Norco Range VLT Gen 4 2026

Feb riding in Canada, as in that photo is incredible, and a bit insane when you think about it. you in Squamish? that would be as natural environment for the range as it gets.
 
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friendo said:
Feb riding in Canada, as in that photo is incredible, and a bit insane when you think about it. you in Squamish? that would be as natural environment for the range as it gets.
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This is Canmore, AB. We are usually buried in snow and at -20C at this time of year, But it’s been VERY warm the last few weeks and this trail system opened up (South facing, windy exposed area).
 
chasmoftheclam said:
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.View attachment 175582
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Stoked for you. Composed and quiet are very good things
 
learned a few things about the Range in the past few days. it's no more resilient to paint chips than any other bike i've had and i just got my first 2. noticed the white fringed chip when rinsing the bike, just where the seat tube joins the bottom bracket shell. was looking closely at it, when i noticed a big chunk next to the tire knobs on the inside of the chain stay. all the usual spots, that are going to go to hell in time. i wish there was a molded rubber protector from the factory.

so i went to the drugstore and found the closest colour nail polish and dam, i uh, nailed it.... perfect match! took off the wheel and cleaned up the entire area, dabbed them up. also noticed on the back side of the motorshell, 'made in Vietnam'. i had no idea that bike frames were even made there. clothing yes, they have a big advanced industry.

ever heard of Shelter tape? it's a very unique, very thick type of protective tape, designed specifically for mtb (Effetto Mariposa product) and i had some kicking around from years ago. applied it all over the stays and brace. should stave off the most of the inevitable rock damage in that area.
 
friendo said:
learned a few things about the Range in the past few days. it's no more resilient to paint chips than any other bike i've had and i just got my first 2. noticed the white fringed chip when rinsing the bike, just where the seat tube joins the bottom bracket shell. was looking closely at it, when i noticed a big chunk next to the tire knobs on the inside of the chain stay. all the usual spots, that are going to go to hell in time. i wish there was a molded rubber protector from the factory.

so i went to the drugstore and found the closest colour nail polish and dam, i uh, nailed it.... perfect match! took off the wheel and cleaned up the entire area, dabbed them up. also noticed on the back side of the motorshell, 'made in Vietnam'. i had no idea that bike frames were even made there. clothing yes, they have a big advanced industry.

ever heard of Shelter tape? it's a very unique, very thick type of protective tape, designed specifically for mtb (Effetto Mariposa product) and i had some kicking around from years ago. applied it all over the stays and brace. should stave off the most of the inevitable rock damage in that area.
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There companies that sell protection film, like shelter tape pre-cut to totally cover your frame. Search RideWrap and Invisiframe.
 
i had the Ride Wrap standard ebike package applied by the shop as they built the bike. it's not bad, covers a lot of the big wide spots along the frame, but it's thin and doesn't cover almost anything around the top of the stays and bb area. and it's nothing like Shelter tape, which is about 5 times thicker. Shelter is almost a plastic gel like substance on the sticky side, with a top layer. it's very hard to describe without seeing it or cutting and applying. it's odd stuff. was designed to be put on the underside of downtubes to deal with rock strikes.
 
friendo said:
i had the Ride Wrap standard ebike package applied by the shop as they built the bike. it's not bad, covers a lot of the big wide spots along the frame, but it's thin and doesn't cover almost anything around the top of the stays and bb area. and it's nothing like Shelter tape, which is about 5 times thicker. Shelter is almost a plastic gel like substance on the sticky side, with a top layer. it's very hard to describe without seeing it or cutting and applying. it's odd stuff. was designed to be put on the underside of downtubes to deal with rock strikes.
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I agree, RideWrap is fairly thin and mostly good at superficial protection (light scratches and scuffing). Though rock chips it does well at too and its weakness is direct contact with rocks in a fall.

They sell a "tailored" kit with cover like 95% or whatever they claim with perfectly cut pieces. I've used their "covered" kits too, which are 5 pieces roughly covering the down tube, top tube, stays and back of seat tube.
 
My LBS added a Rocky Mountain Blizzard (the fat bike) downtube protector to my Range to give some additional protection from rock strikes. It’s placed just score the plastic motor guard and means there’s only a small unprotected section of the downtube. This is a neat solution for protection IMO.
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bmwpowere36m3 said:
I agree, RideWrap is fairly thin and mostly good at superficial protection (light scratches and scuffing). Though rock chips it does well at too and its weakness is direct contact with rocks in a fall.

