irclean

I picked up my latest acquisition from my LBS today... a 2010 Norco Ceres. After a year of researching here on BF and the Internet I pulled the trigger and ordered what is (for now) my dream bike! Thanks to all those who answered my "Which bike should I buy?" threads. Your input and suggestions were very influential in helping me make my final decision. I just rode it home from the shop and all I can say is, "Wow!" This is an awesome machine; super smooth and surprisingly comfortable right out of the box. Handles like a dream - it makes my Schwinn hybrid feel very antiquated. I can't wait to start putting some serious commuting time in on this bike!

Changes from stock include the Serfas RX saddle (further thanks to all those who answered my "Which saddle should I buy?" threads), Greenfield Stabilizer kickstand, and sealed-bearing pedals with toe straps (I'm not ready to go clipless just yet).

Drive side



Non-drive side



Front 3/4 shot



Rear 3/4 shot



Closeup of belt drive system and Alfine hub



I'm going to wait to install fenders and a rack; for now I'm just going to leave it minimalistic and enjoy it as my fair-weather commuter. It's so comfortable the way it is I think I'm going to forgo my plans to install trekking bars and pick up some Ergon GC3's instead.

Kojak

Sweet.

EKW in DC

Nice looking ride. Bikes look naked to me anymore w/o fenders and racks, but it sounds like your new bike will be getting those "clothes" soon enough. :-)

rogwilco

I'm not really convinced of the superiority of belt-drives, seems gimmicky to me, but that's a very nice bike.

canyoneagle

Congrats!
Nice ride! I look forward to hearing about your impressions as the months/years pass.

...and get some clothes on that thing! IT'S NAKED!!!!!!!!

irclean

That's probably the same thing that cyclists said about derailleurs back in the early 1900's, but they seem to have enjoyed some moderate success.

alan s 

Looks nice. . . except the reflectors gotta go. I assume you have a QR on the front, but how do you remove the rear wheel on the road? Do you have to carry tools?

AdamDZ

Nice indeed, looks like it'd be fun to ride! Enjoy!

canyoneagle

Had it not been an already established technology on motorcycles, I'd agree.

irclean

Thanks, canyoneagle! You were probably one of my biggest influences after you bought your Vesta! Your pics made me drool and my craving for the Ceres became overwhelming.

BTW the PB Cascadias are in the mail, and I'm considering this rack.

AdamDZ

I have that rack and like it a lot. I also have one on my touring bike, it carried around 50-60lbs without breaking a sweat. One of the frame eyelets broke off but the rack held up So, yeah, I use it on my commuter and I really like it. It supports panniers well and the lower rail for hanging panniers is a nice idea as it leaves the top of the rack free if you want to put something large and flat on it.

Sirrus Rider

I disagree with the reflector removal. Many locales require them to be legal..

canyoneagle

I'm loving the Vesta! I begin my Alfine wheel build next week, but am really not in a hurry to do the conversion, as I am really enjoying riding it as a singlespeed.

Pop me a PM when you get the cascadia's and I'd be happy to send you some pics of the front fender installation with mods I had to make to the fender stays (cutting to length, bending) in order to mount them to the lowrider braze-ons.

rogwilco

Well I'm riding a fixed gear so what do I know...

irclean

The reflectors are not required by law here as long as you have lights, so they will go in the parts bin. There is a bylaw that says reflective tape is needed (white on the forks and red on the seatstays) but I've never seen in enforced. Cops here seem more concerned with lights after dark and helmets for kids under 18. That's a good question about wheel removal; I probably shoud have got the LBS owner to run through it with me since he owns one, too. Unfortunately the owner's manual is general for all Norco bikes. I have a multi-tool and a 15 mm wrench in my seat bag with patches and tire levers.

Cool. I actually got the idea for it from one of your posts!

I will be sure to do that, thanks!

groovestew

Nice bike. I don't think it looks naked at all; I think all that crap that we commuters put on our bikes are necessary evils that spoil the look of a perfectly beautiful machine.

canyoneagle

Highly recommended. The rear wheel removal is very quick and easy once you get the hang of it, but it is much better to have someone show you how to remove/re-connect the Alfine/Nexus cable instead of trying to figure it out on your own (perhaps with a flat tire).

I carried an old spoke with me on my Milano to insert into the (purposely designed) hole on the rear carrier/shift mech and it makes cable removal/installation a snap.

The one thing I've noticed on my Vesta (same dropouts as yours) is that the dropouts have a very slight forward angle, and you need to be sure to fully seat the drive side axle before/while tightening the drive side nut, as the belt tension will be wanting to pull the axle out and forward. It's pretty easy.

AdamDZ

Oh! You're very welcome! So my Obsessive Compulsive Poster syndrome isn't just a complete waste of time after all

Hmm... Not sure, I kinda like the looks of my commuter

waynesworld

Great bike! Congrats!

wolfchild

Looks like a very nice bike, I really like that frame. but I am not convinced about belt drive drivtrain. I wonder how it's gona hold up to the outside elements.

AdamDZ

Probably better than traditional drivetrain. That hub is probably sealed and the belt doesn't give a damn about the elements

exile

You need to send it to me so I may verify.

Or I'll just take your word for it and say congratulations, it looks like a sweet ride.

no motor?

Congratulations! I think it looks great, and the combination of belt drive an IGH seems pretty interesting in a good way. Belt drive can handle the torque from a Buell, I doubt you've got anything to worry about if the specified the right belt.

phillyskyline

Nice bike!! I took a look at the Ceres, but ultimately decided to go with a more city/utility-oriented (and cheaper) bike. It's a sweet ride, though! I definitely want to hear how you like the belt drive.

no1mad 

Belt drive, IGH, and disc brakes? Someone wanna gimme some money so I can share the OP's dream?