TESTED: Norco Optic C9.2 trail bike

All photos by Tim Bardsley-Smith

Over the past eighteen months we have tested six Norco mountain bikes. It isn't a matter of favouritism, but because they have been producing  excellent mountain bikes for the ever-diversifying range of riding we are all doing. From the Aurum downhill bike, the Revolver XC bike, the Sight trail bike and two of the Torrent Plus bikes, we've tested much of the range of bikes from Norco. Earlier in 2016 Norco released the Optic – a fast trail bike to sit between the 27.5” 150/140mm travel Sight, and the 100mm travel cross-country specific Revolver.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that this is a flooded market already, with bikes like the Specialized Camber. Trek Fuel EX, Santa Cruz 5010 and Giant Trance, or the remodelled Anthem, already very popular in this area. But Norco developed a 6 model range across two wheel sizes, and here we tested the C9.2, a mostly Shimano XT M8000 2×11 equipped bike with a carbon main frame, alloy back end, Fox suspension, a Reverb Stealth dropper and RaceFace wheels and cockpit.

I tested a Sight a year ago, and bought a Revolver at the start of this year as I loved the handling after test riding one. But there really was a big difference between the two bikes – considering there was no bike 'in-between'. This is where the Optic fits in. It's a fast handling trail bike, with a stiff frame, less travel than the Sight and agile handling. All the bikes, either aluminium or carbon, are specced with wider rims, stealth dropper posts, 1x group sets (almost), and aggressive front tyres with faster rolling rear tyres. Each bike was also available in a 29” wheel with 120mm front and 110mm rear travel, or in a 27.5” option with 130mm front travel and 120mm rear. While wheel size options for trail bikes isn't new, but Norco worked hard with a range of test rigs and test riders to make sure the riding dynamics between the two remained. They didn't want the ride feel to be different just because of the wheel size. The Sight is already a popular trail bike, but the Optic brings two wheel sizes in with some faster handling, lighter weight and less travel. I looked at it as the bike I'd move to if I hung up my Revolver XC bike, but the C7.2 I tested  in March didn't quite have me convinced, as for shorter travel bikes I have preferred a 29” wheel. I was ready for the C9.2 to show me the way.

Initial Impressions

Bikes seem to come bright or black at the moment, and the Optic C9.2 is firmly in the bright camp. It's a great gloss finish that is easy to keep clean, and while not full fluoro, it's nice to stand out. The frame follos the form of the Revolver and Sight with a low slung top tube for ample standover clearance, internal cable routing on the carbon frame, and A.R.T suspension and Gravity Tune. The frame is built around the Boost standard, which has helped keep the rear end a nice and short 435mm on the large I tested.

The frame tubing could best be called 'rounded square profile'. Comparing it to my own Revolver, the frame looks to be burlier, slacker, higher and shorter. A few other things point to the trail leanings, like the Float 34 fork and Float DPS shock, stout 35mm RaceFace bars and stem and a 125mm Reverb Stealth dropper post.

Many people would judge this model as it comes out of the box, seeing the double chain ring as an oversight. But the reality couldn't be more different. With the Optic, Norco provide a cinch chain ring for the RaceFace crank set. So if you have huge hills, you'll love the fast shifting with the 26/36t double and XT Sideswing front mech. Don't like it? Remove the shifter, mech, and the front mech mount that runs off the ISCG05 mounts, and you could even put a guide on if you like. I'd look to change the 11-40 cassette to an 11-42 or even 11-46 if you did this.

The internal cable routing has been done nicely, with large ports and adaptable covers, making it easy to sort your bike out for electronic or mechanical shifting, 1x or 2x, and left or right handed rear braking, without creating an ugly birds nest in front of your handlebars.

My only concerns with the parts are the wheel and tyre set up. I'm not convinced the AR24 rims are wide enough for a modern trail bike, and while the Schwalbe Nobby Nic and Racing Ralph are a great aggressive XC combination, I thought they might be under done – especially in the Victorian Alps where I was going to be testing the bike. They inflated tubeless easily enough, but I did have to add my own rim tape and valves to do so.

On The Trail

Every brand has their own take on bike fit and handling. But if you look at Norco's mountain bike range and read into their design ideas, you can see how seriously they take it. They work around reach and stack mostly, and want a rider who fits a medium Revolver, to fit a medium Range or Aurum too. Owning a large Revolver, I've found a large Sight and large Optic to both be spot on for fit out of the box. So the work they do with fine-tuning geometry and sizing is working.

A big part of this is Gravity Tune, whereby Norco make sure the front and back end of the bike grow proportionatly with the bike. So an XL Optic will have longer chainstays than the small. It seems obvious, right? This means someone on a big bike should be experiencing the same kind of ride as someone on a smaller size.

