The Bike Of The Year Wasn't For Me | Norco Range
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- čas přidán 1. 02. 2023
- A lot of people have been asking about my Range, so here are the answers. This bike totally lives up to the hype, but it turns out I already had what I wanted.
I hope you enjoy this one, it took a while to put together!
*Edit*
Crazy response to this one, thanks 🤯 . Here are a few videos with some more detail about things I tested on the Sight and Range:
Sight Long Term Review: • 2021 Norco Sight 29er ...
Range First Ride: • The Most Hyped Bike Of...
Sight 170mm Fork and Coil Test: • FIRST RIDE | Norco Sig...
Sight vs. Range at GV Cartel Race: • Is Less Bike Faster?
Deciding to Race the Sight at Nationals: • Faster than the Range?...
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#norcobikes #norcorange #mtb - Sport
Great review and discussion. Pretty much all modern bikes are super capable and it comes down to the little things and if it's not right for you, no point in keeping it. Enjoy whatever you end up with :)
Great production style with these videos! Sad to see a fellow range owner go but I’m sure you’re loving that Rocky Mountain
Great and honest observations. I found similar with downhill bikes I owned back in the day - as I spent so much of my time on trail/AM bikes (enduro wasnt a thing then) I never really knew how to ride a DH bike to what they were capable of and preferred a smaller bike even on DH type trails. From the trail bike riding and racing perspective I also found that pretty much regardless of the bike, as you said for the tech sections, as an experienced rider you find a speed and level of riding that you are comfortable with and any progression as a result of the bike was almost negligible and only in small increments. And playing to your strengths is definitely the way to maximize results.
Great vid mate, love the detailed breakdown about your thoughts about the bike. New bike is awesome so it all worked out 😊
Thanks mate 💪
great video mate as much of a good announcement video its also an awesome honest review video on the norco range and norco sight keen to see what you switch to next
Thanks mate 🙌
Spot on review! Very insightful, especially for beginners like us who sometimes like to go with just whatever is bigger, thinking that it’d help - when in fact you’d end up over biking. Definitely keeping my sight for couple more years 🙌🏾
It looks like it’s serving you well 👌
Absolutely is, just want to try a coil sometime soon! Very happy with everything else 🤘🏾
Got 2022 Trek Slash 9.8 XT. Insane bike. Dont know why but i love trek bike looks and Slash is such a beauty
Thank you for this chill video 👍
Thanks for your perspective on this.A lot of people overbike and realise they lose the fun factor.Are you comfortable on the Rocky yet.
Very comfortable now but finding I need to change the suspension a lot when I go somewhere new, so probably still a few clicks here and there from finding the sweet spot 👌
interesting hearing this from you. i first found your channel quite a while ago when the range first came out and i fell in love with the range enough to buy one for myself. rode it in whistler, alllllll over the PNW, probably thousands of miles on the bike and it was an amazing bike but for the entirety of my ownership, i had this weird little tingle in the back of my mind that was telling me that the bike wasnt for me even though i do ride pretty hard. when people think of the pnw, they usually think of wet, gnarly, rooty and fast techy trails i think... and thats what the range was made for right? well i mean sure, if you ride hard enough but it REALLY REALLY take a super good rider to get the full potential out of this bike, so much so that it detracts from a more average person riding the bike. I hit all of dirt merchant, schlayer, a-line, crabapple etc etc and this bike STILL felt like it had more in the tank to give me but i just wasn't able to unsettle the bike. it's an AWESOME feeling but man, it got me into trouble sometimes. fast forward til today, i own a 2022 rocky mountain altitude and i enjoy it FAR more than the norco. it just fits everything i do on a wider spectrum. the range just felt like it NEEDED to go fast to wake up
Wow thanks for your perspective. I would have loved to ride the Range at Whistler but it makes sense that a lighter and more versatile bike suits you better for the full selection of trails you ride. I do think if I rode PWN I'd like that Range confidence too haha! That's great that you're getting on with the Rocky, I've had one for a little while and I'm really enjoying it too - best of both worlds I feel.
Hope you liked this one, if you did then make sure you're subscribed to see my new rig soon, and some other nice gear that I've been playing with. Man, these edits take forever compared to the POVs 😆
Well edited!
