Norco Range Review: Pedal Friendly "Downhill Bike" | 2021 Summer Field Test

[@MikeOnaBike]

“The gentle whirr of the idler - that’s what they call you at work hey Mike” Is such an under appreciated joke.

[@Idisagreethisisnotanon]

Ik 😂😂

[@pernyberg2816]

Id love to hear more from Henry. Nothing against Matt - but Henry's feeling for the small details are just another level!

[@TeddyParker]

Sadly I believe these series are completely finished when they go to cut em up. Doubt they will add in more or whatever. The reality is Henry needs to dust off his old youtube channel and do something with it. He's well spoken, clearly knowledgeable, and has charisma as smooth as a blue flow trail. Good cameras are dirt cheap these days, as are lil mics to get usable audio quality, and over editing isn't appreciated anyway. He could literally just do his own version of the tech Q&A once a month and probly get to 1k subs after the first month or 2.

[@pernyberg2816]

@@TeddyParker I'd watch that show for sure!

[@th_js]

@@pernyberg2816 Me too

[@hobmarg]

Henry is awesome, been a fan since GMBN and he's a strong rider, but Matt Beer is a professional level racer (has won Canadian DH champs and races in EWS sometimes) and knows his bikes well, so I like hearing from him... despite me not being 50% of the rider of either of them!

[@damianliew5243]

There's 1 main pressing issue being that geometry is always subjective because different people have different body builds (e.g. longer arms, shorter legs etc.) and preferences... sometimes it's best to try a bike yourself perhaps

[@JamesLG4]

At 13:16, Henry’s accent and the Queen’s English is such an classy way to state that very important point. 🍻

[@bimfred]

aka overpriced.

[@janetcharlish6483]

In other words, it’s a terrible spec for the price

[@mortonfrankfire5400]

It’s nice to have Henry back on the screen!

[@martinschwartz7342]

Great review. Thank you very much. It is great to see Henry again. I am a big fan and thought I would never have the pleasure again after he left the UK. Happy New Year Mike. I hope this will be a fantastic year for you.

[@joshdonley2842]

Yes Henry's back!!! adds so much to the review aswell, picking out small details and just giving another opinion is really great to see

[@usagiyojimbo5944]

I like the structure of the review. First the ride feel and the tech stuff after. In the past you startet with the specs and the ride was second. I think your new order is better. Thanks. :)

[@pinkbike]

Thanks for noticing 😊

[@casestudymtb]

Haha that's youtube analytics letting them know a huge percentage of viewers don't care nearly as much... but if you shit sandwich it, I'll probably sit through it.

[@Neil_Mackie]

Aww, look! A dad and his two sons talking about a shared hobby. Henry must be so thrilled.

[@nictreadgold6411]

I'd love to see you guys address the fact that EWS races are so much tighter and that a lot of the riders actually size down to get around those euro switchback.

[@fillfreakin2245]

Yeah these last few were all about speed, quite a bit of pedalling, and not much smashing of rock gardens.

[@SpineShank7]

Great to see Henry on the channel!

[@auzyauzborn]

I’m happy Henry has hopped over to Pinkbike. It was sad seeing him leave gmbn not necessarily knowing if we’d seen the last of him.

[@ZippidyMTB]

Would be interesting to see how this years winner stacks against the winners from last 2 years.

[@floimschnee4275]

Exactly. Actually there was the intention of the team to compare it to the Specialized Enduro, as this one was called the most capable descender in all reviews of the recent two years. Unfortunately there wasn't much on that...

[@ZippidyMTB]

@@floimschnee4275 Would be good to see how these compare to the Enduro and possibly the RM Altitude. Just because a bike is new doesn't make it better or worth buying.

[@tr1jn]

and the loser too would be cool

[@troy9772]

What the.. hey Henry!! When did you get here? Great to see you on PB! Love all your input!

[@bongers94]

Nice to see Henry here at Pinkbike!

[@scrutch666]

My experience is that on climbing steeper stuff i can keep up with the other enduro bikes but as soon it gets flatter it takes a while to get it on speed and i see my friends pacing away. But its a really comfortable climber. Awesome downhill!! I have also a rm instinct and chromag stylus so you know to what i can compare to. Just dont try to race xc riders up the hill and you are fine. Its a confidence infusing descender. Its like having your own roller coaster and since i dont have here any shutle service and the bike park opens up next year i thought thats a perfect downhill bike that you can paddle up.and finally a reason to create a small family with small hands.

[@STV3TA]

Glad we have Henry back on KZbin. Missed Mr MTB ASMR 😂

[@ofacefan]

awesome to see henry on the panel bringing that GMBN professionalism.

