Editor’s note March 2024: Read our review of the latest Norco Sight here.
If you have been enjoying your trail bike for some time and have been wondering if you should go full enduro on your next bike purchase, hit the brakes and consider an all-mountain mountain bike. I’ve been testing the Norco Sight for a couple months and I’ve ascended and descended through Mt. Shasta, North Star Bike Park, and my local Bay Area trails. The Sight hits the sweet spot in terms of pricing and component selection that’s capable of doing it all.
Key info
- Rider Profile: 5’8” and 210lb with gear. Size medium 29er bike tested.
- Suspension travel: 160mm front and 150mm rear
- Frame highlights: Carbon fiber and alloy frame utilizing a Horst linkage
- Geometry highlights: 64° head tube angle, 77.3° effective seat tube angle, 455 mm reach and 1222mm wheelbase (size medium)
- Price: $5,499 for the C2 build as tested
- Buy from Jenson USA.
Norco Sight specs
The Norco Sight is designed to be your do-it-all bike. It’s a capable bike on the climbs, but it will really reward you on the downhill. It’s also a bike that will suit adventure seekers looking to stick with a one-bike stable.
The frame
The C2 SRAM model I tested comes with a carbon front triangle and alloy rear triangle. This model boasts 29″ wheels out of the box but for those still loving how 27.5″ wheels roll, Norco has you covered, offering the option of either wheel size when purchasing. Whichever wheel size you prefer, frame sizes small through extra large are available.
The Norco Sight C2 offers a good bang for the buck. The extra top tube under mounts are welcomed to attach all sorts of accessories while the down tube mounts fit a full size water bottle. As a shorter rider, I appreciate the shorter seat tube which allows me to fully slam the dropper and get it out of the way. The internal and non internal cable routing offers a semi-clean look making cable replacement a tad bit easier.
Norco C2 SRAM build
The C2 SRAM model includes a full GX mechanical drivetrain that has proven to be the workhorse of drivetrains for its price. A 160mm RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork combined with 150mm Super Deluxe Ultimate shock on a Meg Neg Air Can delivers a supple and smooth quality that other bike builds at this price point just don’t offer.
The SRAM Code RSC four-piston brakes biting 200mm front and 180mm rear Centerline rotors are nice but they don’t seem to like long back-to-back downhill runs. And while the Maxxis Assegai Max Terra 2.5 Exo+ and Minion DHR II Max Terra Exo+ 2.4 are a proven tire combo, the Max Grip 2.6 version of the Assegai and a 2.5″ Minion DHR II would have come in handy for the fastest and loosest corners. The tires came with tubes installed, along with a tubeless kit. I removed the tubes and immediately installed the tubeless kit.
I wasn’t a fan of the SDG saddle but that is just personal preference. The alloy cockpit and wheels are sufficient but riders looking to upgrade down the line could squeeze more performance out of this build with a carbon bar and/or higher quality wheels.
As far as the overall build kit goes, I love that Norco gives riders their money’s worth out of the box without the need to upgrade components immediately after spending thousands on a bike.
Bike setup
I referenced to Norco’s Bike Setup guide on their website and found the suspension recommendations for both the shock and fork to be too high. Right away the bike felt wrong after a lap. So I decided to try my usual pressure numbers and adjust from there. This made a significant difference in ride quality and I ended up at about 10psi lower on the fork and about 50psi lower on the shock.
While the MegNeg didn’t give me any setup issues, the Lyrik Ultimate Fork had a pogo-like feeling with zero tokens inside. A friend noticed the same thing while trying the bike, and with some tweaks I was able to improve the feel.
On the trail with the Norco Sight
Climbing
After setting up the suspension I never had to reach down to lock out the rear shock, which is a good thing since there is no lock-out lever.
The Norco Ride Aligned Horst linkage offers good pedaling efficiency with little to no rear suspension bob even with the MegNeg Super Deluxe shock. The bike really seems to give back as much as the rider puts in.
While the Sight never felt like it was dragging me down, the long 1222mm wheelbase is noticeable on longer climbs. The 450mm reach and 77.3° effective seat tube angle put me in a good climbing position. Whether climbing or pedaling, the bike seemed to keep me in the same position which meant I didn’t need to make too many body position adjustments through the climbs. As a result, my back was very happy.
Descending
The Sight geo delivers an “on the bike” feel which is great for the climbs, but when it comes to descending, the same “on the bike” forward posture takes some getting used to. Although I normally ride with a more rearward body weight balance, even with the dropper post slammed and stock 40mm stem, the geo and some 29er wheel butt buzzing kept me in that forward position. A more forward body position can certainly be helpful, especially for cornering, but I personally found it wasn’t ideal for chunky and demanding downhill trails.
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This being a “big” bike made me assume it would feel more enduro-like, but it definitely felt more trail-like throughout the downhill descents. This of course doesn’t mean you can’t take the Sight to the bike park. The Sight will gladly take on the steeps and rougher terrain so long as you grab on and take control throughout the ride. Run after run I was relying more on myself than on the bike to get me through the extra rough sections. Sometimes more aggressive geo bikes will happily eat the chunk up for you, but the Sight and I were asking for a well deserved break after a day at the park.
The Sight seemed to really shine at the Mt. Shasta Trails. The more natural flowy characteristics of the trails without so many braking bumps had me smiling throughout. This is where I really noticed the trail-bike feel of the Norco Sight. Here the bike was utilizing its initial travel through the mid-stroke.
The 1222mm wheelbase lend the Norco Sight confidence while the 435mm frame size specific chainstays keep the bike nimble enough. The bike feels more responsive at mid to high speeds so don’t be afraid to let go of the brakes whenever possible. The kinematics really made good use of all the travel with little to no bottom outs which helps the bike stay composed while also keeping things quiet. I recommend making use off all the suspension knobs on the top-shelf suspension to dial in your personal riding experience.
MegNeg Super Deluxe
This model comes equipped with the RockShox MegNeg, giving the Sight a supple feel off the top. With the MegNeg I was able to run more shock pressure than I do on my Fox Float X. The MegNeg Super Deluxe came in handy on many braking bumps, requiring less force to get the shock into its travel. On rougher terrain this is particularly helpful for a trail-like bike like the Sight.
Pros and cons of the Norco Sight C2
Pros
- Great components for the price
- Trail-bike like climbing characteristics
- Enduro race and DH park capable
Cons
- Suspension dialing took some time
Bottom line
The Norco Sight sits at the bigger and more capable end of the trail bike spectrum that offers efficiency and confidence in diverse terrain thanks to well-balanced geo and a solid component selection. For black diamond trails where shuttles aren’t available, the Norco Sight makes climbing just a tad bit more enjoyable and justifies the “all rounder” label. Sure, I’d much rather own an aggressive enduro bike AND a nimble trail bike, but that’s out of my budget. Fortunately the Norco Sight offers most of the benefits of both in a single bike.
- Price: $2,999 to $8,999. $5,499 as tested.
- Buy from Jenson USA.
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Dec 6, 2023
Nov 29, 2023