Field Trip: Norco's $3,149 Torrent HT S1 - A Ground Hugging Hardtail
PINKBIKE FIELD TEST
Norco Torrent HT S1
Words by Mike Kazimer, photography by Anthony Smith
Norco Torrent HT S1
Words by Mike Kazimer, photography by Anthony Smith
The Norco Torrent is a hardcore 29” hardtail aimed at riders who aren't going to let a lack of rear suspension prevent them from diving into some seriously rowdy terrain.
Other than the short, 425mm chainstays, the Torrent's geometry numbers are actually very similar to the Sight, Norco's full-suspension all-mountain machine. There's a slack 64-degree head angle, a 480mm reach on the size large, and a 76-degree seat angle.
Not surprisingly, this isn't the bike to choose if you're trying to build up the lightest hardtail possible – the steel frame and the sturdy parts selection put it on the scales at 33.7 pounds. Component highlights include a 150mm RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork, SRAM Code R brakes, GX drivetrain, and 2.5” Maxxis Assegai EXO+ tires.
Norco Torrent Details
• Travel: 150mm fork
• Chromoly frame
• Wheel size: 29"
• Head Angle: 64° (geometry)
• Seat Tube Angle: 76°
• Reach: 480mm (L)
• Chainstay length: 425mm
• Sizes: S, M, L (tested), XL
• Weight: 33.7 lb / 15.3 kg
• Price: $2,999 USD
• www.norco.com
• Travel: 150mm fork
• Chromoly frame
• Wheel size: 29"
• Head Angle: 64° (geometry)
• Seat Tube Angle: 76°
• Reach: 480mm (L)
• Chainstay length: 425mm
• Sizes: S, M, L (tested), XL
• Weight: 33.7 lb / 15.3 kg
• Price: $2,999 USD
• www.norco.com
The appearance of the stem was the one small nitpick we had about the spec, but the fact that that it was even mentioned is a testament to how solid the build kit is - there's really not anything that would need to be changed right off the bat.
We brought in the S1 version of the Torrent in order to see how its parts compared to what you get on full suspension bikes at a similar price point. At the time, it was priced at $2,999, just sneaking into our sub-$3,000 category. After testing was completed, that price changed, and the Torrent S1 is now $3,149. There is an S2 version available, which retails for $2,349.
Climbing
What's it like to climb on a not-that-light, long and slack hardtail? Well, it all depends on where and how you're riding. On smoother fire roads it'll spin out the miles without much fuss, with a comfortable climbing position that's reminiscent of a modern enduro bike. It's a slightly different story if that dirt road happens to have sections that look like a bomb went off, full of jutting babyhead rocks – in that case, things can get a bit jarring. There's no denying that this an efficient bike, but that extra feedback from the lack of rear suspension is noticeable, and can take more out of you on a long day.
On more technical climbs the Torrent's length and slack head angle gave it more subdued handling than the Kona Honzo, the other hardtail we had on hand, but I was still able to get through several sections that have forced my to put a foot down numerous times in the past. There's plenty of stability – the Torrent is the opposite of twitchy – which means there's extra time to set up, pick a line, and then pedal right on through.
The longer front end combined with the shorter chainstays can feel a little unbalanced at first; in Levy's words, “it almost felt like it was pivoting on that short rear end, swinging over like a big cruise ship,” but overall it didn't feel like it was any more difficult to navigate it around tighter turns and up chunky steps than it was on the full suspension bikes.
Descending
With excellent geometry, a great fork, and powerful brakes, the Torrent possesses all of the ingredients required for a good time on the descents. Sure, there's no rear suspension, but that excuse only goes so far – with the right technique the Torrent is capable of tackling just about any trail. When things get spicy it is nice to have that 150mm of travel up front – more than once, I wrangled my way out of an extra-sporty section by shifting my weight towards the front wheel and basically riding the fork until the chaos subsided.
Is it possible to have a ground-hugging hardtail? The Torrent sure presents a strong case. It'll get off the ground when necessary, but it really wants to stay planted and carve its way down the trail. It's a big and solid bike, and for riders that are looking for a hardtail that can handle technical trails, including laps in the bike park, this one fits the bill.
That RockShox Lyrik fork and the Code brakes were the standout components on the Torrent, and they delivered the best performances out of all of the bikes we had in for testing.
Is it possible to have a ground-hugging hardtail? The Torrent sure presents a strong case. It'll get off the ground when necessary, but it really wants to stay planted and carve its way down the trail. It's a big and solid bike, and for riders that are looking for a hardtail that can handle technical trails, including laps in the bike park, this one fits the bill.
