Bike Check: Anita & Caro Gehrig's Fleet of Norco Bicycles

Dec 2, 2020
by Sarah Moore  
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Anita and Caro Gehrig might race the Enduro World Series on their Norco Sights, but they also have a Norco Aurum DH Bike, an Optic trail bike, a Sight VLT eMTB, a Rampage dirt jumper, and a Section gravel bike each for training on. That's a total of six bikes, each! We look at how the Swiss twins set up each one of their bikes and why they need so many bikes in their fleet.


bigquotesA farmer has more than one animal in the stable usually, there is a full selection of colorful feathered animals, cows, sheep, and the usual unfriendly guard dog. Just like our stable of bikes really...

As mountain bike pros, we enjoy some privileges and the best of all is a big fleet of different bikes. With Norco we have a bike sponsor who has a complete range of bikes that allows us to live our passion for two-wheels in all variations. From racehorse to fun trailblazer, we have the tools to enjoy the different disciplines cycling has to offer. Whether it is a multi-day gravel trip or the gnarly Enduro World Series races.
Anita Gehrig

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Anita Gehrig
Team: Norco Enduro Racing
Hometown: Laax Switzerland
Height: 180
Weight: 73kg
Age: 33
Instagram: @anitagehrig
Caro Gehrig
Team: Norco Enduro Racing
Hometown: Laax Switzerland
Height: 178
Weight: 72kg
Age: 33
Instagram: @caro_gehrig


Sponsors: Norco Bicycles I La Marzocco I WTB I DT Swiss I Leatt I Laax I Komoot I FOX I Magura I Uvex I E13 I Deity I Cushcore I Garmin I Crankbrothers I Acros I Joes No Flats I Camelbak I TranZBag I Zuya I Indiansummer I Elite Training


Norco Sight
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The Gehrig twins race the Norco Sight in the Enduro World Series, and they say it is by far their most ridden bike. Anita Gehrig rode the Sight to a 4th place finish in the twin's backyard at the abbreviated EWS Zermatt this year and to a 5th place finish at EWS Finale Ligure.


Details:
Bike frame size: L / 29"
Fork: Fox 36 2021 160mm
Settings: HSC 7, LSC 12, HSR 5, LSR 6
Pressure: 68 + Tokens: 2

Rear Shock: Fox Float X2 2021 150mm
Settings: HSC 5 LSC 11 HSR 10 LSR 5
Pressure: 210 Tokens: 1

Handlebar: Anita Skywire 25mm rise 760mm / Caro Ridgeline 25mm rise 760mm
Stem length: 50mm
Brakes: Magura MT7 200/180 I Bruni Lever
Dropper post: Fox Transfer 175mm
Drivetrain: SRAM XO1 Eagle I E13 Cranks LG1 Race I E13 TRS plus 9-50T
Chainring size: 32T
Crank length: 170mm
Pedals: Crankborthers Mallet E
Wheels: DT Swiss EXC 1501 Spline One
Tires: WTB Verdict 2.5 High grip tough front, Judge 2.4 fast-rolling tough
Tire pressure (F+R): 1.35 bar I 1.55 bar
Tire inserts: Cushcore XC rear

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Norco Aurum
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The twins say they choose the Aurum to tackle big jumps, rock gardens, and anything a World Cup DH track throws at it. With bike parks opening very late this year, the twins didn’t spend much time on the Aurum, but after the short EWS season, they tried to catch up on some big bike time and managed to race some Downhill races to finish up the season.

Caro Gehrig rode the Norco Aurum to a silver medal at the Swiss Championships behind World Champion Camille Balanche to end the season on a high.

Details:
Bike frame size: M/L (long setting) I 29"
Fork: Fox 49
Settings: HSC 12, LSC 6, HSR 6, LSR 5
Pressure: 65 PSI Tokens: 2

Rear Shock: Fox DH X2
Coilspring 450
Settings: HSC 11, LSC 9, HSR 11, LSR 9

Handlebar: Deity Racepoint 25mm rise- 780mm wide
Grips: Deity Supracush
Stem length: 50mm
Brakes: Magura MT7 200/200 I Bruni Lever
Drivetrain: SRAM X01 DH Drivetrain I E13 Cranks LG1 Race
Chainring size: 36T
Crank length: 165mm
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH
Wheels: DT Swiss FR 1950
Tire pressure (F+R): 1.4 bar - 1.6 bar
Tire inserts: Cushcore Pro rear

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Norco Optic
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The Gehrigs call the Norco Optic their small bike since they've built it up to be a fair bit lighter than our Enduro race rig. They use it on long rides, fast and flowy trails, and for interval training. They even also used it in their first-ever Dual Slalom race at Crankworx Innsbruck.