Gday
Great vid!
I’m interested in a range, as it fits my bill pretty well.
But I have a bit of a predicament, so I am 178cm and have ridden a Norco optic (in a medium) a Norco sight (in a large) and a Norco range (also in a large). Norco says that the reach on the sight is longer than the range, but the range in a large felt to me a bit like a chopper (really long and high at the bars), doing some further research, the distance from the bb to the bars are the same on the range in a medium, as the sight in a large. Sorry for such a long question, but just wondering what your thoughts were on a large, seen as you have ridden a sight in the large aswell?
@@fergussandilands7757 to me, the Range feels shorter in a large than the Sight, but you are more upright. You’re 5cm shorter than me but I think if you’re riding park and wide open trails that the Range is best on then you’ll be fine on the Large
Great Video Craig! Definitely can relate to a lot of those points you said with me swapping between heaps of bikes over the last couple years 😂 But very sad to see the range go was such a sick bike, and a fan favourite :(
Definitely one of my all time faves too, but life is simpler now 👌
@@MTBMcPhee Although I do congratulate your discipline, i would've thrown it out after the rattle noises, that drives me crazy ! 😂
hey mate, watched the reviews love the channel. im coming from a norco torrent and am very unsure what dual suspension to get, i am leaning towards the sight as its the closest match to the torrent, but would just like some advice on where to put my money. the torrent is great but just being on a hardtail is a bit much sometimes and i want to mix it up
The geo is pretty similar between the torrent and the Sight so I reckon you should go with that instinct. I have a mate that did just that and he loves his Sight. There are tons of great bikes these days tho, it’s hard to go wrong!
Excellent discussion on these bikes!! Thank you for your honesty. Norco makes excellent bikes!! Yeti makes a great bike, SB 150, 140 or 130!!!!
It's hard to go wrong these days, there's a horse for every course 🐴
Everything you said is spot on! Also have a range with a similar suspensions setup😏 (38 factory+sls spring) and i love it! Have you installed a clear wrap on it? Your frame color pops a lot! Good video :)
Yep thats' a gloss wrap, stoked with how it turns out and definitely gives the bike a unique look. Glad you're enjoying your Range, on the right trails there's simply no match for it.
@@MTBMcPhee thanks! Might consider the gloss wrap then 😁
I can relate what you said. I had been on a Nukeproof Reactor as my Trailbike until selling it for a Forbidden Dreadnought. The Dread descends like a madman as long as the corners are wide. It likes to eat chunk for breakfast and gives so much confidence. Pedaling it is on a different sheet of paper though. Our riding group pedals every meter of height with 1 or 2 bike vacations and shuttling uphill. The Dread just feels sluggish uphill and in tight corners. If feels so much less agile than the Reactor before. I think if I have an Enduro bike before like you, I might have sold the dread as well by now. Right now, everytime I descend I just love it, just before the next ascend where I hate it. Could call it a love/hate relationship by now ;)
That’s a really nice pair of bikes! That’s what I originally imagined having the Optic and Range but I found that sweet spot in the middle was best for me. But you’re right, nothing compares to the big bikes when the terrain is fast and rough.
Good vid. Sometimes bikes just don’t work for you. I’ve had some which i couldn’t get working for me. Look forward to seeing what your next bike is.
Thanks! I think it would have been better if I’d got it earlier, but by the time it arrived my preferences had changed a bit.
That was so honest great video! It reminds me of why I went for a Stumpjumper evo vs the enduro from specialized! Even tho i race 2-3 times a year the enduro it’s such a big bike that requires way more skill than I have right now to be able to enjoy it as much as I enjoy my Stumpjumper.
The fact that I feel my Stumpjumper feeling like it’s a bit smaller of a bike for some trails I ride just lets me know that it’s helping me improve my skills and also showing me that an enduro would be too overkill for the majority of my riding abilities and speeds I ride at
Agree with that, I think most people would be faster on most trails on a stumpy evo than an enduro, and I definitely progressed more on my Sight than on the Range simply because it was good everywhere.
Not that there’s anything wrong with big bikes. They’re rad and fun and have huge margin for error.
