We've got a lot of big changes coming down the rails this season at the bike shop, and one of the most exciting ones is this: TTR Bikes is now an authorized dealer of Norco Performance Bikes. You might know Norco as a British Columbia-based purveyor of radness in the MTB/downhill/freeride world, but you might not know that they have a similarly impressive line of Urban Performance bikes: great rides for the Swamp Rabbit, the city, your commute, or your neighborhood streets.

Norco has been making bikes since 1964 . . . that's longer than any of the major US bike companies currently operating. They're the largest bike manufacturer in Canada, and they are the parent company of a line we already carry: Axiom gear. They make a really appealing, attractive line of hybrids, a super sharp internally-geared commuter, a touring bike, and many others. Check out their online catalog or—even better—come and see them at the shop. We've got a couple dozen in stock and more on the way, and they look much better in person than in the pictures. 

We're already smitten with the bikes—the build quality is excellent, the details are tied together nicely, and the component spec is always just a little better than you expect for the price. Oh, and the price? Consistently low. 

This is Bicycle Times's writeup of the 2010 urban line. They've added some bikes and shuffled a few things around since then but the insights here still hold true for 2011. Particularly interesting is what they had to say about the Forma series, Norco's women's-specific line. Instead of simply playing "shrink it and pink it," Norco's approach was to:

"[lighten tubes] in order to give a more compliant ride for lighter users, in addition to [providing] shorter headtubes to reduce bar height, shorter top tube lengths for shorter torsos, and lower bottom brackets for lower center of gravity. All Forma models also receive adjustable reach brake levers for smaller hands, thinner grips, and women's specific saddles."

We've got VFR Forma and XFR Forma models in stock now, along with many others.

We're having a great time getting to know Norco, and we look forward to introducing them to this part of the country. Help us introduce the bike-friendly South to the bike-friendly North. Check out a Norco today!