2017 Norco Optic C9.2

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Entering the scene in the spring of 2016, the new Optic is Norco’s addition to the growing short-travel trail bike market. Featuring 110mm of rear wheel travel, our test bike is built around 29-inch wheels but is also available in a surprisingly similar 27.5-inch option. The Optic was created simply to be a fun bike and is aimed at riders seeking a pedal smashing ride with trail capability. The varied and rocky terrain of Tucson, Arizona was a great place to see if Norco’s latest model lives up to the claims.

Highlights

• Carbon frame with aluminum stays
• 29-inch wheels
• 110mm (4.3-inches) of rear wheel travel // 120mm (4.7-inches) fork travel
• Advanced Ride Technology (ART) suspension design
• Tapered headtube
• Gizmo internal cable routing
• SizeScaled Tubing
• ArmorLite Resin
• GravityTune geometry
• Press fit 92 bottom bracket shell with ISCG05 mounts
• Boost 148mm rear spacing with 12mm through axle
• Measured weight (size XL, no pedals): 29.1 pounds (13.22kg)
• MSRP $5,199 USD

Featuring a carbon fiber front triangle and alloy rear end, the Optic keeps the traditional Norco look and feel while complementing the company's lineup. It sits right between Norco’s 100mm Revolver and their 140mm Sight in terms of both geometry and travel. It’s also more aggressive than the Revolver on the geometry side, but more efficient than the Sight in terms of pedaling.

The carbon front end is influenced by three Norco technologies known as Size Scaled Tubing, SmoothCore, and ArmorLite. The tubing is beefed up or scaled down in proportion to frame size, ensuring that riders of different heights have a similar ride experience. As the name suggest, SmoothCore is the process by which Norco ensures their carbon has a smooth and controlled surface inside and out through the use of a mandrel system. Finally, while you won't find a downtube protector on this bike, Norco claims their "ArmorLite resin produces an exceptionally strong bond that enhances frame strength and increases impact resistance."

With easy access to suspension components and pivot bearings, the Optic is service friendly while maintaining a clean look. Suspension duties are handled by a purpose built version of Norco's Advanced Ride Technology (ART) suspension design. The linkage is said to "deliver four major benefits to riders: enhanced pedaling efficiency, increased square-edge bump compliance, improved braking performance, and progressive suspension characteristics." Norco tweaked the suspension a bit for this bike by reducing the amount of rearward travel in an effort to control chain-growth and achieve greater pedaling efficiency. The suspension design is paired with a FOX Float DPS Performance Elite EVOL rear shock. The 190x51mm (7.5x2.0-inch) shock has an extra light compression tune, medium rebound tune, light climb tune, standard volume EVOL eyelet, and zero volume spacers stock.

Cables are mostly hidden with close to full internal routing. They enter/exit through Norco's Gizmo plugs that help seal water and debris from entering the frame while allowing you to pull the cable tight to prevent rattling.

The Boost front and rear ends of the Optic keep the bike on par with the latest axle spacing trends, and the frame is compatible with 1X and 2X drivetrains to offer riders more options for gear range. The S3 front derailleur mount is removable should you decide to convert it to a 1X system for the cleanest look.

Other details include a water bottle mount inside the front triangle, 160mm post mount rear brake, Press Fit 92 bottom bracket, ISCG05 tabs, and a healthy ~20mm of mud clearance with the stock 2.35-inch Schwalbe rear tire. The bike is not specifically stated as 27.5+ compatible and maxes at a tire width of 29x2.4-inches.

Norco's carbon Optic 29er comes in four build kits ranging from $3,799 to $7,699, or can be built from the ground up using the $2,199 frame + shock kit. Two affordable bikes with full aluminum frames are also available for $2,599 and $3,199. The carbon front triangle is said to save 0.77-pounds (350g) over the aluminum version. We tested the Optic C9.2 that retails for $5,199.