I made the same switch, Enduro over to Evo. Annoyingly I found the Enduro weirdly more efficient uphill. The rear platform is much better for race style pedalling IMO
@@skatefarmerftw yeah, the enduro requires less of a pedal platform from the sock to pedal efficiently uphill. But in my opinion the evo in the middle headset cup and high bottom bracket is a way better bike for a 35-50km pedalling day that will still go buck wild downhill
@@skatefarmerftw yeh the few rides I had on my enduro it pedaled pretty well. The Range definitely leans more heavily towards downhill by comparison
Out of curiosity did you use Norco's Ride Aligned system when setting up the Range? Just wondering if its accurate as they suggest and from memory it gives you the measurements for bar width and height.
I did, and I ended up running the height and stem they recommended, but with a 35mm rise bar. That setting is much higher than I would normally run and I usually run a longer stem. Ride aligned is a good starting point for most settings but I found the fork too soft and the spring too hard.
It’s funny hey. When you announced this buy husband was jealous as. 12-24 month wait times and everything. Sometimes hype doesn’t equate to reality. Honest video as always, great stuff Craig
Thanks Emma 🙌 I think the bike is worth the hype, I’m just not enough of a hype man for it 😂
@@MTBMcPhee 😂 😂 😂
Good stuff Craig, this video looks like it would have taken a fair bit to make and guts to just sit infront of the cam and talk straight out :P Loved the insights about it and they sound 100% valid in every way.
Cheers mate. It's a bit of effort but worth it when you finally post it 🤘
Awesome content, I have a sight, it’s my everyday/race bike.. was thinking of upgrading bikes to a more “enduro” bike but I’m leaning more to upgrading forks and to a coil.. keen to see your new build 🤘
I very nearly bought a new Sight if that helps? And I’m a big fan of the Sight on coil, I never really got it how I want it on air and it pedals well with the coil. Thanks for watching and commenting 👌
@@MTBMcPhee You can also get a cascade link for it. Should make it more progressive and coil-friendly
Do you have any issues with bottoming out the coil on 18% progression? I just have a remedy with 17% and was thinking if that is worth it. Also... how much sag are you using?
@@ostankovalex1176 I didn’t go with the cascade because it’s very expensive and I didn’t want to go up to a 650 spring from a 600, but I did increase the stroke to get another ~7mm out of the Sight. I think it’s very bike specific, I could run a hard spring because the Sight is very soft off the top, and that meant it didn’t bottom out too much.
@@MTBMcPhee Thanks! my bike can also take from 57.5 up to 65mm stroke. So I guess I'll have to simply test it.
@@MTBMcPhee what size fork did you upgrade to on your sight?
awesome trails!
Good review. Still sounds like a good bike. Knowing your limits is also known as getting older.
Definitely a good bike, and yes I'm definitely taking less risk these days. Cheers!
Well said ❤
I've ridden a Norco Sight C1 and Norco Range C1, I have the skill set to tap into both of them but I prefered the Sight, as it was more nimble and better to flick around, a lot easier to climb, easier to rail through corners and to accelerate. And can bash through rocks and roots just as good as the Range.
It was also a better bike to jump, also underlining the part where I said it's more nimble, just an overall funner and more suitable bike for most people.
💯 on the climbing 😂
@@MTBMcPhee Yeah for real! I was impressed in how amazing the Sight was on climbs, the Range, not so much but still decent for them.
@@core-i7413 both have really comfortable climbing geo but my Range was 2kg heavier 🥵
@@MTBMcPhee Yeah, to me the Range feels a bit slower to spin up and feels a little bit draggier.
I have a shore 1 that I put a boxxer on and it is sick I would of loved to try a range but I got the shore mid pandemic
I’d love to try a shore park. Looks like a fun bike 🤙
no bike above midtier holds someone back. only mentality does, think about it world cup winners where racing in 2001 on bikes with way more inferior tech than even low range bikes that we have now and they would probably still smoke us right now(us emateurs). get your skill up and dont worry about the bike to much. it may be cheap or expensive or even a bit old but if it aint cracked then you can continue to improve. i started on a jamis durango sx 2002 and let me tell you I was jumping big shit on it and never felt the bike was holding me back, only my mentality making me think I could accomplish such a feat. over time I got over me fears and did jumps that I would have not considered a few years back. the bike got stolen eventually, but the frame had not a single crack or bent tube. i loved that bike and miss it greatly especially since I built it with scraps from a local bike shop that I got from the trash.
