The Norco Sight is a complete full suspension mountain bike capable of handling steep descents, nasty rock gardens, and lung-busting climbs.
Built for both climbing and descending, the Norco Sight puts the rider in a central and upright position, while also providing the bandwidth and flexibility for more
Norco Sight is one of the most popular mountain bikes on the market, and after a quick review of its customizable fit system, high-quality components, and all-round capabilities, it’s easy to see why.
In this Norco Sight review, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about the Norco Sight, what it’s made of, and who it’s designed for.
The Norco Sight is the complete mountain bike from Norco. With slack geometry, 27.5” or 29” wheels, and Ride Aligned™ suspension, the Sight is well-rounded, balanced, and capable.
Here is a closer look at the Norco Sight A2 mountain bike:
- Frame: Aluminum All-Mountain Frame
- Fork: Fox Float Rhythm 36
- Drivetrain: Shimano SLX
- Gearing: 1×12 (Shimano SLX, 10-51t cassette)
- Brakes: Shimano BR-MT520 with Shimano RT-64 Rotors
- Tire Size: 2.5” front, 2.4” rear
The Norco Sight A2 is built with Alloy 6061, which is significantly heavier than the Sight’s carbon-framed brothers.
However, you’ll save a chunk of change by opting for the aluminum frameset, although you’ll be sacrificing some climbing ability and overall ride feel by forgoing the carbon frame.
Designed for all-mountain biking, the bike has relatively aggressive geometry, with a long wheelbase to help improve overall stability. In the Large frame size with 27.5” wheels, the Sight A2 has a top tube length of 617mm, a seat tube length of 435mm, and a head tube angle of 63.5 degrees.
At the rear end, the Sight A2 has a seat tube angle of 77.7 degrees, and an overall wheelbase of 1259mm. This all leads to the Norco Sight putting the rider in a more centered and upright position.
With 29” wheels, the Norco Sight A2 has a slightly longer top tube and wheelbase, but a shorter head tube length.
There is quite a lot of travel provided in the full-suspension system on the Norco Sight A2, with 160mm of travel up front, and 150mm of travel in the rear. A Fox Float Rhythm 36 fork provides the front cushion, with 37mm Offset for 27.5” wheels, and 42mm Offset for 29” wheels.
This fork also uses a super-lightweight chassis to keep the overall mass down and provide better climbing for this all-around mountain bike.
The rear shock is a Fox Performance Float X2, which is HSR/LSR Custom for Norco, and a unique feature to have on a mountain bike at this price point. You can adjust this rear shock in two different positions. It functions on either low- or high-speed compression, and with a low- or high-speed rebound.
Remember that the entire Norco Sight is customizable via the Ride Aligned™ system, which includes fine-tuning of the full suspension system.
The full suspension system here is a mid-level build with more customization than you might expect.
The Fox Float fork and rear shock are quality builds, you couldn’t expect less from a mountain bike that costs less than $5,000. As we’ll come back to time and time again, the Ride Aligned™ is what really separates the Sight model from its competitors.
See More: Best Full Suspension Mountain Bikes
Shimano SLX components are the heart of the Norco Sight A2, providing the mid-range quality that we’d expect. The Shimano SLX, 10-51t, 12-speed cassette offers a solid range of gearing and one that we’d expect at this price point.
10t is a standard big-gear for mountain bikes, while 51t is mid-range; whereas some higher-end mountain bikes go up to 52t or 54t. However, the Norco Sight A2 does come with a Shimano SLX FC-M7100, 34T crank, giving it a bigger big-gear and thus higher speed potential than other mid-range mountain bikes.
The Shimano SLX shifters are good quality, as well as the Shimano BR-MT520, 4 Piston brakes. As you’d expect from a mountain bike capable of tackling all-terrain, the Sight A2 has large 200mm disc rotors. These provide plenty of stopping power.
Consider Also: Norco Range
Available in either 27.5” or 29” wheels, the Sight A2 comes with Maxxis tires. The Maxxis Assegai 2.5″ 3C Maxx Terra in the front, and Maxxis Dissector 2.4″ WT 3C Maxx Terra in the rear. These tubeless tires use Stan’s – 200ml sealant and are fitted on Stan’s Flow D rims.
These components are mid-high range for a full-suspension mountain bike. The Norco Sight A2 is plenty capable of all-mountain biking terrain. It’s imprtant to keep in mind that it won’t be as fast, lightweight, or high-performing as high-end mountain bikes.
Other Norco Sight Models
There are several builds available in the Norco Sight Range:
- A1 – The high-end aluminum Sight is the A1. Costing $5,559 versus the A2’s $4,499, the A1 includes a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork, and an SRAM GX Eagle groupset.
- A3 – The cheapest Sight of the lot if the A3. At $3,599, it’s an affordable full-suspension mountain bike with a RockShox Yari RC fork, and a Shimano Deore groupset.
- C1 – The top-of-the-line Sight is the C1 which costs $7,099. This frame comes with a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork, and SRAM X01 Eagle groupset.
- C2 – The mid-range carbon fiber Sight costs $6,299 and comes with an SRAM GX Eagle or a Shimano XT groupset. With the SRAM set-up, you’ll get a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate fork; whereas the Shimano set-up comes with a Fox Performance Elite Float 36 fork.
- C3 – For just an extra $400 compared to the Sight A2, you can get the carbon C3 for $4,899. This bike includes a Rock Shox Lyrik Select fork and Shimano Deore groupset.
The Norco Sight is a complete full suspension mountain bike designed for all sorts of trails and terrain. With ample suspension travel, 2.4” and 2.5” tires, and customizable fit technology, there are few limits to what the Norco Sight is capable of.
The Norco Sight A2 costs $4,499 and is the mid-level aluminum Sight in the Norco lineup. Other builds range from $3,599 to $7,099.
The Norco Sight is a complete full suspension mountain bike capable of handling steep climbs, gnarly descents, twisty rock gardens, and everything in between.
Yes, the Norco Sight has 160mm/150mm of front/rear travel, making it an enduro mountain bike capable of handling steep and rocky descents.
The Norco Sight has 160mm of front travel and 150mm of rear travel.
The Norco Sight is a great all-around mountain bike capable of tackling any type of terrain. With 160mm/150mm of front/rear travel, the suspension system can handle jumps, whips, roots, and more.
The aggressive geometry and unique Ride Aligned™ system form a unique alliance. It creates a customizable and adaptable fitting system for the Norco Sight. Riders from 5’1” to 6’4” will have options to choose from.
Mid-high range components will do more than just get the job done. The big range of 12-speed gearing is more than we usually see at this price point.
For the mix of value and price, the Norco Sight is a reasonable jump into the full-suspension world.
There are even carbon frames to choose from which could change the feel and capabilities of the Norco Sight, all without breaking the bank.
The custom fitting system and adjustable suspension are two of the best features on this bike, and you can even upgrade or downgrade your components to better suit your budget.