Although it’s extremely reductive, suspension travel is the bottom line. It’s the number(s) that mountain bikers pass judgment upon when they evaluate a bike — whether it’s what they want or not, whether it fills a niche in their quiver or if it’s redundant. It’s like judging a car strictly on horsepower or a motorcycle by its cc (cubic centimeters).
But gosh darn it, this kind of works, at least for mountain bikes.
The bike in question today: A Norco Fluid VLT. This sleek, glossy, black rig sports the (somewhat) new Bosch Performance Line SX drive unit. It nudges close to analog bike weight at about 40 pounds. But how much travel does it have?!
This Norco e-MTB has 130mm of rear travel, and a fork that squishes 140mm. And I’m here to tell you that this is not nearly enough.
The “Trail Bike” Compromise
Whether they’re e-bikes or not, mountain bikes are roughly categorized into some squishy categories, based on their travel. Some are obvious, like cross-country or downhill. Others, like Trail, are vague and not-so-catchy. Literally any mountain bike could be a “trail bike,” right? Well, we’ve settled on about 120-150mm of travel for the Trail category. Sorry Enduro bikes, you’re not trail bikes… I mean, Trail bikes.
And this is where we find the Norco Fluid VLT.
This Norco has a lot going for it. The SRAM Transmission drivetrain is ideal for e-bike applications. Some people gripe about the momentary shift delays, but you won’t catch me complaining, because it engages the cogs securely, consistently, and without fear of detonating a chain due to a botched change. And, trust me, I have been there.
I also found myself really enjoying the Bosch SX drive unit. There’s a more in-depth article you can read on this nifty little motor. In short, I enjoyed the motor’s responsive feel but found it wanting in terms of battery life and range.
It looks great, has a killer build, and filled a different niche in the garage next to the Specialized Levo — I wanted to like the Fluid VLT; I swear I tried! But reality was unflinching: It was a Trail Bike, and the more I ride bikes with 130ish millimeters of travel, the more I dislike them.
Bikes like this are neither here nor there. They’ve got a whiff of XC efficiency that manifests as firmer suspension to give you that playful feel everyone goes on and on about in every mountain bike review ever. Trail Bikes coax you into rougher descents with geometry that flirts with enduro numbers, tougher tires, wider bars, and other fixins. But hold on there buddy, this is a trap! Once you get in over your head on a Trail Bike you are not going to be loving that “playful” personality.
Conventional mountain bikes are a different discussion. You might make the case for a Trail Bike that would be tolerable in an XC marathon event. But that sort of thing doesn’t exist for e-bikes. There’s no use case for an efficient e-MTB. It’s the same reason I’m not interested in e-gravel or -road.
So in the case of this Norco, what have you gained by chasing lighter weight and efficiency? Perhaps in certain locales, this would be all the e-bike you’d want. Bentonville, Arkansas, for example, is very accepting of e-bikes on their trails, which are flowing and smooth. That’s a place I might enjoy the Fluid VLT.
However, on the long, rocky descents I frequent, this bike has compromised a lot and given me very little in return. The RockShox rear shock is wildly out-gunned without a piggyback reservoir; 130mm never felt so short. In the pursuit of weight savings, someone decided to put SRAM Level Ultimate brakes on this rig. While they may be four-piston brakes, they’re frighteningly underpowered for any real descending. RockShox’s Pike fork did its best to carry the water, and of all the components, it’s the most capable.
But as a package, this bike is a Trail Bike through and through — in other words, a compromise. A compromise that made me more than a little uncomfortable on familiar trails.
Conclusion
Well sorry, this turned into a bit of a rant. Of course, there is the big caveat: I am only one person, with his own unique experience with mountain biking, peculiarities in which trails I ride (or don’t), and general biases. If you have a Norco VLT, I’d very much love to hear your take on it. That’s what the comments are for.
That said, you’ll have a hard time talking me out of my fundamental take. E-MTBs don’t really need to be light or efficient. They have motors, which lets us ride more laps, commute to trails, or clean technical climbs. Saving a pound or two with less travel or lighter brakes, or anything like that comes at a major cost in the overall on-trail enjoyment.
Until the UCI creates a World Cup of XC e-MTB, I don’t think we really need anything with less than 150mm of travel. They’re all trail bikes, after all.