Insane pricing. They will sell the limited production they have though.What makes me most upset by this is that it's still loaded with house brand components...
Insane pricing. They will sell the limited production they have though.
What makes me most upset by this is that it's still loaded with house brand components. Put some name brand wheels on the thing at least.
Edit: Looks like only the saddle and wheels are house brand. Everything else is another brand. Still would like to see Enve, DT or I9 wheels though.
The wheels are laced to DT 240 hubs though.
I just checked and it’s $15,500 USD. That’s a bit more than the Yeti or Santa Cruz offerings but I don’t think any of them are offering the Live Valve suspension.
Insane pricing. They will sell the limited production they have though.What makes me most upset by this is that it's still loaded with house brand components...
Insane pricing. They will sell the limited production they have though.
What makes me most upset by this is that it's still loaded with house brand components. Put some name brand wheels on the thing at least.
Edit: Looks like only the saddle and wheels are house brand. Everything else is another brand. Still would like to see Enve, DT or I9 wheels though.
I own those Roval Traverse HD and they are actually very good! The ride quality compares to Crank Brothers Synthesis carbon wheels with different front and rear carbon layup. People usually scoff at house brand wheels but I have been very happy with the 3 sets of Rovals I have for the different bikes. DT hubs, DT spokes, good rim layup and solid warranty to back it all up. In fact I had a set of the much hyped WeAreOne Union which felt like wooden planks in comparison.
Insane pricing. They will sell the limited production they have though.What makes me most upset by this is that it's still loaded with house brand components...
Insane pricing. They will sell the limited production they have though.
What makes me most upset by this is that it's still loaded with house brand components. Put some name brand wheels on the thing at least.
Edit: Looks like only the saddle and wheels are house brand. Everything else is another brand. Still would like to see Enve, DT or I9 wheels though.
specialized saddles are some of the best. I know enough people who pick them over wtb, ergon etc
Thx for the info. I'm exactly your weight 93kg, but with all the gear and kitted on top around 96-97kg.
I've also got a set of LH4's currently w/ the Sram HS2 rotors. I absolutely love them, cant recommend them enough. I had code RSC's before them, and Magura MT7 pros before the codes, and the Lewis' are my favorite so far. Lever feel and power are amazing, value is second to none. With as cheap as they are I'd say go for it.
As far as the cooling fins I'm to skinny to see a benefit from any brand's so I can't speak to that.
I actually dont mind it, and I normally despise bikes that look like they have been in a head on car accident
I think there's an interesting discussion of function vs form with this bike. It's apparent from the comments (and comment voting) both here and on the other site that the looks are, shall we say, controversial. Deviate has demonstrably fallen on the function side by designing a bike that has all three of:
1. a huge 800w downtube battery;
2. no knockblock/steering limiter and the ability to have the fork crowns pass under the frame; and
3. the ability to fit two water bottles in the front triangle, which (I believe) makes them unique in the long travel full suspension ebike market.
The compromise is that, as noodle points out, it looks like someone drove it into the garage door or maybe hit it with a shovel. I don't think you can have all three of the above without that. Looking at the side profile, the only way I could see a no-kink design is by losing at least one of the above. Personally, I'd go for the straight downtube thing, Trek's knockblock and similar makes the most sense on ebikes where you have loads of expensive wires which don't really want to be pulled.... But could you still keep your reach adjust headset, if that were the case?
There's no shortage of Ranges in my neck of the woods, which makes sense because my neck of the woods is British Columbia, where there's plenty...
There's no shortage of Ranges in my neck of the woods, which makes sense because my neck of the woods is British Columbia, where there's plenty of Norco dealers and the current Range makes a bundle more sense for the average "enthusiast" level rider in a two bike quiver than the Shore or a bunch of other options.
