TESTED: Norco Fluid FS A3

Photographer: Gerard Lagana 

Tester: Hayden Wright

Riding Experience: Trail rider at heart who enjoys a morning of shuttles just as much as an all day epic

Generally Rides: Forbidden Dreadnought, Commencal Absolut

Height: 193cm

Weight: 80kg 

Bike Test Track: Mt Coot-tha, Castle Hill, Parklands

Norco are a brand which will most likely be well-known by those leafing through the magazine or scrolling the AMBmag.com.au website. Best known for producing capable, durable, and affordable dual-suspension mountain bikes, Norco have recently revised their highly popular Fluid FS range of trail bikes for 2023. Last updated in 2019, the Canadian companies focus with design updates to their entry-level trail offering were founded on trying to deliver a consistent, high quality ride characteristic to all who may be interested in purchasing a Fluid. These updates are founded on their Ride Aligned Design System, which focuses on helping riders get the most out of their bike regardless of your skill level or body size. 

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To achieve this, Norco provide rear centre lengths and seat tube angles unique to each bike size. This is the cornerstone of their Ride Aligned design system that was used to develop bikes like the Optic, Sight and Range. It helps keep the rider centred over the bike while out on the trail – regardless of the size of the rider and their bike. Most of the geometry changes we see on the new Fluid FS revolve around this, with chains tay lengths growing from 425mm in a small through to 445mm in an XXL. Similarly, seat tube angles steepen across the sizes from 76° to 77.3°. Other changes to the Fluid include a 10mm increase in travel on both ends, with this all-aluminium platform now having 140mm up front and 130mm on the rear. Finally, the head tube angle has slackened by -1° taking it to 65°. It is worth noting that this frame set is shared across all variants of the Fluid, meaning no corners have been cut to deliver a more cost-effective option. While calls of “isn’t this just an alloy optic” have been common, the key differentiator between the two is the kinematics. The Fluid has been tuned to be a more engaging ride at any speed, meaning the suspension should be softer off the top and easier to get into the mid-stroke then it’s more aggressive cousin. 

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Available in 5 sizes, this trail bike comes with 29” wheels and is available at price points ranging from $3,199 to $5,199. I’ve had the pleasure of testing an XL Fluid FS A3 ($3599) on my local trails, with a keen focus on seeing if Norco’s latest bike to receive the Ride Aligned treatment really does deliver a machine which is applicable for ‘every rider, every trail’.  

Initial Impressions

Upon taking delivery of my test Fluid, the first thing I noticed is how smooth the welds are! This is a frame that could easily be passed off as being carbon fibre from a distance. It is however a full aluminium affair including the linkage, which is the horst-link design Norco use across many of their dual suspension offerings. Cable routing is internal via ports behind the head tube, which exits just in front of the 210x50mm RockShox air shock. From there, the brake hose is entirely external while the gear outer dips back into the drive side chain stay before popping out just before of the bolt up rear axle. After popping the A3 on some scales I had a confirmed weight of 16.4kg without pedals.

Finding a base setting for the Fluid was a much faster process then I am used to. Thanks to the Ride Aligned setup guide online, I was able to plug in my body statistics, preferred weight bias and skill level and in turn receive suggested cockpit, suspension, and tyre setups. Out of curiosity, I played around with the inputs a little to see how the outputs would vary, the extremes of which are listed below:

I was interested to see that increasing the rider’s skill level input has a matched increase in spring rate but not air volume as I expected. This was something I was curious to test on the trail, as my experience is that faster and more aggressive riders need a more progressive shock tune to allow them to achieve the recommended sag rating without bottoming out off every hard hit. Following the completion of the Ride Aligned setup, I threw on some narrower bars to suit my liking and inserted a set of SPD pedals to the 175mm SRAM SX cranks. This is another product I was curious to try, as it is typical to see cranks no longer than 170mm on dual suspension trail bikes. 

On the Trail

To truly test the Fluid I wanted to ride the widest range of singletrack within my greater region. This led me to riding everything from winding, rooty ribbons of trail on the Sunshine Coast to rocky and abrasive mini-DH trails in Ipswich and a dash of Brisbane’s best kept secrets in the middle. I found the initial setup provided by the Ride Aligned guide had great suspension balance, with the shock sitting at around 30% sag I could easily get the Deluxe deep into its travel, really engaging the long rear end. Similarly, the fork felt very free in its movement and as a package the two matched each other well. I did end up settling with around 5psi extra in both ends to suit my personal preference. Once I dialled in the suspension, it was time to get to work. 

Climbing on the Fluid was as comfortable and easy as you could hope it to be. Thanks to the steep seat tube angle, 44mm offset fork and appropriate amount of anti-squat tuned into the horst-link suspension layout I could happily spin away for hours on this bike. The body position was upright, and kept my weight relatively centered on the bike when things got steep. This helps to maintain weight on the front wheel, allowing for better control on technical climbs. As a tall rider, Norco’s attention to detail with geometry across the size range is greatly appreciated. The steeper seat angle on larger sizes and the longer chain stay length really help for the weight balance on pedal ups, without the need to crane forward like a young giraffe trying to drink from a stream.

