. This bike is one step below the high end build. The extra $2,000 will save close to 5 pounds in weight. There are two versions below the Aurum 1 each with a downgrade in componentry.

Those familiar with the FSR suspension will find no suprises in the bikes suspension feel. The A.R.T. tuning claims to handle square edge bumps better do in part to allowing more chain growth. This may be true it seemed to handle the rocks well. The frame was stiff and showed little signs of flex. Being low and long the bike comes into its element as the speeds increase and the terrain steepens.

Norco has created a race ready downhill bike in the Aurum series. The bikes have features built into them that very few large companies use. From the built in bump stops, seat clamp, suspension pivots and one piece rocker link. All the details help to elevate the package that Norco offers and by selling the Aurum 1 with this build at this price point they deliver to the consumer a race ready rig that is "affordable".

FIND A NORCO DEALER NEAR YOU

 

 

 Norco Aurum CCDB set-up guide.

POC Joint VPD 2.0 Knee Pad Review

About POC

POC is a Swedish company, built on a strong mission; to do everything we can to possibly save lives and to reduce consequences of accidents, for gravity sports athletes, by developing and renewing what personal protection is all about. POC has in many ways already set a new standard when it comes to technical solutions, construction, material combinations and engineering, with patented solutions, to increase the degree of protection.

POC works in a cross scientific way, from the office in Saltsjöbaden outside of Stockholm.
The organization involves competences from different fields, such as engineers, material specialists, industrial and graphic designers, neurologists and back specialists. Stockholm is an important centre for some of Europe’s leading research and development experts in the areas of safety, medicine, health care, advanced product development and testing

"It´s our mission to do everything we can to develop protective gear that can save lives and reduce the severity of injuries."

All our products have been tested by top world gravity sport athletes and then further refined to perfection. Our athlete friends love to go flat out but without suffering cuts, bruises and headaches, or in the worst cases, risking back or brain damage as a result of crashes that sadly happens to even the best athletes. The end result is a line of lightweight, high performance gear that offers the ultimate protection against injury thanks to superior impact absorption and penetration resistance.

When developing a product at POC, we do it in the spirit of doing the best. We never compromise in choosing materials or construction, and we never compromise safety, quality or performance.

POC VPD 2.0 Knee Pad

"The true multipurpose knee pad; light and cool enough for all day trail riding but still offering state of the art shock absorption for hard core DH riding. The target was to solve the constant tradeoff between freedom of movement and real protective properties. Focus has been to optimize both fit and coverage at the same time. Polygiene anti-odor treatment included. Sizes: S, M, L

THE NEW VPD 2.0 offers even better shock absorption properties than the original VPD series, which gives us completely new situation when it comes to the traditional trade-off situation between flexibility and real protection. Due to the ability of transition from soft to hard when needed and the extreme shhock absorption properties, you no longer have to choose between freedom of movement and proper protection."

Features

• Kevlar Reinforced Stretch fabric
• Super Stretchy And Robust Back Sleeve
• Contoured To Secure Position
• Optional Elastic Strap rests On Calf muscle To Give Extra firm And Secure Fit
• 3D Molded VPD 2.0 Knee Protector.
• Perforated For Heat And Moisture Control

 

VPD Explained

"Our VPD protector works progressively, adapts itself to the force of the impact and is the most flexible back protector out there.

VPD - Visco-Elastic Polymer Dough
POC USES A COMPOUND and technology for our most shock absorbing back protector called VPD (Visco-Elastic Polymer Dough). This protector is one of few on the market that reaches the highest standard (Level 2 “High performance”) of the CE 1621-2 motorcycle standard.

THE MATERIAL IS HIGHLY DAMPENING, using a modified Polyurethane foam that is soft, comfortable and adapts to create an individual fit. However, when exposed to impact the material stiffens and has extreme energy absorption properties. Most of the protector systems available on the market are designed to just pass the specific CE-Norm test. However, this means that low energy impacts are transferred almost directly to the body. Our VPD back protector functions progressively and adapts itself to the force of the impact.

TO FURTHER IMPROVE properties the back protector uses a dual density combination, with extra protection covering the spinal area. This way we maximize both the freedom of movement and the shock absorbing characteristic of the protection."

Having used Dianese armour for a very long time just going to knee pads was unusual. The POC knee pads are easy to get on that is pretty obvious compared to a full body suit. Their padding is simliar to say a memory foam or the bottom of 510 shoes. Pressing on it will cause it to mold around your finger and it will regain shape after pressure is releived. They fit pretty well but seemed to breath just okay.