Geometry

Norco is known for engineering bikes that maintain front-center and rear-center points throughout the full size range. They've created this "GravityTune" sizing method by not only altering the stack and reach of each individual size to fit riders, but also by scaling the chainstay length between sizes (a shorter bike means shorter stays while a longer bike means longer stays). This puts the center of the bike in the same spot for any given size, helping to maintain even weight distribution, traction, control, and overall performance and ride characteristics across the range.

Our size XL test bike had a very accommodating reach value of 486mm and tied for the longest chainstays in our 18 bike Test Sessions roundup at 440mm. The bike has a 68.5-degree head angle, 74.1-degree effective seat tube angle, and a low 325mm bottom bracket height as measured by Vital's testers.

Suspension Analysis

Using the bike industry's leading linkage analysis software, André Santos, the Youtube suspension whiz, was able to determine a close approximation of the Optic 29's kinematics for the purpose of this review. These charts provide great insight into several key factors that impact how it rides. Those unfamiliar with these types of graphs should watch André's excellent series of suspension fundamentals videos. The results of his analysis are as follows:

Observations:

• Norco's 29-inch Optic has enough progressivity for a short travel trail bike at 12%.
• The bike is sold with 1X and 2X drivetrain options. The pedaling efficiency is better optimized for a 26-tooth chainring, with anti-squat values ranging between 90-100%. For a 30-tooth chainring the values range from 65% to 80%, and for a 36-tooth chainring the values range from 10% to 65% (for smaller and bigger cogs, respectively).
• Given the relatively low anti-squat values and the low amount of travel, the total pedal kickback is also quite low.
• Anti-rise of 35% meaning that the suspension is very isolated from braking forces.
• Overall, the Norco Optic 29 is a slightly progressive trail bike with good pedaling efficiency on a 26-tooth chainring.

How does science meet the dirt? Did our real life ride time confirm the analysis? It's back to Vital's testers to hear how the Optic performed on trail.

On The Trail

We put the Optic to the test on some of Tucson, Arizona’s classic trails descending down the iconic Mount Lemmon. Between Bug Springs, Prison Camp, and La Milagrosa trails, the challenging loose-over-hard decomposing granite terrain made traction hard to come by. Blending slow and fast technical features, these trails were perfect for getting a feel of a bike's technical handling ability and rear end suspension performance. A solid mix of steep and grinding climbs littering the mostly downhill terrain provided excellent insight into the climbing and sprinting performance of the Optic.

Throwing a leg over for the first time, the Optic was relatively easy to get comfortable with. For us, the 760mm Race Face Turbine bars were a tad on the narrow side and we had trouble getting all of the controls situated comfortably. We ended up settling for less than ideal Reverb lever placement on the lefthand side as it was not getting along with the Shimano front shifter and brake lever. Although our test bike did not come with it, the C9.2 build kit does come with a Race Face Narrow/Wide Cinch chainring for riders wanting to swap to a 1x11 drivetrain. This would eliminate much of the cockpit setup headaches we faced with our test bike. After settling in, we set the sag on the suspension to the recommended 30%. The initial setup was relatively quick and provided a solid baseline for testing.

Despite having a short 50mm Race Face Turbine stem and a reasonable headtube angle compared to other bikes in the same travel range, the Optic did seem to have a more traditional XC feel to it. Featuring 440mm chainstays combined with a 486mm reach on the size XL, the Optic is notably longer in these areas than many other bikes in this category. The overall wheelbase is slightly shorter by a few millimeters, however, which made keeping our weight over the front on climbs easy yet explains the need for a bit more focus on rough and speedy descents.

Buyers will receive a 1X Race Face Narrow/Wide Cinch chainring included with this build which should help keep the drivetrain quieter and hopefully have fewer issues with chain retention.

At $5,199 MSRP, the Optic C9.2 build can seem a bit pricey when considering some of the budget spec employed on the carbon and alloy frame. The 2X drivetrain shifted fine but had major issues with chain retention, the wheels didn’t last long, and the tires had to be replaced out of the box. For these reasons we believe that Norco put some value in less crucial areas of the spec while neglecting other key components.