Details:
Bike frame size: L / 29"

Fork: Fox 34 -140mm travel
Settings: Compression 12, Rebound 14
Pressure: 68PSI Tokens: 1

Rear Shock: Fox Float DPX2 - 125mm travel
Settings: Compression 11, Rebound 6
Pressure: 230 PSI

Handlebar: Deity Skywire 760mm
Stem length: 50mm
Brakes: Magura MT8 180/160
Dropper post length: 175mm
Drivetrain: SRAM XO1 Eagle
Chainring size: 32T
Cranks: E13 XCX Race 170mm
Pedals: Crankbrothers Candy
Wheels: DT Swiss XMC1200
Tires: WTB Verdict high grip light, WTB Vigilante tough

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Norco Sight VLT
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The Gehrigs claim to have ridden over 1,000km on their eMTBs this season. The highlight being a massive day on Portail de Fully where they climbed 2,000 vertical meters over 55km.

With Anita nursing a knee injury right now, she says this bike was the perfect recovery tool since it let her jump straight back in without stressing her knee. The twins also say it's saved them from taking the car on many occasions.

Details:
Fork: Fox 36
Settings: HSC 15 , LSC 12, HSR 7, LSR 8
Pressure: 82 PSI Tokens: 2

Rear Shock: Fox Float DPX2
Settings: Compression 11, Rebound 7
Pressure: 240 PSI

Cockpit: Ridgeline 25mm rise 760mm
Stem length: 50mm
Brakes: Magura MT5 eSTOP 200/200
Dropper post length: 175mm
Drivetrain: SRAM X01 Eagle
Chainring size: 32T
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH
Motor: Shimano E8000 STEPS - 630Wh in-tube battery
Wheels: DT Swiss HX 1501 Spline
Tires: WTB Verdict 2.5 high grip tough, WTB Judge 2.4 fast rolling tough
Tire pressure (F+R): 1.4 bar, 1.6 bar
Tire inserts: rear Cushcore XC

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Norco Rampage
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The Gehrigs live in Switzerland, with a number of pump tracks close by. For pumping and jumping, they use the Rampage. What's not to love about summer evenings riding the pump track with friends?

Details:
Bike frame size: L I 26"
Suspension: Fox 34 - 100mm travel
Cockpit: Deity
Brakes: Magura MT8 180/160
Drivetrain: Singlespeed
Wheels: DT Swiss EX 471
Favourite Pumptrack: Domat Ems and Flims 





Norco Section
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For big endurance days, the Gehrigs use the Section gravel bike on big training rides with lots of climbing, but where they might want to explore beyond the end of the pavement. In the mountain region of Graubünden where the twins live, they say flat rides are nearly impossible if you don't want to end up in boredom and ride the same way twice. As a result, pretty much every ride ends up being 1,000 + vertical meters.

As you may have suspected, the twins say there is a correlation between an increase in time spent on the Section and broken hands. Caro cycled 658km with 14,050 vertical meters of elevation on the Route des Grandes Alpes from Geneva to Nice when she was unable to mountain bike with an injury.

Details:
Bike frame size: 58
Groupset: Ultegra Disc
Drivetrain: Shimano Ultegra I Cassette 11-36
Wheels: DT Swiss CRC 1400
Tires: WTB Expand 32C I Exposure 30C



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Credits: Coni Lärchi for the beautiful farm settings and Balz Weber for the pictures.

