The new 2022 Norco Range – High-pivot rear suspension for an enduro bike?
After many spy shots and rumours doing the rounds, Norco are now presenting their brand new 2022 Range. The bike is designed for enduro racing, rolling on 29″ wheels and offering a whopping 170 mm travel. But what benefits can the virtual high-pivot suspension and idler pulley offer and what alternatives are there to the € 9,999 flagship model?
The new 2022 Norco Range builds on the Canadian bike brand’s many years of experience, releasing the first model as early as 2012. That’s before the enduro racing scene really got going. The all-new Range was developed in collaboration with Norco’s World Cup Downhill Team and is designed specifically for racing. For the time being, it will only be available with a carbon frame, offering 170 mm travel at the front and rear. The 29″ bike has a virtual high-pivot rear suspension design with an idler pulley, which, in addition to the advantages of a high-pivot bike, promises to keep the centre of gravity nice and low.
Virtual high-pivot rear suspension and idler pulley
Norco already have a high-pivot bike in their portfolio, their downhill race bike the Norco HSP, taking things even further with the new Range. The seat stay of the virtual high-pivot rear suspension is connected to the front triangle high above the bottom bracket. As such, the four-bar linkage should allow the rear wheel to move backwards and upwards when hitting an obstacle. To minimise the pedal kickback that this causes, the chain is guided around an idler pulley.
The build variants and availability of the new 2022 Norco Range
The new 2022 Norco Range will be available in three build variants from the flagship C1 model to the entry-level C3. A frameset will also be available. They are priced between € 3,799 (frameset) and € 9,999 (C1 build) and are expected to be available from autumn 2021. All bikes offer enough space for a 750 ml water bottle and come with an additional tool mount on the frame.
Norco Range C1 2022
Fork Fox Factory 38 Grip 2 FLOAT 170 mm
Rear Shock FOX DHX2 Factory Coil
Handle Bar Deity Skywire Carbon 800 mm
Stem Alloy 40 mm
Seat Post OneUp Adjustable Dropper
Brakes SRAM Code RSC Metallic Pads
Drivetrain SRAM X01 Eagle
Wheels DT Swiss EXC 1501 29”
Tires Maxxis Assegai 2.5” DD/Dissector 2.4” WT & DD
Norco Range C2 2022
Fork RockShox ZEB Ultimate RC2 170 mm
Rear Shock FOX DHX2 Factory Coil
Handle Bar Deity Ridgeline 800 mm
Stem CNC Alloy 40 mm
Seat Post TranzX YSP-105 Adjustable Dropper
Brakes SRAM Code R 4 Piston Metallic Pads
Drivetrain SRAM GX Eagle
Hubs DT Swiss 350
Rims e*thirteen LG1 EN 29”
Tires Maxxis Assegai 2.5” DD/Dissector 2.4” WT & DD
Norco Range C3 2022
Fork RockShox ZEB Charger R 170 mm
Rear Shock FOX DHX2 Factory Coil
Handle Bar 6061 Aluminum 800 mm
Stem e*thirteen Base 40 mm
Seat Post TranzX YSP-105 Adjustable Dropper
Brakes Shimano BR-MT520 4 piston Metallic Pads
Drivetrain Shimano SLX SL-M7100-R
Hubs Shimano
Rims Stan’s Flow D 32H 29”
Tires Maxxis Assegai 2.5” DD/Dissector 2.4” WT & DD
The geometry of the new 2022 Norco Range
The new 2022 Norco Range will be available in four frame sizes from S–XL. With their “Ride Aligned Suspension Setup”, Norco even adjust the head angle, seat tube angle and shock tune to suit each frame size and thereby ensure a consistent riding experience for all riders. In size L, the frame has a reach of 480 mm combined with a tall front end (641 mm stack). Considering the reach, we’re impressed with the super short seat tube. It’s just 410 mm long in size L, which should offer a lot of freedom of movement in combination with long dropper posts. Norco spec a 200 mm dropper on frame sizes L and XL and promise that it can be fully inserted. The chainstays measure 442.5 mm in size L.
The geometry of the new 2022 Norco Range in detail
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Tube | 568 mm | 598 mm | 628 mm | 658 mm |
| Head Tube | 100 mm | 115 mm | 130 mm | 145 mm |
| Seat Tube | 370 mm | 395 mm | 410 mm | 455 mm |
| Head Angle | 63.8° | 63.5° | 63.3° | 63° |
| Seat Angle | 76.5° | 76.8° | 77° | 77.3° |
| Chainstay | 440 mm | 440 mm | 443 mm | 448 mm |
| BB Drop | 20 mm | 20 mm | 20 mm | 20 mm |
| Wheel Base | 1203 mm | 1243 mm | 1285 mm | 1329 mm |
| Reach | 420 mm | 450 mm | 480 mm | 510 mm |
| Stack | 618 mm | 630 mm | 641 mm | 653 mm |
For more information head to norco.com
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Words: Peter Walker Photos: Norco
