Photos by: Dave Mackie Photography

The 2012 Norco Revolver 1 after a few months' worth of testing in one of British Columbia's wet and wild winters.

MTBR.com covered the Norco 2012 Product Launch in Whistler, BC last August, where we introduced all of the company's bikes that were slated for release over the coming months. Along with all of the bikes from Norco's existing lineup, a number of new models made an appearance at Whistler: the dedicated downhill sled that is the Aurum; the 140mm travel Sight; the 29"-wheeled, 100mm trail-ripping Revolver.

That summer week during Crankworx provided me with a brief introduction to the Revolver but, while I was impressed by the bike's performance during a brief demo ride, it was determined that a real test needed to take place on my home turf during a wet West Coast winter, when the dry and dusty trails I rode in and around Whistler would be a long and distant memory. I picked up the Revolver 1 from Norco in early November and spent the next few months giving the bike the gears.

Frame
The Revolver is a new model for Norco in 2012, and the frame is jam-packed with all of the features that grace the company's recent offerings. The most notable of these features is the Advanced Ride Technology (ART) tuned FSR linkage which uses optimized pivot placement to increase pedaling efficiency, improve braking performance, increase square-edge bump compliance, and create a suspension system that is easier to tune while providing travel that feels bottomless.


Norco's Holloform link arm is forged and welded to form a solid, one piece link that resists twisting and helps produce the Revolver's predictable ride.

The Revolver is built from a custom tubeset that is engineered to provide excellent frame stiffness in a lightweight package. Norco used a short, tapered headtube to keep the front end of the bike low and employed larger tubing at the front of the bike to deliver more precise steering control. The rear end is also designed to maximize stiffness while minimizing weight and employs a one-piece chainstay yoke, the Syntace X12 axle system, and asymmetrical seat stays to enhance the frame's ability to handle the rigours of everyday riding. The Revolver's one-piece Holloform linkage is designed to limit the effects of lateral forces on the bike's suspension action.

2012 Norco Revolver Frame Features
  • 100mm of ART (Advanced Ride Technology) optimized rear wheel travel
  • Custom hydroformed tubeset
  • Holloform link arm
  • Wrap-around seat stay yoke allows for a relatively short chainstay
  • Integrated dropout design features Syntace X12 axle system, post-mount brake mount
  • Clevis-less pivots save weight and increase strength
  • Tapered head tube
  • ISCG tabs for a chain retention device
  • Spare derailleur hanger bolt on down tube
Components
The component spec reflects the Revolver's marathon / trail intentions, with a smattering of appropriate parts hanging from the frame. Front suspension duties are taken care of by a 100mm RockShox SID 29 while the rear end is controlled by a Fox RP23. The Revolver 1 is spec'd with the reasonably lightweight and fast-rolling Stryker Cross Country 29 wheelset, a sub-1700 gram, tubeless-ready wheelset from WTB. An FSA SLK carbon 3x10 crankset handles the drivetrain duties up front, while shifting and braking are taken care of by parts from SRAM's X0 catalog. The X0 brakes and trigger shifters are mounted onto SRAM's slick Matchmaker clamps, which make for an especially clean setup on the Easton EC70 handlebars.


The Revolver's drive side rear end contains a bunch of fancy tech. Note the 142mmx12mm Syntace X12 rear axle system, the derailleur hanger that uses a shear bolt (whose replacement is tucked away on the frame's downtube), SRAM's reliable X0 rear derailleur, and WTB's Stryker TCS wheelset.