Author Info:
sarahmoore avatar

Member since Mar 30, 2011
1,305 articles

84 Comments
  • 94 0
 forget the bikes, wood shed envy
  • 9 0
 Yeah I want a building check of those!
  • 6 0
 Ha! Exactly what my immediate thoughts were. Love old wooden Swiss chalets.
  • 4 0
 basically any shed looks like that in the area of the alps. Wink
  • 9 1
 U mean they should be riding for morewood?
  • 2 1
 @kcy4130: haha that'd be interesting, the swiss huts can handle alot of snow!
  • 41 1
 Cat check?
  • 3 0
 Enjoys food and sleep will scratch if enticed
  • 26 1
 Why do I feel like I just browsed through a Norco brochure?
  • 20 0
 Fantastic paint jobs on those bikes.

I am curious to know which bike the cat rides?
  • 5 0
 Don't forget the Cows too.
  • 3 0
 @klerric: and chickens
  • 9 0
 I don't think the cat rides any of the bikes, but I've heard it can shred the couch
  • 1 0
 @pepsimax: Haha!!
  • 11 0
 That Sight paint! I know their builds are almost identical but I was still surprised that their suspension settings were the same. Not even a couple of psi or click difference to account for different riding styles and preferences.
  • 42 0
 Twinning all the way... ;-) This setup is our base setting, it varies slightly throughout the year and Caro would run her rebound a bit faster than I usually. She runs her cockpit a bit different but only slightly. Tokens in the fork can vary too, depending the terrain and feeling on the bike.
Caro is more confident on the DH bike and rides it more often than I, so I would generally just copy her settings.
  • 4 0
 @Anita1: That makes much more sense now. Thanks for taking the time to explain.
  • 3 0
 @Anita1: I find it interesting as a twin myself. My brother and I are almost exact on tire pressure, but bar rise, saddle setback, and our preference for SRAM (me) and Shimano (my brother) differ.
  • 3 0
 @Anita1: I am a identical twin and we both ride in colorado. I always wonder how it is to be a twin girl with the same hobbies. My brother and I already get alot of weird looks and questions. Do the two of you get the same thing? Also if you are ever in colorado we would be honored to get our asses kicked by girls and the after ride beers on us.
Cheers!
  • 2 0
 @Cspringsrider: Aww awesome to hear, another shredding Twins couple. haha I guess we get weird looks but we are probably too used to it, when I see other twins wearing the same shit I find it funky myself but our team kit and gear is pretty identical so people must think we are weird.. ;-)
I hope we can make it to Colorado again, the riding there is so sick!!
  • 2 0
 @Anita1: if you ever make it this way you know where I am at lol. I am just glad to see twins. We try not to wear the same stuff but not alot of companies make gear in our sizes. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Looks like there are still good people in the world cheers!
  • 11 0
 I just want to know how to get a La Marzocco sponsorship
  • 17 0
 hahah, well goood luck!! I'm just gonna get another coffee in the meantime... ;-)
  • 6 0
 You'd probably need to properly represent them in every single video with the appropriate feel good vibes to match. I haven't seen anyone do that better than the Gehrig twins.
  • 9 0
 Damn, I wanna' live in the Alps...
  • 2 0
 This. Best. Lives.
  • 8 0
 @oatkinso yep, but with doggo. Nice Bouvier Bernois !
  • 6 0
 Are these twins too?
  • 1 0
 @vinay: think so !
  • 1 0
 @vinay:
Seriously adorable doges
  • 6 0
 Can we get more info on the kitty?
  • 2 0
 Damn. Amazing quiver of bicycles. Doubly amazing that they keep so many in a wooden shack.

Down here at 1000 feet above sea level, we get enough bike theft to support a 24/7 network airing nothing but Nest camera footage of stuff being stolen.

Evidently, thin air and Toblerone are the cure for bicycle theft.
  • 6 0
 best specced and best looking Norco Rampage I've ever seen
  • 4 0
 That chrome or what ever color that is awesome! Perks of being a pro o guess, sweetass paint jobs.
  • 1 0
 Hi, curious about the tire pressure on the sight with the cushcore.. I am a small female, and run it quite a bit lower (60-70 psi) without the cushcore, but would a higher pressure make more sense for enduro with the inserts? Just wondering about feel and handling and if it's worth switching up.. or is it because you guys have a high rebound setting? Thanks for the advice! Your bikes are sweeeeet.
  • 1 0
 We are riding 1.35 - 1.45 Bar in the front (no inserts, tough casing) and 1.5-1.6 Bar in the back with Cushcore XC and tough casing in the back. Generally with an insert you can drop the tire pressure significantly as it will still keep the tire out and avoid tire burping. I wouldn't wanna go too low with pressure as I don't like the feeling of a folding over tire at high speeds really. Hope this helps! ;-)
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH: Thanks for the response!
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH: ps you have a fan for life!
  • 1 0
 Really curious about the performance/feel of the cushcore XC in the rear of the Sight.
Been thinking of making the addition to the rear of my bike as well, as I think the pro might be too much....

