Review: 2024 Norco Sight - For All the Mountains
Norco aren't strangers to the world of high pivots – the Aurum HSP downhill bike kicked things off over six years ago, followed by the Shore and then the Range. The trickle-down continues for 2024 with the launch of the new Sight, along with its shorter travel sibling, the Optic.
The Sight retains its 150mm of rear travel and 160mm fork, but that rear suspension now comes courtesy of a high-pivot Horst link layout, with an idler pulley mounted on the chainstay. Norco's goal with the revised Sight was to use the lessons learned form the burlier Range to create a more maneuverable, pedal friendly option.
The Sight retains its 150mm of rear travel and 160mm fork, but that rear suspension now comes courtesy of a high-pivot Horst link layout, with an idler pulley mounted on the chainstay. Norco's goal with the revised Sight was to use the lessons learned form the burlier Range to create a more maneuverable, pedal friendly option.
Norco Sight C1 MX Details
• Wheel size: 29" or mixed (tested)
• Carbon frame (aluminum available)
• Travel: 150mm / 160mm fork
• 64º head angle
• 77.5º seat tube angle
• 428mm chainstays
• Weight: 35 lb / 15.9 kg kg (size 3)
• Price: $7,499 USD
• norco.com
• Wheel size: 29" or mixed (tested)
• Carbon frame (aluminum available)
• Travel: 150mm / 160mm fork
• 64º head angle
• 77.5º seat tube angle
• 428mm chainstays
• Weight: 35 lb / 15.9 kg kg (size 3)
• Price: $7,499 USD
• norco.com
I tested the C1 MX model ($7,499), which has a Fox 36 Factory fork, a DHX2 Factory coil shock, SRAM GX Transmission, Code RSC brakes, and Race Face Vault hubs laced to Stan's Flow S2 rims.
 | It's very predictable, delivering a calm ride without ever feeling dull or lethargic. In addition, the way it mutes landings off larger drops or into a chopped up section of trail is extremely enjoyable. |
Frame Details
The elevated chainstays and the idler pulley are the most immediately eyecatching features of the Sight, but the frame design itself is fairly straighforward, and has most of the little details you'd expect to find on modern trail / enduro bike. There's internal cable routing through the headtube (not the headset), room for a water bottle, and a tube / tool mount underneath the top tube. There's also frame protection on the downtube to prevent damage from shuttling or scree surfing.
The shock is driven by a rocker link that's mounted on the seat tube and driven by the chainstays, with a bearing mount at the lower eyelet for reduced friction. That lower shock mount is swappable depending on the wheel size a rider wants to run. The geometry between the 29” and mixed wheel models is nearly identical, except for the chainstay length – the chainstays are a little longer in the 29” setting.
Getting back to the idler design, the idler is sandwiched inside the chainstay, and there's a small guide extension that helps ensure the chain doesn't get knocked off line. There's also a custom chainguide that hugs the bottom of the chainring.
One feature that's missing is internal frame storage. I'd call that more of a nicety rather than a necessity, but it is becoming more and more common – Specialized, Trek, Santa Cruz, Rocky Mountain, and others all include built-in snack storage on their frames. That feature does add a few extra grams, and considering that the Sight isn't the lightest thing out there that may be one of the reasons it wasn't included.
![photo]()
![photo]()
The elevated chainstays and the idler pulley are the most immediately eyecatching features of the Sight, but the frame design itself is fairly straighforward, and has most of the little details you'd expect to find on modern trail / enduro bike. There's internal cable routing through the headtube (not the headset), room for a water bottle, and a tube / tool mount underneath the top tube. There's also frame protection on the downtube to prevent damage from shuttling or scree surfing.
The shock is driven by a rocker link that's mounted on the seat tube and driven by the chainstays, with a bearing mount at the lower eyelet for reduced friction. That lower shock mount is swappable depending on the wheel size a rider wants to run. The geometry between the 29” and mixed wheel models is nearly identical, except for the chainstay length – the chainstays are a little longer in the 29” setting.
