| Reviewer: Tiffany Allmandinger Age: 32 Height: 5'6" Inseam: 33" Weight: 135 lbs |
Introduction -
Two months ago I was given the opportunity to test ride and review two new women's specific freeride bikes; the Norco Vixa - MSRP = $2875 and the Kona Minxy - MSRP = $2299. Since then I've tried to ride them as much as possible on every type of trail I can find here in SoCal. I've pedaled them up hills, I've shuttled to the top of descents and I've played at the local jump parks. To give you an idea of where this review is coming from I'll very briefly describe my riding style. I'm not a hucker, I'm also not into getting huge air. I'm more of an all-mountain, Super-D, long technical, fast descent sort of rider. I've typically ridden 5 - 5.5" travel single ring bikes along with a lot of single-speeding on my hardtail. I've done my fair share of racing, both in college and out and still absolutely hands down, love to ride. I've done my best in the review that follows to channel 13 years of mountain biking experience into, I hope, a helpful guide for women thinking of getting a free ride bike. If you have questions I'll do my best to answer them, and if I can't I'll research it until I can. Happy reading.
First glance -
At first glance the bikes couldn't appear more different. The Kona, subtle and serious, looks like Darth Vader's weapon of choice. The Norco, cheeky and puckish, tempts you with its gold and white bling. Both are a far and refreshing cry from the stereo-typical women's bike (a million 'thank yous' to the designers). No flowers, pastel pinks or blues, silver hearts or gauche attire, just legitimate design punctuated by the occasional flare of well placed fun and charm. Their slack head tubes, stout linkages and big juicy suspension advertise that they're real assault bikes to be respected and taken seriously. There's nothing that appears cheap or compromised with these machines. The welds aren't pitted or sloppy, and the components are legit. They're purpose built and they look like it. It's clear that a lot of work went into making these bikes as sturdy and effective as their male counter parts. They look perfectly delicious...
Components and More...
Components -
Fork
Initially I was really happy with the Marzocchi 55-ATA that's standard on both bikes. It's torsionally stiff, easy to adjust and ultra plush. It steers incredibly well both over blistering fast rock gardens and slower technical descents and let's you predictably thread the needle through the steepest and roughest terrain. The fork corners consistently well in both smooth or rough conditions and makes a cake walk out of rocky DH trails. The 20mm front thru axle is a breeze to work with and holds the front wheel extremely secure. I was also quite pleased that the fork had travel adjustability down from 160mm to 120mm - a huge plus for all mountain riding. It's by no means perfect, however, and there are a few things I'd change if I could;
1st - The travel adjustment knob is the antithesis of ergonomic. It's sharp edges and unforgiving contours are murder on the fingers - especially if you're hands are cold. Combine that with a requirement to first lift the knob up, and in both of my cases - off - it's usually a guarantee for sore fingertips.
2nd - The lockout lever seems to have been designed backwards and it nearly defies the laws of physics with it's almost complete lack of friction. It also locks out with a clockwise turn of roughly 60º which means two things: The lever can rattle into a locked position if the terrain is rough enough and you're carrying enough speed. It happened to me once, it did not make me happy. It also means that a stray branch or bit of brush can effortlessly lock your fork out and instantly ruin your day. That happened to me too. Once. Two zip-ties later and I was good to go.
3rd - The forks also seemed to have slightly limited travel. I consistently got only ~5 of the 6 inches promised by the length of the stanchions. I haven't diagnosed the reason for this behavior, but a possibility is too much oil in the fork. This could be a bit of a pain in the neck for many people. Sending the fork back to the factory for a rebuild, or having your LBS do it all takes time away from you and the trails. It's not catastrophic , as the forks still work quite well, it's just something to be aware of if it seems like your fork is acting peculiar.
If fork replacement is potentially in your future, one thing to note is that the Minxy's 1.5" headtube presents more options for a bigger, huskier fork upgrade. The freedom to choose between 1.125" and 1.5" steer-tubes may be of significant value for women looking for more generous travel on the front end.
Shock
Both bikes are outfitted with identical Fox DHX Air 3.0s and they work great with the fork. They're fairly adjustable and easy to dial in for a smooth and buttery ride. The Minxy's rear suspension design provided easier access to the shock adjustment ports while the Vixa's were a bit more hidden within the rear yoke. Once the shocks were adjusted properly, they performed consistently regardless of the hit frequency and/or amplitude. They did not skitter over the fast stuff nor did they bottom out on drops. The well controlled rebound damping kept the bikes from bucking after large inputs, regardless if it was an obstacle or a drop. Essentially, the rear wheels stayed on the ground when they were supposed to and were ready to pop-up when they weren't.