I did two mellow rides on them in faster rock trails in the area. They seemed to saty in place fine. Lucky for me I did not have any falls while riding with them. If riding very rough terrain I would probably run the knee guard covers like the 661 to make sure the pads do not move in the event of a fall. When putting the pads on make sure to have the legs wraps spread apart. If too close they can move a bit while pedaling.

Overall the POC VPD 2.0 pads were pretty good. If looking for new knee pads I would hard pressed to decide between these and the 661 EVO. It would come down to fit and which seems to stay in place better. Having never used the 661 knee pads I cannot say which is better but have heard good things about them.

IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT UNDER COLD CONDITIONS THE KNEE PADS HARDEN UP. SO IF IT IS SUB 60 DEGREES IT IS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.

Banshee Legend MKII Review

Banshee has been making bikes for about nine years now. They started off building hardtail and heavy steep angled North Shore skinny bikes. They began to develop a bigger range in bike throughout the years and began branching more into the cross country and all mountain segments.

In about 2005-2006 Banshee hooked up with Keith Scott who was working on his Master's Thesis. What he outlined for that paper would come to be know as The Banshee Legend. This bike was put into testing for about 4 years. Over 70 frames were handed out around the world and the bikes where ridden hard and put away wet.

After gathering all the riders input and fine tuning the design and making alterations it was ready for production. The Banshee Legend MKII was released to the public in 2009. It was low, slack, light and ate up rough terrain just what the general downhill population had been asking for.

Going over the various suspension designs that could be used to build Banshee's first World Cup level race frame they decided to go with a slightly altered VPP design. This would give the benefits of less pedal bob from chain stretch along with still having a fairly active suspension system. Check out Keith's Thesis at the bottom of the page to learn more about The Banshee Legend MKII design process.

2010 Banshee Legend MKII Build

• Frame Banshee Legend MK II Large
• Fork Manitou Dorado Pro
• Rear Der. Shimano M810 GS Saint
• Shifters Shimano SLX
• Crankset Shimano Saint 165mm 36 Tooth
• BB Shimano
• Chainguide E Thirteen LG-1
• Cassette SRAM PG 970 11-26
• Chain SRAM PC 951 9sp
• Brakes Formula K24 ORO
• Brake Levers Formula
• Bars Easton Havoc Low 31.8
• Stem Twenty 6 F1 Stem
• Cane Creek Angleset
• Pedals Twenty Six Prerunners
• Seatpost Thomson Elite
• Saddle WTB Devo carbon Team
• Wheels WTB Laserdisc DH 20mm F and 12mm by 150mm rear.
• Tires WTB Dissent DH F/R Kenda DH tubes

We received the frame in a nice box that had the Legend’s entire attribute on it. The first thing I noticed upon opening the box was the excellent finish of the frame. It had very nice welds and looked very polished and well thought out. Banshee had people there checking frames during production to make sure they were within spec.

We assembled it and put it up on the scales. With the above list and DH tubes it came in at 40lbs even with pedals. Not bad considering it is a large frame. All the parts went in easily and assembly was a standard affair with no issues. We put The Cane Creek -.5 Angle cup in making our test bike HA 63.3 degrees. It was plenty slack and low as is. In fact for tight and twisty areas I would suggest the 0 degree or even flipping the -.5 the other way to be 64.3 degrees instead. Keep in mind this is personal preference.

 Features

- 8" (203mm) travel

- All performance characteristics have been painstakingly and carefully scrutinized to make this a single purpose world cup level race bike. The goal was to make one of the fastests race bikes regardless of cost or time it took.

- Over 4 years in development - was the design engineers [Keith Scott] thesis at Durham University to get his Masters in Mechanical engineering.

- 4 Prototypes ridden in world cups and world championships. Its first ever race brought home the 2008 Pan American Championship.

- 60 Preproductions of the Legend MkI were ridden and tested on the world cup circuit, national level races, and regional competitions all across the globe to gain feedback in over 4 race seasons in different terrains and conditions, from a varied skill level of riders; 12 of which were also engineer/racers that gave valuable input. Everything was on the table to modify, change or scrap and many things were as it developed into the MkII version 

- Tuned virtual pivot design includes an anti-sag component under heavy pedal acceleration, and a minimal amount of tuned-in squat so under hard braking it helps balance the bike as the fork starts to dive thus letting the bike go into corners fairly level.