2012 Norco Revolver 1 Specs
  • Rear Shock: Fox RP23 LV air shock
  • Fork: RockShox SID 29, RL dual air with remote lockout (100mm, QR15)
  • Stem: Norco 3D forged MTB stem (70mm)
  • Handlebar: Easton EC70, low rise (685mm)
  • Headset: FSA #57 E sealed (tapered internal) 1.5" to 1 1/8"
  • Crankset: FSA SLK Carbon 3x10 (44/32/22)
  • Brakes: SRAM X0, 160mm rotors (front and rear)
  • Tires: WTB Bronson 2.2" **
  • Seatpost: Norco Lite 3D forged double bolt 2014 alloy (30.9mm, 400mm)
  • Saddle: WTB Silverado Race SL
  • Grips: Norco lock on grips
  • Cassette: SRAM 11-36
  • Wheelset: WTB Stryker TCS Cross Country 29" (100x15mm front, 142x12mm rear)
  • Rear Shifter: SRAM X0 trigger (10 speed)
  • Front Shifter: SRAM X0 trigger (3 speed)
  • Rear Derailleur: SRAM X0 (long cage)
  • Front Derailleur: SRAM X9 Direct Mount
  • Chain: SRAM PC1031
  • Pedals: Not Included
  • MSRP: $5375 (USD)
  • Weight (as tested): 26.75 lbs. (medium, without pedals)
** The Revolver comes stock with 2.0" Kenda Slant Six tires, which I didn't like much during the demo session in Whistler and I liked even less in the wet rocks and roots around Vancouver. The minimal tread design didn't provide any meaningful traction on the local trails so they were swapped out for a pair of 2.2" WTB Bronson tires. Everything else was kept stock during the review, although a handlebar that was at least 40mm wider than the provided 685mm Easton EC70 would have been a welcome upgrade for improved leverage and control while climbing and descending.

Into the wild: The Norco Revolver During a British Columbia Winter



The Revolver 1 was subjected to five months of BC's winter weather and was ridden about 1500km on a variety of trail types. It was the weapon of choice for three-hour gravel grinders, 30km trail rides on single and doubletrack, and even some jaunts into more daunting, technical terrain. Many of the trails that the bike was tested on feature rolling cross country sections followed by semi-technical climbs and all mountain descents, so the bike was pushed outside of its intended use on a regular basis.

Pedaling Efficiency
The Revolver was designed to be ridden on fast, rolling "California-style" singletrack and it's obvious from the first time that you swing your leg over the bike that it's well suited to that task. The bike is really comfortable and well-suited to charging up and down mellower grades and trails, thanks to the frame's upright seat tube, relaxed head angle, and sorted cockpit that combine to situate the rider in a forward-neutral riding position. While spinning along in the middle chainring, the ART-controlled rear suspension is relatively firm off the top and retains some of that raciness in the shock's mid stroke before becoming more progressive as the shock reaches the end of its travel. The Revolver exhibits a little bit of pedal-induced shock movement but it isn't too noticeable when riding unless you're mashing along in the granny gear, and the design largely remains free of pedal feedback. A simple flick of the ProPedal lever on the Fox RP23 rear shock provides a firm pedaling platform that eliminates pedal bob at the expense of small bump compliance.

Handling and Suspension Performance
The Revolver's geometry encourages the rider to sit in a forward neutral position while climbing, a quality that keeps some weight over the front wheel to prevent it from wandering on steep fire roads and long singletrack ascents. The Revolver is surprisingly nimble during climbs through technical singletrack and it blows through difficult sections of trail without much fuss, benefitting from the light, 29" wheels and the tendency for the suspension to sit comfortably in its mid-stroke while powering through the rough stuff.

When the Revolver is pointed downhill on moderate terrain, the rearward axle path of the ART-tuned suspension helps the rear wheel over square edge hits and helps the bike become a trail-eating machine that rolls over chunder like a monster truck crushing a subcompact car. The frame's relatively short chainstays (17.6") and low bottom bracket height (13.2" BB height / -35mm BB drop) help it corner better than many 29ers and the WTB Bronson tires hooked up just fine unless the trail was littered with off-camber roots and large rocks.



