2024 Norco

Fluid VLT C2 140 Performance

Most mountain bike brands like to have one suspension design to hang their hat on. Not Norco. Instead, it prefers to switch between different layouts depending on the application and the most desirable suspension traits for each specific platform. As such, the Shore Park, with 190mm travel, uses a high-pivot four-bar design that Norco has dubbed VPShp, while the Revolver XC bike uses a more traditional four-bar design with the shock under the top tube. The point being, Norco doesn’t use a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to suspension. – Short of time? Click here to skip to the verdict – It makes sense then, that the Fluid VLT, with 140mm travel and MX wheels, shares the same VPS four-bar layout as the analogue Fluid, albeit with a beefed-up frame to deal with the extra weight and power of the Bosch SX motor and 400Wh internal battery. Frame and geometry The new Fluid VLT is still a sleek looking bike, and there are three frame options to choose from depending on budget. You can have a full aluminium frame to save some cash, or a full carbon frame to save weight. The third option is the one I have here: the Fluid VLT C2, which seamlessly blends the carbon front triangle with an alloy rear end. So technically, it’s not a carbon bike at all, and should probably be called the CA2, if I was being pedantic. Now, I don’t think for a second that Norco is trying to fool anyone with the naming, because when I weighed the Norco it was 19.9kg, which is identical to Norco’s claimed weight, even with our Continental control tyres fitted. And for accuracy, I weighed the exact amount of sealant in all of the tyres in this test. And if you want to know the true weights of all eight bikes in our 2024 SL E-bike of the Year test, be sure to check out the dedicated weigh-in video. As the model name suggests, the Fluid VLT 140 C2 has 140mm travel, but Norco also offers a 130mm version that gets an inline shock and a lighter build kit to save precious grams. Regardless of the frame material, or suspension travel, all of the Fluid VLTs benefit from Norco’s Ride Aligned setup guide. This web-based application allows you to choose your preferred suspension feel – soft to firm –and choose trail grip and type, before spitting out setup suggestions for stem height, bar width, tyre pressures, and most importantly, fork and shock pressures and damping settings. It is a great resource and starting point, especially for the more complex Fox Float X2 shock on the Fluid VLT C2 140. But as I quickly found out, the bike felt over-damped and too harsh with Norco’s suggested settings. More on this later. The Fluid VLT frame is designed exclusively for a 27.5in rear wheel, and comes in five unique frame sizes, S1 to S5. The two smallest sizes get super-short 432mm chainstays to balance the …Continue reading »

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