An athlete in any sport depends on several things for success to even be a possibility. Fitness, skill and experience play major roles but without the right tools, success may well be a hopeless aspiration. When it comes to mountain biking, one such integral tool is the bicycle. Without the best possible design and latest technology – hopes of victory are useless and an otherwise top level athlete can be left behind by superior product.
When it came to Team Norco International’s Jill Kintner and her dual slalom bike the engineers at Norco Bicycles had to take a look at the drawing board and start from scratch. While a slalom specific frame is not in the current product lineup, taking key features from existing bikes and applying them to a custom design could looked to be the ticket to the fastest bike on the track.
The idea was to take Norco’s technologies such as A.R.T. Suspension, hollowform linkarms, tapered headtube, post mount brakes and hydroforming processes then apply them to a new design making a totally unique racing machine.
The specific needs of Jill Kintner in this project do not resemble that of a typical bike. This frame needed an extremely short rear end, unique leverage curve and low center of gravity. After crunching the numbers a design drawn up and YESS Products was brought in to help with the manufacturing.
YESS was able to take the measurements, design and pieces then assemble them into a finished product. This process involved machining existing tubes, CNC Machining new parts and welding it all together into a completed frame.
Following the manufacturing process the frames were powder coated then had decals applied before assembly.
The custom slalom frame is one of the smallest productions ever done, a slim 5 frames were made in total. This allowed for Jill’s race bike plus a few sizing options and additional frames for testing purposes. The niche category of slalom this is not a bike that is highly demanded in the marketplace but the need is there nonetheless. Giving Jill a custom frame with key Norco technologies is necessary in order for her to meet her true potential.
The 2012 Sea Otter Classic saw the bike unveiled for racing. Jill’s Norco Frame was outfitted with gear from Fox, Shimano, Crankbrothers, Renthal, Maxxis, Fi’zi:k, e*thirteen, and Canecreek. This bike was ready to race!
Through four rounds of racing Jill fought through the field of competition and took home a medal resembling the colour of her bike. Jill’s winning run left Melissa Buhl chasing behind for a second place finish.
Jill has put so much into her season and she has the tools necessary for success. Congratulations Jill on a spectacular victory and a great start to the 2012 race season!
Have a watch through the design, production and racing of Jill’s custom bike.
Quote: "The specific needs of Jill Kintner in this project do not resemble that of a typical bike. This frame needed an extremely short rear end, unique leverage curve and low center of gravity."
Sounds kind of like the Transition Double that she used to kill it on last year..
There is definitelly an untapped market here that frame makers seem blind to - so many people want specialized SX's (rare) meta 4X (not produced now) or Doubles. Come on Norco! This WILL sell!
I wish she still rode for Transition, that company Rocks! on another note, is this a sentence?: "The niche category of slalom this is not a bike that is highly demanded in the marketplace but the need is there nonetheless." does anybody edit this stuff? you guys hiring? lol
I don't get why companies get rid of all of their bikes when they refine suspension designs. Both rocky mountain and norco redo their suspension and get rid of most of their models. It doesn't make sense, if you refine the platform extend it too a range of models that encompass all that which you currently make. Its like if toyota said well we want to make our cars more efficient so....we will get rid of all of our trucks and suvs and just stick to passenger cars. If you don't want to spend money and time redesigning every model at least continue to make those instead of just abandoning them.
This bike is obviously what should replace the norco xxxx and maybe even the empire 5, so why norco do you not get on the ball and make this?
As for rocky mountain, the company that claims to have started the freeride movement. They don't even make a freeride bike anymore whats up?
I am tired of companies releasing tens of cross country and trail bikes and then not making anything else. I ride cross country just like the next guy but come on people!!!!
100% agree with you on that. maybe they wanted to something new because the Norco xxxx is a really fun bike to ride. they just added some bends to the frame and worked some magic and this is what came out.
If they would keep all existing models, than after a while they would have a redicilous amount of SKUs, and for those they have to have large inventory, wihich is for one a supply chain nightmare, and two, they would have mmore money in they inventory than the annual profit. But this in only my 2 cents.
Also they want to sell their newer products, as companies always have bigger margins on NPIs than already exisiting products.
