All those numbers tell you this bike is built for ripping. Up front, the bike gets a generous reach, putting plenty of room between you and the front axle. Norco have avoided the usual 29er trend of running a steep hand angle – at 68.5 degrees its only half a degree steeper than the 27.5″ bike – and the bike is equipped with a 50mm stem. It sure doesn’t manual like your average 29er cross country bike! The Optic doesn’t have that ‘squashed nose’ look associated with some 29ers – it has generous reach, and the head angle is 68.5 degrees. All these machinations make the Optic super easy to get onto its rear wheel. These kinds of short lengths are possible thanks to the use of Boost rear hub spacing, which affords an extra 3mm of chain line, allowing Norco to squeeze the rear wheel in close but still maintain gobs of space for big rubber and a front derailleur. An Optic 29 in a size small has stays of 425mm, which is tiny. Like most Norco dual suspension bikes, the frame employs Gravity Tune, so the length of the rear centre changes with the frame size. In general, long chain stays make a bike harder to hop, manual, jump or carve round a tight turn, so the Optic’s short 430mm stays are a big step in the right direction. The Optic 29 is out to overturn this notion. The side-swing front derailleur mounts off a unique plate that is affixed to the ISCG tabs.įor many people, 29″ wheels means cross-country, wheels on the ground, fast but dull. The front triangle has loads of room for a bottle. The cross-bolted linkage is tough, but does look a little out of place at this price point. But the devil is in the detail here, and it’s the clever mix of geometry numbers that make this bike sing. It looks, for all intents and purposes, like a Norco Sight with a smaller shock – carbon up front, alloy out back, unremarkable really. There’s nothing immediately apparent about the Optic C9.2 that gives you insight into the bike’s complex development. The notion of having the benefits of a 29″ wheel and still retaining the playful handling of a 27.5″ bike had us intrigued, so when presented with the choice of review bikes, we opted for the 29er. You can read all the details about how Norco achieved this in our in-depth piece here, or our interview with the bike’s designer, Owen Pemberton. But what makes the Optic unique is Norco’s commitment to making the handling of both wheel size options as close to identical as possible. This in itself is not remarkable, there are many brands that offer popular trail bike models in both 27.5 and 29er formats (for example, the Trek Fuel EX or Specialized Camber). The Optic series is an important project from Norco – a new trail bike, filling a vital hole in their range, and available in two wheel sizes. Its carbon frame uses Norco’s Ride Aligned™ design system to create its high-speed, short-travel performance, with geometry created for confident, playful descents, railing corners and boosting jumps.Tyres are not up to the job asked by this bike. Norco Optic C3 is a fun, fast, short travel trail bike with the agility and confidence you need to look further up the trail. Test and rent - watches & heart rate monitors.Test and rent - touring & avalanche rescue gear.Test and rent - turing & avalanche rescue gear.Test and rent - computers & heart monitors.
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