From a backyard chicken coop to a global powerhouse: B.C.’s Norco bikes turns 60

It was 60 years agone erstwhile Norco laminitis Bert Lewis launched his caller institution retired of a makeshift warehouse successful a Burnaby chickenhearted coop.

“He wanted to bring much affordable cycles and better-designed bikes than what was presently disposable to the Canadian market,” said longtime Norco worker Peter Stace-Smith.

The institution grew done the 1970s with immoderate classical styles earlier a roar arsenic the 1980s approached.

“We started getting into BMX and that was spirited much disconnected a motorcycle wherever it was benignant of similar a fake motorbike for kids,” said Norco Product Manager Jim Jamieson.

Norco produced immoderate iconic models during that epoch and became a household sanction successful Canada.

“I deliberation each kid talks astir the 80s, ripping astir the neighbourhood connected a BMX and gathering jumps successful the bare lot,” said Jamieson.

But it was the mid-80s erstwhile things truly started to instrumentality disconnected with the caller athletics of upland biking.

“That changed everything precise quickly,” said Stace-Smith.

“Homegrown successful B.C. No amended spot connected this satellite to person a upland biking brand,” said Gwen van Lingen with Norco Brand and Product.

The North Shore trails provided a world-class investigating ground.

“That was a immense question due to the fact that Norco was a large portion of that. We were close determination and we were gathering bikes made for that,” said Jamieson.  “It moved the institution extracurricular of Canada.”

Over the years, they’ve had winning designs and podium finishes with immoderate of the champion mill teams connected the planet.

“If thing it’s gone amended and amended and better. Our existent World Cup squad is astir apt the champion squad we’ve ever had,” said Stace-Smith.

The Lewis household inactive owns Norco six decades aboriginal – a long-running occurrence communicative that started with a large imagination successful a tiny chickenhearted coop.

“It takes a village, arsenic you know, truthful radical are highly arrogant of the past astatine Norco,” said van Lingen.

“This is conscionable the beginning. So bent connected and buckle up for the adjacent 60 years.”