Enduro bikes require a unique skill-set that just a few years ago would have seemed impossible. They need to be pedaled to the top, yet still be able to be flung down seriously hazardous terrain repeatedly.
Well, Norco's been paying attention and has updated its enduro-specific Range line of bikes accordingly.
Owen Pemberton, Norco's senior design engineer, said about the demands of enduro: "...in an enduro event they go through four or five downhill races over a weekend. This is a bike that's going to be ridden hard, and we wanted to make it as reliable and dependable as possible. So we took everything we learned from the Aurum, which is the strongest bike we’d ever made, and employed it on the new Range Carbon.”
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Norco Range C 7.1 frame features
SmoothCore carbon frame with ArmorLite resin
Updated geometry
ART rear suspension, 160mm
Gravity Tune
Trunnion-mount, metric Fox X2 rear shock
Enduro Max bearings throughout
Gizmo internal cable routing
Boost axle spacing front and rear
Norco Range C 7.1 specs
The 7.1 designation means this is the top model in the Range line up and the parts that hang off the carbon frame live up to it.
On the front is a bar-setting Fox Factory 36 with 170mm of travel.
The 27.5in rolling stock consists of legendary DT Swiss 240 hubs tied to Race Face 30mm wide Arc rims, which are wrapped in Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5WT up front and a DHRII 2.4WT out back.
SRAM takes care of the stop and go with Guide RSC brakes clamping on 180mm rotors while X01 Eagle spins 12 speeds for the drivetrain. An MRP AMG V2 holds the chain in place and provides some bash resistance.
Race Face takes care of the handling with a 50mm Turbine stem, 800mm wide SixC carbon bars and Love Handle lock-on grips. A RockShox Reverb dropper post topped with an SDG saddle completes the package.
Norco Range C 7.1 pricing and availability
There are three Range models available in both 27.5in and 29in wheel sizes.