I think the xc/am trend getting stronger everyday proves that the average user mostly wants a do it all bike. People don't want to buy 8 bikes because most of us can't afford it. So smaller companies, like devinci for instance, covers the entire mountain bike range with 3 bikes (110mm/145mm/216mm). It's not perfect but their accountants probably told them that creating "in-betweens" for niche markets wasn't worth it, much less keeping older models into production.
Now if some big companies like trek/specialized want to make 100mm/120mm/140mm/145mm/150mm/160mm/180mm/200mm bikes with different geos and all the different specs that come with it then so be it. Don't forget that they are more popular and distributed much more broadly so they'll sell more of each bike and in the worst case, they won't mind losing some money on the less popular models as they'll make up for it somewhere else. I'm pretty sure they'd rather keep the visibility and the market shares than supress those bikes from the lineup.
As for keeping older models/designs into production, well, what does it say about your "new tech" if the old tech is still in the line up because it does the job just fine?
Norco has really brought themselves up to the next level. I'm proud of them, and they should be proud of themselves. I mean look at the truax and the aurum. Just all round Slick!! And the support they offer there riders is second to none in my mind.
Hmm, CrankBrothers Iodine 3 in gold are good for Pro slalom podium! I have to reconsider my decision of not buying them.. May be they are not as weak as people say! Thanks pinkbike for bling ideas!
I'm not saying that what he's doing is smart, however with that kind of a CNC Machine the door slides closed to allow the coolant/cutting oil to spray all over the workpiece without drenching everything else in the shop. This also allows for recycling of the coolant None the less what he's doing is stupid.
A CNC machine is designed to work only with a closed door.There are a few safety's build in to make sure you cann't work with an open door.Also,the drilling tool is all the way up to the left.He's most likely just taking out some parts.
The drilling tool? You mean the spindle? Also you can go around those safety features that make you keep the door closed while cutting. It's a setup option. On a mill though the door tends to be closed more while parts are being made vs a lathe. More open door time on that.
Attention to safety is key. Thanks for pointing out the photo. In this situation the worker is taking out a CNC machined piece after it was completed. This machine is set up as to not work with the glass open as per BC WCB standards.
I'm used to the old metal milling lathe's in my workshop, none of those guards and computer controlled milling machines. Then again im only using it for for minor repairs to parts and getting nuts off that have been glued in. (i know people actually glue 20mm axle nuts on!! why would u do that?!)
Ummm... I don't think shes riding a Norco though. I mean, yeah, it says it? And it looks like it? But... the bike does not work for anyone but her. So Norco bikes are what evryone gets to race, but here, take THIS ONE... it's better.
If the bike is not on the showroom floor, it should not be raced.
Half the stuff out there that is raced at the highest level is probably not available on the showroom floor. They are called Prototypes or test models. Stuff designed to work out the kinks before something would go to production. Sometimes it ends up on the showroom floor, sometimes it ends up being scrapped. But to say that if its not available to buy, it shouldn't be used is kind of short sighted.
Not short-sighted in the least. ...half-the-stuff, as you say, that is short-sighted. If all this sport is about is 'prototypes' and 'test-models' there should be a place for doing this as opposed to parading around things which the average consumer will likely never own. To say that is what Bicyclist want is kind of short-sighted.
Normalcy works.
436 cables and a lap-top on the handlebars... not normalcy.
Sounds kind of like the Transition Double that she used to kill it on last year..
This bike is obviously what should replace the norco xxxx and maybe even the empire 5, so why norco do you not get on the ball and make this?
As for rocky mountain, the company that claims to have started the freeride movement. They don't even make a freeride bike anymore whats up?
I am tired of companies releasing tens of cross country and trail bikes and then not making anything else. I ride cross country just like the next guy but come on people!!!!
Now if some big companies like trek/specialized want to make 100mm/120mm/140mm/145mm/150mm/160mm/180mm/200mm bikes with different geos and all the different specs that come with it then so be it. Don't forget that they are more popular and distributed much more broadly so they'll sell more of each bike and in the worst case, they won't mind losing some money on the less popular models as they'll make up for it somewhere else. I'm pretty sure they'd rather keep the visibility and the market shares than supress those bikes from the lineup.
As for keeping older models/designs into production, well, what does it say about your "new tech" if the old tech is still in the line up because it does the job just fine?
Then again im only using it for for minor repairs to parts and getting nuts off that have been glued in. (i know people actually glue 20mm axle nuts on!! why would u do that?!)
be available for purchase?
If the bike is not on the showroom floor, it should not be raced.