I don't think you're right in statement that it was "never going to be a bike racers actually used in enduro". Maybe it's not the bike that the pros use, but roll up to any enduro race in BC and you're guaranteed to see solid Range representation (or DH race - it was even raced on 1199 this year at Crankworx, a number of years after release and notwithstanding the fact it was never actually a DH bike). It's up there with megatowers right now, there is truly no shortage of these around. It's a great enduro bike for humans who need that extra 20mm of forgiveness and safety that many pros don't seem to require - although you could say this about virtually all of the "super enduro" bikes - the people at the sharpest end of the sport often select the all-mountain option.
I agree the product cycle of the Range has been interesting. Three year single spec without a colou change, with the only difference being that after the first model year, they introduced the 1.1 frame with dramatically better shock clearance (why didn't they update the colours when they did this frame update?).
But the Range was an important bike for Norco. Not so much a proof of concept, moreso a proof of the rebrand. You know, the new Norco thing on the downtube and the little split apart N thing instead of the shield(?) logo. External reps and brand managers were making the rounds to dealers, and one of their talking points was how they wanted to be seen as the Canadian Santa Cruz, reputation wise. They wanted to create a premium, excellent-riding, compelling, and mountain-focused lineup. They culled the majority of their non-mountain models, offering only an option or two per category outside the new bread and butter. Part of this rebrand was marketing, but another part was doubling the size of their engineering part (no joke, they doubled it!).
Did the Range on its own make a ton of money? I don't know. I don't see their financials, but I kinda doubt it (have you seen how every size/spec option is available for like 40% off now? oops!). Am I convinced they lost money? Not necessarily. But what I can say is that I guarantee the positive press, impact, and unadultered brain-occupying the Range did in the months after release sold a bundle of Sights, Optics, Fluids and various VLT bikes.
The Range was the flagship bike to go along with the rebrand. The category was super hot. The Range was the announcement into a competitive world that they were no longer the discount Canadian mountain bike brand. No, they're a serious contender for YOUR next mountain bike. It had to be good.
Not to continue the conversation but I think the biggest issue with the Range's lifespan was the availability. My buddy was all over ordering one at launch but all three builds had up in the air ETA's that basically lead to him purchasing another bike. I want to say the local shop only saw a bottom spec size small over the course of half a year, not that I think this was a bike intended to be mass produced but the state of the world at that time did no favors for it.
Yeah those Roval rims are pretty decent and backed by Specialized warranty.
Their ally ones aren’t great though
I had a pair of clearance carbon Rovals on my gravel bike that exploded when I got hit by a negligent driver a couple years ago. Specialized replaced them quickly with a brand new pair that I then sold to the Pro's Closet for nearly what I paid for them originally. I submitted them to the Pro's Closet on a whim rather than selling locally thinking why would anyone buy these wheels when their main selling point (imo) is the warranty to the original owner. I'm assuming TPC bought them to put them on a bike rather than selling them on their own but idk.
The warranty is great, the spec is decent, and they're frequently on sale. Would buy again if I had the need.
Interesting take,No more niche than a Dreadnaught, or Slash, or Spire, or Claymore, or......Just a long travel "enduro/freeride" bike, that leans more towards DH performance than...
Interesting take,
No more niche than a Dreadnaught, or Slash, or Spire, or Claymore, or......Just a long travel "enduro/freeride" bike, that leans more towards DH performance than most. When compared to what youd actually ride/race, its not really that much heavier, and for the additional performance, worth the penalty.
I went with a Spire, but the Range was a very, very close second. Now I'm on a V2 Dreadnaught.....
See loads of em around here, ridden, raced, at the bike park. Might be location dependant.
I see what you're saying, But the spire is definitely not niche in my opinion, its just a big crab link.
Dreddy or claymore come from smaller brands so according to my peanut brain they can do more interesting stuff with less risk. Slash is cool but still kind of basically a crab link HP??
I have not ridden any of them so I could just be totally out to lunch on this one, but it really seemed to me that the range was on the extreme end of descending focus and was a little bit of a dog as far as uphill performance is concerned.
