# Norco Carbon for $1,300?



## DIRBike (Apr 10, 2012)

I am just getting ready to purchase my first road bike. I am 6'3" 225 and am looking to ride for fun, fitness and do a few first triathlons as strictly running half and full marathons is taking a toll on my 40 year old body.

I stopped by my LBS and chatted with the owner (great guy) and he showed me last year's Norco CRR 3 model. It is on sale tomorrow for $1,300 after tax. It is 2011's model and retails for $1,745 before tax. I will demo the ride tomorrow morning. Should I even look anywhere else??? Here are the specs:


Frameset
Frame 
- Norco CRR High-Modulus Carbon frame*
Fork 
- Norco CRR Full Carbon fork*

Wheels
Rims 
- Mavic CXP22 S 28hole - Black*
Tires 
- Continental Ultra Sport 700x23c*
Front Hub 
- Norco Sport Road 28h - Dark Grey*
Rear Hub 
- Norco Sport Road 28h - Dark Grey*
Spokes 
- 1.8mm stainless - Black w/Grey alloy nipples*

Drivetrain
Shifter Front 
- Shimano 105 ST-5700 - Black*
Shifter Rear 
- Shimano 105 ST-5700 - Black*
Front Derailleur 
- Shimano 105 FD-5700 - Black*
Rear Derailleur 
- Shimano 105 RD-5700-SS - Black*
Cassette 
- Shimano CS-5700 11-25T 10 speed*
Bottom Bracket 
- FSA MegaExo BB-4000*
Crankset 
- FSA Omega Compact 50/34T - Black*
Pedals 
- N/A*
Chain 
- Shimano 105 CN-5700*

Components
Seat Post 
- Norco - Black*
Saddle 
- Norco Race - Dark Grey/Silver*
Headset 
- FSA Orbit C-40-ACB w/15mm spacer*
Stem 
- Norco - Black*
Handlebar 
- Norco - Black*
Grips 
- Norco Cork Wrap - Dark Grey*
Front Brake 
- Tektro R530 - Black*
Rear Brake 
- Tektro R530 - Black*
Brake Levers 
- Shimano 105 ST-5700 - Black*

XXL*
Misc 
*
Bike Weight 
19.7 lbs/8.93 kgs*


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Ideally, being new to road riding I think it would be to your advantage to ride different brands/ models (both relaxed/ endurance and race geo) to expose yourself to the slightly different riding positions/ handling before committing to a purchase. FWIW, the CRR 3's geo is closer to race than relaxed.

My advice is to test ride the bike and if it fits well (_very_ important) and you're interested, explain your situation with the owner. There's no guarantee, but the bike might still be there next week and (being NOS) the owner may agree to honor the sale price after tomorrow. If he has other bikes of interest, ride them as well. If not, visit some other shops, explain your intended uses and goals, test ride some bikes and decide from there. 

You might not get a similar bike at a similar price, but by test riding more bikes I think you'll better your odds of getting the right bike for you.


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## DIRBike (Apr 10, 2012)

PJ352... Thanks for your input. Every bit is helping me. I've been reading a lot of threads here and getting some good tips. 

The owner suggested I take out the Specialized Allez and Secteur alloy bikes along with a Giant Defy carbon and the CRR3 to see what I like as a start. They carry Felt bikes as well but didn't have any lower end bikes on the floor. He too suggested riding a bunch to see. He did not seem to be pushing the CRR 3 but had ridden one in Vancouver and for him it worked well. 

The shop as he explained it offers a complimentary fitting service after 100KMS or so and then 3-4 months later again. He explained that they will swap out stems? and adjust up down forward back ward to make sure it is fine tuned to fit. Seems like a great service. I dropped by two other bike shops and this one clearly felt best. I will go to one other tomorrow too. 

So ya... Looking forward to trying them all. If it feels good it just seems like this 2011 Norco CRR3 is a steal at this price if it fits and feels good. 

PS. Will I just 'know' that it feels bad or feels good. I kind of expect them all to feel good!


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

DIRBike said:


> PJ352... Thanks for your input. Every bit is helping me. I've been reading a lot of threads here and getting some good tips.
> 
> The owner suggested I take out the Specialized Allez and Secteur alloy bikes along with a Giant Defy carbon and the CRR3 to see what I like as a start. They carry Felt bikes as well but didn't have any lower end bikes on the floor. He too suggested riding a bunch to see. He did not seem to be pushing the CRR 3 but had ridden one in Vancouver and for him it worked well.
> 
> ...


I think the owner is giving you some sound advice. The bikes you mentioned are a good sampling of what's out there, so riding them should provide you some insight into what you might like in riding position and handling. 

Parking lot rides will tell you little, so be sure to get the bikes out on the roads, focusing on fit/ feel, ride and handling. Check out control placement and function, but don't disregard a bike that doesn't shift quite right. That's generally a minor adjustment. 

Re: that shops policies on fit, IMO it's better than average. Stem swaps are commonly employed to tweak a riders fit (reach and drop to bars). Because most riders fit will evolve as fitness/ flexibility improves, it's a plus that the shop offers follow-ups.

