Bike of the year 2005

[GoingDHfast]

This is probably old news, but the Norco 6 won Mountain Bike magazine "bike of the year" for 2005! I love this bike and have wanted one ever since it came out..

If people disagree with the 6 being bike of the year - what bike do you think it should have been?

http://www.nsmb.com/images/shore_news/interbike%2003/day3/norcosix.jpg

http://www.norco.com/05/news/archives/0502/images/05_02_bikeoftheyear.pdf

P.S. Didnt the 250/125 win bike of the year 04?? That kicks ass for an american mag to give Norco that level of respect - when their bikes are only just begining to gain distribution in US.

[bazza]

umm whats so good about it? just curious to know. if you love it so much care to back it up? not stiring shit just want to hear your opinion why.

[GoingDHfast]

I just loved the concept when I first saw it in 04 and wanted one ever since... It was the first time Norco had made a "short travel" free-ride rig with SC forks. Plus I really like the component spec.

Other than that, I just really like Norco :cool:

[Beena]

Dude, that pic is of an 04 Norco Six....

I don't think it should have been bike of the year, I reckon the Prophet should have been... like it was...

The Cannondale Prophet won Mountain Biking Magazine's Bike of the Year 2005. http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/bikeword/add_news_274.html

You'll find it got "6-inch Bike of the Year" not overall.

[M@DM!KE]

Firstly i'd like to make the point I'm not trying to 'bag out' prophet or six owners. However I believe that neither the c'dale prophet or the norco six deserve awards. Why?
Sure they are both well spec'd, well priced, all-round type bikes, but why award companies for lack of creative designs, concepts, or innovation?
Both bikes feature design concepts from last century. The six is the same old VPS bike, but has a single crown fork. The prophet is the almost same design many companies have been manufacturing for over 10years!!! So it's got an extra inch of travel. So what. Nothing outstanding there.
I really feel companies that are pushing the trends with NEW design concepts should have been rightfully awarded these honours. There are so many progressive, innovative designs now on the market. At the end of the day, we want our sport to progress, otherwise we'd still all be racing rigids!
Maybe people could post some more appropriate candidates for "BIKE OF THE YEAR 2005"???

[wooley_89]

wow, it won, but who honestly cares when its one of the ugliest bikes around!? surely somethin more innovative and better looking could have won.

[and1]

Firstly i'd like to make the point I'm not trying to 'bag out' prophet or six owners. However I believe that neither the c'dale prophet or the norco six deserve awards. Why?
Sure they are both well spec'd, well priced, all-round type bikes, but why award companies for lack of creative designs, concepts, or innovation?
Both bikes feature design concepts from last century. The six is the same old VPS bike, but has a single crown fork. The prophet is the almost same design many companies have been manufacturing for over 10years!!! So it's got an extra inch of travel. So what. Nothing outstanding there.
I really feel companies that are pushing the trends with NEW design concepts should have been rightfully awarded these honours. There are so many progressive, innovative designs now on the market. At the end of the day, we want our sport to progress, otherwise we'd still all be racing rigids!
Maybe people could post some more appropriate candidates for "BIKE OF THE YEAR 2005"???

You can innovate something all you like but why innovate just for the sake of it? If an existing design performs well then what the hell is wrong with that? Just because it isnt the latest and greatest technology doesn't mean that the bike isnt going to perform well and im many cases a lot of new "innovative" suspension platforms quite frankly ride like shit. Why is it that companies like orange and balfa are still using single pivot designs supposedly if they are old designs and therefore arent any good?

[GoingDHfast]

Firstly i'd like to make the point I'm not trying to 'bag out' prophet or six owners. However I believe that neither the c'dale prophet or the norco six deserve awards. Why?
Sure they are both well spec'd, well priced, all-round type bikes, but why award companies for lack of creative designs, concepts, or innovation?
Both bikes feature design concepts from last century. The six is the same old VPS bike, but has a single crown fork. The prophet is the almost same design many companies have been manufacturing for over 10years!!! So it's got an extra inch of travel. So what. Nothing outstanding there.
I really feel companies that are pushing the trends with NEW design concepts should have been rightfully awarded these honours. There are so many progressive, innovative designs now on the market. At the end of the day, we want our sport to progress, otherwise we'd still all be racing rigids!
Maybe people could post some more appropriate candidates for "BIKE OF THE YEAR 2005"???

1) I just found that pic in google, it might be an 04 but you get the point
2) Yeah, it was 6" bike of the year - still a pretty big award though.
3) M@DM!KE - what is your opinion on Giant? They have had more suspension designs than I care to remember in the last 10 years! Norco have had maybe 2-3 but mainly just the VPS...! I understand what you're saying about progression - but isnt development of the one working concept a better form of progression than introducing something new every year?