Norco Range VLT Gen 4 2026

[bmwpowere36m3]

I keep hearing a MX adds maneuverability to a bike, but in what scenarios? Slow speed, high speed, steeps (obviously butt clearance)?

I've never ridden a MX and what I'm trying to tease out is if a MX setup adds maneuverability in a similar and opposite way that increasing wheelbase and reach adds stability. I guess the other niggle, bike is a mid-pivot, which should add stability compared to non HP-bikes. Typical claims that the rear-end feels like it has more travel than the numbers suggest and takes edge of square edge hits.

Bottom line, does this bike ride its size, bigger, or smaller? A number of folks are sizing down, mostly the rationale is reach... but that also lands you a bike with a smaller WB.

 

[chasmoftheclam]

The Bullit was my first MX bike. I am 6'3" so more suited to a full 29 setup, but the changes I've observed are feelings rather than fact/numbers based:
- More space to move around the bike during steeper riding
- It feels easier to move the bike side to side (perpedicular to direction of travel)
- Bike is happier carving corners
- I can't comment on playfulness as I switched from a full 29 enduro bike (RAAW Madonna) to a mixed wheel e bike. I would say I still find the e bike playful and jibby on the right trail. This could be the air shock versus coil on the Madonna

I think the Range does look quite short on it's side profile, and the sloping chainstays make its stance appear a little top heavy and awkward when comparing to a more standard 4 bar suspension layout and level chainstays. The mid pivot deisgn gains wheelbase (a nominal +10mm) at sag and puts it in the ball park of other bikes equivalent wheelbase. There is a -14mm difference between my outgoing XL Bullit and incoming Size 4 Range.

Across the board, people on the fence between sizing are told to size down. This isn;t Range specific. You hear it in forums, at bikes shops, on YT videos etc. These heavier bikes need more human input to do what they are told! Norco's sizing isn't helping the situation as people are confused and feeling "caught" between sizing.

Hope that helps

 

[Blownoutrides]

I keep hearing a MX adds maneuverability to a bike, but in what scenarios? Slow speed, high speed, steeps (obviously but butt clearance)?

I've never ridden a MX and what I'm trying to tease out is if a MX setup adds maneuverability in a similar and opposite way that increasing wheelbase and reach adds stability. I guess the other niggle, bike is a mid-pivot, which should add stability compared to non HP-bikes. Typical claims that the rear-end feels like it has more travel than the numbers suggest and takes edge of square edge hits.

Bottom line, does this bike ride its size, bigger, or smaller? A number of folks are sizing down, mostly the rational is reach... but that also lands you a bike with a smaller WB.

Range/Sight is my first MX setup. Borrowed a buddy's 27.5 wheel and did a quick conversion on my Dreadnought v2 the day before I bought the norco just to verify it wouldn't feel weird. Felt great... no wild change just easier to move the bike around and more intuitive to push into corners.

Definitely the right call for me. 6'4" and heavy so straight line plowing was never an issue. The MX setup just makes riding 15% more intuitive and easy.

Interestingly my much smaller/lighter buddy just got a 29er Amflow and the improved rollover seems to help his speed through straight line chunk... kinda complimentary in a similar way my MX fills in different gaps for me a bit.

Not a huge change but I am definitely stoked on the switch to MX.

 

[friendo]

here it is. far too wet for proper riding, this is just down the street from me, so no, it hasn't had a proper ride yet:

 

[Suns_PSD]

Holy effing seat height!

 

[chasmoftheclam]

here it is. far too wet for proper riding, this is just down the street from me, so no, it hasn't had a proper ride yet:

View attachment 175254 View attachment 175255 View attachment 175256 View attachment 175257

Wow. Looks like a bruiser with that red Zeb and 180mm travel! How do you find the seated position, you are way up there with the 240mm post on a size 5 and it's not slammed forward on the seat rails?

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Holy effing seat height!

Same initial reaction... maybe its just the perspective or some photo artifact, like wide-angle distortion, cause the proportions of the bike seems comical (super short in length and tall)

 

[friendo]

even i found it to look like that. my Giant Reign e+ is a bit smaller in every dimension, but it doesn't look quite like this with the seat up. it certainly doesn't look or feel massive, but just right. i'm a lanky 6 5 with long arms. i like the cockpit room which is about 2 cms longer than the Giant. on that bike i have to have the seat slammed all the way to the back. i could bunny hop (not well mind you, on any bike) the Range just fine on the street. as with any bike there will be adjustments, but it won't be to the size. this bike fits me very well. i can't wait to ride it.

 

[chasmoftheclam]

Awesome. Glad to hear it feels "right". I'm envious of your backdrop... wet trails, but no snow in sight! That means Spring is not far away right?!

My Range C2 has been delivered to my local store so I'll be getting it built up in the next week or so.
I'm doing a full parts swap on the bike but it will be mostly black components, so won;t look as factory as yours, Friendo.
I have a second wheelset being built for it (27.5" RF ARC40 rims and DT350 hubs) and have some 27.5x3" studded 45Nrth Wrathchilds ready to be mounted. It will start it's life in "winter mode" with the studded tires and pogies added, then it will move to a summer mullet wheelset when the weather changes and trails thaw around April/May time. The winter setup will change the geo a little, but as I can;t ride at 10/10 in winter, I'm not fussed about this. It's gonna feel so much better than a fatbike or hardtail that I'm not concerned.

 

[Blownoutrides]

I've proselytized on chain hot waxing (Silca system) elsewhere but ringing the bell again here, especially for folks in mostly dry zones (CA, etc.). It really irons out idler noise on HP bikes and the best part is you'll never need to lube or clean your drivetrain again.

 

[chasmoftheclam]

I've proselytized on chain hot waxing (Silca system) elsewhere but ringing the bell again here, especially for folks in mostly dry zones (CA, etc.). It really irons out idler noise on HP bikes and the best part is you'll never need to lube or clean your drivetrain again.

Good intel. I've not owned an idler bike before or hot waxed! I use Squirt for my bike chains which is a wax based liquid lube and it has been outstanding. I'm planning to use Squirt on the Range, but will be cognizant of this recommendation as and when I get riding the bike.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Awesome. Glad to hear it feels "right". I'm envious of your backdrop... wet trails, but no snow in sight! That means Spring is not far away right?!

My Range C2 has been delivered to my local store so I'll be getting it built up in the next week or so.
I'm doing a full parts swap on the bike but it will be mostly black components, so won;t look as factory as yours, Friendo.
I have a second wheelset being built for it (27.5" RF ARC40 rims and DT350 hubs) and have some 27.5x3" studded 45Nrth Wrathchilds ready to be mounted. It will start it's life in "winter mode" with the studded tires and pogies added, then it will move to a summer mullet wheelset when the weather changes and trails thaw around April/May time. The winter setup will change the geo a little, but as I can;t ride at 10/10 in winter, I'm not fussed about this. It's gonna feel so much better than a fatbike or hardtail that I'm not concerned.

Planning on running 27.5 F/R I suppose... nice. Honestly once trails get a bit packed, normal trail tires do fine. Its the fresh and newly packed ones that benefit from a full fat.

I didn't even think of running 27.5 up front to get the 3.0 tires, since I already got 2.6 29ers. I guess, my only concern would be BB height. HTA being a bit steeper is fine, like you said its winter.

 

[TheKaiser]

I keep hearing a MX adds maneuverability to a bike, but in what scenarios? Slow speed, high speed, steeps (obviously butt clearance)?

I've never ridden a MX and what I'm trying to tease out is if a MX setup adds maneuverability in a similar and opposite way that increasing wheelbase and reach adds stability. I guess the other niggle, bike is a mid-pivot, which should add stability compared to non HP-bikes. Typical claims that the rear-end feels like it has more travel than the numbers suggest and takes edge of square edge hits.

Bottom line, does this bike ride its size, bigger, or smaller? A number of folks are sizing down, mostly the rationale is reach... but that also lands you a bike with a smaller WB.

One other thing I haven't seen mentioned about the MX maneuverability change, which for me is one of the biggest things, is how much easier it is to lift the front of the bike for things like manuals, wheelie drops, popping up and over logs, etc...

With a 29" back wheel, the BB is so much lower than the rear axle that it takes a lot of "ommph" to really get the front end up to anywhere near the balance point. That's true on an analog bike, but goes doubly with e-bikes due to the motor and battery weight. Then, it's further magnified on bikes with long chainstays (or a high pivot bike where the rear center grows as it is weighted). It forces you to really intentionally preload the fork to get a little bounce and pull up to loft the front wheel before getting your weight back and pulling back on the bars to maintain the manual. It kind of becomes a 3-stage process, in contrast to on a smaller back wheel analog bike where you can just lean back and pull back on the bars and the front wheel comes right up, so more of a 1 or 1.5-stage process. The e-bike will never be quite that easy, but dropping the rear axle lower with the 27.5" wheel does a lot to help due to the lower fulcrum.

All of that becomes less of a factor the taller you are (because your leg length allows you to get your body's COG back over the rear axle more easily), and the taller your bar height (because you have more leverage relative to the rear axle when pulling back on the bars). I can't speak for 6'2"+ guys with 50mm+ bar rise on an XL or XXL bike, but for folks more in the middle of the bell curve it can really make the difference between being able to pull the front end up to the balance point...or not. Also, the trails you ride make a difference. On slow speed janky tech trails, pulling the front wheel way up is a key skill, but on fast flow trails or high speed chunky terrain, while you might need to briefly unweight the front end, you don't need to loft it way up near the balance point for any sustained period.

 

[chasmoftheclam]

Planning on running 27.5 F/R I suppose... nice. Honestly once trails get a bit packed, normal trail tires do fine. Its the fresh and newly packed ones that benefit from a full fat.

I didn't even think of running 27.5 up front to get the 3.0 tires, since I already got 2.6 29ers. I guess, my only concern would be BB height. HTA being a bit steeper is fine, like you said its winter.

I have 29x2.6” for winter too, but when it’s soft snow/warmer the tires punch through the snow. Also on a 30mm rim, I find I can’t drop the pressure much to get a good contact patch without the risk of having a toe that feels vague. I’m hoping a 27.5x3” tire on a 40mm rim tones a larger contact patch and more ability to play with the pressure due to a larger overall volume.

I’m anticipating with the dual 27.5x3” The bike will be pitched forward slightly, but as I’m riding slower and lower consequence trails in winter I’m hoping the geo changes won’t be too strange.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

I have 29x2.6” for winter too, but when it’s soft snow/warmer the tires punch through the snow. Also on a 30mm rim, I find I can’t drop the pressure much to get a good contact patch without the risk of having a toe that feels vague. I’m hoping a 27.5x3” tire on a 40mm rim tones a larger contact patch and more ability to play with the pressure due to a larger overall volume.

I’m anticipating with the dual 27.5x3” The bike will be pitched forward slightly, but as I’m riding slower and lower consequence trails in winter I’m hoping the geo changes won’t be too strange.

I've only had the eMTB a few times in the snow, so my experience is limited and I got a fat bike a few years ago... so I haven't spent time recently on a regular MTB in the snow.

I was impressed even with regular tires (air'd down) on the eMTB how will it did. Granted I was slipping and sliding and going slower, but had helluva fun.

On my last ride I ran like 10/12 psi (Argotal DH/Dissector DD) with insert in the rear. That's pretty low for me at 190 lbs, when I normally run in the 24-28 psi range. Those Wrathchilds are like EXO casing, so I figured inserts F/R if I was going to run similar pressures (10-15 psi).