[@rpiian]

Someone’s gotta keep Levy in check!

[@SpencerBaum]

Can't wait to see the review of the spire

[@rider2416]

I have one and I’m wondering what they’re going to say about it

[@SpencerBaum]

@@rider2416 what do you think of it?

[@rider2416]

@@SpencerBaum love it, rips downhill and pedals quite nice in the saddle

[@adanielweaver]

@@rider2416 good to hear it. My spire frame arrives soon (I hope) and I'm getting anxious. Glad Henry seems to like it.

[@viewsofjdr3285]

Great to see Matt Beer in the video! Can't wait for more.

[@fergusbridon2589]

Yes for sure

[@mitchboucher9991]

I just got my range C2, and its unreal! I was expecting to work a lot harder on the climbs compared to my last bike, a 68 degree head angled , 31 pound "down country" or half enduro bike. But the range is super efficient and I was shocked at how easy it spins up climbs, just don't stand up and mash the pedals and there's barely any bobbing. As far as descending, It EATS. super good small bump sensitivity and when landing it plants into the ground and gets even more stable as you go through travel and the wheelbase gets longer. Super confidence inspiring and I cant wait to race it. Because it is a race bike. Not sure why that wasn't mentioned but this bike is designed to win EWS's. Also, calling it a fast climbing downhill bike is a spot on way to describe it.

[@scottmtb122]

Did you mean 68 degree seat angle? What size range are you on and how tall are you?

[@ryanstarrett]

No, I believe he meant what he said. You are right in being thrown though as that’s a significant change in bike caterogy

[@scottmtb122]

@@ryanstarrett the head angle is 63.75 and less so I think he meant seat angle 68 degrees.

[@mitchboucher9991]

@@scottmtb122 I’m about 5”7 and have a medium. 63.5 head angle. And yes my last bike had a 68 degree head angle.

[@scottmtb122]

@@mitchboucher9991 sorry guys misread it! Thought you meant norco was 68 degrees h/a! I'm 5.8 and website saying large?

[@joehoeper4648]

No Dreadnought included in the test? Dreadnought vs. Range would have been amazing.

[@brennanbeltrano295]

The Google search suggestions were a nice touch

[@oreoscout64]

I'd be interested to see how this stacks up against the Specialized Enduro, as they're both downhill-designed enduro bikes of the modern era

[@erinb4919]

Agree... I wish field tests would compare to the older bikes, for better overall look at Enduro class

[@scottmtb122]

I'm in the same boat, I love my specialized enduro and feel its a great descender and for its size not a bad climber! From this review I'm now unsure if to pull the trigger on the norco!, just due to climbing/ all day riding!

[@LewisBuchanan]

It’s a beast 😍

[@samantharay897]

If Henry approves an idler....I'm getting an idler. I love you...'re reviews, Henry.

[@PinkyFingerPedalStrike]

2:25 "let's go see how it rides"...immediate pedal strike. That's what I'm talking about! 😁

[@keironandrews5235]

Henry! Hey, we missed you. What a time to go see the world…..

[@matthew_dag6201]

"Is mike levy real?" 😂

[@ianfurqueron5850]

"What is a Paywall?" Ah... trolling the PB commenters...

[@kene8571]

FYI you can also put a dual crown fork on the YT . You could on the 2018 capra as well. Hilarious how we are now saying the capra is a super efficient climber. So the yt climbs the best and descends the fastest but the norco steals the show? Sometimes, more complicated doodads arent always better. Also, yt works best with rockshox. Throw a zeb and SD ultimate on there and welcome to shangri la.

[@tts4239]

One of the guys that developed this beast has a Pipedream Moxie. I have saw that on the article "Opinion: The case for being 'Over biked'" on Pinkbike

[@_gtkoko]

Henry, pls get the mic boost setup as Gmbn again! 😜

[@gabrielsegura1530]

Well Lewis Buchanan races red bull hardline on this “Enduro bike” so I guess theres not much more to say

[@scvkurt03]

He ran the same setup Sam Blenkinsop ran at Lenzerheide. Different dropouts, different link, different stroke shock, and dual crown fork. 200/194. Solid chassis for sure, but several changes.

[@gabrielsegura1530]

@@scvkurt03 nop, He ran the stock Norco range but with dual crown forks

[@scvkurt03]

@@gabrielsegura1530 Nope. Look closely at race pics from that day and you'll notice he ran a Fox shock. No reason to do that as a DVO guy unless they don't make that size. Fox had them ready to go. He's definitely not running a 170 bike at Hardline when Norco has the hardware to spec him properly.

