ไม่สามารถเล่นวิดีโอนี้
ขออภัยในความไม่สะดวก
Norco Range C1 High Pivot MTB Review - From Despair to Redemption
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ส.ค. 2024
- After several months of testing the high pivot Norco Range on everything from bike park downhill trails, jump lines and longer pedals on flat, mellow trails, we think we’ve nailed down just who the ideal consumer of this beast of a mountain bike is. If you caught our initial ride report, the stoke was high after one day of riding on the lower mountain trails at the local bike park. Things weren’t butterflies and rainbows however as we quickly began to grow disheartened by the Norco Range and spent months handing it around to other testers and swapping spring rates before we reached back out to Norco. After a few Zoom meetings and a final attempt at installing a new shock on the chance ours had a bad bleed, or incorrect tune, we discovered the shock extension link had a seized bearing. With a new shock and link installed, we began to rejoice as each rider’s opinion began to change ride after ride. Sometimes reviews aren’t as easy as we hope, and this was certainly one of them. We’re happy to report however, that we finally got this bike feeling as good as everyone else has been telling us it is.
THE DIRT
Let’s first get the hiccup out of the way. We spent a couple of months riding the bike, going back and forth with shock tuning, spring rates and swapping parts like wheels and handlebars in hopes of getting the bike to stop beating the crap out of us. We kept seeing glowing review after rave review dropping from other media outlets and felt like Mr. Mugatu in Zoolander, taking crazy pills. After exhausting ourselves we connected with Norco once again and brought up the fact that perhaps the shock was blown and they asked if we’d be interested in holding off on publishing our review until we tried one more shock. When we began the time-consuming process of pulling the shock out, we discovered there was a seized bearing deep in the lower shock mount’s extension link. We quickly emailed Norco asking if they’d also send a new link along with the shock and they gladly did.
Long story short, we replaced the shock and link, and the bike turned our frowns upside down. It was clear instantly that the issue was gone, and we could now tackle the rough and chunky downhill trails we love without the abusive ride we had at first. We wanted to bring this up in case there are other riders out there who own or have ridden this bike and maybe feel they can’t get the shock to feel right, or perhaps it’s a bit harsher than they’d expect. If so, pull that lower shock link and check it out as our bike only had a couple rides on it before it started feeling stiff and harsh.
Once we had the bike sorted, we could restart our testing process. One thing that didn’t change dramatically was how the Norco Range climbed. Comfort was never an issue and Norco’s size-specific geo seems to be pretty dialed on this ride, but what we didn’t love was the somewhat squished down feel on long climbs. Especially mid-grade climbs where you’re seated and just grinding away. The pulley and extra chain length may not be that big of a deal from a mechanical drag perspective but try telling your brain and legs that in the middle of a long climb as your friends creep away from you. Another issue we had with the Range’s climbing was the low rocker link. When climbing over downed trees, or large rocks, we clipped it a couple of times. We never hit it on the downhills or when moving at speed, but it seemed to be an issue at slower paces.
Once it was time to point the Norco Range down the mountain however, it would be the other riders getting peeled off the back. Without sounding too predictable, if you could imagine what riding a single-crown 170mm downhill bike would feel like, that’s what it’s like to stand over the Range as it charges down the trail. The bike is dead silent, offering only a muted thud of the tires as they pound the terrain beneath. This of course instills more confidence and urges you to stay off the brakes because, if the bike’s not even making any noise, surely it’s not working that hard. Of course, then our nerves came into play…which is about the only thing that slows the Range down.
...[cont'd on the website]
Full Review: theloamwolf.co...
Visit Norco's Website: www.norco.com/...
Get your Loam Wolf gear here:
store.theloamw...
------------------------------------
FOLLOW US
Website: www.theloamwol...
Instagram: / theloamwolf
Facebook: / theloamwolf
UPDATE: We received word back from Onyx "This sounds like the hub is one of our first gen Vespers, we had a clutch and driver tolerance issue early on that was remedied in production. The symptoms described match what we've seen out of this initial batch, so it should be an easy correction with a quick clean and updated driver."
Contact Onyx if you're having any issues.
Surprise surprise, I had the same issue with my vesper 🙄
@@truambar Same. Tried contacting them once but no reply. It almost feels like there's a spacer missing. When I tighten the preload collar very carefully to just barely take up any side-to-side slack it will start to bind up on compression and not freewheel immediately on rebound, making it feel as if the derailleur clutch is too tight (when it is not). When I back it off ever so slightly so as to not get the dreaded binding, I can then feel micro play side-to-side. Ugh... it's frustrating for what's supposed to be a high end hub, of which I'd otherwise love (low drag, silent, soft but near instant engagement, etc.).
@@MrTylerHaines i had my issue on a new build so initially I thought the derailleur came with a faulty clutch. They replaced the derailleur and the problem persisted. I had my wheels built at a reputable website so when we had the issue isolated they reached out to onyx, who sent me a new freehub and problem solved.
Love the hubs but the whole experience has left me a bitter taste in the mouth. I may try i9 for my next build…
Interesting. My B screw adjustment is maxed out to get this thing to stop shifting weird. Guess I’ll take a closer look at the hub.
@@cliffordjosey9924 mine was catastrophically bad, and from I was told the entire initial production had issues, which resulted in an entre redesign. Hopefully you get that sorted out!
I own it now for a half year its an awesome downhill bike. Calling it enduro bike hmm is a bit weird. Its a watt killer on the climb , its comfortable climbing but makes you feel weak. on rides with less fit guys then me i tend to loose them as soon as it gets flat on a climb. It just takes longer to get it up to speed. On the downhill it feels agile and you can pop it nicely but the real joy is really at fast speeds. It gives a lot of confidence on on landing it just stays super solid. Its my bike for bikeparks. If someone would reduce weight and keep the stability then it would be the best bike ever. I bought it because its a downhill bike i can paddle up to downhill trails without a lift.
My thoughts exactly.
I concur. The most climbable downhill bike I’ve ever had LOL
Had a sentinel prior to this and the range blows it out of the water on the down. I didn t buy the bike to ped al it too much. If you are in descent shape it's not horrible to go up. Get this and an e bike and you re leaving the dream.
What tires are you on?
As a long term owner of one of these, these bikes are incredibly good. The downhill capabilities are off the charts and it’s still flickable and very easy to tip into corners. Norco has thought of it all on this one. Climbing and weight aren’t nearly as much of an issue as a lot of people say(at least in my eyes) however there are a couple of issues. The rear link that is supposed to change the suspension during braking comes loose, and tends to make a lot of noise, and there is another frame bolt that came loose as well. Another issue would be that on the c2 and c3, the rims that they come with are just horrendous, and won’t last at all if youre planning on riding the thing how it’s meant to be ridden. I personally think a slightly improved version of this with those issues fixed would be amazing
6 months into my Range C1 ownership, IMO. It climbs just fine. Fast? No. Fine? Yes. Going down on Pisgah region roots and rocks it is epic. So much confidence. The wheels are planted! No rear tire buzz and it really holds a line. Feels perfectly agile in switchbacks. I was honestly surprised by this. Jumps nice. The braking traction is epic, so much feel and action under braking. The only downside I can think of is the rear does feel like it hangs up on drops with a lip or bump so give the bars an extra tug. I haven't seen any others on the trails which is fun. I find my self yelling "WHAT A MACHINE!" through every chunky section. I love mine. Would buy again. PS AXS shifting made a world of difference. The stock cable routing isn't great but who wants cables anyway?
Thanks for sharing. Glad you enjoy it.
So it's a pain to work on, might have dodgy hardware or blow through hardware, sucks for pedalling, shifts poorly, is too long due to be HP, but descends well, although not necessarily any better than others. I'm really not seeing why I would buy this over other bikes tbh so a really useful review to watch thanks.
These guys are just whining. Bike is a beast.
So about the onyx hubs! They require a spacer between the freehub and cassette for boost frames.. (most shops don’t know this and when I was getting my wheel built ups they forgot aswell) 👍🏽🤜🏽
Hey we actually just pinned a comment with an official reply from Onyx. Check it out.
Thanks for the honest review guys. I’ve had the bike for a few months now and I can say I’ve definitely had a better experience. I don’t get to ride as much as I used to, and I haven’t ridden as many bikes in this category that weren’t a DeVinci. LOL
Technology is a crazy thing. I remember buying a Rocky RM7 20 years ago thinking I would be climbing all the hills on it, but it was just too dang heavy. Now I have this bike that’s 5 pounds lighter, more travel, and I can pretty much ride it anywhere energy permitting.
Definitely looking forward to railing this thing at Bachelor soon. So far it’s ripping the local Ashland stuff with ease. Hopefully I’ll run into you guys on the trails this year!
Thanks Clifford, we hope to see you out there and glad to hear you're enjoying the bike! it's a fun one!
Appreciate how you take proper time to give a detailed review instead of rushing out more of a product type summary. You guys are at the top of my list when it comes to information for products I am contemplating purchasing. Reviews based on actual rides along with industry experience!
Thanks very much!
Whoa, I’am not going to spend my $$$$, and scratch my head and looking, checking and calling the company, instead of enjoying, shredding the trail. What’s the quality control for, Men I have 2021 Trek slash and it’s awesome 👏
Great review! I've found I need my bars way higher on this bike to combat the lengthening rear end vs. a more conventional bike. I agree on the pedalling too, it's heavy and the idler saps energy, but it's comfortable up most climbs and it bombs down so it's a decent trade off.
Best reviews in the 🌎. Thank you for all your hard work.
I appreciate that! Thank you very much
Great 👍🏿 review, as always 😁
I would like to see a review of the Santa Cruz Hightower. Thank you
We saved Norco some love on this one. You're welcome! 😉Great review guys.
Thank you for the honest in depth review
Always!
Another quality review...candid comments!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Im happy with my A1 Sight 29 Lyrik bumped to 170. The 155 rear does bottom out but not enough to warrant the Cascade linkage. The bike is a BEAST!
Finally a review of high pivot bike that accurately describes the cons of a rearward axle path! Honest long term test and review. Thank you! I've owned a 2022 Jekyll for about a month now and can absolutely confirm the negative handling characteristics described here. The rear wheel seems to hang up on the edge of low speed step style drops. This tendency has caught me off guard a few times and is especially bad when the step/drop leads immediately into a tight turn. Maybe over time my muscle memory will compensate? The other huge high pivot negative that no reviewers highlight is the detriment to cornering - particularly ripper style berms that are supposed to put a smile on your face as you attempt to separate your tire from the wheel. You enter the berm with evil intentions and just as you start to square off and push into the pedals the wheelbase grows creating a wider turning arc. I seem to be focusing more on carving smooth arcs through turns vs. pumping & loading the suspension mid-turn and popping out of the exit. Genuinely miss the sound of schralp and the mist of atomized stans sealant being released from its pressurized prison.
Hahaha. Love your description there Craig...While trailbuilders hate it, sometimes you just have to let a little hate and evil out mid-corner.
Thanks for sharing your story and our Jekyll review will be coming soon.
For the record, where do you notice the high pivot excelling on your local terrain and are you happy you went from your previous bike to a high pivot overall?
@@TheLoamWolf I do throw some dirt with the local trail association once a month to make up for my misbehavior ;). I have really only owned single pivots up to this point (Evil Insurgent and Saracen Ariel). Previous bikes have all cornered and jumped exceptionally well but could get hard to hang onto in high speed chunder. The Jekyll is actually a refreshing middle ground. At 25% sag in the rear It soaks up rock gardens and successive hits incredibly well without feeling wallowy. The Jekyll is by no means glued to the ground, I was surprised that the bike pops, plays, and jumps rather well. While not as fun to corner as a single pivot, I opted for the smaller frame size given my height. So glad I did...shorter wheelbase keeps the bike a bit more agile. The word that comes to mind describing the Jekyll is actually balance. In my opinion, the engineers did a wonderful job creating a bike that can lay down some solid enduro stage times but can still let down its hair and party. I am grateful that it isn't glued to the ground and do the numb hoverbike thing. The Jekyll seems to be a good fit for me at the moment racing a few enduros per year and getting silly in the woods with the crew.
@@craigfrazee902 great feedback, how tall are you and weight? I’m looking to get soon a Jekyll but I’m in between medium and large 175cm 68kg
I haven’t notice the growing chainstay issue you mentioned yet in actual riding but I can say the bike feels more stable when landing big jumps and drops than other bikes with shrinking chainstays.
I had noticed that it would want to shift on it's own after I would hit features and jumps. I rented one last week at Kicking Horse. Great bike though.
I bought this bike being full aware of the fact it'd be a bad climber. I wasn't worried about that. I wanted a bike that I could ride all summer long at the bike park but then also climb it up places that don't allow shuttles or lift access but also requires a downhill like bike for the descent.
I also have plans to buy a short travel trail bike to be my "daily"ish driver for the less gnarly stuff. if you're in the same boat as me, the range is a great choice
quick update: took the bike out to a really gnarly trail, one i hadn't ridden the bike on before. It really is unreal how fucking good this bike is at riding through STEEP and CHUNKY stuff at mach speeds. I am 100% clueless as to whether i've ever managed to bottom the bike out so far because the suspension is so damn progressive. I am loving this thing. yes, it is a bit heavy but that added weight can really calm the bike down in the chunk
Have to say there's some really quite in depth (like at 08:25) c&c that comes out of Loam Wolf Reviews. Its not the standard, recycled check list rhetoric that reviewers often seem obliged to recite from the manufacturer which is frankly refreshing because a lot of bike reviews end up being totally useless. Its always the LM reviews I pay the most attention to.
Thanks very much Michael! We greatly appreciate your comment and feedback of the reviews.
Great in-depth review! Seems like could be a great bike.. if everything is in tune working correctly. I've had issues with "ghost shifting" as you described with X01... My other rides with XT.. never had same issue. Interesting to know too... how durable and serviceable these shock and suspension link bearings are.. some do seem better. Again.. thanks for such a detailed review! 👍👊
Thanks for watching!
the bearings you mentioned.. exact thing happend to me on my altitude for the eyelet bearings by the ride-9, instant stiff and wrecked bearings, new warranty eyelets with tool incl and bolt(bolt was bugger as bearings had spun on the bolt) and it was anther bike altogether when that was sorted.
Interesting to hear! Thanks for sharing
Bike of the year. Sounds it's bike of many compromises
It certainly depends on where your priorities are at...If DH performance on high speed, steep, chunky trails is 90% of your prioritization, it may be our bike of the year too, but, sadly our time spent on trails includes a diverse set of terrain and both uphill and downhill trails...So, with that as our guiding force, we'd rather have the Norco Sight!
Excellent. Tough find.
My Dream bike
Nice! She's a beauty for sure.
Speaking as a Santa Cruz only guy this bike looks really good. Looks like they copied the thick down tube. Please review the Hightower.
It is a bad ass looking machine, for sure! We'll try to get a Hightower for ya.
When are you going to do a review of the Forbidden Dreadnought or a comparison of all the current Hi-pivot enduro bikes?
WE have tried to get a Forbidden for quite a while but it seems we're not high on their priority list of getting a test rig? We do have GT and Cannondale reviews dropping very soon though, so stay tuned!
