Norco’s Sight 2020 all-mountain bike, the company says, has perfect weight distribution for maximum front and rear wheel grip in all scenarios (climbs, descents, low and high speeds).
The brand’s mission was “to build a new Sight with immense descending capability, adept, surefooted climbing and efficient, powerful pedalling”, and its method was through in-depth scientific research in order to unearth “formulas that precisely determine how riders of every build fit on bikes, and how each unique fit affects handling”.
The result is a great-looking new Sight range with a total of seven carbon and aluminium models in four frame sizes and two wheel sizes (one youth model is also being launched).
Despite the extensive range of bikes, Norco seems most proud of its new Ride Aligned system. This, according to the brand, is the outcome of its research and testing, with an ethos of matching “each individual bike to the human who rides it”.
- 160mm front, 150mm rear suspension travel
- 27.5in or 29in wheels
- Carbon or aluminium frame
- Four sizes
- Ride Aligned geometry and setup assist
- Fits full size water bottle
This doesn’t mean custom geometry — as mentioned above, there are four frame sizes to choose from — but rather a setup aid via Norco’s proprietary app, and of course some well-thought-through geometry numbers.
Its aim is to position the “rider’s centre of gravity – both seated and standing – at an optimum position for ideal weight distribution between the wheels for maximum grip and control” in order to achieve “consistent weight distribution at the [tyres’] contact patch across the entire size range”.
How does it do this? By taking into account a rider’s build, their riding style and the sort of trails they expect to ride, Norco’s Ride Aligned Bike Setup Guide (app) provides recommended suspension and tyre pressures and suspension settings.
Perhaps nothing too revolutionary — settings guides are provided with most products — but, if Norco’s press release is to be believed, the brand has really gone to great lengths to ensure the bike and rider work as one system, as designed by the company’s engineers and thinkers.
The bike’s geometry numbers are modern without being extreme: 485mm reach, 440mm rear-centre, 1,262mm wheelbase, 25mm bottom bracket drop on a size large 29in-wheeled Sight Carbon.
Likewise, its 64-degree head angle and 77.7-degree effective seat tube angle are on the money without pushing any boundaries — it’s sensibly up-to-date.
As with the recently launched Optic short-travel bike, the Sight’s rear-centre length increases by increments of 5mm through the sizes, something many manufacturers still don’t bother with, but a sign of Norco’s commitment to correct (as it sees it) sizing and geometry.
2020 Norco Sight range overview
The 2020 Norco Sight range of all-mountain bikes come in several guises, including carbon fibre and aluminium frame options, 27.5in or 29in wheels, and women’s (W) options. Every build is available in four sizes: S, M, L and XL. A frame-only carbon option is also available.
Sight C frameset
- Frame: Sight carbon front triangle, aluminium rear, 150mm travel
- Wheelsize: 27.5in or 29in
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X2, HSC/LSC, HSR/LSR
- Seatpost clamp: Norco alloy nutted clamp
- Rear hub axle: TransX 12mm TA alloy with Allen key
- Price: £2,695 / €2,999
Sight CSE
- Frame: Sight carbon front triangle/seatstay, aluminum chainstay, 150mm travel 27.5in or 29in wheels
- Fork: Fox 36 Factory Float 160mm travel, HSC/LSC/LSR, GRIP 2, short off
- Shock: Fox Factory Float X2, HSC/LSC, HSR/LSR
- Shifting: SRAM X01 Eagle AXS
- Crankset: Truvativ Descendant Eagle Carbon, 29in – 30t, 27.5in – 32t, 170mm
- Cassette: SRAM Eagle XG1295, 10-50t
- Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS, S/M – 150mm, L –170mm, L/XL – 200mm (not AXS)
- Brakes: SRAM Code RSC Hydraulic, 200mm (front)/180mm (rear)
- Rims: DT Swiss XMC 1200
- Hubs: DT Swiss XMC 1200 carbon, 110 x 15mm Boost (front), 148 x 12mm XD driver(rear)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in WT 3C/Maxx Terra/ EXO TR, folding (front); Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.4in WT 3C/Maxx Terra/EXO /TR, folding (rear)
- Price: £8,295 / €9,999
Sight C1
- Frame: Sight carbon front triangle/seatstay, aluminum chainstay, 150mm travel 27.5in or 29in wheels
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Ultimate, Charger 2, 160mm travel, RC2, short offset
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select DebonAir
- Shifting: SRAM Eagle X0/X01
- Crankset: Truvativ Descendant 7K, 29in – 30t, 27.5in – 34t, 170mm
- Cassette: SRAM Eagle XG1295, 10-50t
- Seatpost: RockShox Reverb Stealth Dropper, S – 150mm, M/L – 170mm, XL – 200mm
- Brakes: SRAM Code RSC Hydraulic, 200mm (front)/180mm (rear)
- Rims: DT Swiss M1700
- Hubs: DT Swiss M1700 110 x 15mm (front), 148 x 12mm XD driver (rear)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in WT 3C/Maxx Terra/ EXO TR, folding (front); Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.4in WT 3C/Maxx Terra/EXO /TR, folding (rear)
- Price: £5,795 / €6,999
Sight C2