[@gabrielsegura1530]

@@scvkurt03 Well he lied then😂, y asked him in a comment why didn’t he asked Norco for they prototype DH bike and he said it was in such short notice that he couldn’t and didn’t felt necessary

[@Vanadium]

@@scvkurt03 then go and watch his bike check on the Hardline build and he will tell you something different. Maybe you should go back to sherlock home school for picture sniffing, hehe. You also will find out why he was running the fox shock if your really into sniffing.

[@liquidmakor6793]

Placed my order. November 2022. The wait begins

[@MrGpat21]

Such a rad bike! Great review fellas 👍

[@MrChadLedford]

Oh yay Henry!…. Yeah he is cool 🙃, but Levy is the goat of the Pinkbike crew 👍

[@sebmour]

I tested it out this weekend and I loved it so much that I ordered one! Now if only I can get it…

[@gabrielsegura1530]

Congrats! Only reason I’m not getting one is that price

[@sebmour]

@@gabrielsegura1530 thanx yeah it’s pricey even compared to my usual Santa Cruz bikes.

[@lukeneill1568]

@@sebmour are Santa Cruz bikes cheaper in the states or something the top of the line range is cheaper than the base model Santa Cruz in Australia 😂

[@sebmour]

@@lukeneill1568 hahaha Pricing wise pretty high for both. Base models are like 7k Canadian. Get me a norco Range and I’ll get you a Santa cruz 🤣 😂 😆

[@lukeneill1568]

@@sebmour yeah Santa Cruz frames are around 7 k here. Don’t mind the norco but might just go with commencal

[@vonarg]

0:59 Actually the Fox 38 flex a LOT. It does even prevent the fork to work well, because of the high friction inside (the fork stopped working at high flex, then restarted after...). This is very disappointing, and it's a 38 !

[@Onlydansmtb]

Henry works for Pinkbike now? what a shift from GMBN.

[@pinkbike]

Henry's been writing for us for a little while, but we finally got him moved to Canada for video stuff as well.

[@Onlydansmtb]

@@pinkbike I’m sure he will be a valuable asset to your team!

[@AD690smcr]

i have a 2020 Range. They are heavy, that is for sure. But it is so solid going downhill and the coil rear shock makes cannoning over rock gardens easy work.

[@floimschnee4275]

completely different bike though

[@th_js]

That bike has nothing to do with this bike.

[@pineapplepizza8645]

9:41 that search history tho... lol

[@th_js]

Absolutely not staged

[@anthonyteichroeb917]

Interesting how a single crown DH bike still is 3 seconds off pace. I was surprised! Would be curious to see the new firebird stacks against this bunch.

[@mtbmike9866]

Altitude was the fastest bike Last year despite less travel and harsh suspension. I think EWS and DH racers are just much faster on firm suspension while most normal folks are faster on high traction and nice bump eating suspension. This explains why Kazimers initial review was so positive. He is nowhere near Matt’s level

[@anthonyteichroeb917]

@@mtbmike9866 so what your saying is the norco could be easiest to go fast on for everyone not an actual racer

[@mtbmike9866]

@@anthonyteichroeb917 a forgiving bike on Gnarly trails is a good thing for most average riders.

[@matthew_dag6201]

17 minutes let's go!

[@mr1982davies]

shame you can not get any in the uk come on norco sort it out

[@th_js]

Can't wait for more!

[@thecount1001]

nice job Beersy.

[@erinb4919]

Vs Rocky mountain altitude or yeti sb150? I wish field tests would compare to the older bikes... Stability higher for range?

[@wolfrikvonschwarzblut3921]

High pivot with an idler pulley, and a shock pivot which rotates around the bottom bracket... hmm, where have I seen that before? Oh yeah, in the 2007 Corsair Maelstrom!

[@L8R2YA]

What’s the difference between range and sight

[@mr1982davies]

Let’s see the transitions spire review

[@majun26]

Its about time they started using a newfie to test mountain bikes

[@joeblack4026]

looking on the numbers and norco actually has higher BB then the GT Force - almost 10mm. Gt has also shorter chainstays and it can be adjusted to a longer one and it is cheaper. :)

[@th_js]

Low BB isn't necessary a good thing. It can make cornering worse.

[@joeblack4026]

@@th_js lower bb that makes cornering worse? wow this theory really interest me :D

[@th_js]

@@joeblack4026 On a short bike this isn't true, but on a long bike a very low BB might make the bike physically demanding to lean into the corner and keep the bike tilted. If your center of gravity is very low, the bike naturally wants to stand up in the corner, thus making it worse. On a shorter bike a low BB tends to make cornering better though, as a short bike with a high BB will not feel planted at all.

