Table Of Contents
- Climbing Ability 90%
- Downhill Ability 80%
- Overall Fun 80%
Travel: 150mm rear/ 160mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 63.5
Seat Tube Angle: 77.7
Reach: 480mm (large frame)
Weight: Starting at 32.23 lbs
Price: $6,399
What We Like: Strong Climber, Stable Descents
What We Don’t: Not As Playful As Older Versions
The 2021 is not very different from the 2020 Norco Sight, but it is very different from the 2019 Sight. So know that before reading any further. The new 2021 Norco Sight is a long bike with long chainstays and steep seat tubes to keep everything calm, cool, and collected on climbs and speedy descents. Paired with Norco’s Ride Align app, you can easily dial in your suspension settings to get the most out of your new ride and get cruising. Definitely not the flashiest bike or the bike you ride if you want to let your hair down and show off to your friends. The Sight is rock solid and a hard-charging all-mountain bike that could find itself in some enduro races.
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See Our Best Long Travel Mountain Bike Review 2021 Article HERE!
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- Climbing Ability 90%
- Downhill Ability 90%
- Overall Fun 90%
Pros
All-around Ability in a Variety of Terrain
Cons
Weight of Some of the Build Options
Travel: 145mm rear/ 150mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 65.2
Seat Tube Angle: 76.3
Reach: 470mm (large frame)
Weight: Starting at 29 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 70%
- Downhill Ability 80%
- Overall Fun 80%
Pros
Maestro Suspension Platform, Price
Cons
Could Use Some Better Brakes
Travel: 146mm rear/ 170mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 64.6
Seat Tube Angle: 76.4
Reach: 488mm (large frame)
Weight: Varies With Frame Material
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- Climbing Ability 80%
- Downhill Ability 90%
- Overall Fun 90%
Pros
Really Playful Bike
Cons
Expensive Build Options
Travel: 150mm rear/ 170mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 64.5
Seat Tube Angle: 76.9
Reach: 480mm (large frame)
Weight: Starting at 31 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 80%
- Downhill Ability 100%
- Overall Fun 90%
Pros
DH Bike That Can Climb
Cons
Needs Steeper Seat Tube, Price
Travel: 170mm rear and fork
Head Tube Angle: 63.9/ 64.3
Seat Tube Angle: 76
Reach: 487mm (S4 frame)
Weight: Starting at 32.5 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 80%
- Downhill Ability 80%
- Overall Fun 90%
Pros
Climbing Ability, Ripmo AF Option
Cons
Stock Shock Not Being Fox Float
Travel: 147mm rear/ 160mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 64.9
Seat Tube Angle: 76
Reach: 475mm (large frame)
Weight: Starting at 28.9 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 90%
- Downhill Ability 80%
- Overall Fun 100%
Pros
All-around Performance
Cons
Price
Travel: 142mm rear/ 160mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 66
Seat Tube Angle: 75.5
Reach: 470mm (large frame)
Weight: 30.2 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 80%
- Downhill Ability 80%
- Overall Fun 80%
Pros
The Shapeshifter
Cons
Also The Shapeshifter
Travel: 150mm rear/ 160mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 66 - 67.5
Seat Tube Angle: 73.5 - 75
Reach: 470mm (large frame))
Weight: Starting at 31.2 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 90%
- Downhill Ability 90%
- Overall Fun 80%
Pros
Amazing Climber, Custom Paint Job Option
Cons
Short Reach and Cost
Travel: 160mm rear/ 170mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 65
Seat Tube Angle: 75.5/ 76
Reach: 455mm (large frame)
Weight: Starting at 30.95 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 60%
- Downhill Ability 90%
- Overall Fun 70%
Pros
Chainstay Chip Makes A Difference
Cons
Sluggish At Slow Speeds, Super Long
Travel: 161mm rear/ 170mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 63.5
Seat Tube Angle: 78
Reach: 490mm (large frame)
Weight: 32.8lbs (large frame)
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- Climbing Ability 90%
- Downhill Ability 80%
- Overall Fun 80%
Pros
Strong Climber, Stable Descents
Cons
Not As Playful As Older Versions
Travel: 150mm rear/ 160mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 63.5
Seat Tube Angle: 77.7
