2020 Norco Revolver FS 120 1 Bike

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Depending on the time of year, the orientation of celestial bodies or the status of soybean futures, I may or may not care how mountain bikes are labeled. I started riding in the mid-1990s, and every ride I went on was a “cross-country” ride. The only other kind of riding was downhill, and in the mid-90s downhill wasn’t an option fiscally or geographically for me. To this day, every ride that doesn’t involve a chairlift is a cross-country ride to me. “I’m gonna go ride XC,” I might tell my wife.

Whether it’s for the sake of marketing or real, actual clarity for consumers, various bike style classifications have sprouted up through the years, and until recently, it seemed like we were happy with Cross-Country (XC), Trail, Enduro (recently replacing all-mountain) and Downhill. I could throw in Freeride, but Enduro and Downhill bikes basically cover that now.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Cross-Country is now out there on the fringe, all by itself - a sinewy, Olympic-hunting version of the XC that I used to know. If I hear “XC bike” today, it must be a feather-weight, race-ready thoroughbred with a headtube angle that looks perpendicular to the ground. If the XC bike in question has rear suspension, the goal of that 60-100mm of travel is to act like it isn’t even there.

Semi-recently, in a move that was either for the sake of marketing or real, actual clarity for consumers, a new mountain bike category emerged*. This new bike-type moniker combines the only two mountain bike classifications that really need to exist - Downhill and Cross-Country. If you’re reading about a Norco Revolver FS 1 120, then you know the term I’m talking about. It’s a goofy term to unfairly pigeonhole a VERY small niche of bike and/or rider. I’m going to refrain from that term today as I go over my fun and interesting experiences aboard the Norco Revolver FS 1 120 which is, after all, a cross-country bike.

I remember seeing the press release for the 2020 Norco Revolver line prior to Sea Otter. The Canadian brand was stoked on their refined, updated XC bike platform. The fresh, new Revolvers were, of course, stiffer and higher-performing, born and bred for their factory XC team, and with the Olympics on the horizon, the move made perfect sense. The Revolver FS 100 that headlined the press release meets all the criteria of a race-ready XC bike and won’t confuse anyone. Further down the press release, however, was the Revolver FS 120, which looked just like the FS 100 but with a dropper post and knobbier tires. The action photos around the 120 showcased riders hitting drops and rocks in aggressive, wooded B.C. terrain. The photo subjects were in riding gear that resembled what I’d wear (not lycra).

Norco Revolver FS 1 120 Highlights

• Hi-Mod Carbon, 120mm Rear Travel
• Rockshox Deluxe Select+ RL
• RockShox SID Ultimate, 120mm Travel
• SRAM GX Eagle Drivetrain
• DT Swiss XR 1501 Spline Wheelset, 25mm ID
• Maxxis Forekaster tires, F/R - 29 x 2.35-inch, MaxxSpeed, EXO
  
• Weight: 26.5 pounds, Size Large, no pedals
  
• Price: $5,399
  

Further investigation revealed that this Revolver FS 120 was a longer-travel version of its race-ready sibling. The name obviously implies 120mm of suspension travel, and it’s a fun fact that the Revolver FS 100 and 120 share the same carbon frame, but the 120 uses a longer-stroke shock, with the same eye-to-eye, to get that extra endurbro-bump-up of travel. The RockShox SID Ultimate squishes to 120mm also, the bottom bracket height is 341mm and the head angle is 67.4 degrees, 1.1 degrees slacker than the feed-station-familiar FS 100. The Revolver 120 is designed for longer rides, endurance races and multi-day trans-insert-name-here events. It’s labeled as a bike made to move when the rider tells it to move, while being friendlier in the fatigue department and willing to taking on rowdier trail challenges.

As I rode the Revolver more, my outlook toward familiar trails changed. Places I would normally coast to recover were now pedaled. Places I would normally pedal were now sprinted.

As I rode the Revolver more, my outlook toward familiar trails changed. Places I would normally coast to recover were now pedaled. Places I would normally pedal were now sprinted. There was significant reward for the effort I put forth without taxing me to the limit. Lighter tires and wheels, combined with a suspension platform design to squeeze out every watt of rider input was incredibly inspirational to a normally begrudging uphiller like myself.

The Revolver’s suspension wasn’t supple like a longer-travel bike. The bike was "more active" on rowdier bit than any of my other trail bikes, requiring more focus to reign it in, but without a stopwatch to prove it, I can’t believe that I lost any noticeable time in rough sections of trail aboard the Revolver. I made some minor compression and rebound tweaks to both fork and shock, but the setup chart a great starting point and nearly spot-on for the terrain I was riding. In bigger compressions, the bike would wince a little bit, but snapped back to life without complaint. It should be noted that even though I was on flat pedals, my feet never became disconnected and I never wished I was clipped in. The suspension, while not feeling like a pillow, was working to keep the wheels and the rider planted.

The Revolver didn’t provide the same thrill I’m used to in tighter, more slalomy corners. It’s a long XC bike, and I felt a bit cumbersome in short-radius turns or switchbacks. With that said, there were some unexpected benefits to the layout. The steeper head angle, the 60mm stem and longer reach worked together to put me in attack position through open, faster corners. I had more weight pulled forward, pressuring the front tire, increasing traction. In panic situations, I’ll gape-out and shift my weight to the back of the bike, but even when I would kook it up, the steering was responsive and traction held. When I wasn’t hesitating, the bike felt stable at speed and railed smooth corners. I actually appreciate the 67.4-degree head angle on this setup. If situations were steep or sketchy, the stem length, more than the head angle, felt like the initiator of fear. I do not believe slacking the bike out would improve its ability when things became steep.