[@larsschlicker7579]

How does it compare to the forbidden dreadnought

[@bluestraycat]

Henry!!! 💙

[@jim_morrison4583]

Please make a review about the 2021 Banshee Rune V3 too ☺️

[@gennaflinkman7290]

Would love to see how the Rocky Mountain slayer compares

[@148mitch]

Don't know why everyone is so upset about the price. I'm in Australia and can get a c1 for $9600 the yt is $9000 and comes with a poor dropper and a basic alloy wheelset. The c1 represents awesome value compared to likes of a s-works enduro etc

[@scottmtb122]

Agree, the spec on c1 with x01, wao carbon unions with onyx vesper hubs and fox 38/dhx2 coil is really good value for just over 6k pounds.

[@MTBs]

I like rear suspensions that are like pogo sticks, so this bike is not for me. Would be great fun to try one out though! Have seen a race or two with this bike and it looked FAST!

[@rssknight6840]

Could we see a norco range vs forbidden dreadnaught?

[@basiktopology]

An enticing bicycle proposition.

[@klstrucker930419]

Wait, inverted FSR suspension + idler gives you only the 3rd time downhill? Why?

[@mtbmike9866]

Results on a 45 second run on a tight trail will be different from a 3+ minute DH run where fatigue plays a factor.

[@mtbville]

Really cool bike 🤟🔥

[@mtbsareprettycool9826]

Since fekin when was henry working for pinkbike, I’ve missed him since he left gmbn

[@matthew_dag6201]

I always keep a small child in my EDC so that rebound adjust wont be an issue

[@bill8791]

Always got time for Henry.

[@tonykasunic1]

Yep, more Henry is needed. But overall good review.

[@joshhuber501]

My highly anticipated bike of 2020 has yet to arrive. I hear this bike bottoms out the lower linkage alot. Good luck with that 3 year warranty fools.

[@maucina12]

Review needs more comparisons with other downhill oriented enduro bikes. Like this it is basically like any other enduro bike review. Great on downhills and pedals reasonably well. You could just copy paste bike names between reviews and they would all be the same

[@Tito_jus]

What does henry looks familiar

[@FLY1NF1SH]

ok can we talk about how all these companies are adding accessory mounts but i still cant find a single bag or wrap etc that actually mounts to one? seems like everything just wants to use the grippy velcro strap method

[@scvkurt03]

Wolf Tooth BRad strap.

[@FLY1NF1SH]

@@scvkurt03 thats about the only exception ive seen so far. was about to buy one but backcountry went out of stock for the 0.6L and id rather have that than the full 1L on an enduro bike so i guess im waiting :D

[@williamheffernan5826]

Nukeproof do a great one as well. Comes with three different length straps. Available on CRC.

[@Tzestos]

judging by geometry charts and suspension layout, I thought the high pivot bikes were the absolute fastest. My heart stopped when I heard the Yt was the fastest descender by 3 seconds....

[@orrhadar8758]

The time is kinda relative here. Maybe on a more technical trail the norco would be faster

[@th_js]

@@orrhadar8758 Yup, on a trail with a ton of "square-edge" hits a high pivot would likely be faster but sometimes a simpler solution is better overall. Maybe the Norco isn't the most efficient at generating speed off of pumping and maybe it mostly just shines on the straight-line-jank?

[@nelsonho8327]

it makes me remember GT RTS

[@kirkkaubish9540]

video idea: Who can Build a Bike Faster Ex World Cup Mechanic or Bike Shop Mechanic (leave it mike levy to throw in added curve balls for the entertainment value)...maybe something like that is already in the works. If not feel free to send me some free swag pinkbike. Its a slam dunk idea.

[@Kenshiken]

Price is just insane.

[@honzakrcil7454]

Yeah, you know that when they talk about a transition as the bike that offers value it has gotten really bad

[@viperrules24]

​@@honzakrcil7454 Hard to really complain about the value when there isn't really much else like it on the market! And the descending performance probably speaks for itself too.

[@xr181]

I wonder if the chainstays are as weak as the previous Range? What a great company, only giving you a 3 year warranty then charging $400 for a replacement set of chainstays that should have been recalled. Norco even accused me of "taking bad lines" and bottoming out my shock with zero evidence. I sold the Range and will never deal with Norco again.

[@joeblack4026]

up until now they didnt have very progressive suspension, so bottoming and potentially damaging the frame could happen.