Getting back to the idler design, the idler is sandwiched inside the chainstay, and there's a small guide extension that helps ensure the chain doesn't get knocked off line. There's also a custom chainguide that hugs the bottom of the chainring.
One feature that's missing is internal frame storage. I'd call that more of a nicety rather than a necessity, but it is becoming more and more common – Specialized, Trek, Santa Cruz, Rocky Mountain, and others all include built-in snack storage on their frames. That feature does add a few extra grams, and considering that the Sight isn't the lightest thing out there that may be one of the reasons it wasn't included.
Plenty of room for a water bottle, plus accessory bolts under the top tube.
Riders who want to go with a different rear wheel size will need to purchase the $135 Missing Link kit, which includes the lower shock mounts and rocker link.
Geometry
Norco has gone with numbered rather than t-shirt sizing for the Sight, and there are five sizes available. Reach numbers range from 422mm on a size 1 all the way up to 522 on a size 5. Other key numbers include a 64-degree head angle and a 77-78 degree seat tube angle that varies depending on the size – larger sizes get a steeper angle to keep taller riders from ending up too far over the rear wheel.
Norco was one of the early proponents of size specific chainstays, and that continues with the Sight. The chainstays on the mixed-wheel size 3 I tested measured 428mm, which is quite short, but that number does increase to 436mm at sag, and 445mm at the most rearward part of the axle path, which occurs around two-thirds of the way through the travel.
The seat tube lengths are also very short – even the largest size has a 445mm seat tube length, the same length you'd expect to find on a size large frame, providing plenty of room for riders to run the longest dropper post possible.
At 5'11” I fall right on the split between sizes, and in this case I chose to go with the 3 instead of a 4. I tend to prefer bikes with a reach number between 475 – 485mm, and a top tube length below 620mm, so going a little smaller seemed like the right move, and Norco's Ride Aligned robot agreed with my decision. I'll discuss how that played out later on in this review.
Suspension Design
Compared to old Sight, Norco reduced the leverage ratio and increased the amount of progression for more support and bottom-out resistance, which is good, since that was one of my gripes about that version – achieving a balanced setup wasn't that easy to achieve on the previous version.
As I mentioned in the geometry section, the axle path moves the rear wheel 12mm rearward before it starts moving forward for the remainder of the travel. Norco says that the more moderately rearward axle patch, as opposed to entirely rearward, helps reduce wheel hang up and makes the handling feel more natural.
According to Norco engineer Colin Ryan, "The idler is mounted to the chainstay separate from the main pivot shaft, which allowed us to fine tune the anti-squat characteristics to suit each bike's personality. We spent a considerable amount of time muling different idler locations for both bikes using swappable idler carrier plates that mounted to the chainstay. This allowed us to go beyond just looking at anti-squat curves on a computer screen and actually feel how these adjustments translated into different pedaling feel.
"The Sight idler location reduces anti-squat slightly compared to the Optic to bias it more towards traction on technical climbs and reduced feedback through the feet in rough sections of trail. We have licensed a patent from I-Track to be able to locate the idler on the chainstay, non-concentric relative to the main pivot.
The high pivot Horst link layout that we’ve designed the Sight and Optic around allows us to reduce anti-rise compared with a single pivot layout of a similar axle path. Anti-rise with these bikes does sit a bit higher than the outgoing models but we think we’ve been able to strike a good balance between countering weight shift to the front wheel when hard on the brakes and allowing the suspension to recover back to ride height without packing down through rough sections."
Compared to old Sight, Norco reduced the leverage ratio and increased the amount of progression for more support and bottom-out resistance, which is good, since that was one of my gripes about that version – achieving a balanced setup wasn't that easy to achieve on the previous version.
As I mentioned in the geometry section, the axle path moves the rear wheel 12mm rearward before it starts moving forward for the remainder of the travel. Norco says that the more moderately rearward axle patch, as opposed to entirely rearward, helps reduce wheel hang up and makes the handling feel more natural.
