IS A 05' Norco Manik good for freeride?

[getmocked]

I was just wondering if a 2005 NORCO MANIK is a good hardtail freeride bike? i seam to think it is but others think its a downhill bike!

[dirt rider]

it is both great hardtail dh bike and a freeride ht

[Sethius]

the manik for freeride is fine. just dont stand up and pedal, wastes some much energy. just sit back and use your gears. i got my the other day and im loving it. i got a bigger frame because i will be riden round town abit aswell. but definately worth the bucks i paid. (this or a BSX comp?!) easy decision. its capable. mountain biking is get too catagorised...

[beefcake]

I have an '04 NORCO Rampage. I use it for anything, jumps/Downhill/12Hr Enduro XC (a bit heavy after a couple of hours). They are super strong and built for anything. My frame is a large one though, so it is a bit big for doing to much (on the jumps) apart from getting oodles of air time. Enjoy!

[jamsta]

YES, it is....

I have an 04 Torrent, and it's a take anything, go anywhere type of ride

good luck, ride hard! :)

[shamo]

my friend has an 05 manik and he can basically use it for anything he does alot of drops and stuff and nothing has gone wrong...yet....

[vando]

Yeah mate an 05 Manik woulld be a great Freeride bike with an excellent, not to mention beefy package, good strong bike in my opinion.

[Superman]

nah it will be crap because its designed for freeride.....

[rideslikeagirl]

it will be awesome. I wanted a manik but had to settle for a sasquatch instead cause the lbs said there were none left in aus. i just picked it up yesterday. Going to put a chainguide on the front and use it for downhill and free ride. Probably even some street and park too

[Fusion]

I've had a Manik for a few months now, it's ubersexy but there's a few things I need to fix up. After a while you'll probably want to upgrade the following...

- The rims, and maybe even the hubs. I mean, the rear hub is quite ok, but the rims just aren't quite strong enough. The single track's just aren't fun after a while

- My Titec Bezerkr saddle is fucked, it's painful, and it's getting replaced as soon as my LBS gets in a new saddle for me. The rails are all bent out of shape, and it's not as if I've come down too hard on it a lot. Maybe about 5 times, and even then, it didn't hurt my 'area' much. :o


Apart from these little issues, the Manik is a great bike, take it out for freeriding, light downhill, hell, I even commute on it! If you can find one, go and get one! I think SHM in the QV centre in Melbourne still has a medium...

[Sethius]

yea ive got the manik aswell and i crashed on the wall ride on Mt buller and the wheel was screwed. it buckled and died so easily my velocity mountain goats took more ( i mean that!) So im getting a dice SMO or mag30 put on the back and the seat is ripped on mine already to... and the brakes dont work so well anymore and i think ive done seals. but its a great bike still! great geo for all round and the 7'" forks make screwing up less painful..

[iUDEX_nCr]

The manik is an excellent bike for freeriding... I'm riding a Rampage, but the majority of my exploits I have a manik with me :D

The singletrack rims aren't the greatest... both mine and Fusion's had the same problem, but we do some pretty heavy stuff on them. The saddle's not too bad, I ripped mine on my third ride... I was trying to manual and went past the centre of gravity, and had to throw the bike out :( from beneath me...

For trails, and freeriding, even some DH'ing. It'll be more than adequate for it. Norco shore hardtails are built tough for men.

Oh, it should be noted that Fusion's been hit by a car... the bike runs fine... we do 4-6 foot drops and stair gaps on a regular basis. I reckon the singletracks get stronger after you screw them (cos it forces you to retension the damn wheels!).

But yeah, it's an awesome bike for freeriding and dh'ing. Norco's have a high bottom bracket which makes them so much more fun and forgiving. Really quick in on 'straight', bit big (not really an issue) on the turns...

Get one if you can find it! Borsari Cycles on cnr of Grattan and Lygon is a good place. If you definitely want one, leave your details and he'll contact you when he can get one. Sometimes they're sent back to Norco... well that's the story with the last two Maniks he got.

Oh, also, if not the manik get the rampage!!! It's a beast of a bike! 150mm singlecrowns, with rebound adj. Mine goes darn well in everything! from singletracks, to skate park... urban assaults to teetertotters. It's a little more, but it's absolutely pimpin'

[Fusion]

Dude, it's only pimping because you've got those sexy red V8s on it now...


Anyhoo, I say go and source a manik, have a ride around on it and see if you like it. The forks are really quite nice once they're all dialled to your weight, style etc. Suuure, they're only PL, but if you get it right, you shouldn't need to adjust during a ride.

But yeah, try Borsari on Lygon, they're pretty good with getting stuff in specifically.

[Numinos]

My friends owns a norco manik and they are ausome freeride bikes. Handle well just hard to pedal.

He did a 6foot drop to flat and bent the rear sunrim so be aware.

[Sethius]

yea i got my manik from Borsari Cycles in carlton, send them an email if you want, they reply fast and you can deal with them really well through there. If you get the rampage i would, it looks soo sweet and having a 6"single crown would be perfect!

[Fusion]

Ah, I wondered who snapped that up! Such awesome bikes...


...oh yeah, my rear rim is slightly dented too, but I have no recollection of how I did it... :confused: