"The trails of our homeland are our greatest inspiration." That's what it says on the Norco website. That explains a lot, because our test bike comes from British Columbia, and it really gets down to business there. The trails are rough and demanding. Jumps? Fat! And the crazy steep rocky descents are some of the most spectacular in the world. To get up to operating temperature in this terrain, a bike has to be able to take a beating. As far as you can tell from the looks of it, that seems to be the key discipline of the brute-looking Range.
Fact check: Norco Range C1
- Price: 9999 Euro
- Area of application: Enduro
- Frame material: Carbon
- Suspension travel: 170 mm rear / 170 mm front
- Wheel size: 29-inch
- Frame sizes: S, M, L, XL
- Weight: 16.84 kg in size L
- Wheel weight: 5461 g
- Warranty: 3 years
- Special features: size-specific geometry, compatible with double-bridge fork, high-pivot rear triangle
Norco Range C1: The equipment
The Enduro is based on a full carbon frame. The rear and front suspension travel measures 170 millimetres. Wheel size: 29 inches. Norco has dispensed with a more playful mullet option. You will also look in vain for an aluminium version. Why? The Canadians developed the Range for maximum speed on the toughest enduro tracks in the world. This mission allows no compromises. Neither in the wheel size nor in the frame material. The same applies to the equipment. The top model C1 comes with Fox suspension from the Factory series with steel spring dampers at the rear, carbon wheels and Maxxis tyres with a robust double-down casing. With these specifications, the Range is ready for the racetrack almost straight from the factory. However, the price is steep: 9999 euros. And for that, the bike doesn't even have an electronically controlled rear derailleur, let alone Sram's new transmission technology. But not so bad.
- Fork Fox 38 Factory
- Damper Fox DHX2
- Circuit Sram X01 Eagle
- Translation / bandwidth 32; 10-52 / 520 %
- Brakes Sram Code RSC / 200/200 mm
- Telesupport/lift One UP / 170 mm
- Impellers We Are One Union Carbon
- Tyres Maxxis Assegai/Dissector Maxxgrip DD 29 x 2.50/ 29 x 2.40
High-Pivot-Deluxe
All the more budget went into the rear triangle design instead. The fact that this is a high-pivot rear triangle is obvious and no longer unusual. Fullys with a high pivot point and chain deflection are as much a part of the enduro segment as studs on tyres.
Nevertheless, the Range has an ace up its sleeve. While most high-pivot bikes realise the concept via a single pivot with a fixed pivot point, the Norco rear triangle has a virtual pivot point. The background: One feature of high-pivot systems is the high anti-rise values. Single-pivot designs in particular often pull so far into the suspension travel when braking that they harden and lose traction. The virtual pivot point of the Range enables the engineers to reduce the anti-rise values. This means that the suspension remains active even under braking.
The geometry of the Norco Range C1
Norco Range C1: Service friendliness
Attack: The range on the trail
When the trail rolls out in front of you, you feel like the black knight before the battle on the Norco. The 130 millimetre head tube and riser handlebars place the rider confidently and upright behind the control centre. This allows you to plunge downhill on the Range almost without restraint - no matter how deep the drop, how steep the descent or how rough the rocky terrain may be. The suspension does a great job. The steel rear suspension filters out fine bumps perfectly. This makes it easy to keep the bike up to speed even on rough terrain. On bumps, jumps or fast cornering, your physical effort is rewarded with solid support in the mid-stroke. And even towards the end of the stroke, the suspension skilfully parries even hard impacts. Perfect! The short seat tube allows plenty of freedom of movement. If you shift your centre of gravity downwards, the bike is surprisingly easy to steer through tight corners despite the long wheelbase.
Nevertheless, if you're looking for a playful and very reactive enduro bike, the Range won't be a hit. The same applies to enduro riders who expect a bike with an all-round character. Long tours are not in the Norco's specification. The tyres roll too slowly, the weight is too high and too much energy is wasted in the suspension. Finally, there is praise for the size-specific geometry: in addition to the chainstays, Norco also optimises the head angle and seat angle depending on the frame size. This means that riders of all sizes can enjoy a perfectly balanced bike.
The driving behaviour in brief
- + very quiet
- + extremely confident downhill
- + first-class chassis
- + Surprisingly easy to handle despite smooth running
- - Narrow application range
- - quickly becomes sluggish as soon as there is no gravity
- - Not very efficient
Conclusion By Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor
The Range gives you so much confidence that it almost scares you. The handling qualities and the chassis are inspiring. To realise the full potential of the Enduro, you need to be prepared to take maximum risks. The powerful high-end bike is likely to overwhelm beginners.
Max Fuchs
Editor
