Norco's 2027 Team DH: The Downhill Bike That Conquered World Cup Tracks

Jennifer Miller · 2026-09-25

### From World Cup Podiums to Your Local Trails After nearly five years of development, countless prototypes, and hundreds of testing days, Norco's new Team DH is finally here. With 200mm (7.9 inches) of travel front and rear, five frame sizes, and the refined HVP6 suspension, this bike is built to bring race-proven performance to everyday riders. We got a chance to test it in Val di Sole, and it's clear Norco has learned a thing or two from the World Cup circuit. ### Built on Race Experience The Team DH isn't just a pretty face—it's been raced hard before it ever hit production. Greg Minnaar and Gracey Hemstreet provided feedback under race conditions, and Norco engineer Kirk McDowall even raced it at the World Cup in YongPyong in May 2026. That's real-world testing you can't fake. What's more, Norco's Ride Aligned setup guide—one of the best in the business—was developed alongside the bike. So when you get your Team DH, you're not just getting a race bike; you're getting a personalized setup that takes the guesswork out of dialing it in. ### The Mullet Mystery You might wonder why the Team DH only comes as a mullet (29-inch front, 27.5-inch rear). Turns out, Greg Minnaar initially preferred a full 29er, but after countless back-to-back tests, the stopwatch showed no advantage. The mullet setup offers more agility and freedom of movement over the rear, so Norco went all-in on it. That's the kind of decision that comes from data, not trends. ### Tech That Works for You Norco didn't just rely on rider feedback—they built custom telemetry and kinematics software to analyze suspension performance. Those "bottle cage mounts" on the frame? They're for attaching data acquisition systems. By combining hard data with rider impressions, Norco fine-tuned the bike and made Ride Aligned even better. ### What This Means for You You don't need a race mechanic to benefit from all this. Ride Aligned gives you a solid starting point based on your height, weight, riding style, and terrain. It won't replace those final clicks of fine-tuning, but it gets you 90% of the way there. And at $7,999, the Team DH 2 Fox is a serious contender for anyone looking to step up their downhill game. So, is the 2027 Norco Team DH worth the hype? If you're after a bike that's been proven at the highest level and comes with a setup system that actually works, it's hard to argue. This is a downhill bike that's ready to race straight out of the box—and that's something special.