[@xr181]

@@joeblack4026 Except that it didn't happen with my frame. I never bottomed it out. Norco accused me of abusing my bike with no evidence whatsoever. How do they know what lines I'm riding? That's insulting and just wrong. Also, how would bottoming out a shock cause the chainstay bridge to crack at the hole in the middle? It doesn't make sense, it's just an excuse. Compare that with the warranty support from Santa Cruz or another decent company. This was just them shifting blame on the customer. I talked to several bike shops that saw the exact same stress fractures in many different Range chainstays so it was clearly a common problem for years. It's just cheaper to keep pumping out the same junk and blame the customers than it is to fix a known problem. At $400 for a replacement they'd be making a huge profit on these parts that should never crack under normal use.

[@CHINGLAW21]

sounds like you had a bad experience, Im on norco #7 and I have had exactly 0 issues with them as a company

[@stevecrump1375]

Looks good to me...👍

[@casestudymtb]

Great panel, still miss having a woman up there for another perspective but this is pretty hard to beat.

[@hannes6114]

Just put that thing as my wallpaper.

[@RobertGibb]

Nobody spoke about the lower sitting pivot. Catches on steep rock lips.

[@grasenwillink4554]

The norco is slower on the climbs than the gt but faster on the descents!!!!

[@leonardrillig626]

Henry!!!!

[@dasanoneia4730]

so when did yall steal Henry?

[@adranosky17]

looks like antidote darkmater

[@ofacefan]

where is the 21/22 grim doughnut???????????????

[@feldybikes]

Why does Levy’s search history including googling if he himself is real???

[@th_js]

You never know until you Google it

[@JakeEpooh]

I was just saying that what this site needed was a posh Brit, with an almost inaudible voice!

[@JakeEpooh]

He actually used to be my favorite presenter over at GMBN. He's funny and he knows his stuff.

[@arthurak8903]

6:47 Henry looks deceived by the low quality of wording/journalism from the presenter in the burgundy shirt

[@james_rides1588]

Forbidden dreadnaught all the way haha

[@bimfred]

fabulous haircuts all round

[@kaibrud3r297]

Looks like a session

[@jsw5387]

I'm pretty sure you guys just gave away all the results from this test and this is only the first review

[@bikedude019]

This bike doesn’t pedal well. End of story, but it’s an outstanding dh rig!

[@koreanmtnbiker2931]

At that price, weight is the downfall. 38# at $9K is BAD!!

[@ApexHerbivore]

17kgs???

[@th_js]

It's not that bad if the bike rides well.

[@ApexHerbivore]

@@th_js it's getting into ebike territory

[@th_js]

@@ApexHerbivore Not really

[@ApexHerbivore]

@@th_js Specialised turbo Levo SL expert is 17.7kg - that's just one I know, there's probably lighter

[@orrhadar8758]

9:40 hmmmm

[@gun_pawn]

37lb ???? Kg's come on guys 🙄😂🤜🤛

[@smonnyfy]

looks like a session

[@deeplato5647]

*OH HENRY* Imported from *GMBN Tech*

[@ronrides345]

SINCE WHEN DID HENRY JOIN PINKBIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????? I KNOW HE LEFT GMBN TO MOVE But....

[@peterknight7880]

I'd say the sort of person who wants that sort of bike actually wants an eBike as a shuttle replacement vehicle.

[@ehtikhet]

Concerning the fast rebound adjuster, no need to worry as there’s no such thing.

[@floimschnee4275]

Of course there is. HSR and LSR.

[@ehtikhet]

@@floimschnee4275 describe in engineering terms what portion of the suspension stroke routine “high” speed rebound controls. In no other field of vehicle dynamics is HSR a feature of suspension technology.

[@floimschnee4275]

@@ehtikhet I don't care, it works well though. ;) Can keep suspension from kicking after bigger hits, and still can keep LS damping fast for the sake of sensitivity.

[@ehtikhet]

@@floimschnee4275 fair enough, I would argue that it’s kidology, the best analysis I’ve seen of it is it acts like a method of moving the damping curve up or down but it’s outside of the usable range for all MTB wheel speeds: wind it to max and use LSR as usual. It could be mis named perhaps but the name implies it controls rebound damping at high wheel speeds, well, the rebound stroke speed is only defined by the spring and a rebound damping circuit, it’s not like g loaded berms vs square edged bumps vs braking where isolating the damping response in different compression routines makes sense. I honestly believe it’s a scam to drive the price of Fox’s premium products ever higher. Like extra razor blades, it’s irrelevant to the quality of the shave but marketed as the new hotness.

[@ehtikhet]

The emperor’s new clothes if you will.