Norco Range C1 Review - Enduro Bike Shootout #mtb #mountainbike

Are you looking for a big and burly enduro mountain bike that can handle downhill bike terrain? Then check out this review of the Norco Range high pivot enduro bike. It's not for everyone though, see why here.

With a bold new redesign that caused quite the stir in the industry, Norco’s newest Range is one of those bikes everybody has questions about. Now featuring a virtual high pivot with an idler, some of the most extreme geometry on test, and one of the most elaborate chassis designs we’ve seen, it’s certainly polarizing. As one of the hottest topics of 2022, we had to include the Range in our 2022 Enduro Bike Shootout. Some of our testers came away grinning, others with some complaints, but what’s the consensus?

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One critique you hear thrown at the Range pretty often is how it climbs. Dario is one to temper that a little bit, and say that while it’s not a great climber, it does the job just fine. He’s been riding this bike for the past month; with every ride he’s taken it on falling somewhere in the 3000’-6000’ climbing range. Part of the beauty of having a pedal-friendly DH bike is that you get to take it down the biggest descents around, so it’s worth getting it up to the top, and you may end up less fatigued at the bottom of them. Most of these rides are part of his regular testing circuit, so he has a pretty good gauge of the effort required to complete the laps. The Range does take more effort to ascend than something like the Enduro or Rallon, but it’s not a whole lot worse than any durably built enduro sled these days. The upside to the super active suspension is that it climbs bony tech very well, as you can just crawl over anything in your way. Don’t go racing XC on it, but also don’t worry about getting to the top of your favorite descents.

The Wolf’s Last Word
As a whole, the Range is decidedly a downhill-focused machine, with an emphasis on speed and composure over the roughest tracks out there. We have been regularly impressed with how much it can smooth out sections of trail, and just how much speed you can carry through tough sections of trail. That comes at the cost of agility and slow-speed handling, but that’s to be expected. If your ride style is to push through everything and truck over terrain, or if you’re running laps on some truly burly tracks, then this bike could be the one. A focused weapon, but oh so good at its intended use case.

Price: $9,699
Weight: 37.8 lbs
Website: Norco.com

#loamwolf #mountainbiking #enduromtb #specializedenduro #bikepark #bike