Bike Check: The Gehrig Twins' Norco Ranges

Jun 25, 2021
by Alicia Leggett  

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BIKE CHECK
The Gehrig Twins'
Norco Ranges
Photography by Andy Vathis

The cat's out of the bag with the new Norco Range, and this week the Gehrig twins have been testing it out in real-world gnar at the first two EWS races of the season in Val di Fassa, Italy. Caro and Anita rode the bike to 7th and 13th place, respectively, in Wednesday's season opener, and were back out with it today.

Anita unfortunately had a crash that took her out of the running, and we wish her all the best in her recovery. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing what Caro can pull off this weekend.

The 2022 Norco Range is a carbon 29er with 170mm of rear suspension. It's compatible with dual crown forks up to 180mm, meaning it's yet another modern bike that starts to blur the boundaries between all-day adventure bike, bike park crusher, and mini-DH rig, though it does emphasize speed over playability. While versatile, the Norco Range doesn't pretend to be anything other than an enduro race bike. Let's take a look.

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She's a looker.

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Anita Gehrig
Team: Norco Factory Team
Hometown: Laax Switzerland
Height: 180cm / 5'11"
Weight: 74kg / 163 lb
Age: 33
Instagram: @anitagehrig
Caro Gehrig
Team: Norco Factory Team
Hometown: Laax Switzerland
Height: 180 / 5'11"
Weight: 74kg / 163 lb
Age: 33
Instagram: @caro_gehrig

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Norco Range Details
Frame: 2022 Norco Range, size L
Travel: 170mm F and R
Shock: Fox Factory DHX2, 450lb spring, LSC 13 / HSC 3 / LSR 11 / HSR 3
Fork: Fox Float 38 Factory Grip2 170mm, 88psi, 2 tokens, LSC 14 / HSC 8 / LSR 5 / HSR 4
Rims: DT Swiss EXC 1200 Spline 30mm
Hubs: DT Swiss Ratchet EXP 36
Spokes: DT Swiss DT Aerolite F / DT Aero Comp R
Tires: Kenda Hellkat AGC 2.4 1.35 bar F / Pinner AGC 2.4 1.55 bar R
Tire insert: CushCore XC, rear only
Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle X01 shifter, GX derailleur, XX1 cassette, X01 chain
Cranks: Raceface Next R with 32t chainring
Brakes: Magura MT7 with Loic Bruni HC levers and 200mm rotors
Stem: Deity Copperhead 50mm
Anita's bars: Deity Skywire Carbon 35, 25mm rise, 760mm width
Caro's bars: Deity Ridgeline Alloy 35, 25mm rise, 760mm width
Grips: Deity Lockjaw
Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet E for Caro and Mallet E LS (long spindle) for Anita
More info: norco.com

bigquotesThe first ride on the Range got me really excited, I felt immediately that this bike is exactly what we need to race the burly and long EWS tracks. At first I was a bit afraid the big machine wouldn't climb so well but after taking it to one of our most technical climbs at home and making it up sections I never conquered before I knew that this bike is the most capable machine I have ever ridden!—Caro Gehrig

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It's a mix of SRAM XO1, XX1, and GX parts for the twins' electronic drivetrains.

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Some personal touches add flair (and help us distinguish between two almost identical bikes).

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170mm of Fox squish front and rear puts these bikes near the upper end of the travel spectrum for top EWS racers' bikes.

bigquotesThe new Range is a pure breed enduro race machine - it literally eats up the trail and feels best going fast AF! I felt comfortable right away on it, it is confidence inspiring and really fun to ride. Excited to get to know it inside out and increase my speed on it.—Anita Gehrig

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These ladies are out to make Switzerland proud.

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Protection from DYEDBRO preserves the custom team edition paint (and the sparkles).

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Raceface Next R cranks help keep the weight reasonable.

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That's a Fizik Alpaca saddle on a 200mm Fox Transfer post. A shim is in place to allow the 31.6mm post to fit correctly in the 34.9mm seat tube.