Adding to this feeling of control was the 44mm offset fork. Now the norm in this category, having a shorter offset fork decreases front end ‘flop’ at lower speeds and allows for low-speed climbing without the concern of tipping over suddenly. Power inputs through the pedals were met with an energetic response from the Fluid. The bike did a great job of finding traction and transmitting power into movement in an efficient matter. The only chink in the Fluid’s climbing armour that I could find were the 175mm crank. While Norco have raised the BB in this latest iteration, I still felt the extra 5mm in crank length over the norm was unnecessary and led to a few unexpected pedal strikes. User error – maybe… but a 170mm crank arm would decrease strikes regardless. 

On more undulating sections of trail where transitions from seated to standing were aplenty, one thing that stood out to me was the SDG dropper post. At this price point, it was great to see a 200mm drop post with a smooth action and fast return speed. Norco have gone to the effort to spec varied post lengths across their sizes, further reinforcing their stance on ensuring their bikes suit all riders across regardless of if you’re a Small or XXL. The 12 speed SRAM Eagle SX drivetrain performed well and while not being the quietest or most engaging gear set, provided as wide a range that any rider should need and did the job of getting me where I needed to go. 

Descending on the Fluid was an absolute blast. The chassis is very compliant and comfortable, and when combined with the class leading geometry by size led to a bike which felt supremely capable considering its price point and travel. The Fluid absolutely loved darting in and out of turns, playfully responding to my inputs and putting a smile on my face. The balance of the front and rear centre lengths made it easy for me to weight the front or rear wheel, giving traction whenever I needed. Furthermore the 65° head angle inspired confidence and ensured I stayed behind the bars on even the steepest of trails. Norco have outdone themselves with the geometry on this frame, and it is one worthy of upgrades over the long term if you see fit. Aiding in this descending confidence were the 4-pot Tektro brakes. These stoppers provided much more power than I was anticipating, succumbing to little fade on longer trails where the importance of braking performance is high. Having the ability to adjust the lever position is also a nice touch not always found on a bike at this price point.

As I suspected, the bottom out bumper on the Deluxe shock was quite easy for me to find on faster hits and jumps – a downside of tuning a bike for a wide range of rider capabilities. I would recommend Norco include some air can spacers in their setup kits moving forward so riders can tune the suspension curve to their liking. Unfortunately, I also found the performance of the RockShox 35 Silver fork also got a little overwhelmed when I started to push. On repeated chattery hits it felt that the fork was struggling to keep up, with what I suspect to be bushing play transmitting a knocking feeling through my hands. Through testing, the only mechanicals I experienced were two rear flat tyres. While the Vittoria Graphene’s provided great grip across most conditions, the casing seemed a little thin which led to two pinch flats on the rear even when running 30psi. More aggressive riders would be well suited to either pop in an insert or invest in tyres with a better casing before rolling out of their Norco dealer. 

Our Take

The Fluid FS A3 delivers on Norco’s claims on being an easy to ride trail bike that does not need to be pushed within an inch of its limit to be fun. Through combining class leading geometry by size, a quick and easy setup guide, and some great value driven componentry this bike provides a lot of bang for your buck considering the $3599 price tag. While aggressive riders may want to invest in some thicker tyres and shock spacers from new, the Fluid FS A3 is a great package to just roll out of your LBS and on to the trails. It is worth remembering there are two models with a higher level parts kit in the range, all built on the same frame with the same handling characteristics. If you know you love to ride and want a trail bike to really help you progress, then I think the A2 is worth the extra $600 (it sells for $4199). This is less than the stand alone upgrade cost of either the Marzocchi Bomber Z2, Shimano SLX/XT drivetrain or Fox Float X shock that the A2 has as stock. The A2 model will leave with with longer lasting components and suspension that has a greater range of adjustment to take your riding further. Regardless of the model that suits you, kudos to Norco for bringing such excellent trail characteristics and adjustability for a wide range of riders to a lower price point.

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand Norco

Model Fluid FS A3

RRP $ 3,599.00

Weight 16.42kg (XL, Actual) 

From norco.com

Available Sizes S, M, L, XL (Tested), XXL

Frame Material 6061 Aluminium 

Fork RockShox 35 Silver TK Air, 140mm, 44mm Offset

Shock RockShox Deluxe Select R, 210x50mm, 130mm

Shifter SRAM SX Eagle

Derailleur SRAM SX Eagle

Crank SRAM SX Eagle, 175mm, 30T

Bottom Bracket SRAM Dub, BSA Threaded

Chain SRAM SX Eagle

Cassette SRAM SX Eagle, 11-50t 12sp

Hubs Bear Pawls Sealed Bearing, Boost, 6 Bolt

Spokes Stainless 

Rims Stan’s Flow D, 26”, 32H

Tyres Vittoria Graphene 2.0, Trail Casing, 29×2.4/2.35”

Brakes Tektro HD-745, 4 Piston, 180/180mm

Stem Norco, 40mm Length, 35mm Clamp

Handlebars e*thirteen, 800mm, 20mm Rise, 35mm Clamp

Seatpost SDG Tellis, 34.9mm Diameter, 200mm Drop

Saddle Norco Trail

Grips WTB Waffle, Lock-on