According to Norco engineer Colin Ryan, "The idler is mounted to the chainstay separate from the main pivot shaft, which allowed us to fine tune the anti-squat characteristics to suit each bike's personality. We spent a considerable amount of time muling different idler locations for both bikes using swappable idler carrier plates that mounted to the chainstay. This allowed us to go beyond just looking at anti-squat curves on a computer screen and actually feel how these adjustments translated into different pedaling feel.
"The Sight idler location reduces anti-squat slightly compared to the Optic to bias it more towards traction on technical climbs and reduced feedback through the feet in rough sections of trail. We have licensed a patent from I-Track to be able to locate the idler on the chainstay, non-concentric relative to the main pivot.
The high pivot Horst link layout that we’ve designed the Sight and Optic around allows us to reduce anti-rise compared with a single pivot layout of a similar axle path. Anti-rise with these bikes does sit a bit higher than the outgoing models but we think we’ve been able to strike a good balance between countering weight shift to the front wheel when hard on the brakes and allowing the suspension to recover back to ride height without packing down through rough sections."
| Specifications | ||
| Release Date | 2024 | |
| Price | $7499 | |
| Travel | 150mm | |
| Rear Shock | Fox Factory DHX2 Coil, 60x205mm trunnion, Sprindex spring | |
| Fork | Fox Factory FLOAT 36, 160mm | |
| Headset | FSA #57 E Sealed Bearing | |
| Cassette | SRAM Eagle T-Type 1275 10-52T | |
| Crankarms | SRAM GX Eagle T-Type, 32T, 170mm | |
| Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB BSA Threaded | |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM GX Eagle AXS T-Type | |
| Chain | SRAM GX Eagle T-Type | |
| Shifter Pods | SRAM Pod Ultimate Controller | |
| Handlebar | Deity Ridgeline 35, 800mm, 25mm Rise | |
| Stem | Alloy CNC, 40mm Length. 35mm Clamp | |
| Grips | DMR DeathGrip | |
| Brakes | SRAM Code Silver Stealth | |
| Hubs | Race Face Vault | |
| Rim | Stan’s Flow S2 | |
| Tires | Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5’,EXO+ / Minion DHR II 2.4” MaxxTerra / EXO+ | |
| Seat | SDG Bel Air V3 | |
| Seatpost | One Up adjustable dropper | |
Test Bike Setup
Norco's Ride Aligned calculator continues to be one of the best around, and it's a welcome alternative to the companies who don't offer any sort of initial suspension settings, leaving it to the consumer to figure out how the get the most out of their fancy new rig.
Enter your weight and height into the calculator and it'll spit out the recommended frame size, fork and shock pressures, and it even covers bar with and tire pressures. Of course, those are all just places to start, and personal preference will affect the final numbers, but my final settings did end up being very close to what Norco recommends. That equated to 83 psi in the 36 with one volume spacer installed, and the Sprindex turned to 460 lb.
The Sight has a very short seat tube length, especially for riders like myself who sit on one end of the sizing spectrum. At my preferred seat height there was a serious amount of fixed post showing, even with the stock 210mm OneUp post. I was still above the minimum insertion amount, but just barely, which seemed like good motivation to try OneUp's 240mm options. It turns out 240mm of drop is more than I prefer (I swear, I'm not Goldilocks), so I shimmed it down to 220mm and all was right with the world.
Norco's Ride Aligned calculator continues to be one of the best around, and it's a welcome alternative to the companies who don't offer any sort of initial suspension settings, leaving it to the consumer to figure out how the get the most out of their fancy new rig.
Enter your weight and height into the calculator and it'll spit out the recommended frame size, fork and shock pressures, and it even covers bar with and tire pressures. Of course, those are all just places to start, and personal preference will affect the final numbers, but my final settings did end up being very close to what Norco recommends. That equated to 83 psi in the 36 with one volume spacer installed, and the Sprindex turned to 460 lb.