Like some of the comments after yours have talked about. The range seemed to be part of a big pivot for the brand and I think that is sick. When the Optic, Sight, and Range came out it was like woah these guys are doing the most. So much so that I demo'd and bought a sight. I'm a huge Norco fanboy now and will probably buy a new optic for my next bike. (Also bought my dad a low pivot optic when I bought my sight) Maybe I live in a weird dead zone because some comments have mentioned seeing Range's a lot, but I have only seen 2 ranges in person on the "trail" and both were at bike parks. I ride a lot in SW WA and NW Oregon.
Long story long I'm stoked the range exists and I'd love to ride one but it seems way too gnarly to me for anything but shuttling. I think the "LT sight" is pretty good evidence that seems to be a common opinion. But also super stoked the direction that Norco is going, Their bikes are sick.
I've also got a set of LH4's currently w/ the Sram HS2 rotors. I absolutely love them, cant recommend them enough. I had code RSC's before...
I've also got a set of LH4's currently w/ the Sram HS2 rotors. I absolutely love them, cant recommend them enough. I had code RSC's before them, and Magura MT7 pros before the codes, and the Lewis' are my favorite so far. Lever feel and power are amazing, value is second to none. With as cheap as they are I'd say go for it.
As far as the cooling fins I'm to skinny to see a benefit from any brand's so I can't speak to that.
Thx for the answer. I'm gonna go for the new Lewis then i think. I do have SRAM HS2 rotors now running under CODE RSC's.
Tire rumors, brake rumors, and Rocky/Norco rumors back in effect. Been about six months since I've seen a Slayer though, lol. Do people still buy Canadian bikes?. I asked some local dealers about them during the Pandemic, and they said they stopped selling them because of bad frame tolerances, and crap warrantee support.
My current gen Range VLT with Bosch has been flawless. They’ve been iterating rapidly. Also nice the rear end is so much shorter / mulleted than the previous gen.
My current Range high pivot bike is an insane descending bike - but it’s pretty clear that the I track / moving the idler to tune anti squat has leveled up their new optic/sight - this outgoing range just never felt great on the pedals - despite the weight.
Interesting take,No more niche than a Dreadnaught, or Slash, or Spire, or Claymore, or......Just a long travel "enduro/freeride" bike, that leans more towards DH performance than...
Interesting take,
No more niche than a Dreadnaught, or Slash, or Spire, or Claymore, or......Just a long travel "enduro/freeride" bike, that leans more towards DH performance than most. When compared to what youd actually ride/race, its not really that much heavier, and for the additional performance, worth the penalty.
I went with a Spire, but the Range was a very, very close second. Now I'm on a V2 Dreadnaught.....
See loads of em around here, ridden, raced, at the bike park. Might be location dependant.
I see what you're saying, But the spire is definitely not niche in my opinion, its just a big crab link. Dreddy or claymore come from smaller...
I see what you're saying, But the spire is definitely not niche in my opinion, its just a big crab link.
Dreddy or claymore come from smaller brands so according to my peanut brain they can do more interesting stuff with less risk. Slash is cool but still kind of basically a crab link HP??
I have not ridden any of them so I could just be totally out to lunch on this one, but it really seemed to me that the range was on the extreme end of descending focus and was a little bit of a dog as far as uphill performance is concerned.
Like some of the comments after yours have talked about. The range seemed to be part of a big pivot for the brand and I think that is sick. When the Optic, Sight, and Range came out it was like woah these guys are doing the most. So much so that I demo'd and bought a sight. I'm a huge Norco fanboy now and will probably buy a new optic for my next bike. (Also bought my dad a low pivot optic when I bought my sight) Maybe I live in a weird dead zone because some comments have mentioned seeing Range's a lot, but I have only seen 2 ranges in person on the "trail" and both were at bike parks. I ride a lot in SW WA and NW Oregon.
Long story long I'm stoked the range exists and I'd love to ride one but it seems way too gnarly to me for anything but shuttling. I think the "LT sight" is pretty good evidence that seems to be a common opinion. But also super stoked the direction that Norco is going, Their bikes are sick.
The Uber long, Uber slack, Uber low, long travel super enduro isnt' niche to you?