Brakes
There's nothing to write home about here. These are definitely a weaker part of the component build and definitely one of the first things I'd address on both bikes. The Avids on the Norco held out better than the Hayes Strokers did on the Kona, but both brakes were prone to serious fade during longer (~1/2 hour) descents and neither were ever as strong as they should be. Their lack of strength meant for tired hands and less brake control over tenuous terrain than I've experienced on some of the higher end brakes. However, if you don't plan on taking these bikes to the top of big hills for long DH/FR runs, and instead want to ride at jump or terrain parks then the stock models are probably more than adequate. If you fancy a lengthier descent I highly recommend upgrading part or all of the systems. Switching pads on the Avids from organics to semi-metallics could significantly help increase braking strength. The Hayes already come with semi-metallics, so a pad upgrade may not be enough to get you the strength you need. You might want to also consider increasing the rotor size on both bikes.
Brake lever feel and reach adjustment has to go to the Hayes Strokers. The levers were easier to actuate and adjust in towards the bars. They were significantly more ergonomic than the Avids as well. Keep in mind my hands aren't tiny. I wear a women's large cycling glove. But I know a lot of women whose hands are much smaller than mine. I strongly recommend trying out different brake levers to make sure they will accommodate your hand size. Levers that won't adjust close enough to the bars will result in very tired hands and forearms too early in the day.
As far as the bikes are concerned, I didn't notice anything particularly bad while braking. The Kona's back end got a little loose but nothing too alarming. Certainly nothing to cause problems or distress. An option eliminating that effect would be looking into the D.O.P.E. system, Kona's answer to the "single-pivot lock-out-under-braking" question. I didn't experience anything obvious with the Norco. The four bar linkage design seemed to work fine. It didn't feel like it jacked up or dove while I applied the brakes. It seemed quite balanced and predictable.
Wheels & Tires
Both bikes came with hefty rims laced with stout spokes. The Kona has Alex DM24 hoops and the Norco has SunRingle MTXs. The wheels are strong and stiff and have held up well on the abusive trails around town. Initially the Formula hubs on the Norco spun quite slow, though. There was significant friction and it was obvious The first few rides felt like the brakes were rubbing all the time. Eventually, however, this problem went away and the hubs now spin as well as the Shimanos. The Norco has a 12mm Maxle on the back which is nice for wheel security and added stiffness. The Kona has a standard rear QR that's slightly faster to actuate than the Maxle when time is of a necessity, but it doesn't add the bonus of extra rear end stiffness. I didn't notice the Kona flexing, but if someone's going big it might make a difference.
I was half expecting DH tubes in the tires after I got my first flats, but I was surprised to find standard mtn. bike tubes holding in the air. Switching to beefier tubes might be something to consider if you plan on incorporating mountain riding into your rides. The Minions on the Kona pinch flatted all the time. And I'm not particularly heavy. Nor am I a hack when it comes to lines. I don't expect my tubes and tires to make up for a lack of control or brute force descending. It's more of a pleasant surprise than an expectation when I hit my rim and I don't pop a tire. So I started getting irritated with the 2.35 Minions on the Kona when I got flats on every ride. The traction was awesome on both dirt and big steep rocks and they cornered great, but the thin casing on the OEM tires just wasn't substantial enough for rocky descents. As a sidenote, I typically run ~ 35psi in my tires to prevent this very situation. At 40 psi the flats tended to stop but the traction started going to hell, so I'd suggest a huskier sidewall. The Minion's are a great tire, I would just suggest a tougher version.
The 2.35 Kenda Nevegals on the Norco were less prone to flatting than the Minions. They had good traction both in cornering and descending and held their own on steep smooth rocks. The Minions felt like they rolled/pedaled faster than the Nevegals, but I had a hard time divorcing differences in seating position, bike geometry and tire style when determining pedal efficiency. I would suggest here as well, invest in a thicker sidewall if descents are in your future. Though they flatted less often than the Minions, the Nevegals still flatted more than I preferred.