The Sight has a very short seat tube length, especially for riders like myself who sit on one end of the sizing spectrum. At my preferred seat height there was a serious amount of fixed post showing, even with the stock 210mm OneUp post. I was still above the minimum insertion amount, but just barely, which seemed like good motivation to try OneUp's 240mm options. It turns out 240mm of drop is more than I prefer (I swear, I'm not Goldilocks), so I shimmed it down to 220mm and all was right with the world.
Mike Kazimer
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA
Height: 5'11" / 180cm
Inseam: 33" / 84cm
Weight: 160 lbs / 72.6 kg
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Instagram: @mikekazimer
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA
Height: 5'11" / 180cm
Inseam: 33" / 84cm
Weight: 160 lbs / 72.6 kg
Industry affiliations / sponsors: None
Instagram: @mikekazimer
Testing Info
Testing took place over the last three months in Bellingham, Washington, and Vancouver, BC. Trail conditions ranged from perfectly tacky to frozen solid and everything in between. The Sight is capable of handling a huge variety of terrain, but this Trailforks loop is typical of the terrain ridden during testing – some techy climbing followed by a classic Shore descent.
Climbing
It’s easy to pigeonhole a high pivot bike as being optimized for downhill performance – there's something about that idler pulley that screams “downhill machine” no matter how much travel a bike has, but that rearward axle path (and the coil shock) also pay dividends on technical climbs. The Sight does a great job of smoothing out chunky, steplike sections of trail, free from the micro wheel bounces or tire spin-outs that can put a halt to upward progress.
I occasionally used the climb switch to calm things down a little on logging road spins or other times when the terrain was fairly smooth, but otherwise, the slight amount of extra movement never bothered me.
Other than the super short seat tube leaving a lot of post extending skyward, the rest of the Sight's dimensions felt great on the climbs – the seat tube angle is steep enough that I didn't need to slam my seat forward on the rails, and the seated position was comfortably upright without putting too much weight on my hands.
The Sight's wheelbase is very manageable, making well suited to slow speed, tight, awkward moves. This could potentially be a technical climber’s dream machine, although maybe not in the traditional sense. Hardtail-like efficiency is often touted as the holy grail, but traction is really the key to solving uphill puzzles, especially if there’s sufficient support to keep the back end from sagging like a worn out mattress.
As with almost every idler-equipped bike, the extra pulley wheel does add some extra noise. Making sure the chain is well lubed helps, but there’s no getting around the fact that this design is louder than a non-idler equipped layout, a fact that's most noticeable on those longer grinds when you're trying to focus on something other than the sound of your own breathing.
The Sight also isn't the lightest thing around – 35 pounds is closer to what you'd expect for an aluminum bike, not a full carbon machine. I've been riding a bunch of kinda heavy bikes lately, so the weight never bothered me, but for the gram counters it's something to keep in mind. It'd be pretty easy to knock some weight off with an air shock and lighter wheels, although realistically I never felt that the weight was slowing me down.
![photo]()
It’s easy to pigeonhole a high pivot bike as being optimized for downhill performance – there's something about that idler pulley that screams “downhill machine” no matter how much travel a bike has, but that rearward axle path (and the coil shock) also pay dividends on technical climbs. The Sight does a great job of smoothing out chunky, steplike sections of trail, free from the micro wheel bounces or tire spin-outs that can put a halt to upward progress.
I occasionally used the climb switch to calm things down a little on logging road spins or other times when the terrain was fairly smooth, but otherwise, the slight amount of extra movement never bothered me.
Other than the super short seat tube leaving a lot of post extending skyward, the rest of the Sight's dimensions felt great on the climbs – the seat tube angle is steep enough that I didn't need to slam my seat forward on the rails, and the seated position was comfortably upright without putting too much weight on my hands.