I think youre looking at it from todays point of view, cause in 21/22, it was definitely a low volume bike, that was not for everyone, or everywhere. Similar to the Range.....
I've been a Norco fan for ages, they have their upps and downs, like most companies. Back in the days of acid green VPS-1's and 2's, they were top tier bikes, but in a segment that was baggy Roach shorts, and old moto gear for protection. They had a weird period in the mid naughties, but theyve been making great bikes for a long time.
Theyre also one of NA's biggest parts, merch, accessory distros as well. I vividly remember flipping through their spiral bound catalogue, pricing Monster T's....
must be your currency, same price around here for the top model
The wheels are laced to DT 240 hubs though.
I just checked and it’s $15,500 USD. That’s a bit more than the Yeti or Santa Cruz offerings but I don’t think any of them are offering the Live Valve suspension.
Yeah those Roval rims are pretty decent and backed by Specialized warranty.
Their ally ones aren’t great though
I own those Roval Traverse HD and they are actually very good! The ride quality compares to Crank Brothers Synthesis carbon wheels with different front and rear carbon layup. People usually scoff at house brand wheels but I have been very happy with the 3 sets of Rovals I have for the different bikes. DT hubs, DT spokes, good rim layup and solid warranty to back it all up. In fact I had a set of the much hyped WeAreOne Union which felt like wooden planks in comparison.
specialized saddles are some of the best. I know enough people who pick them over wtb, ergon etc
I actually dont mind it, and I normally despise bikes that look like they have been in a head on car accident
I've also got a set of LH4's currently w/ the Sram HS2 rotors. I absolutely love them, cant recommend them enough. I had code RSC's before them, and Magura MT7 pros before the codes, and the Lewis' are my favorite so far. Lever feel and power are amazing, value is second to none. With as cheap as they are I'd say go for it.
As far as the cooling fins I'm to skinny to see a benefit from any brand's so I can't speak to that.
I think there's an interesting discussion of function vs form with this bike. It's apparent from the comments (and comment voting) both here and on the other site that the looks are, shall we say, controversial. Deviate has demonstrably fallen on the function side by designing a bike that has all three of:
1. a huge 800w downtube battery;
2. no knockblock/steering limiter and the ability to have the fork crowns pass under the frame; and
3. the ability to fit two water bottles in the front triangle, which (I believe) makes them unique in the long travel full suspension ebike market.
The compromise is that, as noodle points out, it looks like someone drove it into the garage door or maybe hit it with a shovel. I don't think you can have all three of the above without that. Looking at the side profile, the only way I could see a no-kink design is by losing at least one of the above. Personally, I'd go for the straight downtube thing, Trek's knockblock and similar makes the most sense on ebikes where you have loads of expensive wires which don't really want to be pulled.... But could you still keep your reach adjust headset, if that were the case?
Not to continue the conversation but I think the biggest issue with the Range's lifespan was the availability. My buddy was all over ordering one at launch but all three builds had up in the air ETA's that basically lead to him purchasing another bike. I want to say the local shop only saw a bottom spec size small over the course of half a year, not that I think this was a bike intended to be mass produced but the state of the world at that time did no favors for it.
I had a pair of clearance carbon Rovals on my gravel bike that exploded when I got hit by a negligent driver a couple years ago. Specialized replaced them quickly with a brand new pair that I then sold to the Pro's Closet for nearly what I paid for them originally. I submitted them to the Pro's Closet on a whim rather than selling locally thinking why would anyone buy these wheels when their main selling point (imo) is the warranty to the original owner. I'm assuming TPC bought them to put them on a bike rather than selling them on their own but idk.
The warranty is great, the spec is decent, and they're frequently on sale. Would buy again if I had the need.
I see what you're saying, But the spire is definitely not niche in my opinion, its just a big crab link.
Dreddy or claymore come from smaller brands so according to my peanut brain they can do more interesting stuff with less risk. Slash is cool but still kind of basically a crab link HP??
