2020 Norco Sight C Custom Lyrik X01 Bike

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When the all-new Norco Sight was originally launched at the end of October, we already had the bike on our home trails for a week to get a feel for it. Our first impressions had us a bit smitten but a long term test is what the Sight deserved. After four months and hundreds of miles on the trails, we are ready to share where we stand with the 27.5-inch wheeled version of this trail smasher. Hang on as we share our final stance with the Norco Sight and how the all-mountain bike held up in the video above and review below.

Norco Sight V3 Highlights

• Carbon frame with alloy chainstay (tested)
• Aluminum frame options
• 27.5-inch or 29-inch wheel options
• Sizes small through extra-large
• 160mm travel fork, 150mm travel frame
• All-new size-specific geometry
• Clear frame-protection kit installed
• Bosses on underside of top tube for accessory mounting
• Internal cable routing
• Custom build kits through Build Your Ride, Ride Your Build program
• Women's specific builds available
• Four-piston brakes on all models
• Most models equipped with Maxxis EXO+ casing
• Downtube features shuttle guard and bottom bracket protection
• Shimano, SRAM, FOX, and RockShox builds available
• MSRP: $6,897 USD as tested

Along with the new bike, Norco pushed their Ride Aligned philosophy. A close examination of the geometry chart, not just your own size, will have prospective riders realizing that every size of the Sight has its own geometry. Mid-center, reach, seat angle; all of it is adjusted and optimized based on a pile of anthropomorphic data that Norco collected. This means that our size medium should feel, to us at 5-foot 9-inch as the XL does to a 6-foot 3-inch rider. With particular respect to mid-center, this has been a battle cry of many riders on larger sizes.

The Sight has some new-wave details we've begun to appreciate on more bikes these days. On the underside of the top tube, there are bosses to hold aftermarket storage options or even your frame-mounted pump. Going above and beyond, the Sight comes with a clear frame protection kit installed. To top it off underside of the Sight sports rubber protection in the shuttle zone as well as the bottom bracket area while sufficient protection on the alloy chainstay keeps the bike incredibly quiet on the trail. Not so new-wave but always pleasant to find, a full-sized water bottle fit nicely in our medium frame, as did our spare inner tube.

On The Trail

We'll just say it, the 2020 Norco Sight is the epitome of a modern, aggressive all-mountain bike. Its geometry is transformative while its trail manners are superb. The suspension works incredibly well in a variety of conditions and lends riders to a depth of confidence no bike in this category has yet to deliver. This bike is impressive in all manner of trails and conditions, and seemingly so, across all sizes. The Sight is not without flaw but we felt it best to be clear that on almost any objective measure we tossed the bike against, it measured up to and outperformed. This bike was ridden by multiple testers, each drawing the positive conclusion that the Sight was amazing.

The Norco took all we could throw its way and shrugged as if to say, "Is that all?"

Sitting on the Sight with the 175mm RockShox dropper at full extension provides an upright riding position with proper weight distribution. When riding different bikes back-to-back, the Sight did have a more active feel to the suspension. It is not a rocket ship on the climbs but it is far from a pig. The 77.3-degree (effective) seat tube angle kept the rider weight forward and legs pumping happily along. Technical switchbacks either up or downhill did not have us noticing the 63.5-degree head angle. Norco is clearly up to some VooDoo magic as many of the features that make the bike descend so well remained masked during the countless miles of climbing we logged.

Along rolling terrain and descents, the Sight's standout feature is bump-absorption. Rather, when it comes to small and mid-sized hits, the Sight seems to pave the trail beneath you. Time after time, in swaths of endless rock gardens, not once was the Sight put out of sorts or pushed offline. When it came to riding even the roughest of trails, the Norco took all we could throw its way and shrugged as if to say, "Is that all?" We truly had a hard time believing this bike only had 150mm of travel in the rear.

When it comes to suspension ramp, there is a bit of preference at play. Some progression is appreciated by most riders but the degree of that ramp is where things tend to turn personal. The Norco Sight does have a progressive suspension design but the rate of that ramp isn't as pronounced as the new Transition Scout or Santa Cruz Bronson, both are bikes we've held in high regard. After using the Ride Aligned setup guide, we found bottom on the Sight more often than we would have liked. Over the course of a few weeks, we stayed in contact with Norco engineers and played with front-end height, suspension pressures fore and aft as well as tuning options therein. What we would have liked was to add another volume spacer and be on our way, but Norco wasn't having it. They stood by their design and had us playing with other features. Agree or disagree, we were able to get the Sight to behave more as we liked but never got the full ramp that would have been preferred. Despite not achieving the performance we desired, we have to concede that the Norco works exactly as it should and is objectively, a well-performing system. To us, the Sight might be a candidate for the RockShox MegNeg kit.