The Sight's wheelbase is very manageable, making well suited to slow speed, tight, awkward moves. This could potentially be a technical climber’s dream machine, although maybe not in the traditional sense. Hardtail-like efficiency is often touted as the holy grail, but traction is really the key to solving uphill puzzles, especially if there’s sufficient support to keep the back end from sagging like a worn out mattress.
As with almost every idler-equipped bike, the extra pulley wheel does add some extra noise. Making sure the chain is well lubed helps, but there’s no getting around the fact that this design is louder than a non-idler equipped layout, a fact that's most noticeable on those longer grinds when you're trying to focus on something other than the sound of your own breathing.
The Sight also isn't the lightest thing around – 35 pounds is closer to what you'd expect for an aluminum bike, not a full carbon machine. I've been riding a bunch of kinda heavy bikes lately, so the weight never bothered me, but for the gram counters it's something to keep in mind. It'd be pretty easy to knock some weight off with an air shock and lighter wheels, although realistically I never felt that the weight was slowing me down.
Descending
My first ride on the Sight took place on Vancouver's North Shore, a fitting location considering that it's where a good portion of the bike's development took place. The Shore isn't quite as awkward and janky as it once was, but there's still no shortage of rocky, slower speed testpieces, which is where the Sight really shines. I made sure to feed it a few skinnies too, for old time's sake, and it handled those cedar sculptures very well.
The Sight's axle path is well managed, and it never felt like it was too rearward, a trait that can make some high pivot bikes feel a little strange in corners or when trying to get airborne. It's very predictable, delivering a calm ride without ever feeling dull or lethargic. In addition, the way it mutes landings off larger drops or into a chopped up section of trail is extremely enjoyable.
I never found myself wishing for more travel either – the overall handling of the bike feels more 'all-mountainy' to me. That's the same category I'd put a bike like Specialized's Stumpjumper EVO, or the Canyon Spectral. Those are bikes that can handle just about any type of descent, but don't feel like too much bike on more rolling terrain. Norco has the Range in their lineup for riders looking for what's essentially a pedalable downhill bike.
Its handling reminds me a lot of the Kavenz VHP16 I reviewed a few years ago, which isn't surprising when looking at their geometry figures. Both bikes have a surprising amount of quickness to their handling, and are ideal for navigating extra-awkward trails without getting stalled out in a tight corner.
The Sight's chainstay length starts at 428mm, grows to 436mm at sag, and maxes out at 445mm. Personally, I wouldn't have minded if those chainstays were a bit longer, if only to capitalize on the Sight's bump-erasing potential. I have a feeling that longer chainstays would add some stability and give it an even more locked-in feel while cornering. At times I felt like I was perched above the bike, rather than being centered and secure between the wheels. The bottom bracket height may have been a contributing factor here too - at 353mm it's on the taller side; for reference, that's 10mm or so higher than mixed-wheel bikes like the Transition Patrol or Santa Cruz Bronson.
Could the Sight work as an enduro race bike? It sure could, and running a longer stroke shock (65mm instead of the stock 60mm) and a 170mm fork would increase its bump-swallowing abilities even further. Going with the 29” wheel will give it a slightly bigger on-trail presence as well.
How Does It Compare?
The Specialized Stumpjumper EVO is another good example of a versatile all-mountain rig, a bike that's not quite a full-on enduro sled, but it's also not really a trail bike either. It was last updated in 2021, but the adjustability Specialized baked in has allowed it to remain very relevant. The fit of a S4 Stumpy EVO and a size 3 Sight is fairly similar - the reach numbers are in the low 470 range, and the head angle is around 64-degrees. I do prefer the taller stack and steeper seat angle of the Sight - that creates a more upright, comfortable climbing position.
As far as suspension performance, the Sight delivers more grip, and has better support for bigger hits - you can push hard without worry about using the travel too quickly, while the Stumpjumper EVO doesn't have the same almost-bottomless feel. For more rolling, less rugged terrain the Stumpjumper EVO is a good pick - it feels lighter and more efficient than the Sight. When it comes to chopped up terrain and really letting off the brakes, the Sight takes the win - that high pivot layout does a better job of smoothing out the chunky stuff.