Given the diversity of the landscape in southwest British Columbia, it's not uncommon for a single trail to incorporate terrain suitable both for traditional cross country bikes and full-on downhill rigs. As such, it wasn't uncommon to find myself rolling through a patch of semi-technical singletrack before bowling into a steep, technical, and rock-strewn descent -- terrain that wasn't necessarily an ideal match for the Revolver. In these circumstances, the 29" wheels often provided a deceptively easy out that helped the bike roll over a lot of the stuff that would pose a problem to a 26" wheeled bike. However, on steeper, rougher sections of trail, the bike's 100mm of front and rear wheel suspension took the edge off the first couple of hits but soon became overwhelmed by the conditions. The RockShox SID performed admirably on more use-appropriate terrain, but on technical descents, the fork blew through its travel and bottomed harshly before deflecting all over the place; out back, the Fox RP23 ran out of travel just as quickly although the sensation of bottoming out wasn't as noticeable as it was with the SID.

Component Performance
Given that the Revolver 1 comes stocked with some high-end componentry, there aren't a lot of things to criticize in the spec. Aside from a front shifter that suffered from stripped internals, the SRAM-equipped drivetrain performed well throughout the test, offering up the clean, crisp shifting that is typical of the X0 trim level. The FSA SLK 3x10 carbon crankset spun smoothly and offered decent shifts, even though upshifting performance under load wasn't as good as similar SRAM or Shimano setups. The SRAM X0 brakes felt great although they required regular bleeding, and the rear brake's master cylinder failed and needed replacement about half-way through the test.

The Revolver's WTB Stryker Cross Country wheelset was a bit of a revelation because it handled all of the abuse that was thrown its way even though they're intended for cross country and light trail use. They spin up fairly quickly and allow you to maintain good amounts of momentum without grinding things out to maintain your pace. And once the bike gets up to speed the wheels really shine, devouring terrain while climbing and descending, and helping you reel in the buddies who snaked you at the start of the trail. Of course, one of the downsides of using light and fast-rolling wheelsets that aren't made out of carbon is that they often exhibit more flex than burlier alternatives. While climbing in the 22T chainring and the cassette's lowest gears, there was occasionally enough rear wheel flex to cause the tire to buzz the front derailleur. While descending, the wheels' lateral flex was most noticeable in hard corners and g-outs on fast sections of trail.



Durability
In general, the Revolver held up pretty well for the duration of the review. The gloss black finish on the frame is a little scuffed and muted in places, but there aren't any spots that experienced excessive cable rub marks. Both the Fox RP23 rear shock and RockShox SID 29 remained trouble free, and the WTB Stryker wheels stayed straight with only a couple of adjustments, despite being ridden through some fairly technical terrain and challenging conditions.

As mentioned above, there were a couple of issues with some of the components: the master cylinder on the X0 rear brake failed about half way into the test; the X0 front shifter failed at about the same time as the rear brake. Norco's warranty department replaced both of these parts.

Lastly, one of the bearings in the Holloform link arm disintegrated during the review. It was replaced by Norco and the bearing in question was declared defective. Its replacement has held up fine but it's a good reminder that pivot maintenance is something that's worth staying on top of over the course of a season.

Normal wear items like brake pads made it through the entire test but are definitely due for replacement after a winter's worth of riding. Each of the brakes was bled every two months, although the rear brake needed an extra bleed towards the end of the review period. The FSA bottom bracket held up well but the non-drive side bearing was just starting to feel a little gritty after the winter.

Is the Revolver the bike for you?
Norco is well known for developing bikes that are fun to ride and the Revolver is the embodiment of this design philosophy. The Revolver is a well-balanced bike that climbs exceptionally well and descends better than many bikes with 100mm of front and rear wheel travel. The parts spec is top notch and well thought out although some riders might swap out components like the tires, handlebar, grips, and saddle to suit their personal preferences. While it's not a 29" all mountain bomber -- the longer-travel Shinobi is Norco's answer for that type of riding -- the Revolver is very comfortable on long hauls, is excellent at climbing up fireroads and bombing down singletrack, and can easily handle cross-country and marathon racing on a casual level.