Best Bike at Norco: Sight LE Carbon

Aug 18, 2013
by Richard Cunningham  

Norco was one of the first high-profile Northwestern brand to commit to 27.5-inch wheels, with its aluminum-framed 140-millimeter-travel Sight being the most popular model in its 'Killer Bee' range. For 2014, Norco steps it up with a beautiful carbon fiber chassis that duplicates the sharp-handling frame geometry and 140-millimeter-travel, four-bar rear suspension of the original aluminum-framed Sight. The Sight LE Carbon chassis is beautifully designed, well appointed, and it bristles with the kind of details that bear witness to the depth of Norco's off-road experience.

Norco Sight LE Carbon
  Norco's Sight LE Carbon features the same frame numbers as the 2013 model - dressed in a carbon fiber chassis that may be the best looking in its class and has a claimed weight near 25 pounds. Its 67.5-degree head angle is tuned to make the 27.5-inch wheels feel at home on technical trails of the Pacific Northwest.


Norco designed the Sight Carbon frame to take a punishment, with large-diameter frame members for stiffness. This is most evident in the rear suspension, where the seat-stays and its Horst-Link-type dropouts are larger than life. A molded down tube protector guards against rock strikes, and a similarly stout, molded chainstay protector ensures that any chain slap that gets past the bike's SRAM XX1 type-2 clutch derailleur will be silenced. The chain stay/swingarm of the Sight LE is aluminum, presumably to reduce manufacturing costs as well as to increase the strength and durability of that critical component. Pivot points at the dropouts are clevis-type journals with double sets of sealed ball bearings, and the swingarm and rocker bearings are secured with expanding collets to eliminate noise and free play.

Norco Sight LE Carbon suspension details
  RockShox Revelation RCT3 fork mirrors the smooth ans stable performance of the sensational 2014 Pike. Norco retains its four-bar Horst-Link suspension system - which is time proven to deliver the best balance between pedaling efficiency and bump control. The hidden advantage of single-chainring drivetrains is that the swingarm pivot can be located in the optimal position for pedaling and suspension performance - not a compromise between three sprocket diameters.


Like its predecessor, the Sight LE Carbon features a Syntace 142/12 millimeter X-12 through-axle and break-away derailleur hanger. Cable routing, with the exception of the rear brake hose, is internal and there are tidy rubber seals at each entry and exit point. You will not find any Zip ties on the Sight LE. Instead, there are screw-down guides where additional retention is necessary. Invisible, but quite important is Norco's Gravity Tune geometry - where the front-centers and chainstay lengths change proportionally between frame sizes to maintain similar weight-balance and handling properties for all riders. Sizes offered are small, medium, large and X-large. The top-of-the-line Sight LE Carbon costs $6999,while its most affordable sibling runs $4035 USD.

Norco Sight LE Carbon Cable routing
  An up close and personal view of the Sight LE Carbon's cable and hose routing reflects Norco's meticulous attention to detail. You will not find cable guides for a front mech - a strong statement for future drivetrains.


Norco's component selection for the Sight Carbon is showcased around a SRAM XX1 drivetrain and while he Sight LE has an ISCG-05 chainguide mount, there is no provision for a front derailleur of any type. Wheels roll on Stan's Tubeless, AM-width ZTR Arch EX rims and Onza Ibex 2.4-inch tires. Rear suspension is damped by a Fox Float CTD shock, while up front, Norco chose a RockShox Revelation RCT3 fork. Brakes are four-piston Truvativ X0 Trail items, paired with 180-millimeter rotors. The cockpit features a RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post on one end and a Carbon Race Face Sixc handlebar and stem on the other. All accounted for, there are few if any components on the 2014 Sight LE Carbon that we could imagine upgrading for its intended purpose.



Norco Bigfoot

Norco sold every Bigfoot it had forecast to make less than ten minutes after its dealer presentation. Laugh, joke, or vomit if you will, but there is no ignoring the attraction of riding an extra month as Winter sets in and Spring awaits; exploring sandy trails in the Southwest's canyonlands, or simply riding an unsuspended mountain bike almost anywhere you choose, simply for the fun of it.