Bonus points to to the Stumpy EVO for the SWAT box, and the higher level of geometry adjustments that are available.
Which Model is the Best Value?
Going with aluminum is the best way to save money on the Sight, although it comes with a weight penalty of at least 2 pounds. For the carbon models, prices start at $4,999 USD for the C3, which has a full Shimano Deore drivetrain and brakes, RockShox Vivid Select+ shock, and a Lyrik Select fork. Other than the fork damper, that's a solid, workhorse parts kit, but the price is on the higher side, especially if you're looking for the most bang for your buck.
Given how many discounted parts are still available these days, going the frame-only route could be the way to go, although even then the $3,999 price tag is on the higher side of the scale; that makes the $2,399 aluminum frame a much more attractive option.
![photo]()
Going with aluminum is the best way to save money on the Sight, although it comes with a weight penalty of at least 2 pounds. For the carbon models, prices start at $4,999 USD for the C3, which has a full Shimano Deore drivetrain and brakes, RockShox Vivid Select+ shock, and a Lyrik Select fork. Other than the fork damper, that's a solid, workhorse parts kit, but the price is on the higher side, especially if you're looking for the most bang for your buck.
Given how many discounted parts are still available these days, going the frame-only route could be the way to go, although even then the $3,999 price tag is on the higher side of the scale; that makes the $2,399 aluminum frame a much more attractive option.
Technical Report
Stan's Flow S2 rims / Race Face Vault hubs: The Sight's rear wheel had to take a couple of time outs in the truing stand to think about what it had done – I'm usually not that hard on wheels, but this one lost tension fairly early in the test period.
Code brakes: The SRAM Code Silver Stealth brakes are a great match for the Sight's all-mountain proclivities, although I'd recommend upgrading to the HS2 rotors for improved power – the extra thickness makes a difference.
Fox 36: The Fox 36 has been overshadowed by the 38, its burlier sibling, over the last couple of seasons, but for this travel bracket I'd argue that the 36 is the better choice for most riders. It's significantly lighter, and I had a grand total of zero instances where I thought it wasn't stiff enough. I've also had better luck with the out-of-the-box performance of the 36 compared to the RockShox Lyrik, and in this case the fork was smooth and consistent from day one.
Minion DHF / DHR II tire combo: I swore by the Minion DHF / DHR II combo for years, that is until the Assegai came out. Here in the Pacific Northwest I prefer the Assegai's handling to the DHF, especially during hard cornering or on looser trails, and that's the spec I would have preferred to see on the Sight.
![photo]()
Stan's Flow S2 rims / Race Face Vault hubs: The Sight's rear wheel had to take a couple of time outs in the truing stand to think about what it had done – I'm usually not that hard on wheels, but this one lost tension fairly early in the test period.
Code brakes: The SRAM Code Silver Stealth brakes are a great match for the Sight's all-mountain proclivities, although I'd recommend upgrading to the HS2 rotors for improved power – the extra thickness makes a difference.
Fox 36: The Fox 36 has been overshadowed by the 38, its burlier sibling, over the last couple of seasons, but for this travel bracket I'd argue that the 36 is the better choice for most riders. It's significantly lighter, and I had a grand total of zero instances where I thought it wasn't stiff enough. I've also had better luck with the out-of-the-box performance of the 36 compared to the RockShox Lyrik, and in this case the fork was smooth and consistent from day one.
Minion DHF / DHR II tire combo: I swore by the Minion DHF / DHR II combo for years, that is until the Assegai came out. Here in the Pacific Northwest I prefer the Assegai's handling to the DHF, especially during hard cornering or on looser trails, and that's the spec I would have preferred to see on the Sight.
Pros
+ Great traction without feeling sluggish
+ Sprindex takes some of the hassle out of speccing a coil shock
+ Norco's setup guide is one of the best in the business
Cons
- No in-frame storage
- Idler noise is noticeable on longer rides
- Chainstays are fairly short, even with a rearward axle path.
