2020 Norco Fluid FS 3 Bike

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I got my Fluid FS3 yesterday and took it for its maiden voyage today. I haven't been on a bike in 3 or 4 years but grew up riding trails around Kentucky lake on a trek 3500 and loved it. Now that I'm in college and I don't get the pleasure of walking to class because of covid, I decided to get back into mountain biking. It also didn't help that my new roommate brought his new Marin mount vision and let me ride it up and down the street. Within a week, I tracked down a few bikes and went and test rode them. I did a good bit of research and knew I wanted to stay under two thousand dollars. I saw this bike in a few reviews and figured I'd consider it if I could find one. Specs wise, the bike really doesn't seem all that impressive. On first impressions seeing it in store, I was immediately surprised with the fit and finish and how sturdy it looked. I got it down from the rack and took it for a ride around the parking lot and was again impressed with it. The geometry felt good for me (I'm 5'7) and the suspension was what I was expecting it to be from the reviews. However, it wasn't set for me. It felt dead and spongey at first but then the shop pumped it up to the right pressure and it completely changed the ride for me. The brakes aren't the most impressive. I can get going at a good speed and grab the front brake and the front tire will not lock up. However, that's on pavement and the tire is incredibly grippy. I do believe I can't get the tire to lock up because it picks the rear tire off the ground before I can lock it up. The tires are really impressive. With 20 pounds of pressure in them, they grab onto just about anything. On my ride today, It was mostly dry but the front tire never once washed out on me and we were on a combination of rocky dusty mossy surfaces. My only real complaints with the bike are the lack of front fork adjustability and the seat. The seat is just hard and after a day of riding, I'm a bit sore from it but that's all I've got in terms of the seat. The front fork has essentially 3 settings, locked, stiff, and wide open. The dial is not at all tactile but the fork will lock when the dial is turned all the way to one side and a quarter turn looser, it's stiff but has a small amount of movement, and then another fraction of a turn and its wide open soft all the way to the bottom of the adjustment. the rear shock felt decent but I really don't have a lot to compare to as this is my first full suspension bike. All in all, I really like my Fluid FS 3. It fits my college budget and allows me a financial cushion to upgrade components later on. If anyone is having reservations about getting this bike as their first mountain bike or as a backup bike, I highly recommend it.