 

[Blownoutrides]

One other thing I haven't seen mentioned about the MX maneuverability change, which for me is one of the biggest things, is how much easier it is to lift the front of the bike for things like manuals, wheelie drops, popping up and over logs, etc...

With a 29" back wheel, the BB is so much lower than the rear axle that it takes a lot of "ommph" to really get the front end up to anywhere near the balance point. That's true on an analog bike, but goes doubly with e-bikes due to the motor and battery weight. Then, it's further magnified on bikes with long chainstays (or a high pivot bike where the rear center grows as it is weighted). It forces you to really intentionally preload the fork to get a little bounce and pull up to loft the front wheel before getting your weight back and pulling back on the bars to maintain the manual. It kind of becomes a 3-stage process, in contrast to on a smaller back wheel analog bike where you can just lean back and pull back on the bars and the front wheel comes right up, so more of a 1 or 1.5-stage process. The e-bike will never be quite that easy, but dropping the rear axle lower with the 27.5" wheel does a lot to help due to the lower fulcrum.

All of that becomes less of a factor the taller you are (because your leg length allows you to get your body's COG back over the rear axle more easily), and the taller your bar height (because you have more leverage relative to the rear axle when pulling back on the bars). I can't speak for 6'2"+ guys with 50mm+ bar rise on an XL or XXL bike, but for folks more in the middle of the bell curve it can really make the difference between being able to pull the front end up to the balance point...or not. Also, the trails you ride make a difference. On slow speed janky tech trails, pulling the front wheel way up is a key skill, but on fast flow trails or high speed chunky terrain, while you might need to briefly unweight the front end, you don't need to loft it way up near the balance point for any sustained period.

Jumped back in my 29" dreadnought with 475mm rear center and trying to get the front tire up to wheelie was just pure comedy. The difference is huge vs the MX Norco.

The norco's front wheel is actually surprisingly grippy given its (relatively) short chainstays compared to the Dreadnought. Some of that's down to the weight of the battery stapling things down but a few lbs hardly would seem to make such a monumental difference.

As long as the front stays grippy I'll take those shorter chainstays all day and twice on Sunday. So much easier to live with in terms of moving the bike around.

 

[friendo]

Jumped back in my 29" dreadnought with 475mm rear center and trying to get the front tire up to wheelie was just pure comedy. The difference is huge vs the MX Norco.

The norco's front wheel is actually surprisingly grippy given its (relatively) short chainstays compared to the Dreadnought. Some of that's down to the weight of the battery stapling things down but a few lbs hardly would seem to make such a monumental difference.

As long as the front stays grippy I'll take those shorter chainstays all day and twice on Sunday. So much easier to live with in terms of moving the bike around.

one of the reasons (along with price) that i ruled out the Forbidden bikes. they are local to me, so i had some bias to support them, but the geo was just too different and unfamiliar and i also wanted Bosch, have no interest in the DJI cult fever. the Range appealed to me in every respect, and it became an easy decision based on everything said and written about the Sight. had my first trail ride yesterday and it was impressive, but it was a wet, xc ride so not a great test of how it will be ridden in general. the shorter cranks were great, not one pedal strike which is common on my Giant. Bosch motor is more quiet, lower pitched sound, and the bike overall is shockingly quiet. the XT di2 shifting is also brilliant.

 

[TheKaiser]

Jumped back in my 29" dreadnought with 475mm rear center and trying to get the front tire up to wheelie was just pure comedy. The difference is huge vs the MX Norco.

The norco's front wheel is actually surprisingly grippy given its (relatively) short chainstays compared to the Dreadnought. Some of that's down to the weight of the battery stapling things down but a few lbs hardly would seem to make such a monumental difference.

As long as the front stays grippy I'll take those shorter chainstays all day and twice on Sunday. So much easier to live with in terms of moving the bike around.

