Tested: Norco Torrent S1
Simple, stout and ready for a little bit of everything
Basics
-150mm front travel
-Chromoly frame
-Aluminum options available
-29-inch wheels
Pros
-Smooth riding
-Fun in every sense
-A case for more geometry and less travel
-Planted and absolutely fun
Cons
-Heavy
-More expensive than expected
$3,400
Norco
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It’s easy for frame geometry to play second fiddle to fancy suspension design. Modern angles or extreme reach numbers often get overlooked by the latest trunnion mount or leverage curve. The Norco Torrent is a case of aggressive geometry versus longer travel, and brings a level of simplicity that inspires just the right amount of nostalgia around the good ole days of mountain biking. There’s no fuss, just business, and a surprising amount of capability from this hardtail born on the North Shore.
First glance at the Torrent, and there is no hiding how long, slack and low this chromoly all-mountain hardtail is. While the reach is pretty long it’s still within a reasonable range that keeps the geometry on the more accessible side. My size large has a reach of 480 millimeters, adding or subtracting 30mm for neighboring sizes. If your bike’s reach is longer than its seat-tube, you’ll feel right at home. Norco uses a very short 435mm seat tube to allow for longer dropper posts. My size large test bike (and the medium below) it comes with a 170mm X-Fusion Maniac, but I felt that I could have gone even longer. Up front, the Torrent has a head tube angle of 64 degrees, designed around a 150mm travel fork with a 42mm offset. The effective seat tube angle is a steep-for-a-hardtail 76 degrees with tucked 420mm chainstays that have clearance for up to a 2.6-inch wide tire. Norco uses a threaded bottom bracket with full external cable and hose routing with the exception of the internally routed dropper cable.
There are four versions of the Torrent with two versions using an aluminum frame with the same geometry. The S1 (tested) and S2 builds use double-butted chromoly tubing, as does the bare Torrent frameset. My S1 build came equipped with a 150mm RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork and Shimano SLX/XT drivetrain with a Praxis Cadet crankset with 170mm arms. Four-piston Shimano M520 brakes paired with 180mm rotors are doing the stopping with Stan’s Flow S1 rims laced to Shimano XT hubs keep things rolling. XT hubs can be hit or miss in terms of reliability but the Stan’s rims were a nice touch. At $3,400 I wouldn’t say this bike is loaded with value. If anything, it feels a touch expensive for its spec level.
The best way to describe riding the Torrent is “stable and planted,” with everything working together to achieve a balance. The 150mm fork felt comfortable in relation to the Torrent’s geometry and fit. Despite its hard tail, it’s far from a cross-country racer. Its better suited for mellow, casual climbs, needing a little extra effort to push this 32-pound beast up the mountain. Hitting steep pitches, you can feel the high, slack front end start to wander, but not to the extent that it was difficult to control. In fact, it nearly felt like I had a head start pulling its front wheel up and over rocks or roots. As leisurely as the climbs were, each one was worth it. Every bit of singletrack I sampled rewarded me with a ride quality that, as you might expect, stands out in harsh contrast to the current crop of full-suspension bikes.
The Torrent is smooth, real smooth and adds just the right amount of playfulness to keep things interesting. The combination of the steel tubes and plush front suspension made for a much calmer ride than I was expecting. The occasional square edge hit would force me to keep my whits about me but, overall, the Torrent made for a comfortable ride. Hitting chunky bits of trail, I was politely reminded that I was lacking a rear shock, but not in a sense that dulled my spirits. Speaking of spirits, I’d chalk up a large part of the Torrent’s playfulness to its short rear end. The 420mm chainstays gave it an agile quality, especially noticeable in tight corners. But it felt most at home on high speed flow trails and steep chutes. The limitations of the Torrent are hard to define, and will depend on how far the rider is willing to push.
The Torrent is surprisingly versatile and well manned on rough trails in spite of being a hardtail. Where does the Torrent fit in today’s endless selection of capable mountain bikes? It’s a bike that is unapologetically simple with a “can-do” attitude.
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