They sell a "tailored" kit with cover like 95% or whatever they claim with perfectly cut pieces. I've used their "covered" kits too, which are 5 pieces roughly covering the down tube, top tube, stays and back of seat tube.
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Tried my luck DIYing the ridewrap kit. Managed a decent job on the rear end but the first big piece on the downtube was a hot bubbly mess. After my 10th attempt with various mixes of the "solution" I gave up and just trimmed out a bottom piece to protect the underside of the downtube and called it a day.

Never again.

That is a job that demands either needlepoint levels of patience and commitment, or just zero f*CK's about the outcome. Will happily pay to have it done next time around. I know when I'm beaten 🤣
 
Blownoutrides said:
Tried my luck DIYing the ridewrap kit. Managed a decent job on the rear end but the first big piece on the downtube was a hot bubbly mess. After my 10th attempt with various mixes of the "solution" I gave up and just trimmed out a bottom piece to protect the underside of the downtube and called it a day.

Never again.

That is a job that demands either needlepoint levels of patience and commitment, or just zero f*CK's about the outcome. Will happily pay to have it done next time around. I know when I'm beaten 🤣
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Sounds about right... I'm pretty anal, but I've done a few wraps over the years (6-7). Too much soap and the wrap slides around and don't stick at edges. Too little, the wrap grabs and bubbles don't cleanly squeege out.

I take my time and usually its a 4-5 hour process on each bike, not counting prepping bike if it needs a good wash. Almost always there's a bubble or two that only are visible after the wraps sets a bit. Can use a needle/syringe to pop/suck it out.
 
i had the Kiox display added today and went for a bomber ride on what was a cold sunny day, the last before many days of rain ahead. what a bike, it's amazeballs in every way. looks like the first magazine review is out.

ebike-mtb.com

Norco Range VLT CX On Test – This is Not a Toy!

Norco Range VLT CX on test: high-pivot rear suspension, Bosch CX motor and 170/160 mm of travel. How does the Canadian full-power bruiser perform on rough trails?
ebike-mtb.com ebike-mtb.com

i've loved the 240 dropper i've put on mine, the seat has never felt this totally out of the way (and i came from a 210 LOL) and it's great. the xt di2 shifter is beyond good and captain bosch is a helluva climbing companion. i don't feel such angst about the charging port that seems to be the bane of Norco testers. yes it's hard to open (watertight closure), otherwise i don't really care either way.
 
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bmwpowere36m3 said:
Sounds about right... I'm pretty anal, but I've done a few wraps over the years (6-7). Too much soap and the wrap slides around and don't stick at edges. Too little, the wrap grabs and bubbles don't cleanly squeege out.

I take my time and usually it's a 4-5 hour process on each bike, not counting prepping bike if it needs a good wash. Almost always there's a bubble or two that only are visible after the wraps sets a bit. Can use a needle/syringe to pop/suck it out.
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friendo said:
i had the Kiox display added today and went for a bomber ride on what was a cold sunny day, the last before many days of rain ahead. what a bike, it's amazeballs in every way. looks like the first magazine review is out.

ebike-mtb.com

Norco Range VLT CX On Test – This is Not a Toy!

Norco Range VLT CX on test: high-pivot rear suspension, Bosch CX motor and 170/160 mm of travel. How does the Canadian full-power bruiser perform on rough trails?
ebike-mtb.com ebike-mtb.com

i've loved the 240 dropper i've put on mine, the seat has never felt this totally out of the way (and i came from a 210 LOL) and it's great. the xt di2 shifter is beyond good and captain bosch is a helluva climbing companion. i don't feel such angst about the charging port that seems to be the bane of Norco testers. yes it's hard to open (watertight closure), otherwise i don't really care either way.
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Wild how Sight reviews can't shut up about how playful the bike is yet this Range review labeled it a "big bike" that lacked pop and agility.

Norco added 10mm to the ATC and 5mm to the shock stroke... would that really create such a sea change in bike feel?