Reach: 480mm (large frame)
Weight: Starting at 32.23 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 80%
- Downhill Ability 90%
- Overall Fun 70%
Pros
Made For The Downhills
Cons
TWINLOC System Needs Some Work
Travel: 170mm
Head Tube Angle: 64.5
Seat Tube Angle: 75
Reach: 466.5mm (large frame)
Weight: Starting Around 30.20 lbs
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- Climbing Ability 80%
- Downhill Ability 90%
- Overall Fun 90%
Pros
Now Comes With A Water Bottle Mount, Sportier Geometry
Cons
Climbing Could Be More Efficient
Travel: 160mm rear/ 170mm fork
Head Tube Angle: 64
Seat Tube Angle: 78
Reach: 480mm (large frame)
Weight: Heaviest Build 34.2 lbs
As quite a far cry from the 2019 version of the Sight, the new Norco Sight is a stable, downhill oriented bike. With version 3, not a lot has changed from the 2020 version, but from the 2019 model, the Sight is a totally different bike. The Optic has come in as the poppier trail bike with similar geometry but a shorter chainstay to keep the manuals coming and the corners snappy. The Sight has now planted itself in the enduro category, as it would definitely make for a good race bike. The geometry has created a very stable and here it comes… confidence-inspiring ride.
The Bike
With some interesting but very dialed geometry numbers, the Norco Sight definitely has found it’s new niche of “all-mountain” verging on Enduro charger. The seat tube is a steep 77.7-degrees, and with a fairly slack 63.5-degree head tube, things are already interesting. The chainstay numbers change with frame sizes, so the balance will remain the same throughout frames. A large frame has a 440mm chainstay, and the reach is 480mm. This setup is becoming pretty standard on this style of bike.
The Norco Sight does come with Norco’s Ride Aligned app to help every rider dial in their perfect suspension. Some riders have had issues getting the rear suspension perfectly dialed in order to stop it from bottoming out too quickly. Every Sight also comes with 4-piston brakes with 200mm rotors on the front and 180mm rotors on the rear, which is definitely a good amount of stopping power for what the Sight will make you think you can ride.
Climbing
Right off the bat with the steep seat tube angle the Sight climbs well. The slack head tube doesn’t feel overly floppy or hard to manage while trudging up steep fire roads. The centered seat keeps the rider right over the vertical rear suspension, and this helps to reduce any pedal bob. While the lockout is not necessary on most climbs, there is a lockout switch just in case.
Downhill
Steadfast and sturdy are two great words for the Norco Sight. With the longer chainstays, reach and steep headtube, you can move at speed with lots of confidence. The Sight was designed with speed and stability in mind. You can get cruising over some rough terrain, and with the burly tires and 4-piston brakes, the bike will get you out of any trouble you may find yourself in.
Build Options
There is—without over-exaggerating here—a Sight for every budget. Norco has done a good job of creating quite a diverse range of build-outs and components. There is the option to customize your Sight on Norco’s website, which gives you the option to choose wheel size, frame color, and material. Then you can choose suspension and drivetrain, so the bike will be pretty close to being one of a kind.
The Bottom Line
While it is a different bike from two years ago, it is still a high-quality Norco ride. I mean, but, we’re all a little different from ourselves from two years ago, aren’t we? As a descending biased ride with capable uphill skill, there isn’t too much else to ask of the Sight. Sure it may not be the most exciting bike on the market but it is a solid bike that some riders are really going to enjoy. It can handle high speeds and choppy trails, wet or dry. If you like to pedal long distances up steep things to enjoy speedy downs with chunder sections, look no further.
We like the number of options that come with the Sight to allow everyone to find their perfect version of the bike. All frame options can come in 27.5” wheels and there are aluminum frames as well. The Norco Ride Align app will dial in the suspension settings for your riding style and body and away you go!
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