1984 Norco Sasquatch Rebuild
10-19-20, 08:06 AM
#26
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DSBM = DodSun Bicycle & Machinery, a Taiwanese manufacturer dating back to 1972. Their format is ymmxxxxx, so I'm assuming it's actually 40890469, which would indicate August 1984. That's in the grey region where it could be either a 1984 or 1985 model but for the reasons stated previously, I'm leaning towards 1985.
Last edited by T-Mar; 10-19-20 at 08:10 AM.
10-19-20, 09:49 AM
#27
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Thanks again T-Mar and Happy Feet for tolerating the thread drift.
10-19-20, 11:58 AM
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By all means! That's the beauty of these threads. I spend hours scouring them sometimes when I am on the search for information. All things old Norco are welcome 
Thanks T-Mar, that's awesome! You have just increased the available knowledge of this year and model on the internet by 100%. Cool to have the original specs .
.
10-19-20, 12:26 PM
#29
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I am right with you and like these style mountain bikes. Simple, no suspension, as durable as tanks. I have a Trek Antelope 800 which I bought new in 1993 I believe and still ride it to this day. It's my grocery go getter but has seen better days and has trouble shifting gears. I looked around for the replacement Shimano Altus C20 parts but no much luck.
I'm thinking maybe it's time to replace it with something kept in better shape but from the same decade. Ironically, a Norco Sasquatch frame just got posted on FB marketplace for a good price.
Would it be easy to replace everything else? I would keep my wheels, rear rack, mud guards but the rest is not really worth keeping.
I'm thinking maybe it's time to replace it with something kept in better shape but from the same decade. Ironically, a Norco Sasquatch frame just got posted on FB marketplace for a good price.
Would it be easy to replace everything else? I would keep my wheels, rear rack, mud guards but the rest is not really worth keeping.
10-19-20, 04:52 PM
#30
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I am right with you and like these style mountain bikes. Simple, no suspension, as durable as tanks. I have a Trek Antelope 800 which I bought new in 1993 I believe and still ride it to this day. It's my grocery go getter but has seen better days and has trouble shifting gears. I looked around for the replacement Shimano Altus C20 parts but no much luck.
I'm thinking maybe it's time to replace it with something kept in better shape but from the same decade. Ironically, a Norco Sasquatch frame just got posted on FB marketplace for a good price.
Would it be easy to replace everything else? I would keep my wheels, rear rack, mud guards but the rest is not really worth keeping.
I'm thinking maybe it's time to replace it with something kept in better shape but from the same decade. Ironically, a Norco Sasquatch frame just got posted on FB marketplace for a good price.
Would it be easy to replace everything else? I would keep my wheels, rear rack, mud guards but the rest is not really worth keeping.
You can put any modern derailleur and shifter on that bike. Shimano Deore is a good, bullet proof group that is plentiful and usually not too expensive. Altus is low end stuff and it makes sense that you are having trouble with it. But, yeah, start a new thread where we can help you along with a rebuild of this machine.
10-19-20, 05:47 PM
#31
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As the title says, this is where I will document my latest winter project.
I've just recently read Fat Tire Flyer by Charlie Kelly and I'm all re energized about early era mtbs, especially the more slack ATB designs. There's just something about them as blank canvases for artistic expression during a rebuild that appeals to me - you can pretty well make anything you want out of them. In the haze of a "I don't have enough things to do" moment I saw this large frame Norco Sasquatch on FB Marketplace for $80 bucks and grabbed it.
Apparently the recent work of a flipper, it sports a craptastic brush applied paintjob and a slightly mismatched spraybombed Tourney derailer along with an oh so comfy saddle
...
Otherwise, it has almost stock components in pretty good shape. The 7 speed wheelset is newer but I have a more appropriate early era set to swap with.
As per my usual MO, I plan to strip it to bare metal, refinish the frame and then decide whether to go stock or something "other".
I really like the bent flat bar but the bmx style stem is going to another build. I will replace it with a period correct chromed bull horn stem/bar combo that I have or.. make this a drop bar conversion. I dunno yet. Depends how "original" I wind up wanting to go.
1984 was the first year Norco, a Canadian based company, introduced a design specific mtb - the Sasquatch. The SN suggests 1984 though a decal indicates 1985.
I've just recently read Fat Tire Flyer by Charlie Kelly and I'm all re energized about early era mtbs, especially the more slack ATB designs. There's just something about them as blank canvases for artistic expression during a rebuild that appeals to me - you can pretty well make anything you want out of them. In the haze of a "I don't have enough things to do" moment I saw this large frame Norco Sasquatch on FB Marketplace for $80 bucks and grabbed it.
Apparently the recent work of a flipper, it sports a craptastic brush applied paintjob and a slightly mismatched spraybombed Tourney derailer along with an oh so comfy saddle
...Otherwise, it has almost stock components in pretty good shape. The 7 speed wheelset is newer but I have a more appropriate early era set to swap with.
As per my usual MO, I plan to strip it to bare metal, refinish the frame and then decide whether to go stock or something "other".
I really like the bent flat bar but the bmx style stem is going to another build. I will replace it with a period correct chromed bull horn stem/bar combo that I have or.. make this a drop bar conversion. I dunno yet. Depends how "original" I wind up wanting to go.
1984 was the first year Norco, a Canadian based company, introduced a design specific mtb - the Sasquatch. The SN suggests 1984 though a decal indicates 1985.
10-19-20, 06:12 PM
#32
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I have one earlier Bigfoot, the frame is from November of '83 so it was an '84 model year. Came with an .883 BMX sized bullmoose bar but it was so uncomfortable that I bought a custom milled VO adapter from The Colonel and put a fugly but comfy stem on it. This bike pulls my BOB trailer and is nowhere near as nice as it shows here about 10 years ago. High flange hubs baby! And my fave, a Super Custom triple crank.
I should put it back to original but it had a craptastic Lee Chi brakeset that went somewhere else. It now has an incongruous VO canti set that look great but aren't worth the fussy bother to set up. Diacompes can be had and would be preferable.
I should put it back to original but it had a craptastic Lee Chi brakeset that went somewhere else. It now has an incongruous VO canti set that look great but aren't worth the fussy bother to set up. Diacompes can be had and would be preferable.
Last edited by clubman; 10-19-20 at 06:16 PM.
10-19-20, 06:22 PM
#33
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Tryna sneak in here and highjack this thread, eh? You can put any modern derailleur and shifter on that bike. Shimano Deore is a good, bullet proof group that is plentiful and usually not too expensive. Altus is low end stuff and it makes sense that you are having trouble with it. But, yeah, start a new thread where we can help you along with a rebuild of this machine.
You can put any modern derailleur and shifter on that bike. Shimano Deore is a good, bullet proof group that is plentiful and usually not too expensive. Altus is low end stuff and it makes sense that you are having trouble with it. But, yeah, start a new thread where we can help you along with a rebuild of this machine.
10-19-20, 06:33 PM
#34
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oops, sorry I started with the Norco Sasquatch I saw on FB marketplace and then my mind starting going in different directions. It does that lately. Thanks for the info. and I will do just that when I'm ready to give this a make over. I'm on the lookout for another bike to replace this Trek and Norco is on my list.
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