Flow’s First Bite: Norco Sight Carbon 7.1


The not-so-minor details

Product

Norco Sight Carbon 7.1

Contact

Advance Traders

Price

AUD6,399.00

Positives

Best looking Norco ever. Lightweight frame and dialled geometry and components to attack corners and tricky trails with confidence.

Negatives

Not the liveliest rear suspension. High price tag. Delicate paintwork.

Us

Norco are doing great things with their suspension bikes. The last couple years have seen the Canadian mob release many finely balanced dual suspension bikes with unique and cleverly engineered designs. We loved their downhill bike, the Aurum, the first variant of the 26″ wheeled Sight and more recently the first generation of 650B wheel sized Sight Killer B. Now we are treated to the Sight Carbon, and there is a lot to say about it.

We found the rear suspension to be well supported off the top, but lacking support through the middle.
We found the rear suspension to be well supported off the top, but lacking support through the middle of the stroke. Pedalling efficiency is great too, and a lighter set of wheels and tyres would boost speeds further.

For 2014 Norco moves into the realm of carbon for their dual suspension bikes, a first for the Canadian mob, and what a gutsy move it must be indeed.

We secured a super early opportunity to review and take the Norco Sight Carbon 7.1 over to Rotorua with us, alongside three other 27.5″/650B bikes. The Norco was in some tough company but we quickly found what we did and did not like about this curvaceous number.

Our test bike had a dodgy Rockshox Revelation fork, but nothing we couldn't fix.
Our test bike had a dodgy Rockshox Revelation fork, but nothing we couldn’t fix.

A full review is coming soon, but what we do know is that the bike is light underneath you, it charges hard with what appears to be dialled geometry, and we loved the parts kit. We did have a couple major problems with the fork, the air spring was leaking and caused a choppy action and one of the seals to pop up. We fixed it, but it never felt 100%.

SRAM top to toe, with the wonderful Xo1 eleven speed, single chainring drivetrain.
SRAM top to toe with the wonderful Xo1 eleven speed, single chainring drivetrain and Trail 7 quad piston brakes.

Spec wise, the Sight is dripping with juicy bits. A complete SRAM bike, with quad piston Avid Trail 7 brakes, eleven speed Xo1 and an internally routed Rockshox Reverb Stealth post. The price tag is high, surprisingly so in fact, we would have liked to see a lighter set of wheels for those dollars.

So keep your sights up, for the complete review soon.

Them

Delivering a perfectly balanced and incredibly efficient ride experience, the 2014 Sight Killer B is the complete package for modern trail riding. A short, ultra-stiff rear end, low BB and slack head angle speak to a ride that begs to be ridden as far and as fast as you dare. The Sight’s trail-tuned A.R.T. suspension system powers riders to the top of the steepest climbs and delivers grin-inducing playfulness and confidence-inspiring capability on the downs. For those who always take the lead in a pack, the Sight Killer B is the ultimate trail weapon.

Click to see the little words easier.
Click to see the little words easier to read.

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