Yeah, totally, as long as the front wheel can grip in turns, I'll take the shorter stays too. It used to be that going too short on the stays ran the risk of the front wheel starting to get too light and looping out on steep climbs, but the longer front centers and steeper seat tube angles of current bikes have done a lot to remedy that, not to mention the motor and battery weight.

Part of my preference may be that my early riding days were on lightweight 26" bikes with short chainstays, where you could practically lift the front wheel just by thinking about it. I know a contemporary e-bike will never feel like that, but I think that it should at least be possible to lift the front wheel to the balance point if needed, and it is literally impossible for a lot of smaller riders on long stay e-bikes with 29" back wheels.

The longer front centers and big front wheels of current bikes do reduce the risk of going over the handlebars, so it's safer to land front-heavy now on a feature that in the past would have required a bigger front wheel lift, but IMHO it should still be in a rider's bag of tricks both for performance and for fun.

 

[Blownoutrides]

Couple dad sends today on the local...

YouTube

 

[chasmoftheclam]

Couple dad sends today on the local...

YouTube

View attachment 175362

Dad sends, love it! I'll be planning a few of those myself
I'm envious of those dry trails. I'm still surrounded by snow, though we have had a "chinook" come through and melt some of the snowpack in the valley.
My bike is getting built today (!) I'm gonna have it set up with the summer wheels as there's a chance for some dry slab riding nearby, but I'll be switching to the winter set as soon as the temps drop again and we get more snow...

 

[chasmoftheclam]

My new whip arrived! Size 4 Range C2 built up with different components. It’s 99% built. Planning to hardwire the rear derailleur, add a new Argotal supersoft enduro casing tire for the front.

Also the bike store is warranting the cassete due to a broken tooth and warranting the rear derailleur as there is some issue with the battery terminals. They are both less than a year old.

 

[Blownoutrides]

Dad sends, love it! I'll be planning a few of those myself
I'm envious of those dry trails. I'm still surrounded by snow, though we have had a "chinook" come through and melt some of the snowpack in the valley.
My bike is getting built today (!) I'm gonna have it set up with the summer wheels as there's a chance for some dry slab riding nearby, but I'll be switching to the winter set as soon as the temps drop again and we get more snow...

Our trails cover the spectrum from dry to incredibly dry to blownout moon dust. Rains a handful of times from December through February, which are the only days to dig because 3 days after the water stops the dirt turns to concrete again.

We might get more days but you get better days.

 

[chasmoftheclam]

Thats a fair point and one of the reasons I have moved to a bike with a larger internal battery.

I live in a valley surrounded by mountains and, while there are trails that traverse the mountian sides, I prefer gaining elevation and losing elevation mostly down the fall line The future trails masterplan for my area includes multiple 800m descent enduro trails. I'm fired up for these and want a bike that doesn't have to be limped through the ride with one eye focussed on battery remaining. I also find my demands on an emtb's battery are fairly high as I weigh 90kg, like sticky aggresive tires and gravitate towards the higher assist modes to increase my laps to ride time ratio.

I bought the Bosch 250Wh powermore range extender for my previous bike (SC Bullit) this winter with the plan to expand the bike's capacity, but I feel happier knowing I have 800Wh's in the bike AND the option to top it up by another 250Wh if needed. This will be reserved for bigger alpine rides.

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[W4S]

Why is it impossible to find this bike for actual sale? it looks like Go Ride is the only place west of the rockies and they don't ship.

 

[chasmoftheclam]

Why is it impossible to find this bike for actual sale? it looks like Go Ride is the only place west of the rockies and they don't ship.

Yeah, my LBS got this bike to their store as soon as I said I wanted it through email communication. Not sure if there's high demand for the bike or low inventory. I also had the same "issue" with the Bullit. I put my order in before it was released to get one of the first allocations.

Good luck with the hunt. Might be worth contacting Norco direct and see if you can get in touch with a distributor for your area.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Why is it impossible to find this bike for actual sale? it looks like Go Ride is the only place west of the rockies and they don't ship.