- All CNC'd parts are forged first for optimal strength to weight ratio.

- Hydroformed 7005 butted aluminum tubes putting the strength were it needs to be. All hand welded, aligned multiple times between heattreats before assembling, with 100% final quality checks by either Keith or Jay.

- The "canoe" includes hardpoints for shock basement, mainpivot, and seattube pivot creating an incredibly light but very strong and stiff area where the "business" happens

- Easy access to all the shock dials for quick changing of settings.

- Titanium pivot hardware for strength and lightness.

- All top of the line full compliment bearings, don't just make the suspension "buttery" smooth but more "slippery" smooth. 

- We've worked with all the major shock manufacturers to ensure our suspension kinematics work perfect with the shocks standard tunes right out of the box. However for maximum performance some shock manufacturers will tune to your weight, terrain, and style of riding and we have provided our suspension rates to most shock manufacturers and can do so for your favorite tuning center if they send us an email.

- Lowest center of gravity and low BB height helps cornering stability.

- Centralized weight for stability in the air.

- Internally ribbed seat and chainstays for increased stiffness.

- 1.5 headtube so you have flexibility in headset cup choices.

- 12x150 Maxle for quick tire changes.

Geometry

Ian W

The first trail I brought the bike out on is the short rock filled one in town. It has rounded rocks ranging from golf balls to waist high the whole way. The first thing I noticed was the bikes stiffness. It was stiffer than most of the bikes we have had on test. I didn't detect any flex in the linkage or rear triangle. I adjusted the suspension to my liking running it with little LS compression and a faster rebound. Most of the trails we have are rock gardens so the fast rebound helps. The spring Banshee suggested for the Manitou Revox shock was 50 lbs to heavy. I ended up going to a 400 lb spring instead. 

Once the suspension was dialed I did some runs. The bike handled the rough rocks pretty well. It was not as smooth as The Jedi but more so than the TR450. The rear end stayed active on the brakes and while pedaling. Although the bike is low and slack I had no issues pulling up and off drops or hopping over obstacles in the trail. I managed to mash a few rocks upon landing and the bike absorbed the impacts pretty well.

 

The next trail I brought the bike on is very high speed. Hitting 30+ MPH is pretty easy in parts. It is also rocky but is double track for a majority allowing for more line choice. I noticed how stable the bike felt at speed thanks in part to it's HA and BB heights. It felt very comfortable bouncing over the sharp rocks at "race" speeds. This trail is more open than the first and the bike smoothed out the trail more as the speed increased.

There are many corners lower down on the trail when it turns into single-track. There are fewer rocks on this section of trail. The Banshee needed some body English in the turns, weighting the front-end makes it stick. It takes a little more rider input that some other bikes that are not as raked. The bike cornered well once I got used to leaning over the bars a tad bit more. Jumping came as second nature to the bike it did it easily with no weird attributes. Hopping off rocks to clear large groupings of others further down the trail was easy to do. This trail is all natural with small water crossings that people have added dirt onto to create small doubles out of that the bike could either manual over and through or jump over just as easily.

One of the last trails I brought the bike onto is a rock filled trail that is very long and drops almost 4000 vertical feet located south of us. The rocks on this trail are big and sharp. This trail is a good indicator of how well a bike's suspension can handle multiple impacts on rocky terrain. The Banshee handled the rocky chunder pretty well. It is not as smooth as the Jedi or say maybe the V-10 was down the same trail. It was easy to change lines with when needed. I would consider the Banshee a very competent descender. You are not going to find a race course with this many rocks in it and it felt very comfortable mashing it ways through the rocks.

Banshee Legend 2009 from AntonCor on Vimeo.

Banshee Legend Mk II from Aaron Larocque on Vimeo.

Strahan Loken riding his new Banshee Legend Mk II

check out more videos like this @ facebook.com/​aaronlarock and click like to stay connected!

Paul in the Fall from Nic Genovese on Vimeo.

A short video of Paul Genovese riding his Banshee Legend MKII on a few local Fernie Trails. Filmed and Edited by Nic Genovese.

Keith riding his Banshee Legend MkII from Keith Scott on Vimeo.

Keith got out on his Legend for the first time in 8 months (due to work, snow and travel) to test out the custom tune of an Elka Stage 5 shock. He was also riding in a totally new location to him, so it was a fun day of firsts.

Luís "Rukkus" Ribeiro from Mauricio Matos on Vimeo.

Rukkus riding his Banshee Legend MK II somewhere in Portugal.