Pinkbike's Take
| Could 2024 be the year the 'all-mountain' category makes its triumphant return? If so, the Sight happily fits the bill. It's burlier than a typical trail bike, but not quite as gravity-oriented as some of the longer travel enduro machines, which makes it an intriguing option for riders hunting for that elusive do-it-all bike. |
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At least mine did
@dmackyaheard: style? Kaz farts from the front
$2199 for an alloy frame or $5150 for carbon? A $3,000 increase for carbon?
Not much more material need here than the old Sight. I suspect the extra 2-3lbs here in the threaded BB inserts and cups, the bolt-on lower shock mount, and the coil shock is much heavier than the RS super deluxe air. Also the extra idler pulley and hardware.
This frame is really not that different from the old sight and VERY far removed from the Current V-HSP Range.
I don't think this hard time for the bike industry lets up until they realize the biggest "innovation" we want is lower prices. It's insane that this industry is just ok with price/value being universally bemoaned by it's consumers.
It's super helpful, it's nice not having to carry a fanny pack if I don't want to, though I usually still do carry a fanny pack and just carry extra snacks. It also allows me to do longer rides that I previously would probably wear a backpack with just a fanny pack. And for longer rides where I have a backpack also, I can still carry an extra bottle's worth of water down low inside the bottom bracket rather than having that weight on my back.
For me it's a game changer, it's not a dealbreaker if a bike doesn't have it, but after getting used to having it it's a major factor in new purchases. Feels like something that doesn't seem like a big deal until you have it, and then the prospect of no longer having it on a new bike kind of blows.
I basically never ride with a pack anymore unless im doing an extra long ride and need extra water
Much better then in frame storage (lighter, more space , easy access, customisable)
I tend to agree that, given all the amazing options for bikes on the market now, a bike would have to ride (objectively) 5-10% better than anything else on the market to out-compete a similar bike with in-frame storage. I don't want an ugly saddle bag or to go back to using a pack simply because a manufacturer did not take the time to engineer something as fundamental as in-frame storage.
-It can be bigger than in frame storage
-its lighter then in frame storage
-it does not weaken the frame/requiere strengtheneing the induced weak points
-it can be more easily accesible
-you can have it customized
-it can protect youre frame
-its silent
So lets face it, in frame storage is 100% a looks thing(it looks clean) as does through headset cable routing(which almost all in frame fans hate)
Framebags for the Future!
The space might be "wasted" but to access it comes at a high price (make a hole in the tube which weakens it so it has to be strengthened then you need a cover(some make noise some let in water) then you need bags from thick(heavy) material because otherwise youre multitool will convert youre down tube into a musical instrument...
In Frame storage looks clean and good but its not sensible
Firstly, I don't need in-frame storage to be any larger. Frankly, my bike (2019 model, bought in 2020) has in-frame storage to fit everything I need from a trailside repair standpoing with room to add snacks and other things for bigger days or bike park visits. My in-frame stuff is wrapped in a cloth sleeve and is completely silent. It's as easy to access as open any lid found in your kitchen. It's completely hidden and does not degrade the aesthetics of my bike/build.
I'm sorry, but my entire point is that in-frame storage is very useful and should be a standard feature. It adds nominally to manufacturing complexity - but these frames are coming in fairly expensive anyway. Norco didn't neglect to include in-frame storage because they couldn't/shouldn't - they did it to drive down some of their manufacturing costs. Personally, as a consumer, I'd rather pay a few extra bucks for my bike to come with this very cool feature.
Though, it is clearly not made for a guy who climb regularly 10000+ ft of elevation in a day on technical terrain in the Alps.
You should know that the first generation of SB 150 and SB 130 were prone to failure. I was going to buy a 150 but the shop I work at had four customers break their bikes that first season. When we got them on the phone Yeti refused to recognize that there was a problem.
Not going to say what shop but no other brand had the same failure rate at the time.
