Norco Tactic SL Disc Ultegra RS685 reviewed

Road bikes with disc brakes are making me a bit cocky. No, I’m not doing dumb and dangerous stuff – brake checking my fellow riders in the bunch, for example. The control that disc brakes give me, especially hydraulic ones such as the Shimano RS685 on the Norco Tactic SL Disc, means I have the confidence to scream into a corner faster, or even toward a stoplight. I know I’ll be able to scrub the right amount of speed or stop in a hurry.

Logan Johns, senior product manager at Norco, attributes that braking performance to the modulation offered by the rotors. “That control,that sweet spot where you’re just about to lock up your wheel – that’s where you’re getting the most amount of friction,” he said. “That’s where you slow yourself down the most. As soon as you lock your wheels up, it doesn’t matter if it’s calipers or a stick in the spokes, it’s going to do the same thing. But, if you can get it just before that point, then you get so much more modulation and control. That’s why you can go into a corner and dump your speed a lot faster.”

To explain further how that modulation works, Johns cited an example that he came across. A rim brake will lock up a wheel when the calipers apply roughly 200 lb. of force. With a disc brake, it needs to apply closer to 1,000 lb. of force to throw you into a skid. That higher number makes disc brakes seem inefficient. But the disc brake gives you a wider power band to work within, all the way to 999 lb. instead of 199 lb. Since so much more force can be applied, you have a wider range to play with, thus more brake modulation.

Early this year, when designers at Norco began honing the look of their first Tactic with disc brakes, they knew they could leave mounting posts for the calipers off of the frame. Shimano had recently announced its new RS805 flat-mount brakes. The new calipers are neat and clean, creating an all roadbike look as opposed to a road bike with mountain bike parts.

At the chainstays, it seems Norco got away with something. On the Size 53 frame I tested, the chainstays are 405 mm. The next three sizes up are 407.5 mm. These lengths go against Shimano’s recommendations. The Japan-based company says chainstays on road disc bikes need to be at least 415 mm long. Anything shorter will cause problems with the chainline on an 11-speed cassette fit to a 142-mm-wide hub. Johns and his team decided to see what would happen if they ignored Shimano’s rules. The result seems to be a setup that shifts just fine, mostly. “At the little ring and little cog – that’s where you’re getting the most compromise,” said Johns. “You might get more tickle there.” I’d say a little tickle happened in the small ring and second smallest cog. Small/small didn’t sound good. I must admit, however, these aren’t combinations I ever use. There’s usually a better ring/cog combination to find a similar amount of gear inches on your bike.

The frame definitely has some snap. It was great for powering up my local rollers, and when I’d launch a sprint. One of my test rides included some nice sections of gravel. Sure, riding that surface wasn’t a necessary test for the Tactic Disc, a bike designed for speed on smoother stuff. I just can’t help myself when I come across a rocky road. With the 25c Schwalbe One tubeless folding tires, I was set up pretty well. The frame’s stiffness, and that offered by the 12-mm thru axles, made sure everything tracked well. The compliance in the bike was good. Really though, I think a gravel road creates vibrations and bumps beyond the capabilities for the frame. Still, it rode well. The dirt sections ended with me wishing they were longer. It’s a good sign when a bike makes you want to keep riding.