New Norco carbon downhill bike

Norco has released details of its new carbon downhill bike, the Aurum.

There are four models in the range, from the entry-level Shimano Zee/RockShox spec C3 at £2,900, all the way up to the C1 ENVE, which sports Cane Creek DB Coil shock, Boxxer World Cups up front, ENVE wheels and presumably plenty of other posh stuff on board to justify the £7,000 price tag (the ‘ordinary’ C1 is a far more reasonable £4,750…).

Unfortunately you still have to pick the lines yourself

The 200mm-travel platform is built around 27.5in wheels and is an evolution of the brand’s original aluminium Aurum downhill bike. It’s been several years in development and as Norco says: “At the outset of the project, we challenged ourselves to produce the lightest, fastest, most efficient and capable DH race bike possible. This conversation led us inevitably to carbon.”

With some stellar results under team riders Jill Kintner and Bryn Atkinson in the 2014 World Cup Downhill series, Norco is now putting the same frame under elites Sam Blenkinsop, Harry Heath, Magnus Manson and Jack Iles for the 2015 season too.