Saddles
Both bikes employ WTB women specific saddles. The Minxy has a more all-mountain feel to it than the Vixa, and the differences are obvious on longer rides. The Speed She Comp on the Kona is slightly narrower and less squishy than the Speed She on the Norco. If you're getting the Vixa for an all mountain fun adventure type bike, I'd consider a more supportive saddle model. My personal fave is a Fizik Aliante with steel or ti rails for mountain applications. I was impressed to find that the Minxy's was comfortable on longer (3-4 hour) rides. Usually I'm pretty picky about seats, but the Speed She Comp was nice. Both were great for descending. The Norco's Speed She was a little softer and made for happier landings if it happened to get in the way a little bit.
Drive-trains
Fortunately both manufacturers provide bash guards with their cranks - an obvious necessity for bikes intended for abuse. The double ring is a lifesaver too. I like to pedal to the top of my climbs, so having the appropriate gears is a necessity. I'll say that my granny gears are probably more worn than the 32T rings. The Kona comes with a competent all Shimano Deore drivetrain and a 11-34 9spd cassette. The Norco is spec'd with a mix of Shimano and Sram components and sports a PG-950 11-32 9spd cassette. Both bikes shifted great in the beginning. They were repeatable and fairly crisp, but they have recently started to develop some shifting problems. I really just need to take a few minutes and adjust the rear deraileurs to take up the cable stretch.
All of that being said, adding a chain guide would make life more idyllic as the chains tend to hop off during quick big hits. This is more of a nuisance on a recreational ride, but if racing or competition is something you're thinking about, throw down the ducats for a chain guide. The Vixa has an ISCG adapter which is awesome, because there are so many options from which to choose. The Minxy would require a BB mounted design, which is fine, it's just be a bit more work to set up.
Cockpit Feel/Fit and Climbing...
Cockpit Feel/Fit -
I've been riding all-mountain bikes for awhile. I'm definitely used to the slightly more XC position of a bike designed for all day and all terrain riding. I was caught off guard initially by the fit of both these bikes. Typically I ride a bike with a 22.5 inch top tube. The medium Kona has a 21.9" top tube. The small Vixa has a 20.1" top tube. Keep in mind that overall the Vixas are designed to be small, whereas Kona's tend to be larger. The largest frame, Norco calls it a medium, is still an inch shorter on reach than the medium Kona. On my initial ride I thought I was going to die. My knees had never been so close to the handlebars and I'd never sat so upright on a bike before. But by the time my second ride had come and gone I learned to love the diminutive stature of these bikes. It took only the slightest stem and seat position tweaks to get the bikes to feel proper. I dropped the stem and handlebars down as much as possible to get my weight over the front wheel to help with cornering. This was particularly important with the Minxy. The slightly larger Kona frame felt like I was sitting more on top of the bike, whereas the slightly smaller Vixa felt like it had been molded around me. The more I rode the bikes, the more I realized how big the Kona really was. The size difference between the two bikes became apparent on both ascents and descents as I got more rides under my belt.
The handlebars for both are nice and wide, though narrower than some of the big boy bars I've seen on the market. They fit my shoulders really well and I never felt too stretched or over extended. The bars could be a bit wide if your shoulders are on the smaller side (mine are about 17" across) but you can always just cut them down.
The grips were very different between the two bikes. Kona's are the ultra low profile women's specific, 'Lisa', and they feel great. They're thin but still have enough vibration damping to knock down the sharp inputs. They do migrate in towards the stem, however, and were promptly held in place by zip ties. The Norco's grips are nice because they lock on - key in wet areas - and because the lock on clamps come in two anodized colors to choose from; purple and gold. They're definitely on the bigger side though. Again, my hands are on the larger size for women, and I wouldn't have wanted anything bigger. ODI makes a nice low profile lock on grip called the 'Ruffian' that could replace the Norco choice.
Climbing -
To be honest I was surprised how well these bikes climbed for being of the free ride pedigree, particularly the Kona. The travel adjustability on the fork paired with the shock's pro pedal feature made a tremendous difference when gravity stopped helping and began to hinder. I'll be honest, the small chain rings up front helped me pedal the bikes up-hill more often than I'd like to admit, but hey, they're there, I might as well use them! There was almost nothing I couldn't climb on these bikes that I could on my lighter racier rigs. Nowhere near as quickly, please understand, but it was doable. There is still some pedal bob, but it's not too bad. Some out of the saddle climbing is even possible without completely blowing up your legs. They aren't to be mistook for all-day all-mountain bikes though. They are heavy-ish free ride bikes after all, and they're not built to climb to the top of big hills. The Kona does climb better for me, but a large part of that is it's larger size. It has 1.8" more in the top tube length than the Norco, so the sitting position isn't nearly as upright. The Norco pedaled more deliberately. Carrying the extra, long seat-post helped immensely, and essentially made it possible for me to ride up-hill. Pedaling the Norco up-hill with its seat lowered is a quick ticket to screaming knees and a supplemental oxygen tank.