The tires, to my surprise, worked well in the loose and hard-packed conditions here in Idaho. I didn’t think I’d ever really be drifting turns on a cross-country bike, but I did on multiple occasions aboard the Revolver. We’re not talking Blenkinsop— or Bryn—level sliding, but I was never slowing down or tip-toeing the Revolver through corners. If things let loose a bit, the situation was predictable and fun.

I finally took the Revolver out of the Boise area into the “real” mountains a few hours away. Pine trees, bugling elk, real rock gardens and natural, less-developed singletrack were on the menu. If the Revolver had a home, it was in terrain like this. Long-radius turns, janky, unpredictable rock gardens, flat sections that rewarded pedaling and a couple of grunting climbs made it the perfect bike for this environment.

Remember how I adapted to the bike? With the Revolver, I would just ride straight into or over rocks like I would on any other trail bike I had. The bike maintained composure and, if anything, that “compliant” nature I mentioned earlier, kept me moving forward and through the trail instead of being deflected. I connected the trail sections more fluidly because the Revolver helped me keep energy in the tank for hard pedaling that made the trail really fun. On the short, steep, technical climbs, the bike stayed planted up front and traction was maintained well out back. Body position was poised, right inside the bike, for those uphill grunts. The Revolver rode this classic, before-there-were-bike-parks trail perfectly.

I did notice my neck would be more fatigued after a long ride. The stretched out position meant that I was having to hold my head up more than I’m used to. I slid the seat forward which helped, and if the bike was mine, I’d go down to a 50mm or maybe even 35mm stem. The seat tube length across sizes (425mm small, 440mm medium, 485mm large, 510, XL) seem a bit on the longer side these days, too. I realize this is an XC bike, but having some more wiggle room with dropper heights and lengths could make the descents even more fun for a wider range of riders. With my short legs, the seat was creeping up my hindside on some roll-ins.

A NICA Racer's Dream Bike?

Could you take the Revolver FS 1 120 XC racing? Of course. A swap to faster-rolling, lighter-casing XC race tires would make the bike even more competitive. In fact, I think Revolver would be great for the NICA grom who is really just using NICA as the excuse to ride more. They tell mom or dad they’re going to race for the high school MTB team, and they mow lawns and do enough chores to get a real mountain bike that’s capable on the race course. The Revolver, however, doesn’t leave them stuck with a carbon hardtail and 99-degree head angle. They can show up for practice, do what the coach says, post some results at the races, and still go rip and roost the local trails with their friends as they pretend to be Bryn Atkinson or Jill Kintner. It’s a win-win.

What's the Bottom Line?

Norco is on to something with the Revolver. This bike opened up ride options that I may not normally consider with my bulkier, squishier trail bikes. Piling up mileage and vertical seemed a lot less daunting with the Revolver. Surviving any gnar on the trail wasn’t a gamble as much as it was an exhilarating experience. Yeah, it wasn’t what you’d call buttery or plush, but the job was handled, and I was happy with the result.

If I had to choose between the Revolver or a long-travel enduro 29er for the typical trails and riding conditions near me, I would, no doubt, choose the Revolver. It’s a bike that makes sense where I live and where I ride.

If I had to choose between an equally spec’d and priced Norco Revolver or Norco Fluid (that fun, trail-oriented 120mm 29er), I would definitely lose sleep over the decision. I’ve been on both bikes enough to know that they have their places. They’re also able to handle riding outside of their places when necessary. To make things more complicated, the new Norco Optic just showed up and will make this decision even more difficult.

It could be age, it could be experience, but I know I every ride on the Revolver would be a fun ride and I wouldn't have to give up most of the fun that comes with a legit trail bike or “mini enduro” bike like a Fluid. If I chose the Revolver, I would most likely expand my riding horizons with longer adventures to new trails and new places, too. I may even use recovery drinks. I joked with friends that if I was 10 years older, I’d definitely ride the Revolver. I should probably shrink that timeline to 10 months. Don’t sleep on the Revolver FS 1 120 if you need a capable, hard-charging, endurance-ready cross-county mountain bike.

Visit www.norco.com for more details.

Vital MTB Rating

• Climbing: 5 stars - Spectacular
  
• Descending: 3.5 stars - Very Good
  
• Fun Factor: 4 stars - Excellent
  
• Value: 4 stars - Excellent
  
• Overall: 4 stars - Excellent
  

*I’m sure there’s history or a copyright or a trademark about who decided to coin the term downcountry, but there’s no way I’m taking the time to research it.

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About The Reviewer

Shawn Spomer – Age: Don't Ask // Years Riding: 23 // Height: 5’9” // Weight: 189.234-pounds

Shawn is Content Director of Vital MTB. When he's not avoiding Instagram like the plague, he's trying to grill guests on The Inside Line podcast or get laps on the trails near Boise, Idaho. A former race videographer and photographer, he started Litter "Mega"zine in 2003 and has somehow stuck around to make a living in this industry.