I guess I could just swap some parts and test myself lol.
 
every mag has it's own flavour and style. those guys are both very flattering and hyperbolic, in both directions. they always state their criticisms firmly. the bike is set up first and foremost to charge rough terrain, clearly, over being a general trail bike. but i always find these to be more observations than critiques. would the Fluid VLT be a 'more playful and poppy' trail bike on tight twisty trails? of course it would. how about the new TQ Sight, well yes. doesn't mean that the Range isn't fun on these trails, but surely it's skewed towards the other side of the equation. my local trail network has a huge array of trails. my wife prefers tight and twisty xc and is a normal, smallish woman. i try and follow her speed on these and i just can't keep up as it's just too tight for my size, my bike and my preference. i barely fit on some trails and if i'm not with her, i never ride them! on anything a bit more open where you can get up to some speed, it's more like the Sight reviews. watch some of those videos, these guys are not riding xc trails! the Range is just more and better, at least for the terrain i want to ride it on.
 
Blownoutrides said:
Wild how Sight reviews can't shut up about how playful the bike is yet this Range review labeled it a "big bike" that lacked pop and agility.

Norco added 10mm to the ATC and 5mm to the shock stroke... would that really create such a sea change in bike feel?

I guess I could just swap some parts and test myself lol.
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The overall package the bike delivers... not the 10 mm extra travel. Vivid/X2 vs. SD, 38/ZEB vs. Lyrik, and overall system weight. Do we know if the linkage is the same, Sight/Range? Maybe kinematic/platform is a bit different...

When they say it isn't poppy, in comparision to what... other 170/160mm bikes or just in general?
 
bmwpowere36m3 said:
The overall package the bike delivers... not the 10 mm extra travel. Vivid/X2 vs. SD, 38/ZEB vs. Lyrik, and overall system weight. Do we know if the linkage is the same, Sight/Range? Maybe kinematic/platform is a bit different...

When they say it isn't poppy, in comparision to what... other 170/160mm bikes or just in general?
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Yeah hard to say. PinkBike was gushing about the Sight CX but the reviewers were taller guys on the S4, so maybe the bike just likes to be sized down (?).
 
Fancy squish arrived.

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The guys at Vorsprung were super knowledgeable in the back and forth on setup. Apparently off-the-shelf dampers are under damped by design in order to be usable by lighter riders, as heavier riders can always just add spring rate to make things feel reasonable whereas lighter riders just can't overcome an overdamped setup.

That's the long explanation for why they put me on a lighter spring than I've been running on my vivid.

Build quality seems off the charts. Stoked to see how it goes as soon as things dry out here in CA.
 
This bike has really piqued my interest as my first e-bike....was strongly considering a Bullit but the 800w battery will suit me far better.

Question, am I correct in my understanding that one could add stroke to their shock and a 170mm fork to the Sight and have a Range...ie the frames are identical?

Sick bike Blownoutrides!
 
Bigly JC said:
This bike has really piqued my interest as my first e-bike....was strongly considering a Bullit but the 800w battery will suit me far better.

Question, am I correct in my understanding that one could add stroke to their shock and a 170mm fork to the Sight and have a Range...ie the frames are identical?

Sick bike Blownoutrides!
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Yes you are correct
 
Bigly JC said:
This bike has really piqued my interest as my first e-bike....was strongly considering a Bullit but the 800w battery will suit me far better.

Question, am I correct in my understanding that one could add stroke to their shock and a 170mm fork to the Sight and have a Range...ie the frames are identical?

Sick bike Blownoutrides!
Click to expand...
Yes, only difference between the Sight and Range is 10mm fork travel and 5mm shock stroke.

My "Range" is actually a Sight with added ATC & shock stroke. If you're gonna swap out suspension may as well get a Sight if the $ or color is more attractive.
 
The bike pedals super smooth with the motor off. Very quiet with no friction from the motor whatsoever. Nice to know I can do relatively painless sympathy laps with unassisted friends ;).

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I just picked up my bike for the LBS with a new winter wheelset installed. 45Nrth Wrathchild tires (27.5x3”) on RaceFace ARC40 rims laced to DT 350 hubs. This is one of the main reasons I switched to the Range as it can clear this “plus” tire size through the seat and chainstays. I can even keep my rear mudguard hack installed and there’s enough space!! Just need to install pogies and get out on the trails.

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