One shop told me it was tariffs and figuring out pricing/etc... there was also the seat stay recall. Regionally, in New England, shorter travel bikes sell more. I got a deal on my Firebird because it sat at the shop for nearly a year.

You can order from Norco's site and delivered to your local dealer. Now if you mean, nobody has them in stock to see, sit and demo that's another story.

 

[friendo]

the entire bike industry has had a rough couple of years. there are a lot of bikes in inventory at most stores, including plenty of 22-24 Range VLT's. my shop told me that if i wanted one of those, instead of the latest, i could get one on an incredible deal. i'm sure they are still great bikes, but i really wanted the new one.

fact is, dealers everywhere are in a tight spot, and they had to pre-order the new Range, and they are warehousing very few. originally i wanted the C1 in size 5. there is only 1 (ONE, just ONE) in all of Canada. i did not want to order and have it shipped, not the way i buy bikes. and there is NONE coming, no reorders at all. so the LBS offered to build up a C2 custom, to a very high spec, like the C1 build, which is what i now have. there are a number of C2's in the system, very few C1's, and if the bike does well, the demand is there, and the bike industry looks any better by the year end, there may be more ordered for next season. this is what i've been told.

 

[chasmoftheclam]

the entire bike industry has had a rough couple of years. there are a lot of bikes in inventory at most stores, including plenty of 22-24 Range VLT's. my shop told me that if i wanted one of those, instead of the latest, i could get one on an incredible deal. i'm sure they are still great bikes, but i really wanted the new one.

fact is, dealers everywhere are in a tight spot, and they had to pre-order the new Range, and they are warehousing very few. originally i wanted the C1 in size 5. there is only 1 (ONE, just ONE) in all of Canada. i did not want to order and have it shipped, not the way i buy bikes. and there is NONE coming, no reorders at all. so the LBS offered to build up a C2 custom, to a very high spec, like the C1 build, which is what i now have. there are a number of C2's in the system, very few C1's, and if the bike does well, the demand is there, and the bike industry looks any better by the year end, there may be more ordered for next season. this is what i've been told.

I had the same feedback when I was looking at the Norco Sight VLT last year. Looking at the geo charts, I was on the fence between size 4 and 5. The bike shop made the decision easier by telling me there were no size 5’s available in C1 build in Canada. I eventually went with the Bullit, but agree with @friendo, that their new inventory is limited. And looking on their website, you can still order older generation bikes.

 

[W4S]

the entire bike industry has had a rough couple of years. there are a lot of bikes in inventory at most stores, including plenty of 22-24 Range VLT's. my shop told me that if i wanted one of those, instead of the latest, i could get one on an incredible deal. i'm sure they are still great bikes, but i really wanted the new one.

fact is, dealers everywhere are in a tight spot, and they had to pre-order the new Range, and they are warehousing very few. originally i wanted the C1 in size 5. there is only 1 (ONE, just ONE) in all of Canada. i did not want to order and have it shipped, not the way i buy bikes. and there is NONE coming, no reorders at all. so the LBS offered to build up a C2 custom, to a very high spec, like the C1 build, which is what i now have. there are a number of C2's in the system, very few C1's, and if the bike does well, the demand is there, and the bike industry looks any better by the year end, there may be more ordered for next season. this is what i've been told.

Same experience, it appears there are 6 c1 ranges in all of USA atm. Cool thing is that the shop said they'd build a c2 however I wanted and since I was planning to make some changes anyhow, this seems like it might work out.

 

[chasmoftheclam]

First ride on the Range today. What a composed and quiet bike. It’s winter here, but with some unseasonably warm weather there were a few trails open up. They are blue/black rated. I managed four laps. Coles notes: this is a capable bike. I felt like I was riding in slow motion! I was worried the wheelbase was going to feel short… but it was natural and easy to go fast. Steep riding felt comfortable, the bikes geo put me in a good attacking position. The Vivid air shock made the bike feel very supported in jumps and drops. No strange noises from the bike either, just good grip.