Shot using a couple of Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon L lenses, 3 GoPro HD and a bunch of accessories from Zacuto, Genus, CobraCrane, Glidetrack and Marshall.

Music: Eric Prydz - Pjanoo [Radio Edit]

Conclusion

Overall the Banshee did what Keith and the boys intended it to do. Creating a low Center Of Gravity with a slack head angle, using a suspension system that is efficient at pedaling while still being able to handle rough terrain. Everything is relative when it comes to bikes. Saying you ride a 62-degree HA bike isn't going to land you 10 UCI Champ medals. Does everyone need a slack bike like that? No not at all. It makes some courses more stable and easier to ride but you may sacrifice tight and twisty performance in favor of high-speed stability.

That being said using a 1.5 head tube allows the rider the option of using headset cup to either slacken or steepen the Banshee frame. Being a 63.8 stock we ran -.5 cup in our frame most of the time. If you lived in a tighter area running the cup the opposite way would get 64.3 degrees. The bikes strong points would be stability, stiffness, tracking, and reliability and bump compliance.

The Legend MK II took a little more body English through the turns and to get it up and over obstacles at lower speed. The bike was just fine staying on the ground and running over rough terrain as opposed to skipping over it all. It can be ridden either way and feels smooth while doing it.

Banshee did a lot of pre release testing with the Legend MK I and it shows in the MK II version of the bike. There is little to complain about with the bike as it is. The suspension did well in the rough and handled pedaling well. The stoutness of the frame can be felt while leaning it over in rough rock section it is one of the stiffest bikes I have tested in that regard.

By all accounts the frames are bulletproof going years under very fast riders with no issues whatsoever. This is a frame that can be purchased and raced on for multiple seasons. Our bike was 40 lbs as built. We did not use the lightest kit out there and getting one down to low 37's should be a snap. We ran a Revox on ours and have learned after riding it that the Fox RC4 may be the better shock to choose from between the two.

Overall the Banshee Legend MK II was an awesome bike. I would highly recommend one to a friend and it would be one of the bikes I will consider for my own stable down the road. Having a bike that gives you confidence and will last through whatever you put it through season after season can be hard to find these days. The Legend achieves that and more good job guys!

 

Keith Scott's Take On The Banshee Legend MKII

"After 4 year of development, born from my own personal masters in engineering thesis, the Legend is a single minded pure bread DH race machine.

This project started out way back in 2005 as a linkage dynamics and stress analysis project, it has grown massively and been refined over the years with multiple design improvements. The majority of those redesigns were as a result of rider feedback.

We started with the Legend MkI and didn't just send this bikes out to a couple of our team riders. Oh no... we sent them to over 70 riders in total who raced DH from regional to world cup level on 5 continents, over 4 riding seasons, before we were even ready to start selling them to the public. Every test rider provided feedback and suggestions as well as ongoing performance information to help me make this bike the best it could be. This unprecedented level of testing, that I don't believe has ever been done before in the bike industry, has been invaluable in the development of the Banshee Legend MkII. I've taken on board all the feedback and ideas and funneled them in to the MkII design.

We decided early on that when you want to start racing only one thing should be your motivation and that is to win. There was to be no compromising on cost, it was to take as much time as needed, and we would do whatever was necessary to make sure we had a one of the fastest DH race bikes ever made. The goal was not selling as many as we could... this is the wrong reasons to build a DH Race bike - the only reason to ever build a race machine is to win.

The Legend MkII comes stock with the finest INA large diameter deep-grove bearings, and full titanium pivot hardwear to give maximum performance for minimal weight. The fully forged shock basement has been designed to offer strong yet light foundation for the frame, centralising the weight balance around the BB. The suspension has been designed to work optimally for aggressive DH racing, and remains fully active under hard braking and pedaling.

The Legend has possibly the lowest center of gravity of any DH race bike, which makes the bike more stable, especially while railing round corners. This combined with the structural stiffness of the frame through use of internally ribbed rear triangle, fully forged sections, and hydroformed tubing, makes the Legend a very accurate weapon on the DH course. The Low BB, and slack head angle, combined with the initially rearward axle path give the Legend MkII superior stability at speed, as well as great square edge bump absorption. It is a true point and shoot machine that will give you maximum traction and control over even the roughest lines, so that you can brake later and go round the next corner faster, getting to the bottom of the course quicker.

I feel that I have put everything I had to give into the Legend MkII and after 5 years to get to this point its now time to see what racers the world over think of what I've labored to acheive."