Sorry to hear your bike got stolen, sounds like it was a good one. The Range definitely didn't hold me back from a riding perspective, but the weight and efficiency was noticeable compared to a similarly specced lighter bike for enduro racing.
I'm surprised you didn't mention how many idlers you went through and how impossible replacements are to get. I was going through 1 per month (300km riding per month) and I haven't been able to get more than 1 in the last 6 months... I had to buy another bike so I could keep riding.
I think the geo is wrong too (rear is too long - this is my 3rd high pivot bike). I have other gripes too... but I'm glad people are finally speaking out about some of the issues.
My friend bent a number of them but aside from replacing the bearings once my idler was trouble free. Sounds like you had a bad experience, sorry to hear!
@@MTBMcPhee Yes, the teeth bend and then if you don't straighten them quick (you can hear it) you'll start losing teeth. If neither of those occurred the bearing interface would wallow out so the bearing would go loose. I couldn't win. I still have the bike... I just can't ride it because I'm out of idlers. I need to find some time to machine an adapter to run steel single speed gears (similar to what Jank is doing).
I've never had to replace an idler on my 2 canfield Jedi's... something isn't right with this norco (maybe pebbles are being chucked into the chain at the chainguide while climbing, causing the teeth to bend)?
@@rotaryjesus9606 That's exactly what was happening to my mate. Are you running Sram or Shimano out of interest?
@@MTBMcPhee I'm running XX1 and X01 chains, GX cranks with 30t chainrings mostly (I'm going through these fast due to low chain wrap), GX cassette and GX AXS mech (I was able to get OK shifting from the cable shifter by removing the downtube grommet that was pinching the cable and replacing it with a zip tie, but the only way I could get crisp and consistent shifting was with AXS - the issue is cable tension caused by the routing causing enough friction that the cable mech spring can't consistently return the mech to the correct position). This bike seems built for AXS... the dropper routing is frustrating if you have to move the saddle height with any regularity as well... I'm also getting wicked frame wear due to chain slap (fairly low mile derailleurs - clutch is operating correctly). I've been riding/working on my own bikes since the late 90's (including stuff as intricate as shock rebuilds) - I'm pretty confident these are not "me" problems (especially after speaking to mechanics and other local riders that have had the same issues with this bike).
Pretty disappointed (high pivot fanboy since 2010).
@@rotaryjesus9606 sounds really frustrating. My mate that was bending the idlers was also running sram while another friend and I both run shimano and didn’t have the issue. That’s not the full story as the guy bending the idlers also has about 20kgs on both of us, so no doubt that’s a factor (I’m 86kg).
I hope you can resolve your issues or at least find a replacement idler so you can move the bike on 👍
Really great video. I think a bike like the Stumpjumper Evo is more than most people ever need and now that it comes so adjustable you can actually have it bias to wherever you ride. I have the older frame without the adjustable headset but I do have the cascade link in a 55 mm stroke rear shock and running it with a 160 Fork makes it capable up to all but the gnarliest stuff. And I don't actually have the skills for that stuff anyway.
Thanks 🙏 I agree, I think that big trail/all mountain category is a real sweet spot for us mere mortals
Finally some good content out of Sydney!
Haha I dunno how to take that 😂
Where are you from?
Its a compliment! I'm from the Northern beaches
@@JustRide1 nice! I’ve got some narra content coming 👌
Should give a pivot switchblade a go mate !
I hear they are good. I had a Ripmo before which is basically the same geo. I'm on a Rocky Mountain Altitude now and loving it.
The Range really seems like a bike designed exclusively for the PNW and BC, if you look at EWS results, the giant, super plush bikes aren't winning. Looking at the 2022 season and the top bikes, RM Altitude is about the size of a Norco Sight, but has 160/170 travel and one of the best rear suspension setups ever made. Yeti SB150 has the same travel as the Sight and might actually be a little smaller. Orbea Rallon is a little bigger than the Altitude, but is still only about average size for the class and has a very firm and supportive suspension platform that makes the bike super responsive for its size. I really feel like the huge, super plush bikes like the Range, Giga and Spire are more intended as freeride and park bikes vs race bikes.