That RockShox Lyrik fork and the Code brakes were the standout components on the Torrent, and they delivered the best performances out of all of the bikes we had in for testing.
Timed Testing
Our timed lap for the trail bikes was around 11 minutes long and split into three distinct sectors. First, a smooth, twisty singletrack climb topped out along a technical traverse that tested the bike's slow-speed handling and traction. After that, we dropped into a fast descent that began with rough, suspension-testing corners before some fast berms, flat corners, and a few fun-sized jumps. Nothing too rowdy, but representative of the terrain these trails bikes were intended to see.
Don't forget that timing is just one of many ways to judge a bike, and fast doesn't always mean it's the best for everyone.
Mike Kazimer: "I had my slowest overall time on the Torrent. My climbing time was 6th out of 8, and my slowest downhill time was aboard the Torrent."
Mike Levy: "I had my sixth fastest loop time out of the 8 bikes, but I actually had my fastest climbing time on this thing."
Is it worth forgoing rear suspension to get better components? That's a harder question to answer. Personally, I don't think the Torrent would be my only bike, but it could certainly fill that role for riders that want the simplicity of a hardtail frame with geometry that's not going to hold them back on the descents.
Pros
+ Geometry is well suited to steep terrain
+ Solid, read-for-anything feel
+ Excellent build kit
Cons
- On the heavier side, especially for a hardtail
- Subdued handling isn't for everyone
- Umm, there's no rear suspension? Kidding. Maybe.
The 2020 Pinkbike Field Test was made possible by support from: Smith, 7mesh, and Thunder Mountain Bikes.
Photos: Anthony Smith
Additional footage: Lear Miller
Author Info:
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Commenters: These dentist bikes are too expensive, it's insane!!!
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Commenters: These components are crap and the bike is too expensive!!!
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Commenters: QR axle!? EWWW! Me: hmmm $1800 Commencal Meta HT AM Essential or this, hmmmmm
A time traveler coming from the 90s arrives in 2020 and gets hit with the crap news that we have a global pandemic and we are selling steel hardtails for $3k+...he's going back to the 90s.
You can also (or could before the 'Rona) get a custom ti hard tail from the Far East for about a grand shipped to the USA. My custom Ti has a belt-break in the seat stay, sliding chainstays, and internal routing and weighs a little over 4 pounds. I think it would be 3/4 pounds lighter if I didn't put those features in.
A triple-butted Columbus, Tange or Reynolds could have justified that price... depending on the range of tubes of course.
Except the fork, the components are barely correct, these tyres are a mistake, and that cockpit is so sad...
For that price or even less, you can build a much sexier hardtail with better components and a true personnality.
PS: steel hardtails are a british speciality. The Brits can`t cook and don`t make wine BUT they do some fvcking great steel machines. God save british steel crafters
I think thats a road bike.
But that same amount of money does not buy the level of componentry it once did. In 2002, I bought a Specialized Stumpjumper M4 Comp hardtail. It had an XTR rear derailleur and a Fox float fork for around $1500. Adjusted for inflation, that's probably $2200. It weighed about 24 pounds. It's hard to do a direct apples-to-apples comparison -- maybe today's NX is better than 2002's XTR, and it still had V-brakes -- but for the time, it had a better spec overall than either this or the Kona. Put an XTR derailleur on either of the newer frames and a Fox 32, it these would coast much, much more.
In the end, bikes are just getting more expensive. It sucks, but what are you going to do?
I guess one option would be to go with the NX-level Chromag since the build is still almost the same as the GX, then put a Charger 2.1 damper in the Yari, but that damper still costs $450 CAD on it's own. Eeesh.
Keep in mind that the frame on the Torrent is extremely primitive and made from the cheapest steel tubing. Not comparable at all with high-end frames from Cotic, Chromag or similar.
My main point is 18 years ago, you could get a hardtail with superior specs for much less. And it was 6-8 pounds lighter. It’s not just your imagination—mountain biking is getting more expensive.
@DaneL Look at something like the Radon Jab 10. Thats a 4k bike with components easily worth 7k MSRP. True, some manufacturers offer lousy value on their complete bikes (Yeti), but thats just them screwing over their customers.
We're now getting into a more ethical question if LBS are worth the 20% markup for riders. My stance is absolutely and it's going to be a lot of people buying direct from consumer that are going to be screwed with maintenance when the LBS's start going under...
X rider being fast on y bike is never an argument for anything bike technology related. Fast bikers are fast bikers.