Keith M Scott's Masters Thesis 

Design a New Style Suspension Linkage and Frame for a Full Suspension Mountain Bike for Banshee Bikes

E Thirteen LG1 Crank Review

 FEATURES

• P3 Connect polygon 3 lobe connection spindle interface
• Forged and then machined Exalite Aluminum arms 
• 30mm Aluminum spindle 
• 14mm pedal thread engagement 
• Gold anodize spindle/hardware
• Available in "Blackout" black 
• Forged and then machined 7050 Aluminum arms.
• 7050 is 40% stronger than most common hollow forged alloys.
• 30mm heat-treated cromoly spindle.
• It is 200%+ stiffer than 24mm steel spindles commonly used in external bearing cranksets.
• German DIN 32711-P3 Polygon interface provides 100% surface contact between spindle and crankarm.
• Eliminates fretting corrosion – the prime cause of dreaded crankset creaking and loosening.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Weight: 870 Grams w/BB 
• BB Shell: 68, 68E, 73, 73E, 83
• Spindle Length: 113, 123 
• Arm Lengths: 165,170,175 
• Bolt Pattern: 4x104 BCD 

E13 Crank Installation Instructions

The LG-1 cranks by E Thirteen came out with very high expectations from the downhill community as a whole. This in large part was due to E Thirteen's chainguides that have been one of the best on the market for close to a decade. They aimed to produce a super stiff crank that was both durable and lightweight.

They achieved the stiffness by using a 30mm axle with a German DIN 32711-P3 Polygon Interface. Instead of using teeth or ribbed contact points for the arm/axle interface they used a 3 sided axle that is tapered. It is claimed to be better at distributing the load that other systems currently on the market. 

The arms are forged out of 7050 series aluminum which helps greatly with their overall stiffness. The pedal threads are 14mm deep to give a greater bite on the pedal axle and lower the risk of ripping pedals from crank arms in rocky terrain.

Overall the build quality of the cranks is as good as anything I have seen on Shimano, SRAM mountain bike components. They include all the tools needed to install and service the cranks. They have pretty detailed installation instructions follow them and intallation of the E13 LG1 cranks should be a snap.

This particular set of cranks is about one and a half years old now. They have been installed onto our Banshee Legend and have not been touched. They have been haggle free the whole time and have held up well to rock strikes and harsh landings. E Thirteen nailed the reliability side of the equation with these cranks for sure.

I am about 210 pounds and am fairly strong. The cranks are very stiff. I did not detect any flex in them and feel comfortable saying they are every bit as stiff as Shimano Saints. The aluminum chosen for the arms combined with the massive axle and interface used in the LG1 crank do what they should. Produce a stiff lightweight package that is very reliable.

The crankset as a whole is pretty light. E Thirteen now offers 3 versions The LG1, LG1+ and LG1r they vary in price and weight the LG1r weighs in at 760 Grams including BB which is about 300 grams lighter than Saint! E thirteen managed to make a lightweight Downhill crank that was also durable. Mission accomplished and I would have no problem recommending these cranks to those in the market.

Answer Negative One Stem Review

Answer has been producing Handlebars for a long time. We have been running their Dorado fork for well over a year now and it has been brilliant. Getting the chance to test their -One Direct Mount Stem was something we were looking forward to.

• Weight: 160gm
• Stack Height: -20mm
• Length: 50-55mm
• Material: 7075 Series Alloy
• Colors: Black, White
• Hardware: A2 Stainless
• Note: Will Not fit Dorado Flat crown in 50mm Setting
• Faceplate: 62mm Wide

Answer -One DM Stem

The Negative One stem showed up and proved to be a good piece. It has clean lines and the finish on it is better then some and not quite as nice as some high end options out there. We weighed the stem and our scale read 158GM so their claimed weight seems spot on. 

Having your weight more over the front wheel is all the rage these days. With slacked out head angles and LSC loaded forks body english is more important than ever. This stem is light weight with a simple design and does as it claims. 

The stem has been mounted on a bike for about 6 months now. I am used to it and have no problem jumping back and forth between the negative rise set-up and a standard stem on another bike. The pricing on this stem is very good and can be found for around $60. 

We would recommend this stem to our friends. It's light weight, stiffness and low rise are features that many riders are looking for when searching for their next stem. Answer has delivered a good product and if you cannot corner like Gwinn, Hart or Vouilloz with this on your bike then it has nothing to do with bar height.