- Frame: Sight carbon front triangle/seatstay, aluminum chainstay, 150mm travel 27.5 or 29in wheels
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance Elite, 160mm travel, HSC/LSC, HSR/LSR, GRIP 2, short offset
- Shock: Fox FLOAT X2 Performance, LSC/LSR
- Shifting: Shimano XT/ XT SL-M8100, 12-speed rapid fire
- Crankset: Shimano Deore XT Hollowtech, 29in – 32t, 27.5in – 34t, 170mm
- Cassette: Shimano SLX, 10-51t
- Seatpost: TransX YSP-39JL Dropper, S – 150mm, M/L – 170mm, XL - 200mm, 1x lever
- Brakes Shimano SLX 4 piston, 200mm (front) / 180mm (rear)
- Rims: Stans Flow D
- Hubs: Shimano XT 110 x 15mm (front), 148 x 12mm (rear)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in WT 3C/Maxx Terra/EXO /TR, folding (front); Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.4in WT 3C/ Maxx Terra/EXO /TR, folding (rear)
- Price: £4,695 / €5,599
Sight C3
- Frame: Sight carbon front triangle/seatstay, aluminum chainstay, 150mm travel 27.5in or 29in wheels
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select Charger RC, 160mm travel, short offset
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select DebonAir
- Shifting: SRAM Eagle SX
- Crankset: SRAM Eagle SX 30t Steel, 29in – 32t, 27.5in – 34t, 170mm
- Cassette: SRAM Eagle SX PG1210, 11-50t
- Seatpost: TransX YSP-39JL Dropper, S – 150mm, M/L – 170mm, XL – 200mm, 1x lever
- Brakes: Shimano BR-MT520 4 piston, 200mm (front)/180mm (rear)
- Rims: WTB ST I29 TCS 2.0
- Hubs: Shimano Deore 110 x 15mm (front), 148 x 12mm (rear)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in WT, EXO TR, folding (front); Maxxis Minion DHRII 2.4in WT EXO TR, folding (rear)
- Price: £3,795 / €4,599
Sight A1 and Sight A1 W
- Frame: Sight aluminium 150mm travel, 27.5in or 29in wheels
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Ultimate Charger 2, 160mm travel RC2, short offset
- Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select DebonAir
- Shifting: SRAM Eagle GX
- Crankset: Truvativ Descendant 6K Eagle, 29in – 32t, 27.5in – 34t, 170mm
- Cassette: SRAM Eagle GX PG1275, 10-50t
- Seatpost: TransX YSP-39JL Dropper, S – 150mm, M/L – 170mm, XL – 200mm, 1x lever
- Brakes: SRAM Code RSC Hydraulic, 200mm (front)/180mm (rear)
- Rims: e*thirteen LG1 EN
- Hubs: DT Swiss 350 110 x 15mm (front), 148 x 12mm XD driver (rear)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 3C 2.5in WT 3C Maxx Terra EXO TR Folding (front); Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.4in WT 3C Maxx Terra EXO TR Folding (rear)
- Price: £3,795 / €4,599
Sight A2 and Sight A2 W
- Frame: Sight aluminium 150mm travel, 27.5in or 29in wheels
- Fork: Fox Float 36 Rhythm 160mm travel. Sweep adjust, short offset
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Performance LSC/LSR
- Shifting: SRAM Eagle NX/GX
- Crankset: Truvativ Descendant 6K Eagle, 29in – 32t, 27.5in – 34t, 170mm
- Cassette: SRAM Eagle NX PG1230, 10-50t
- Seatpost: TransX YSP-39JL Dropper, S - 150mm, M/L - 170mm, XL - 200mm, 1x lever
- Brakes: SRAM Code R Hydraulic, 200mm (front)/180mm (rear)
- Rims: Stans Flow D, black 32H
- Hubs: DT Swiss 370 15 x 110mm (front), 148x12mm (rear)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in WT EXO TR Folding (front); Maxxis Minion DHRII 2.4in WT EXO TR Folding (rear)
- Price: £2,995 / €3,599
Sight A3 and Sight A3 W
- Frame: Sight aluminium 150mm travel, 27.5in or 29in wheels
- Fork: RockShox Yari RC Motion Control 160mm travel, short offset
- Shock: RockShox Deluxe Select R
- Shifting: SRAM Eagle SX
- Crankset: SRAM Eagle X1 DUB, 29in – 32t, 27.5in – 34t, 170mm
- Cassette: SRAM Eagle SX PG1210, 11-50t
- Seatpost: TransX YSP-39JL Dropper, S – 150mm, M/L – 170mm, XL – 200mm, 1x lever
- Brakes: Shimano BR-MT420 four piston hydraulic, 200mm (front)/180mm (rear)
- Rims: WTB ST I29 TCS 2.0
- Hubs: Shimano Deore 110 x 15mm (front), 148 x 12mm (rear)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in WT EXO TR Folding (front); Maxxis Minion DHRII 2.4in WT EXO TR Folding (rear)
- Price: £2,295 / €2,799
2020 Norco Sight FS 27.5 Youth
Norco is also offering an aluminium 27.5in wheeled, 140mm rear wheel travel Sight Youth, available in one size only, which Norco says will fit a rider height of 4ft 9in to 5ft 2in.
The bike has “generous standover clearance”, a lighter shock tune for a “more forgiving ride under lighter riders”, youth contact points (grips, seat and pedals) and uses the company’s Ride Aligned research and system in its geometry and setup.
- Frame: 6061 alloy, 140mm travel
- Fork: RockShox Pike, Charger, 150mm travel, 37mm offset
- Shock: Rockshox Deluxe R Select Debonair 2
- Crankset: SRAM Eagle SX PowerSpline, 165mm
- Cassette: SRAM Eagle PG 1210, 11-50t
- Seatpost: JD TransX Light Action Dropper, 120mm
- Brakes: Shimano BR-MT500 hydraulic, 180mm (front/rear)
- Rims: WTB STP I25, tubeless-ready
- Hubs: Shimano Deore 110 x 15mm Boost (front); 148 x 12mm Boost (rear)
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF EXO / TR 27.5 x 2.3in, Folding, Skinwall (front); Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO / TR 27.5 x 2.3in, Folding, Skinwall (rear)
- Price: £2,295 / €2,699
