Full suspense

I always put my new bikes in my blog, this bike I've just purchased will probably be my last MTB I'll ever buy, it's sad to say that in 10 years time I'll be too over the hill to ride.

This time I bit the bullet and caught up with technology, well nearly.

This bike is:

Full suspension 

Thru axle front hub

27.5" wheels

Things that will be normal in a few years will be

Frame enclosed cables

Electronic gears

Thrilled axles as standard

Probably a small motor

This isn't the first full suspension bike I've ever had, in the late 90's I had a GT lts, I must admit it put me off full sus rigs, it was very bouncy, not very balanced and weighed a ton.

My new Norco fluid 7.1 seems to be everything the GT wasn't, even for fat lad like me the fox front and rear shocks seem well in tune and you can lock them both out if the going gets Tarmac. Weight is under 14kg, about the same as my cross country bike from 20 years ago.

It as Shimano XT gearing, 20 speed which I now really like. It is taking some time to get used to Shimano again being a different change from sram which I'm used too.

Riding the bike, biggest difference is how much you stay seated, when you come to a washboard, single track instead of standing on my pedals I can stay seated and keep on pedalling. It just seems so much more comfortable and controlled.

The 27.5" wheels will take time to get used too, I'm old Skool and always have 26" in the past, they are more precise steering however you seem to lose the last second twitch out of trouble the smaller wheel gives you.

Early days yet, but after the first hard ride on the Norc, I'm confident I'm going to like it.