Norco Bigfoot
  Norco makes the Bigfoot just because they like riding it. Evidently, Norco's design and marketing staff are not alone. The category is growing at a surprising rate across the globe.

Norco Mountain Bikes

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech First Looks Norco Norco Sight


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89 Comments
  • 62 1
 Finally a bike 4 phat chicks
  • 20 2
 No doubt phat population is growing at a surprising rate across the globe.
  • 5 0
 Bigfoot is real! Suck it all you non believers
  • 2 0
 these fat tyre bikes go across rough terrain insanely well - they are gaining popularity and rightly so, there was a big push from a company who had a large presence @ the mega there in the last 2 years giving the bikes out for free trial runs down the entire mega track for FREE - confidence in your product or what!!
  • 4 1
 I just wish I would stop seeing fat bikes rolling around D.C., like there are no mountains, no snow, and no damn reason to get a fat bike. city people who buy stuff just because they're rich and want to look cool just keep pissing me off...
  • 33 8
 I wish they'd stop calling it 27.5, it's not and I'm not retarded so I can manage to understand the term 650b
  • 8 1
 Everyone who grasps what 650B means does, but they're just doing it for the american market. Blame Kirk Pacenti as when he first displayed his bike and tires at the North American Handbuilt bicycle show, he had a sign on the display that described it as 650B / 27.5" because his tires, the Neo-Moto 2.3 was nominally 27.5" in diameter. Kenda is labeling their tires now with 650B / 27.5" and even the ISO 584 rim seat size info stamped into the sidewalls, so they can sell the same production run models anyplace on the planet regardless of what the buyer might understand is the name for the standard.
  • 5 1
 "Oh, so the dual naming convention isn't aimed solely at me? And it might be for other consumers who don't understand that it means the same thing?"

Nothing like knowledge to silence the attitude.
  • 21 3
 They actually held a meeting at the IBWHC (international biking world headquarters for conspiracies) and decided that because Pinkbike user "DC1988" is mentally handicapped the name must be simplified. They determined that 650 was too high of a number and it would fluster him, and 27.1 was too specific and he might confuse the "1" with a lower case letter "L." So they decided the only way to possibly market the wheels to DC1988 was to round up to 27.5.

You should definitely be offended by this, I can't believe they had such little faith in you.
  • 4 2
 Yup and 29'er bikes should be called 700c. Geez.
  • 2 2
 Yeah so I was out riding my...700c-er or 29er; or my 650b-er, or perhaps my 275 (say: two seven five)? I don't think there's a good way to say it.
  • 3 3
 what would be easier to say than 650b and more accurate than 27.5, it couldn't possibly be 27" could it????
  • 1 0
 But that's already a thing... it'd be a nightmare for retailers to mix these entirely different mountain oriented products with the existing 27" road products. Mathematically you are certainly correct that it would make a lot more sense though, maybe you aren't as retarded as the IBWHC thought...
  • 2 3
 So now that the tweener size is a viable and proven wheel size people are Bitchin about calling it 650b or 27.5".... I don't know wether to laugh at you people or cry.. LOL
  • 18 2
 It should have a pike! A bike like this needs something more than a 32 mm fork!
  • 1 0
 Range needs a pike
  • 7 0
 So far I have had my aluminum 2013 sight b2 for about a week and I can say it is one of the most fun bikes I have ever had the chance to ride (not just because its a 650, but the geo is spot on). I bet the carbon version this year is going to be awesome. I was skeptical of making the switch to a bike like the sight but I'm so happy that I did. These bikes are rad as f*ck
  • 9 1
 Nice bike for sure. A bit confused though - is this the same as the Carbon Killer-B on their website? What's LE stand for, 'less expensive'?