Yeah agree with that and to be fair I didn’t buy it as a race bike, my taste just changed from when I ordered it 2 years ago to now. I’ve been spending time on an altitude lately and it’s definitely a race bike!
When do you get your Enduro frame back?
That was 2 years ago. They refunded me in the end because they couldn’t get a frame. Excellent bike though, I’d possibly still be riding it otherwise
@@MTBMcPhee wow, that is kinda harsh. Seems they have the opposite issue now?
@@roddas26 yeah it was peak of the pandemic so was a pretty crazy time. I was without a bike for about 4 months
Nice bike
100% agree. Use my norco range for shuttle, bike park and occasional pedal. For the rest I ride my ebike 😃🤣
Good choice!
Our tracks make another feature ahah !!
Haha twice even 🔥
Looking at your clips looks like you have way too much rebound in those forks, hyperactivity issues 😂
Just how the stabilisation looks I’d say
Where are you selling it?
Trailview Cycle Trader are doing the legwork, will be a standard C2-ish build with all new parts
So are you keeping the sight?
Nope, it’s gone to a new owner. I’m trying to get the best of both worlds 🤞
Do you still have your optic?
@@nickmcgraw2004 also no 😂
@@MTBMcPhee haha! You go through more bikes than hot dinners. I’m keen to see what norco do with the optic next year, I feel like it’s due for a makeover
@@nickmcgraw2004 ;)
Same for me. I love this bike on super raw and super fast dh trails but its a bitch to climb and there are actually not many trails where it comes alive. Its more a dh bike than an enduro
dropper post is that have
I keep telling you mate, hardtails are where it's at. Forsake rear suspension, it's just unecessary 😂
😂😂😂 They do simplify setup immensely!
Have you tried to down size? Most manufacturer size chart are wrong because bikes are way too big… 😮 try a size smaller and you’ll feel much better on a bike. Generally speaking, take your height in cm times 2.5 and it will give your ball park “reach” in mm.
I never had the chance to try a medium Range, that would be interesting though. I have strange proportions (long limbs/small torso) so I definitely don't fit what the sizing charts say I should. Thanks for the comment 👍
There’s a surprisingly large amount of Norco Range owners who say exactly the same. The Sight or Optic are the better Options for a lot of people
Looking at all the new enduro bikes which are basically a copy paste of the Sight's geo, it's fair to say they nailed that bike
I demoed this bike and personally hate how it rides for my style, if I was a downhill racer I could see the appeal but I prefer a more playful bike.
I have a 2021 GT Force 29 and it’s great but it can be too much bike sometimes and it has less travel than the current slew of modern enduro bikes. The geo is spot though.
Martin Maes did pretty well on that bike if I recall correctly
@@MTBMcPhee yeah he did. I can see why. The geo manages to be stable at more or less any speed while getting more agile the faster you go. Only thing is mine weighs in at 38 pounds currently.
@@anthonywalters7434 that’s up there! My Range was tipping the scales on 40 😳
@@MTBMcPhee damn. At least I can make the excuse that I have heavy alloy wheels and an alloy frame 😂
High pivot bikes just don't feel good to me. I still prefer the feel of a horst link bike.
Stay tuned 😏
Norco bikes have one huge flaw, their connector for power has a bad wiring harness. Just got back mine after being in the shop for 10 months. Really, I would never buy a Norco again or advise anyone too. It was a bad design, and they have not changed it. When you ride, you can suffer a disconnect of power which will cause it to cut out. They should have not required a magnetic connection on the charger port and just put a plug in like the other brands do. I've had no problems with my Scott
This is what happens when a company tries to cram in as many modern day fads into one bike.
I think it works well for it's intended purpose, I'm just not that. I did notice most of their riders that took on the EWS were on Sights though 🤔
Dang dude. You buy a lot of bikes. Relax.
This rider wasn't for the Range. Title change
Biggest downside of the bike is the lack of a motor.
Scary to think what it would weigh with one 😂
looks like dreambikes are usually disappointment.
I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but the high pivot hype does seem to be cooling off in the industry