Now that we're a few years on Yeti has fully reengineered all their models so I'd buy one now but 2018/2019 was not a good time for them.
The old Sight had a really short shock stroke shock for its travel. This was a problem mostly for heavier/more aggressive riders. In fact, in Kaz's review of the last model, there is a section about how he was struggling to get the rear suspension sorted correctly, eventually having to add another volume spacer over stock (and he's not a particularly heavy rider at 160lbs).
www.pinkbike.com/news/review-norco-sight-c1.html
I actually had a really interesting conversation with Cascade components about this on mtbr a year or so back about this topic. Moving to the 205x60mm at stock gives the bike more bottom out resistance due to the longer strong length (even if the leverage ratio was kept the same, which it wasn't in this case). So this version of the bike should be a lot better for heavier/sendier riders.
And even better, it seems like its approved to use a 205x65mm shock and get a bit more travel out of the frame, which is another win.
It would be nice to have another look at the Kavenz.
From an outsiders perspective it appears that the new Trek Slash and this new Norco Sight share a lot of similarities of the Kavenz. They have all have rearward, but not entirely rearward axle paths, and can use 29/27.5in wheels out back, and have similar travel.
The Kavenz has the additional chainstay length options now (0, +10mm, +20mm), and can change travel through different shock mounts and shocks (although is a bit more spendy).
Anyway, they all look great, but a comparison would be fun
Also the V2 Druid frames are $200 less than this new Sight and they aren't as portly in the weight department. Mine built up with a Lyrik, Super Deluxe, WA1 rims and X0 transmission came out to 32lbs
I'm a bit biased as a Forbidden owner but I can tell you if you do it you won't regret it.
While it's not like I've tried the Norco to see how it feels, but I think HP trail bikes are totally awesome.
Nice contradiction. Having more non-janky options does _not_ mean the existing stuff is magically less janky. Just like the existence of go-arounds (yes, unauthorized ones and numerous erosion-causing braids are still bad) doesn't make a feature any lesser.
The Range is a nightmare. Rattles around and makes bike feel like it's falling apart. And then when you do need to replace housing, you have to (well I had to) drop the fork to get my fingers inside the headtube to direct the housing out of ports. The rubber grommets that they supply dont do enough to stop cable rattle.
So the Sight has a significant improvement over the Range or just when it's new and nice?
Also seeking advice how to quiet down the Range!!
I was hoping for the chainstay length to be sized proportionately with reach across sizes but it is not. Size S1’s cs to reach ratio is .99. S5 drops all the way to .84!!
I was expecting more from Norco.
Norco does a lot of things right and the aluminum frame option is a deal. Might have to just give it a go.
But seriously, rear center to front center ratio matters. Increasing it 4mm while the front jumps 20+ with every size is not good enough. Bikes aren’t cheap, expect more.
Rocky mountain: you can use our 2023 altitude color scheme for inspo but tweak it a little
Norco:
Thanks
Now I am excited! Any rumors about that?
The Forbidden's look cooler and have a way cooler race team all around. Considering Norco's resources, I don't see how they made any real tangible improvements over the updated Forbidden's (new Dread coming soon).
I'd rather give the little company with the badass race program my money.
Hemstreet is VERY badass though.
What's next? A cup holder integrated in the stem?
As long as it’s not achieved by cables through the headset
I don't want to ride with a pack, saddlebag, or frame storage, if my bike comes with a secure and completely hidden compartment for my gear. Personally, I'd be happy to trade a full 1 lb. of complete bike weight for this luxury - and I sincerely doubt it amounts to half that much.
Let's assume that you need to marginally reinforce the area around the downtube in a carbon frame to compensate for the storage opening. What are you talking about doing - adding a few ounces in the form of added carbon layup in that specific area of the downtube? No one, including professional riders, are going to notice the difference.
Companies that don't include it probably do so to reduce the added manufacturing complexity and cost. I'm arguing that its a silly thing to skip considering it comes standard on so many frames in today's world.