Anyone?
  • 11 0
 We really like the performance of the Cushcore XC as it's adding a fair bit of extra damping. Also it helps to keep the tire out if case you still get a flat tire, definitely key to make it to the finish line of an Enduro race. We are not riding the DH version in Enduro simply because it's heavier and also we are not confident enough to be able to actually get it out in case we'd need to put a tube in... #girlsbegirls
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH: Appreciate the reply,
Really prefer running the lighter weight tires, but the extra support would be welcome.
Pulling the trigger.
Good luck in the upcoming season, keep kicking ass out there!
  • 2 0
 I wonder how big the sister rivalry is. But judging by the good vibes it seems more like a "build off each other" kind of relationship.
  • 3 0
 Soooo, obvously we are siblings and it would be weird if there wouldn't be any rivalry at all. We definitely help progress each other through that just because you still kinda wanna be better/faster than your twin. But in the end we can profit so much from each other and always have a fast riding buddy to shred with. Therefore it would be silly to be too competitive with each other. So we are just trying to have mainly good times together, haha!! ;-)

PS: I still hope to kick her ass at the next EWS for suuuuure!!)
  • 3 0
 Has the Norco Range been discontinued?
  • 1 0
 new one being released fairly soon'ish
  • 3 0
 We need an episode of "Cribs" for them. It looks beautiful!
  • 1 0
 Very cool to see the unique pro setups. How much does the Optic weigh all built up? I wonder how snappy it is on the climbs compared to more focused xc bikes.
  • 1 0
 My Optic weighs 13.5kg incl. pedals, no light tires on it tho as the rocks here are too sharp. Pedal performance is awesome and more so is the descending capability, this bike is capable and comfortable. I never ride a XC bike so it's hard to say but I guess it's more on the trail side- do it all machine.
  • 1 0
 @Anita1: Thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions! I also just got an Optic... curious how much sag that 230 psi gets you, in %.
  • 3 0
 Love that Norco Sight....looks the business...
  • 1 0
 Must feel weird getting on a DH bike that is so much shorter than your pedal bike. Surprised they didnt go with the largest size.
  • 3 0
 Gravel, yeah!
  • 1 0
 Norco went to high on leverage ratio look at the pressures they run on the Optic...
  • 1 0
 I guess the high pressure is because the DPX2 has a relatively small air chamber volume. Small air volume means higher pressure is necessary.
  • 2 0
 I wish I could get my identical twin into downhill like they are!
  • 1 0
 Hello ,nice bikes ,can you please tell me what support piece does that garmin on the stem uses ,thanks
  • 1 0
 It's a K-Edge mount
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH: thank you
  • 1 0
 Dear Norco, Awsome bikes I will accept 1 Sight please... and continue in my roll as brand ambassador.
  • 2 0
 I just wish Norco would start selling the Optic as a frameset...
  • 1 0
 They do...
  • 1 0
 @larry-mclush: No they don't? I checked their website just now and there's no Optic frameset.

Man, your comment had me hoping for a second...
  • 2 0
 @BenTheSwabian: yep Norco sales optic frame set. it my not be available in Europe....
  • 1 0
 The could share each of the bikes...but never ride together Frown
  • 1 0
 Fork on the Rampages bike is a 26"Fox 36 831 100mm, not a 34
  • 2 2
 I have six bikes (that I paid for), thought everyone did??
  • 1 1
 The front tire on the road bike is the WTB Expanse, not the Expand.
  • 1 1
 One bike in OK working order, two to three in poor working order. Right?
  • 1 2
 Are they Twins? ha!
  • 3 0
 Can't get more twin than this, right down to the twin bikes and even twin dogs...
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