www.norco.com/news/category/2014-norco-bikes
  • 4 0
 Limited Edition.
  • 6 0
 Another bike added to my wish list...other competitors:
Santa Cruz Nomad
BMC Trail fox
GT Force
Specialized Stumpjumper
Trek Slash 9
Etc.
  • 4 1
 LOVE MY NOMAD c! IMO, best do it all rig.
  • 3 1
 Get the nomad
  • 1 4
 That's what I was thinking...
  • 1 0
 Is this really in the same activity class as a Nomad? 140mm vs 160mm and quite a bit lighter?
  • 2 0
 range and nomad are competitors, not the sight.
  • 5 0
 Okay, I like bikes!
  • 1 0
 Nomad builds are so differently from each other that a blanket statement to get the Nomad is too general. My Nomad is so slack and burly enough that I can almost guarantee that it pedals nowhere near as well as this Sight. That being said, i'll choose the VPP any day.
  • 10 3
 why would you put that rear shock on a beautiful bike like that
  • 7 2
 exactly what I was thinking. Bikes with X9 come with Kashima coating, this thing has XX1 and a Revelation RCT3. Kashima is a must-have at this level.
  • 14 0
 DB air cs would be pretty cool instead
  • 16 4
 kashima=marketing....its all about the seals.....but but but but its gold....pffftt
  • 1 0
 Norco turning a profit, that's why. Far better than years past though. The majority of the spec looks legitimately high end. Wonder if the Stans rims are Stans completes, or just the rims laced with crap spoke to crap hubs...which is the way it was done in the past.
  • 1 0
 It has DT Swiss 340 hubs on it.
  • 5 0
 Shit talk fat bikes all you want, I bought one last winter and rode Jan-April with it! Fun in the snow! It doesn't get touched in the summer, but so fun in the off season.
  • 4 0
 As long as you scrap the stock tires for Surley Nates or studs, these bikes ride all winter long. Literally mountain biking full-on all winter. People just don't get it yet. The scene in the states has been thriving for years but only just catching on in Canada (except for the Fat Bike pioneers in Calgary). Thanks to Norco for making an affordable Fat Bikes for us mere wage earning mortals. Viva le Fat Bike!!!
  • 6 0
 will there be a carbon range next year ?
  • 2 0
 Talk to your lbs. Wink
  • 1 0
 Oh really , nice
  • 5 3
 Why would you call it the Bigfoot... Just my opinion but I still have my old Bigfoot-turned-Dirt Jumper frame, and I think that's how the Bigfoot should stay; A robust but fun little bike, not a phat tire bike. Don't get me wrong it's an awesome looking bike and I would love to try one, but I think they should have changed the name to something's else.
  • 4 0
 Why not? The Bigfoot model names goes way back in the company history into the 1980s. Prior to being used for a DJ type model it had for years been one of the entry level XC Trail bikes.
  • 1 0
 If you drop the "little" adjective, you have what the bigfoot is currently, a robust and fun bike
  • 1 0
 That's why I added it in Wink
  • 4 0
 The Bigfoot stole my interest...
  • 1 0
 I have one of these for sale if anyone's interested. Damn nice ride. 2014, rode it for one season, still looks brand new. I put a Pike on the front and it rides like butter. See my ad - Pinkbike name is ShawnAnderson
  • 10 6
 Devinci called. They want their paint scheme back.
  • 2 4
 pffcooog* you're a douche... that is all.
  • 2 2
 Thousands of bikes are produced across the entire market every year, you cant complain about paint schemes because whatever colour you make the bike its going to look like something from the past
  • 4 0
 Carbon Range Killer B please...!
  • 1 0
 Just letting you guys know about a typo in case you care to correct it. First sentence underneath second picture set.
"RockShox Revelation RCT3 fork mirrors the smooth ans[sic] stable performance..."
  • 4 0
 Sweet brand
  • 3 0
 Norco isn't a NW brand... It's a SW Canadia brand...
  • 1 0
 Oh Please lets do away with all this name calling, its just "Small, Medium, Large, n Fat" , done... no more wheel hysteria. Please more comments, was to funny ..
  • 1 3
 Why do these manufacturers produce a bike with mis-matched brand suspension? Besides the obvious reason... costs. This is ridiculous!! Who wants a fox in the rear and rockshox up front? or visa-versa? Really irritating to me.. Anyone else bothered by this?
  • 2 0
 nope
  • 1 1
 I prefer RS across the board, but only because I like my stuff to last longer. Don't care anymore than matching my socks. If it feels right then who cares?
  • 2 0
 What's wrong with running a fox rear and rockshox front?
  • 2 0
 I am a little worried... is that derailer hanger replaceable?
  • 2 0
 Yes, the hanger is replaceable.
  • 2 0
 full SRAM but why Fox rear shox ?
  • 1 0
 WOW , Hey what do you get when you cross a 650B with a Fat Bike = A crap load of laughs, loved the commentary... bring it on
  • 2 0
 BigfooT
  • 4 4
 i like fox for there longer travel forks but for xc i would go with rockshox
  • 1 2
 How come only Trek are advertising their Fat Bike (Trek Farley) as suspension corrected? Where does that leave the Bigfoot? Hey Norco, can you chime in here?
  • 2 0
 The Bigfoot is designed around a rigid fork. Using a suspension corrected design with a rigid fork will change the handling significantly while there are currently no suspension forks available.
  • 1 0
 Thanks for your reply. Carver is offering a suspension fork and advise that there will be enough travel options to fit the correct axle to crown length of many Fat Bikes: fat-bike.com/2013/08/first-look-carver-trans-fat-suspension-fork-and-15mm-thru-axle-front-hub
What is the axle to crown length on the Bigfoot?
  • 1 0
 Yeah that's one nice looking bike, can I ride it?!
  • 1 0
 Gyonyoru=Beauty!