Re: your 'ps', my answer is... it depends. Some people are very sensitive to certain aspects of fit, while others aren't. If frame size is off (depending on your road riding experiences), there's a good chance the handling will feel somewhat twitchy to you, but given a shortish test ride, bikes close in fit might feel good. Ideally, you want that 'fits like a glove' feeling, so something to watch for.

Good luck and update this thread as you see fit.


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## DIRBike (Apr 10, 2012)

Fantastic. I am glad that your advice along with some of what I read and my gut are hopefully setting me up for success. Excited!

One other point I read in a post somewhere was when "fit like a glove" was equal between bikes for one to not discount LOOKS; not get too hung up on specs. I say that because those Felt bikes LOOK fantastic IMO and if they are of good quality fit, I can myself forgoing 'specs' for the foundational looks. But 'carbon'...


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## shawatsea (Apr 14, 2012)

Pj 352 is right you have to test them yourself. There is no right bike for everyone. I must have rode 15 bikes before I made up my mind and pissed off 8 sales people. I know they were tired of seeing me come and go without buying something but I love my bike. Today's bikes cost as much as my first car and I test drove alot of them before making that decision also.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

DIRBike said:


> Fantastic. I am glad that your advice along with some of what I read and my gut are hopefully setting me up for success. Excited!
> 
> One other point I read in a post somewhere was when "fit like a glove" was equal between bikes for one to not discount LOOKS; not get too hung up on specs. I say that because those Felt bikes LOOK fantastic IMO and if they are of good quality fit, I can myself forgoing 'specs' for the foundational looks. But 'carbon'...


If I had a choice between two bikes with that 'fits like a glove' feeling, unless I disliked one aesthetically, I'd go with the one with better shifters. Other (heavier) riders may opt for the one with the higher spoke count wheelset. So again... it depends. 

I do 'get' the aesthetic appeal, but just remember, we don't _look_ at bikes. We _ride_ them! 

EDIT: Just to clarify, Felts are high quality bikes offering good value and solid specs, so the above comments aren't meant to dissuade you.


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## DIRBike (Apr 10, 2012)

PJ352 said:


> If I had a choice between two bikes with that 'fits like a glove' feeling, unless I disliked one aesthetically, I'd go with the one with better shifters. Other (heavier) riders may opt for the one with the higher spoke count wheelset. So again... it depends.
> 
> I do 'get' the aesthetic appeal, but just remember, we don't look at bikes. We ride them!


More valuable advice as I am currently 225lbs.


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## paule11 (Jun 11, 2011)

I have a Norco CRR1 they are pretty much race geometry . It does ride quite smoothly and performs well it is a lot more comfotrable than I thought it would be .One thing you may want to look at is tyre clearance I was thinking of 700x25 tyres and I do not think they will fit on the rearthe tyre is very close to the frame. Ride a few different ones and see what feels best.
Just weighed myself 248lbs so Norco should hold you ok


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## DIRBike (Apr 10, 2012)

Well that was a long day!

What an awesome LBS. Just experienced fantastic customer service. I test rode 4 bikes for about 20 minutes each and one twice. I am now the proud owner of a 2012 Felt Z6! Love it and after all the testing when I got home went for another 8 miles on the Z6. 

Looks sweet. Sweet sweet deal. Most of all feels great. Was the most comfy bike I rode. Norco CRR3 was very good too. Close, close second but the frame was XXL and just didn't feel best despite it had better components. 

Tired now. Pics to come if interested. Huge thanks for everyone's help. Looking forward to a morning ride tomorrow.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

DIRBike said:


> Well that was a long day!
> 
> What an awesome LBS. Just experienced fantastic customer service. I test rode 4 bikes for about 20 minutes each and one twice. I am now the proud owner of a 2012 Felt Z6! Love it and after all the testing when I got home went for another 8 miles on the Z6.
> 
> ...


Congrats on the new bike!! _Nice_ choice!! :thumbsup:

Your post says it all. You chose the bike that felt the best despite the Norco having better components. I would have done the same, because geometry (the frameset) dictates fit, handling and (to some extent) ride, so IT trumps parts that bolt to it.

It's amazing how easy (and fun) the bike buying process can be when you find a great shop, and it sounds like you've done just that. I think they'll prove to be a valuable resource for years to come.

Glad it all came together for you today, and last but not least, yes we _need_ to see pics.


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## paule11 (Jun 11, 2011)

Yes pics please


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## DIRBike (Apr 10, 2012)

*Here it is!*

Finally yesterday after two weeks of ownership and riding on regular pedals and running shoes I picked up pedals and shoes to go with my new ride. I went with the Look Keo 2 Max pedals and Specialized Expert shoes. Did a quick 8 miles yesterday and feels great. 

Thanks again for everyone's help!


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## paule11 (Jun 11, 2011)

NIce looking bike lots of spokes on those wheels should be strong


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

I'm glad you went to the LBS, that's the only way to find what really suits you. Other beginners take note.That is one good looking bike. Congratulations!


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Hooben said:


> I'm glad you went to the LBS, that's the only way to find what really suits you. Other beginners take note.That is one good looking bike. Congratulations!


+1. Great looking bike... enjoy!!


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

Felt Z da kine!


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