I have not ridden any of them so I could just be totally out to lunch on this one, but it really seemed to me that the range was on the extreme end of descending focus and was a little bit of a dog as far as uphill performance is concerned.
Like some of the comments after yours have talked about. The range seemed to be part of a big pivot for the brand and I think that is sick. When the Optic, Sight, and Range came out it was like woah these guys are doing the most. So much so that I demo'd and bought a sight. I'm a huge Norco fanboy now and will probably buy a new optic for my next bike. (Also bought my dad a low pivot optic when I bought my sight) Maybe I live in a weird dead zone because some comments have mentioned seeing Range's a lot, but I have only seen 2 ranges in person on the "trail" and both were at bike parks. I ride a lot in SW WA and NW Oregon.
Long story long I'm stoked the range exists and I'd love to ride one but it seems way too gnarly to me for anything but shuttling. I think the "LT sight" is pretty good evidence that seems to be a common opinion. But also super stoked the direction that Norco is going, Their bikes are sick.
Thx for the answer. I'm gonna go for the new Lewis then i think. I do have SRAM HS2 rotors now running under CODE RSC's.
New EXT dual crown
https://extusa.bike/products/ext-vaia?se_activity_id=183853809960&sycli…
We’ll need a Dorado - Vaia shootout. Lots of similarities on paper.
Trek is supposedly working on a steel fs bike.
https://www.bikemag.com/industry-news/trek-teases-steel-full-suspension…
That's a good looking bike. Although if it comes to market, they'll need another name for it: https://www.pipedreamcycles.com/shop/tfm-the-full-moxie/
Wade's Pipedream.
https://bikes.com/en-ca/blogs/stories/wade-simmons-pipedream?srsltid=AfmBOoqEBblRA2J96RucLaMSlDVEjUFMlsJHRNGeWjt-gdZzMqJFAVHl
Man, Trek isn't even the first mountain bike manufacturer to make a one-off metal full suspension bike called the Pipedream. And with Wade's the name worked on additional levels which is better.
Damn, Brian beat me to it by moments.
Trek if youre here. Breath once…
Wade might just be the best rider / actor combo in the industry. Name a rider that does better acting jobs in ride videos?
The Vaia features floating bushings. That should make the biggest differnce other then ridefeel. Would be interesting for sure!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jL4AI2kp3o
Matty Miles!
Damn, that's such a sick vid. Thanks for the revisit, Bikaholic.
the only brand engineer to make a finals at the world cup - According to Kirk, Episode 2 from Norco (Kirk McDowall)
Tire rumors, brake rumors, and Rocky/Norco rumors back in effect. Been about six months since I've seen a Slayer though, lol. Do people still buy Canadian bikes?. I asked some local dealers about them during the Pandemic, and they said they stopped selling them because of bad frame tolerances, and crap warrantee support.
Is that current brand engineer? Or else I think cesar rojo might think otherwise
I'd say the qualifier here is current...
My current gen Range VLT with Bosch has been flawless. They’ve been iterating rapidly. Also nice the rear end is so much shorter / mulleted than the previous gen.
My current Range high pivot bike is an insane descending bike - but it’s pretty clear that the I track / moving the idler to tune anti squat has leveled up their new optic/sight - this outgoing range just never felt great on the pedals - despite the weight.
The Uber long, Uber slack, Uber low, long travel super enduro isnt' niche to you?
I think youre looking at it from todays point of view, cause in 21/22, it was definitely a low volume bike, that was not for everyone, or everywhere. Similar to the Range.....
I've been a Norco fan for ages, they have their upps and downs, like most companies. Back in the days of acid green VPS-1's and 2's, they were top tier bikes, but in a segment that was baggy Roach shorts, and old moto gear for protection. They had a weird period in the mid naughties, but theyve been making great bikes for a long time.
Theyre also one of NA's biggest parts, merch, accessory distros as well. I vividly remember flipping through their spiral bound catalogue, pricing Monster T's....
I might have missed that - what would floating bushes do for the Vaia’s feel and performance?