The riding position and cornering manners of the Sight were reflective of any number of bikes using the super-slack, longish front style of geometry. Much like the new Transition Scout, the Sight asks for a centered rider, pushing the front end to reap maximum dividends in the corners. Comply and you will be treated to all-day grip through the turns, even those filled with rocks and holes. This same bulldog approach is applied in lower-angle rocks as well. Keep centered and the Sight will track beautifully but the rider has to be willing to commit. If you get too far off the back, the front won't be properly weighted and things can get a tad light.

This methodology is at the heart of the Sight. It does in fact demand a rider with a heavy hand to make it light up. The Sight will deliver confidence to a timid rider but you have to be willing to trust it. Less aggressive riders may be better suited to look towards the Norco Optic or other shorter-travel options simply because there isn't much point in lugging around the extra bike if you aren't going to get a bit aggro. There were days when we weren't feeling tip-top and just wanted to go for a spin. The Norco felt like any other slack bike and nothing too special, albeit maybe a bit heavy on the climb. To that end, we have to say the Sight is not for everybody.

Build Kit

At the time of launch, our Sight had the C1 build moniker but it is now just one permutation of build in Norco's custom program. Retail for the carbon frame, spec'd with the X01 build and Rock Shox suspension kit is $6,697. The X01 kit is just that, sans the carbon cranks where, instead, riders get the alloy Descendant model. CODE RSC brakes with 200/180mm rotors front and rear, stop the bike which rolls on DT Swiss M1700 wheels wrapped in EXO+ MAXXIS Minion DHF and DHR tires. A top tier Lyrik Ultimate fork is mated to a Super Deluxe Select+ rear shock to round out the build kit. Little details like the Deity bars and Ergon contact points are nice but are juxtaposed with a stem that looks like an unrefined paperweight. Complaining about an OEM stem should indicate how deeply we're digging for quibbles these days. The build for the money lands the Norco Sight right in the mix of prices when compared to other brands. For comparable builds, you'll find some bikes for less, others will run you more. The beauty is that through Norco's Build Your Ride, Ride Your Build program, customers can taper the cost in various places, or ball out of control if that's your thing. Yes, you can even have a high-end build on an alloy frame.

By any objective measure, the Norco Sight is simply awesome.

Long Term Durability

How did the Sight hold up under our antics? With a pre-installed frame protection kit, it's no surprise the paint still looks great. No pivots or parts came loose and no strange noises came to light, no matter how much we tried.

Suspension: Again and again, the goods from RockShox continue to impress. The Super Deluxe was always supple and the Lyrik Ultimate is just outstanding. Highly tunable and always at the ready, this is a stellar combination.

Reverb: Our 175mm Reverb had to be bled not once, but twice to finally keep consistent performance. We know RockShox has worked hard to revise this product and to be fair, even including older generations, this was the first one to give this garage so many fits.

Wheels: The DT Swiss M1700 wheels are reasonably light, have a nice profile and roll well. Even though the pressure on our Maxxis EXO+ tires never dropped below 26-PSI, we managed to dent the M1700s in multiple locations, one of which enough to cause a small leak, requiring regular airing-up before each ride. Whether the Sight dishes out that much punishment or the M1700s weren't up for the job, we were a bit bummed to smoke a wheel so quickly on this high of a build.

What's The Bottom Line?

By any objective measure, the Norco Sight is simply awesome. That doesn't mean it is for everybody or we didn't have our complaints. No doubt the Ride Aligned methodology is not cheap for Norco and for that, customers may pay a premium in the overall value department. While there is nothing to stop you from putting your own volume spacer in the rear shock, Norco has taken a somewhat dogmatic approach to suspension tuning. All of that aside, there was not one single occasion where the Sight left us wanting for more. Truly, a rider like Sam Blenkinsop should test this bike because no rider short of his abilities could take the Norco Sight to the limit or outside its comfort zone and to us, that is money in the bank. Make sure you head to Norco.com to build your own Sight.

Vital MTB Rating

• Climbing: 4 stars
• Descending: 5 stars
• Fun Factor: 5 stars
• Value: 4 stars
• Overall Impression: 4.5 stars - Outstanding

About The Reviewer

Brad Howell - Age: 40 // Years Riding: 25 // Height: 5'9" (1.75m) // Weight: 165-pounds (74.8kg)

Brad started mountain biking when a 2.25-inch tire was "large," and despite having threads, bottom brackets sucked. Riding in the woods with friends eventually lead way to racing, trying to send it at the local gravel pits, and working in bike shops as a wrench to fix those bikes. Fortunate enough to have dug at six Rampages and become friends with some of the sport’s biggest talents, Brad has a broad perspective of what bikes can do and what it means to be a good rider. The past few years Brad worked in the bike industry and got to see the man behind the curtain. These days, though, he just likes riding his bike in the woods with friends.

Photos by Brad Howell // Video by John Reynolds and Brad Howell