@@TheLoamWolf Probably all sold out and they are too busy with new DH & Enduro teams. Had to wait for my frame 6 months; but still they should have some demo rigs for media... 🤔
Is the bike sold already set up?
I am VERY curious to know which high pivot enduro bike you all would ultimately choose to actually buy. Also, out of all of them, which one has the least amount of “brake jack”?
Well, we'd suggest taking a look at our Enduro Bike Shootout we just did a couple months back. Each of the bikes has a unique feel and it depends on the rider you ask. Dario would pick the Cannondale, but liked the Range a lot. Drew doesn't like high pivot bikes, Sourpatch also isn't a huge fan as they do have some negative traits. ultimately, we think it depends on what the rider wants out of their ride experience, and where they ride.
Review a Rocky Mountain Slayer
How’s it compare to the Specialized Enduro?
That bike is not my cup of tea, but keep up the good work.
I love my norco range
Stoked to hear it! Thing definitely loves ripping down hills!
This bike is built as a fun bike.
🥶
I wonder how it compares to the spire.
Haven't ridden one so we couldn't say.
It’s starting to sound like high pivot systems should be relegated to DH bikes only. Diminishing returns for rides that involve substantial pedaling or slow speed riding.
Thanks for the review, I’ve been playing mental games trying to decide which bike would make the better “traditional enduro” bike, the spire or the range, and after watching several reviews the spire takes the cake for me.
Cheers!
They certainly have their pros and cons and while we think most people have been around long enough to know the bike industry tends to be pretty excitable, we try to focus on the goods AND bads while also keeping in mind who products may be best suited for...
At least Norco talk to you, when you have issue's with their product
dieser spacerturm, unglaublich 😬😬😬
Def not your primary quiver killer bike...
So this entire video consist of negatives. Where was the redemption you promised?
That we got the bike from feeling rough, stiff and chattery to being a high-speed, trail eating mini-downhill bike.
Just because we don't think it's a great pedaler, and not the ideal bike for a majority of riders (it was designed to be on the pointy end of the enduro spear) doesn't mean that it doesn't kick ass at the specific thing it was designed to do, which is go downhill fast!
It went from being a bike we weren't happy with to one that, while not overly universal, is one of the best and most capable descenders we've ridden.
Hope that helps clarify?
@@TheLoamWolf so what is it like to jump or jib on?
A little context probably helps put their review in perspective. They got a lemon and went through a bunch of headaches earnestly trying to sort it out. In the end they finally teased out the performance that makes this “bike of the year” material but it sounds like the experience maybe left a bitter aftertaste in their mouth (and rightly so). Kudos to them for sticking with it, but I think we can forgive them if they don’t gush like the other reviewers. In the end, their review is probably the most helpful for folks that end up buying the bike so we can know what issues to be on the lookout for. Thanks for sticking with it and daylighting all your issues along the way - shows you’re even handed, not in anyone’s pocket, and have the grace to air the experiences without throwing anyone under the bud.
Jeebus, i think i was just set up on a date...."has a great personality" .....hard pass!
So… you had a suspension issue and blamed the wheels. Then you took months to try a new shock or test bearings. Seriously guys!! Get a mechanic on board.
Seriously or just some common sense and basic mech. knowledge. If I was a professional bike reviewer, I would be embarrassed to put out a video like this. I mean do they really know what they are talking about if they thought it was the handle bars that made the bike felt rough?
Thanks for the laughs fellas.
But actually we do need to hire more people if anyone’s looking… as long as you realize wheel stiffness, tire pressure and handlebar stiffness can affect the perceived feel of a bike on the trial.
@@TheLoamWolf I doubt most people will not understand what you’re saying. You would have to ride a pretty high dollar bike to know the difference between the stiffness in all carbon vs aluminum. When I went from a 2012 Devinci Dixon to a 2022 Pivot Firebird with carbon wheels so yes I get it. Most riders that have a budget not so much.
@@williamk5001 Thanks for writing in William. Congrats on that new Firebird and hope you're enjoying it.