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It's another high pivot enduro bike, and it is very, very attractive.


Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Bike Checks Enduro Bikes Norco Norco Range Anita Gehrig Caro Gehrig EWS Val Di Fassa 2021 PBWMN


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74 Comments
  • 157 4
 Not only twins … they are also BOTH 33 years old !
  • 11 2
 IKR?!!! gosh thats crazy, what are the odds of THAT!!
  • 49 1
 Thank god one was born with a green jersey and one with black or they would be impossible to tell apart
  • 9 1
 Do you think that they have the same sign as well?
  • 8 1
 And they ride virtually the same bike
  • 6 0
 @Vudu74: one loves world peace, the other rock n roll
  • 11 0
 Same weight is kind of interesting. Do they eat the same amount of cheese and chocolate?
  • 3 0
 Same height and weight too
  • 1 0
 @Vudu74: They are the breeze, one single plop....
  • 8 0
 I'm curious how Norco decides if a bike gets an Aluminum chainstay or a carbon one. On a bike like this you would think they would go Aluminum, but they went carbon fiber. On their optic, their lightweight bike, they went with aluminum.
  • 44 0
 Only two sides on the coin they flip. Dont worry, i sent them a D&D dice set. Its gonna get spicy.
  • 3 2
 $$$ - that how it os being
  • 5 1
 Norco stated, carbon was due to a shape needed for the stays. Whatever that means.
  • 1 0
 @dmik: I feel like they should have done the same for the optic
  • 3 0
 @dmik: On this one this could make sense : With the way the chainstays are attached to the link at the BB and to the seatstay, doing it in aluminium may require most of the chainstay to be cast or CNC'd with just a mere 20 cm of actual "tube" in between, so going carbon may allow to do a more complex shape without having too much weight.
  • 6 0
 Without a lower guide there must be about 7 or 8 teeth in contact with the chain (on the chainring). Is that enough?
I notice most high pivot bikes have a lower guide to increase chain wrap. This is the first one I’ve noticed without one.
  • 3 0
 Deviate Highlander and Cannondale Jekyll also don't have one, it probably is enough.
  • 3 0
 There appears to be a small guide, but it isn't pulling the chain up for increased wrap.
  • 5 0
 Adding the lower guide to wrap creates quite a bit more drag, added to the upper pulley, that can get very noticeable. That lower guide they have on there means you won’t be dropping chains. Really it just comes down to how much power those chainrings can handle with that few teeth engaged. Some5hing tells these two are putting down more than most, so it should be more than fine for most riders.
  • 3 0
 That's less chain wrap than we'd have at work on a car timing drive. Not going to be great for ring or chain life. The poor clutch is going to get a proper workout with the growth in the lower chain span too. Probably not enough links in a standard chain to have high pivot idler with lower idler though.
  • 2 0
 @mountainsofsussex: I didn’t think if that. The clutch won’t last long I wouldn’t have thought. Is still have this bike though
  • 2 1
 This is extreme armchairing but I speculate since neither chains nor chainrings have a lot of elasticity, most power must be transferred through the first (top on a regular bike) few teeth/links...

I actually and pushed on a crank, and worked clockwise around the chainring pulling on the chain to check its tension. By the time I got 6 teeth away from the top, it was quite free. That's only a hand push and obviously doesn't compare to a sprint power output.

