Norco’s Shinobi 2 is meant for all-day all-mountain riding with massive climbs and massive descents. Its frame is full of well-thought-out options as well as post-style disk brake mounts, Syntace’s 142×12 shaft system, a spare derailleur hanger bolt (that threads into the frame by very cheap bracket for storage), and a headtube that’s further short so as to stay the face from feeling a mile high with the long legged 140-millimeter fork and 29-inch wheels.
While having a motorcycle frame that’s loaded with fancy, sensible details is good, the vital factor is however it rides.
Climbing could be a field for the Norco. It scoots up steep rough climbs while not losing traction and pedals expeditiously once subsidence in on longer grinders. However, whereas not a pig by any suggests that, the bike’s ~30-pound heft may be felt a trifle once daily jam-packed with climbs. Then again, at this build level and verbal description, you aren’t about to notice a way lighter package.
On the descents, the Shinobi 2 is each stable and foreseeable. The suspension gobbles up hits of all sizes, with the large wheels serving to to sleek the path out even more. The low standover and neutral pure mathematics create the bike amazingly and pleasantly nimble. The impinge on is remarkably stiff for a wagon wheeler, serving to the bike hold onerous lines and slash corners. This stiffness may be a minimum of part attributed to the bike’s one-piece rocker and bridged seatstays. Manualing and jumping the Shinobi 2 takes a trifle a lot of effort and movement than on a 26-inch wheeled bike, however once a jiffy it becomes habit.
The quicker the path, the higher the Shinobi’s manners. On slower, tight and punchy singletrack the benefits of the larger wheels area unit diminished.
The pivots on the Shinobi 2 appear to handle the weather well. an honest little bit of my rides on this bike are within the mud, rain or snow, and that they have nevertheless to form a sound or perhaps feel something but sleek.
The build of the Shinobi 2 is kind of solid. The stem and bar length area unit applicable for the class (I’d in person like slightly wider bars, however these were acceptable), the suspension felt spot-on, the SRAM X7/X9 drivetrain preformed well and also the Avid Elixir brakes offered many stopping power, wet or dry.
There were a number of details that I felt were little misses. the additional short headtube and internal receiver will cause some clearance problems with the taper length of some forks’ steerer tubes—I suddenly met a difficulty with the White Brothers Loop fork wherever the Norco’s higher crown race would bottom out on the steerer tube’s taper, creating it not possible to tighten the receiver. I conjointly didn’t love however the rear brake hose is routed. It runs on the downtube—where scallywag rocks will split hosing open (though I, confessedly didn’t encounter that issue with the Shinobi)—and each once during a whereas the housing would in. rearward, begin bowing in and rubbing gently against the spokes (tightening up the nada ties and adjusting the method the hose twists might remedy this).
At the top of the day, the Shinobi 2 could be a fun and capable path device that may expeditiously take you to the highest of the climb and can charge all the thanks to very cheap. within the realm of 29er all-mountain bikes, the Norco definitely holds its own.
The model tested here is from Norco’s 2012 line. For 2013 the Shinobi 2 sees a cheaper price (with some minor verbal description changes).
For a lot of info move to norco.com
