Norco Sight Carbon Bike Check

I was asked on my last video to post a bike check about my bike... and of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk about it.

This is my third Gen-3 Sight in a row. When I got my paws on a team edition frame in a magnificent prismatic green, and set to work building myself a superbike that was truly one-of-a-kind.

From the get-go, I wanted to build this thing burly. The Sight can take a helluva beating, and is really stable at speed, so I decided to go longer travel front and rear in anticipation of racing some DH on it. (That rarified air at the top of the podium assures me that it does really well at it, too!)

I have this bike set up at 170mm travel front, and 157mm travel rear. I tried the Cascade components link on a previous Sight (which would increase the rear travel above 160mm) but wasn't impressed with the beginning and mid-stroke support, so I went back to the stock link for this build.

I have been asked why I chose the Sight at 170/160 instead of the Range at 170/170mm, and it's a fair question. It really comes down to the types of trails I ride the most. The Sight is considerably more nimble in flatter terrain, which I end up riding quite a bit. While the Range definitely felt faster on steeper, tighter runs, it would have felt sluggish for a significant number of my rides, where the Sight really shines.

But enough about that... here's the specs:

Frame: Gen 3 Norco Sight Carbon, XL, 29" wheel.
With the fork travel change, the reach is just under 515mm, the headtube slightly slacker than 64 degrees, and the seat tube just shy of 78 degrees.

Fork: 2023 Rockshox Zeb Ultimate, 170mm.
The new Charger damper on this fork is fantastic. With totally separate high and low speed damping, I finally feel like I can make adjustments trail-by-trail and not mess-up my overall tune. The new air spring also gives it a bit more mid-stroke support, so it's as supple as the older Zeb off the top, with great control of ride height on the trail.

Shock: 2023 Rockshox SuperDeluxe Ultimate Coil. 185x55mm
The RC2T damper with Hydraulic Bottom-Out is particularly nice on the Norco Sight, which is a bike that benefits from the progressivity of an air shock. (The HBO circuit functions kinda like volume spacers in that they increase compression damping at the bottom of the travel.) Like with the Charger 3, the ability to tune Low Speed compression damping and give yourself some extra 'platform' without affecting High Speed damping is ideal for the Sight to dial in ride height at sag.

Wheels: Nobl 37 Carbon rims on Industry 9 Hydra hubs. Continental Kryptotal tires Fr/Rr.
These wheels have proven to be as bomb-proof as they come. Despite lacing them with inadequate tension at first (and having them detension on trail a couple of times) the rims always laced back up arrow straight. They take a serious beating, and are compliant enough to hold a line really well.
The Hydra hubs have that high-quality buzz that I love, and have held up to my abusive riding really well so far. The engagement is quick, and my only complaint is that they have a bit more drag than some other hubs out there.
Continental Kryptotal's are the best tires I've ever run. They're everything I love about the Assegai/DHR combo, but lighter (for a full-casing DH tire) and grippier in the extra-soft compound. They're not the fastest rolling tires, but man do they ever inspire confidence.

Drivetrain: SRAM XX Transmission.
While it's kinda hard to get excited about a drivetrain, this one is honestly really cool. It's super tough, able to withstand 1300lbs of force, and rebuildable to boot! I've already tested it out clipping some rocks, and it moves out of the way effortlessly. The Transmission doesn't use a deraileur hanger, instead mounting off the rear axle and protecting the frame on both sides of the dropout. Seriously cool. Another serious benefit for Norco riders is the stronger clutch of this derailleur... it really shuts up the chain slap that these bikes are known for.

Brakes: SRAM Code Ultimate
These SRAM Code Ultimates are the new Stealth design that sit closer to the bars. They look and feel amazing. The lever feel is a bit more crisp and precise than previous Codes, but otherwise the function of these brakes is the same great quality as before.

Cockpit: Spank Spike 35 bar 820mm x 40mm rise, spank Split 35 Stem, DMR Deathgrips, OneUp 210 V2 post.
I've been running Spank Spike 35 Vibrocore bars for a few years now, and I'm hooked. I run them at full 820mm width, and I'm trying a higher bar than previous builds at 40mm rise. I also went with a slightly longer 40mm stem than before to counteract the change in reach. It took me a while to get used to the higher front end, but I'm happier with it now.

If you've read all that (first off, congratulations), and still have questions, hit me up in the comments!

Thanks for watching!

[peterhaworth]

Great bike and video Derek, thanks for sharing dude👌🏻

[russellhenson]

Glad to see you're on an XL. At 6'2 I blindly ordered an XL Optic and was nervous about being overbiked. Looks like geo will fit nice on that instead of the L. Keep shredding man, love the content 🔥

[jsobol]

Hey Derek! Recently came across your channel! Great content! Keep it up... I am actually in the market for a Norco Sight and was curious what size frame you would recommend for my 5'9 height... I am not that familiar with Norco and have never ridden one but for some reason all of the research on my next bike purchase keeps leading me right back to a Norco Sight C1 build. LOL It really seems to have quite the following!
Any help is greatly appreciated! Cheers!

[TMaddison]

Still running this suspension set up? How are you liking it? Also, do you happen to know the weight of your bike by chance? Thanks 🙏

[ulrikadrevniok]

This is basicly my dream bike... How much is it worth?