To clarify, im not advocating for shit parts on a hardtail, im just saying that mid grade stuff is sufficient.
Good brakes are needed when you are building up serious heat in the calipers. The only time you are building up serious heat is when you are doing extended descents at a high pace, and even then, its not a matter of losing power as much as the brakes feeling consistent, which is really a race application. These types of speeds only happen at higher ranks of racing, where its physically impossible to hold the same pace on a hardtail. The riders that you know that are fast on hardtails aren't close to reaching limits of the brake calipers unless they are running undersized rotors for their pace. I would wager money that if they were to run a 200mm rotor and use a single piston XT brake, they would still have plenty of power left at the end of their descents.
Higher end forks with their damping adjustments are also worthless. The only time you need high end damping adjustments (which is usually HSC and HSR) is when you are hitting hard impacts at speed, where you need a separate high speed tuning adjustment to make the bike behave a certain way, like track better over repeated bumps while maintaining a firm profile for pumping, or resisting bottom out on landing.
Hardtails can't track fast enough over that rough stuff without either damaging the rear wheel, or getting destabilized. Even if you ride the super long/slack ones, you still have plenty of issues with rear bucking on rough terrain.
And really, most recreational riders who don't race don't even benefit from being able to adjust HSC/HSR, because those adjustments really matter when you want the chassis to be in the correct spot for the NEXT thing down the line, which is very much trail dependent. How many people that you know run different setups for each track?
That sounds like fun...
And if its just about having a great riding inexpensive hardtail, the Commencal Meta HT takes the Torrents lunch money any day of the week.
I'm on a Pole Taival which is very similar to this. Sure, I spent a bit less and got a better build overall, but I also waited 6 months to get it, took advantage of the exchange rate, and bought direct from the manufacturer.
GX: Upgrades to lighter 7000-series arms and stamped alloy chainring
Their fs bikes are a degree or two steeper which accounts for sag on two wheels vs one on a hard tail. Effectively, its exactly correct.
@nyhc00 Nah competition is too much pressure. I gotta keep it pure and not sell out. Also IDK how people would feel when I show up to race in the U14 category.
458mm chainstays, 62° HTA, 150mm front... Would love trying this beast.
Waki Waki Waki
Hardtails fit nicely into the second bike category if you have some spare $$$ IMHO
That said. This one wouldn't be my first choice. They should be light, simple and super fun to ride as an alternative to your everyday enduro sled.
I love the shit out of mine on tamer trails or to make stale trails fun again along with a post ride stop at the local jumps.
rsdbikes.com/portfolio/middlechild-aluminum
rsdbikes.com/portfolio/middlechild-chromoly
People need to realize that the traditional sales approach is a huge service to consumers that has a ton of overhead costs associated with it.
NO!
Forgoing rear suspension it not a choice made to fit a budget. Riding a hardtail like this is a choice, not something you end up doing just because you didn't want to spend a bit more.
Honest question, doesn't it idicate that you are on the wrong size bike?
I get that steel is somewhat more compliant, but FFS, it isn't like we weren't all riding aluminium hard tails back in the 90s.
Also, 45mm BB drop on a 29er hardtail is not particularly ground-hugging - my 27.5" 150mm hardtail has a bit more BB drop and axles that sit 19mm closer to the ground, so it's almost an inch lower.
FS bikes sag backwards into their travel on steep climbs, so there’s an obvious benefit to the steepened post.... Hard tails don’t do that, so why design them the same?
Are bike designers just totally disregarding the fact that bicycles sometimes get pedalled across varied terrain, sometimes including flat ground? Why build a bike that’s only comfortable for crawling up fire roads, and descending on repeat?
I get what you’re saying, but can we just go back to the part where you said you ‘usually buy 3 bikes every year’?
Where do you put them all?
This hardtail's too expensive. Hardtails are meant to be thrashed and $3149 is an expensive thrasher.
Might as well get a decent fat bike
Doesn't that mean it's not very efficient, if at the end of the day it took more energy out of you?
I know that a lot has changed on paper, but the outcome remains the same ????
That is one sweet hardtail @norcobicycles
Yes between the size and the creak of the fork it has quite the trail presence
I would like to see some triple butted tubes if I had to fork over 3K for a steel rigid bike. Don't need crappy Reverb or Code brakes, just a rigid post and shimano deore. Please.
This is just going to ride like any other straight gauge 4130.... heavy and does not respond quickly, no need to read a review.
A direct to consumer company will almost always beat the mainstream companies for value, it’s a tired argument that you will see below a review of a Yeti, Specialized, Santa Cruz. They are different business models.