The bars are a sweet 760mm wide, with a 50mm stem. Both are super stiff with the 35mm bar clamp. While I tested the Optic C7.2 as a 2x set up, I converted the C9.2 to 1x right away. It's a bit of a drag that the Reverb lever stays above the bar, as the action for using that lever is far more natural when placed below the bar on the left hand side. Fit on the bike is as expected, with the rider sitting fairly upright thanks to the steep seat tube, but with the post down and short stem it's easy to get way back when the trail gets steeper.

Everyone has a different view of what is 'slack' for a mountain bike. Looking at the figures with a 68.5 degree head angle, I figured the Optic would feel slack. But in reality, it's still really agile while also super stable. Thanks to the short stem, the bars really react quickly to rider input – but it's slack enough that even on steeper terrain, it feels confident. Well with an experienced hand it does. It's not a 'get back and hang on' long travel trail bike – that's where the Sight or even Range fit. The Optic is for the experienced rider who wants more trail feedback, and some context of what they're riding. It is the perfect addition to Norco's line up, as it rewards the trail/XC rider with a stiffer frame and great efficiency, or it gives the experienced and aggressive trail rider a stiff, agile trail bike with excellent, shorter travel suspension.

That suspension is part of the winning formula here. The FiT4 cartridge in the Fox Float 24 Performance Elite fork is highly tuneable, all within a stiff chassis. The fork isn't a remote fork, as it's not a race bike. I used them mostly on open with 3 turns in on the 22 point compression damping. But following fast riders down trails I ended up using the medium setting to keep the front end riding higher, letting my elbows take the bigger hits as well. Our bodies will always have more suspension travel, and getting the set up right on this 120mm travel fork will help you get the most out of the Optic. Thankfully, the FiT4 cartridge allows for a lot of excellent tuning.

Out back, the Fox Float DPS shock is another stand out. With a larger air can, getting the right pressure is paramount. Norco err towards a more active suspension system than other trial bikes in this part of the market, and the first part of the stroke is super plush. I actually did check for a flat tyre plenty of times. The travel does ramp up a lot, and you'll need to be riding hard to get the full travel. But that's what this bike has been designed to do. I only really ever locked the bike out riding back up to Mt Buller after a late afternoon run down the Delatite River trail below Mt Buller.

At speed, the bike rewarded direct rider input. It's an easy bike to shift from one line to the next, and excels at being pushed into and out of corners. The frame felt stiff when pushed hard, and really only felt a b it out of it's depth when following riders on biger bikes down sections of trail littered with big ruts or baby head rocks. Best of all, the Optic really dug in when the trail pointed up, making it an excellent trail bike, confidently taking the downs and getting itself up the hills too.

I'm not one to push as hard as some of our bike testers – as one friend has said, I'm 'staunchly grounded'. But while the suspension, frame design and handling of the Optic was great, I'm not certain the wheel and tyre package were completely on point. The RaceFace AR24 rims on SRAM hubs felt really good, and weren't flexy, but the XC tyres and narrowish internal diametre (24mm) meant that the wheels sometimes felt a little undergunned for what the overall design of the bike was capable of. During the test I put a big gash in one of the tyres, and was running them at higher pressures than I'd expect, to keep the thin sidewalls holding the tyre together. It would be great to lace the same hubs up to some wider rims and run a reinforced tyre with some slightly wider tread on an Optic. This is based on personal preference and where I tested the bike, but as it stood the tyres were akin to what I run on my XC race bike. Somne beefier tyres will open the Optic up to a lot more trail shredding.

The Shimano XT group set was faultless, as usual, the only really troublesome part on the bike was the Reverb post, which was rough and didn't function in the cold. This was a straight-forward warranty situation, and was no problem after being sorted out. Every part of the Optic C9.2 is quality gear, which is just what you want for a bike that will happily pedal a long way into distant mountains as comfortably as cutting laps in your local mountain bike park.

Our Take

Construction and design on the Optic are excellent. But what left me curious was whether it suited my riding or not? Norco have the slacker, longer travel Sight, which I tested last year throughout Tasmania, and north in Noosa. For an XC oriented rider like myself, it had the traction, geometry and suspension package to hit rougher and steeper terrain than I would on my own bike. What the Optic delivers is a bike that's more efficient, just as stiff, lighter, and all-together a very capable mountain bike. It was an absolute blast on my local trails, and anywhere I was riding up, down and along. But in terms of a 'play bike' to complement my XC bike, where I could push myself and gain confidence on gnarlier terrain, it missed the mark for a rider like me. If I were more gravity inclined and looking for an all-day ride, then the Optic would be ideal. Say, someone like Bryn Atkinson. Or, if I just loved riding, wanted something for the odd event and to take to some of the newer trail centres like Blue Derby, Hidden Vale, Falls Creek or Atherton – again, it would be perfect. Norco have done a brilliant job with this fast riding and efficient trail bike, matching much of the efficiency and speed of the Revolver with the stiffness and rough and ready nature of the Sight. If you have the chance, jump on one at a demo day near you and judge for yourself whether this could be the one mountain bike to rule them all.

Brand                                                                Norco

Model                                                               Optic C9.2

RRP                                                                 $5999

From                                                                advancetraders.com.au