The new Norco Sight Carbon - uncovered
Norco's much-vaunted Sight Carbon all-mountain bike has had a makeover. An updated suspension design, two wheel size options and new geometry means it remains to be one of the best trail killer bikes on the market.
With a couple of weeks of teasing, the news is now out. Norco have relaunched one of their most popular models, the Sight Carbon, with a renewed focus on all-mountain performance and trail killing fun.
The Norco Sight Carbon has received praise from riders and cycling media like ourselves around the world. The frame’s geometry and suspension setup with 150mm travel front and 140mm in the rear means it is a steady climber, but really playful on descents – it’s exactly what you want in an all-mountain bike.
Given changes in standards and also riding, Norco set about changing their all-mountain bike, and did so inline with many of the design ideas they put into their Optic – in fact in profile the bikes look very similar, save for the more aggressive stance of the Sight due to longer travel and slacker angles.
Two wheel sizes for the Norco Sight
You probably saw that one coming. The Sight now comes in both 27.5” and 29” options, and the spec is nearly identical between the two, save for chain ring size and stem length. Travel on the 27.5” model is 150/140mm front and rear, while the 29er is 140/30mm.
But like with the Optic, Norco have worked to keep much of the ride the same between the bikes, and the fit identical. Sure, the 29er will feel steadier and roll faster, and the 27.5” models will feel a little more agile. But with their focus on sizing by Reach Plus and Stack Plus, Norco take stock stem length into account along with their geometry.
What does this mean? Well it means those measurements, from the centre of the bottom bracket up and from the centre of the bars back, are exactly the same when comparing the one side, in either 29” or 27.5” wheels. To this end, the 27.5” bikes come with 60mm stems, and 29ers come with 50mm stems. Norco’s sizing is really about the whole bike, not just the frame.
Norco have used Gravity Tune for some years, where the front end of the bike grows proportionately to the rear for a balanced ride. The new Norco Sight is no exception. What is unique is that the rear end length, so the length of the chainstays, is the same between both 27.5” and 29” bikes, for a given size.
Norco have gone to great lengths to make sure that you can get the ride feel they want you to have, regardless of your wheel size preference. Rider height does come into play as well, as the 29er models will only run from Medium through to XL, whereas the 27.5” models start at Small, and will be available in XL in just the C7.2 and C7.1 in Australia.
Key changes to the Sight Carbon
The first thing is geometry. Norco have knocked the head angle back half a degree, and made the seat angle a full degree steeper. They have also set thje bottom bracket 5mm lower to gain greater stability, and matched this with a longer front end, up to 10mm on some sizes. Overall, the wheelbase has grown from 18-32mm depending which wheel size and frame size you are on.
The Sight Carbon uses, you guessed it, a full-carbon front triangle and carbon seat stays. The link is much more compact and is lower down in the frame, thanks to a switch to metric shock sizing with trunnion mounts. The suspension kinematics have changed a little as well, with a slightly less rearward axle path, and the rate is also 1% less progressive. With the more supple metric sized shocks this change should let the Carbon Sight use it’s travel better when pedalling, and use more of it when descending hard.
The Sight Carbon also uses Boost spacing, and while Norco admit there is ample room for some plus sized tyres in the 29” frame, they don’t recommend it. They have the Torrent hardtail and Torrent full-suspension range for that. The Sight Carbon hasn’t been designed around plus sized tyres.
Norco have made sure there is room for an S3 chain guide on the Sight Carbon, and you could mount a Side Swing front mech if you wanted to.
Age old favourites for the Norco Sight Carbon
Plenty of things haven’t changed though, like Norco’s ART suspension platform (it stands for Advanced Ride Technology – everything needs an acronym!). This is an over-arching design philosophy for their suspension, which has Norco engineers design more rearward axle paths for bikes like the Aurum downhill machine, and more efficient pedalling for bikes like the XC-specific Revolver. Norco engineer the right combination of active braking, pedalling efficiency, progression and square edge capability, to suit the bike’s intended purpose.
Along with Gravity Tune, as noted above, Norco also have their size scaled tubing for the Norco Sight Carbon. This means the bigger frames have appropriately stronger tubing for bigger riders. And smaller frames are a little more forgiving, and lighter, for smaller riders. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Their Armor Lite tubing helps for impact resistance, but so do the integrated tube protectors on the base of the down tube, and on the chain and seat stays.
Norco’s Smooth Core process helps keep the weight of the frame down byt optimising compaction of carbon at critical junctions. It also makes it way easier to keep internal hoses and cable housing going where you want it to, and the updated Gizmo ports make that a lot easier. They are far larger than the previous ports, and are adaptable for 1x, 2x, electronic or mechanical shifting.
General parts selection for the Norco Sight Carbon
With three models (across two wheel sizes) Norco have kept to some key parts choices. Forks are Boost models from RockShox, in either the Pike or Yari. The top two models have broader range cassettes to suit all-mountain riding demands, and the rims are tubeless ready models from Easton.
The Norco Sight Carbon C9.1 or C7.1
This is the top dog, with a Pike RCT3 fork and Deluxe RT3 Debonair shock out the back. The bike runs SRAM Eagle X01 12 speed, and Guide RSC brakes with 180mm rotors. Hubs are DT240 Boost models laced to RaceFace ARC 30mm TR rims, wrapped with Schwalbe Magic Mary/Nobby Nic combinations for front and rear.
RRP: $8199
The Norco Sight Carbon C9.2 or C7.2
The same frame is paired with a RockShox Pike RC fork and Deluxe RT3 Debonair rear shock, and is instead kitted out with a Shimano XT M8000 11sp, including an 11-46 cassette, XT Boost hubs and brakes with 180mm rotors. Rims are RaceFace AR 30 and tyres are the Mary and Nic combo.
RRP: $6599
The Norco Sight Carbon C9.3 or C7.3
Again, it’s the same frame, as the top models, but this black beauty has a Yari RC fork and Deluxe RT with Debonair rear shock. SRAM NX 11 speed gets it rolling, with SRAM Level T brakes and 180mm rotors to pull you up. The bike rolls on Novatec huubs and WTB i29 rims, paired with Maxxis Minnion DHF and DHR II tyres.
RRP: $4999
Stay tuned for a full review on the Norco Sight Carbon C9.2, coming soon from Lachlan McKillop. Want to know more now? Head to the website.