Descending/Handling, Conclusion and Specs...
Descending/Handling -
The fun stuff, of course, begins here, at the top of the mountain. Here is where the bikes differ the most. I wasn't expecting them to be so dissimilar. On paper they seem very much alike aside from the top tube length. The Minxy has a slightly longer wheel base as well, 44.6" vs. 43.9", which no doubt adds to the behavioral differences between the two. Chain stay length is also different from bike to bike. The Kona, independent of frame size, is 17.4". The Norco's chain stay length is 17.1". The almost 0.3" difference between the two will have a huge effect on the way the bikes corner. A shorter stay will give a quicker snappier feel to the bike and vice versa for a longer stay. A longer stay will help the bike feel more stable. Such is the case with these two bikes. If you want a bike for high speed runs over rough stuff in not so twisty conditions where overall stability is a priority, the Minxy could be the bike for you. It handled itself well at the local dual slalom course and jump park too. It's ultra stable off jumps, well balanced through corners and totally solid at 25mph over rock gardens. Really solid with no rear triangle flex. It corners well through berms and is more than happy to carry you safely over steep rock staircases. Its slightly larger frame and slacker head tube angle, 66° vs 66.9°, keeps your weight further back on descents so you can pretty much point the bike downhill and let it rip with confidence. The one drawback is that it's more work to push through tight corners. It feels heavier while riding than the Vixa, though they're only within a few pounds of each other.
The Vixa, on the other hand, feels like an appendage you've had since birth. Compared to the Minxy it's virtually effortless to whip through corners. It feels stiff, light, springy, and extremely quick. It's easy to throw over through tight corners and effortless to return to vertical. Its shorter wheelbase means it gets bounced around on the rough stuff more than the Minxy, but it's so easy to control it requires minimal extra energy to do so. The short top tube and slightly steeper head tube angle keep your weight well centered over the bike so it's not an exercise to get your weight over the front. It's a virtually unnoticeable motion to get your weight over the bars for a quick turn then to center for negotiating a rock garden to back for a nice drop. The size and quickness of the bike resulted in a level of confidence I haven't experienced before. And I've ridden a lot of different bikes. It's fast, fluid, endlessly fun and nimble.
The Vixa's one major drawback is the interrupted seat tube. It intersects the shock stanchion. Now this is fine if raising your saddle to pedal up the hill you're about to descend isn't in the plan. However, if you'd like to ride both up and down, the solution is to carry a second seatpost. With a hydration pack it's no big deal. I carried one around with me several times. It just becomes a bit of a time waster at the top of the mountain. Gravity Droppers are too long and don't have the necessary travel to make up for the short seat tube on the Vixa - I thought about trying it, but I needed about 8" of seat post to pedal correctly. Descending with the seat high, even 4" too high, wasn't all that much fun because you know how much control you're missing out on. The bike rewards proper body position with ear to ear smiles so I'd strongly recommend the second seat post (and saddle if you have one) if you hope to use this bike for anything other than a shuttle/lift assisted descent machine.
Conclusions -
After 2 months of jumps, drops twists and turns, I can safely say that the bikes are very different animals. The Minxy, at my size, seems to be more of what I'd imagine a smaller downhill rig to be. This isn't a bad thing. I think it's good actually. It's a great bike and ready for anything you can throw at it, just know in advance that if you're my size or smaller, it will be a bit more work to ride. It requires some muscle to throw around, but it never feels too small, out of control or under suspended. If I was going to pick a bike for an all day ride going both up and down, I'd choose the Minxy, possibly a small. I'd at least want to try a small before I bought anything. The Vixa, on the other hand, definitely fit me better. It felt lighter on its feet, a bit bouncier on fast rough stuff and easy to toss around but less of a pedaler than the Minxy. If I was going to do a shuttle run, or a quick up & down then I'd choose the small Vixa. They're certainly different, they're equally legit, and I really, really, really don't want to give them back.
P.S.
The orange reflectors on the Norco had to stay. They're just way too gratifying as you pass people.
Specs: Norco Vixa