Im wondering they made in Canada?
  • 4 2
 looks very devinci
  • 2 0
 Yes it does
  • 1 0
 Cool, can we get specs on the 2014 Aurum now?
  • 3 3
 the pike seems to be on everything enduro, conratz rs
  • 5 0
 that's a revelation, read the article
  • 2 0
 haha!^^ this guy
  • 4 2
 they do seem to be on everything though... don't know why anyone would bother with fox tbh
  • 5 5
 That Sight looks like a Devinci
  • 1 1
 norco already has a Bigfoot though, very creative
  • 1 0
 Hey Riser2012 they had a Bigfoot last year as well as for the past 25-30 years. Same as the car brand Dodge/Chrysler already had a Dodge Dart. The Dart in the good'ol days (1970's) was 500+ horsepower of pure unadulterated manliness. Now well, its a 4 banger POS Neon with cool tail lights...

I suppose Norco is pulling at the heart strings of loyalists from years past since any rider old enough to remember the pre DJ Bigfoot is also the target market of this new bike. The dad with no injury insurance who has a $1400 budget for a second bike who also realizes that injuries and scrapes on his face from a weekend DH crash are not acceptable and who wants too ride to get a growler after the kids have gone to bed, so mid to late 30's to early 40's which coincidentally is also the group responsible for the rise of mountain biking in the late 80's early 90's which concreted Norco as a brand that will be around for a long time to come. I have a 1985 Norco Sasquatch which is really only used now for camping, beer runs or riding to the gym and when my New Bigfoot comes in I will retire the Sasquatch to my hall of fame bike collection. I live on the shore and will ride it on all the trails that are not hard anymore on my full suspension bike and for the workout that I so desperately need.

I hope riders of all types can learn to see past the wheel size bs because mountain biking is about a community of people that are stoked to get out to the wilderness with friends and good times. Not about what size your hoops are. If you like 26" and dont want to see change turn off your computer and go ride your 26" bike if you have or want a 650 or 29er get it out and ride it like you stole it.

Happy trails
  • 3 3
 Looks pretty ugly for dome reason.
  • 1 2
 man the BIGFOOT and the new KONA WO look very similar is frame shape and design
  • 3 1
 Not. At. All. Take a closer look.
  • 1 0
 this is a chuckle, right?
  • 1 2
 www.konaworld.com/images/bikes/med/wo.jpg

really look again
  • 1 0
 No...look closer at the Kona hideousness. In no way like the Bigfoot.
www.konaworld.com/bikes/details/wo/lrg/5.jpg
  • 1 0
 rigid frame. The only question is parts and geo. The curves mean nothing (except strength, but I am sure booth of these are plenty tough). That is why the above is a joke.
  • 1 0
 Nice bike
  • 4 6
 The Norco Sight looks like 29er. There is something wrong with it...
  • 3 0
 Is it wrong to get wood for carbon ?
  • 3 1
 I guess... but typing out an overused comment that's not funny anymore? now there's your problem.
  • 1 3
 Looks like a session bro







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