EcoVelo.info just posted the most thorough review thus far of the new Norco Ceres with Gates Carbon Drive, along with the sort of spectacular photos we’ve come to expect from EcoVelo.
The Ceres is intended mainly for urban commuting. For riders in very hilly areas such as San Francisco, its climbing ability and/or overall gear range can be improved by using a smaller Gates beltring or by swapping the Alfine 8-speed for the Alfine 11-speed. Drop bars with Versa shifters (for 8-speed or 11-) are available. And the rear rack we recommend for loads of 50 to 100 lbs. is the extra-stiff Axiom Streamliner DLX rather than the Axiom rack Norco supplied for this review. The Ceres comes in sizes 16, 18, 20, 22″, with a slightly short seat tube relative to the length of the top tube.