So, maybe there is potential to wear chainrings a bit faster than usual but if it's a race bike it could be a worthwhile tradeoff. If not racing, one could go with a steel chainring for the first replacement.
  • 5 1
 I love how I think my fox 36 is enough at 210 lbs and in most these bike checks, riders much lighter than me have fox 38.
I guess I need a fox 38

Is it a gx derailler because an XO1 should be in stock oct 2022 ?
  • 6 0
 try June 2023.
  • 3 17
flag code26 (Jun 25, 2021 at 22:19) (Below Threshold)
 Betcha its a 36 branded as a 38...
  • 1 3
 Isn't the GX rear mech better? Not sure how it works with SRAM but usually with Shimano they first release XTR and they use the input and experience to develop the XT that is better than XTR. The only thing the expensive series then have over the workhorse stuff is the lower weight.
  • 3 0
 If there was a dual crown that turned they'd be on that. Theyll be developed bc E bikes soon enough.
  • 1 0
 GX as XO1 hurts more in the wallet if you ripp it off... Simple as that... Same rason as for most people that choose GX over XO1 I guess! ;-)
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH: Clear! Hope you'll soon be riding together again!
  • 5 0
 Legend is the sisters can sense each others line choice even when miles apart.
  • 4 1
 Too bad about the differing pedal spindle lengths, now we will never conclusively know if aluminum or carbon bars are superior based on race results.
  • 4 0
 Is there a build weight for each??
  • 2 0
 Probably 40
  • 13 0
 74 kg for each.
  • 2 0
 @roliK: 74.8 because carbon crank arms lol
  • 3 0
 I was trying very hard to find a scale in Canazei but literally no team would carry one... ;-) Will update as soon as I find one!
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH: it's ok. Guessing is more fun
  • 1 0
 Enduro bikes are basically rebirthing freeride bikes given the amount of travel and weight and the fact that they can go dual crown. Seems like we've almost gone "full enduro" if you know what I mean. Smile
  • 3 0
 Those are XX1 chains, not X01. Just sayin'.
  • 4 1
 And it looks like you'd need two chains per bike
  • 1 0
 @radney: I can't recall how many links these bikes ship with but the Range doesn't require more than 1 full 126 link Sram chain.
  • 2 0
 @radthaaad: looks decevinly long
  • 3 0
 @radney: One full chain is enough!
  • 4 0
 Norco FTW
  • 3 0
 Nice tube but wereis the pump?
  • 2 0
 CO2's in jerseys or stash pouches?
  • 2 0
 CO2 my friend!
  • 3 0
 That’s a dam good looking bike!
  • 3 0
 Bike looks sick!!

Any weights?
  • 3 0
 I had no idea they were so tall.
  • 5 0
 Anita is 1.80m and I'm 1.78m to be exact. We are also called Twin Towers... ;-)
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH have you guys tested/timed riding the medium instead of the large yet?
  • 1 0
 Is the bb push fit or threaded?
  • 3 4
 I think it's threaded, like the rest of their bikes.
  • 4 0
 @onetrykid: the optic is a press fit.
  • 4 0
 @onetrykid: My Sight is PF as well.
  • 2 0
 The first ride said press fit
  • 1 0
 Threaded shell & PF BB
  • 3 2
 Sexy AF, the bikes that is
  • 1 0
 Love the Aston Martin green.
  • 1 0
 Same same but different
  • 1 1
 And orange forks are still a thing Frown
  • 1 1
 I was excited to see different set-up between twins. My bad
  • 3 0
 I ride my bike only slightly different to Anitas.
For me it's always Alloy Handlebars, normal spindle Mallet E pedals (she rides LS) and suspension a little faster usually. But as we had so little time on the new bike we simply didn't have the time to test a lot on suspension...
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH: aah, thanks a lot for the explanation Caro. Do you feel alu bars more comfy or more trustful, what's your reason for that?

Good luck in the season!
  • 2 0
 @bok-CZ:

My hands are a bit more sensible to vibration since I broke them a couple times... Alu is comfier for me!
  • 1 0
 @Caro-DH: that's the reason I am asking, now I'm on carbon frame, wheels, cranks and bars and together I'd say it's a bit harsh so I'm thinking about get alu bars again. Thank you!
  • 2 4
 Pinkbike comment section: the place where self awareness comes to fester and rot
  • 3 5
 good looking...the bike is not bad either!
  • 1 0
 Thanks Wink
  • 2 5
 What no Mullets? Surely not?!
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