Long Term Durability

Despite being a 110mm x 120mm travel bike, the Optic’s carbon and aluminum frame held strong in the rough Tucson terrain, leaving us with a vote of confidence for its long term durability. The ART suspension design uses adequately sized bearings that are easily accessible for maintenance down the road. The cables are held tight in the frame and do not drag on the paint causing cosmetic damage. Because the rear wheel gave in on it maiden voyage, we can see a rim or wheel replacement in the near future for potential buyers.

Having lost the chain multiple times in both directions off the chainring, over time the cranks and bottom bracket will be scuffed and scraped by the chain. Norco did not provide any sort of chainstay, seatstay, or downtube frame protectors, and as a result we noted multiple paint chips from chainslap and flying rocks. With some 3M Mastic tape in a few key places the Optic could be well protected and would be much quieter. With a few essential upgrades and a bit of quieting the Optic has the potential to be a long lasting rig with the frame showing no glaring weaknesses during our test. Norco backs it with a five year limited warranty and crash replacement program. Detailed bearing, hardware, and frame specifications are available here.

What's The Bottom Line?

When the Norco Optic 29er launched in early 2016, we said that "not all of us need a descent destroying 'mini-DH' bike, and not all of us need a climb crushing XC rocket… some of us just want a mountain bike." After getting it in a wider variety of terrain, it's safe to say that Norco is on the right track but certainly left themselves room for improvement. While the Optic occasionally surprised us in the fun department, it wasn't very inspiring to ride with its traditional XC feeling geometry and a rear end that just didn’t seem to excel in any particular area.

Despite our criticism in true trail worthiness, the Optic is a decent allrounder that we feel is best suited for the rider looking to gain some travel and trail capability while stepping up from their XC ride. That person will find familiar handling and geometry, good pedaling efficiency (especially if they enjoy 2X drivetrains), and should be someone who prefers fast, smooth trails and keeping their wheels on the ground. The Optic showed glimpses of its potential throughout the test, which left us thinking that with a few minor geometry tweaks, improved wheels and tires, and a slight diet, the bike could solidify its presence in the short-travel trail category.

Visit www.norco.com for more details.

Vital MTB Rating

• Climbing: 3 stars - Good
• Descending: 3 stars - Good
• Fun Factor: 3 stars - Good
• Value: 3 stars - Good
• Overall Impression: 3 stars - Good

Bonus Gallery: 19 photos of the 2017 Norco Optic Carbon 9.2 up close and in action

About The Reviewers

Dylan Stucki - Age: 28 // Years Riding MTB: 17 // Height: 6'5" (1.96m) // Weight: 195-pounds (88.5kg)

"I'm a fun-haver, always looking for new ways to interpret the trail. Gettin' sidewayze and balls out fast is rad too!" Dylan brings some serious speed to the Vital test crew, a heavy dose of hijinks, and routinely breaks things you think can't be broken. He's been testing mountain bikes and parts for several years which gives him good perspective on the full spectrum of what's on the market.

Mint Henk - Age: 32 // Years Riding MTB: 18 // Height: 6'0" (1.83m) // Weight: 180-pounds (81.6kg)

"Ragged, with a hint of Neanderthal." We decided to bring Mint onboard after watching him absolutely rocket up and down Colorado's high country like it was no big deal. Meanwhile we were huffing and puffing trying to keep up. Mint is the real deal, and he brings a fresh eye to the Vital MTB testing game backed with years of relevant experience.

Which reviewer resembles you the most? Don't miss our Q&A with the testers for more insight about their styles and preferences.

About Test Sessions

For five years a dedicated crew of Vital MTB testers have been bringing you the most honest, unbiased reviews you'll find anywhere. This time around we rode 2017's most exciting trail, all-mountain, and enduro bikes on a wide variety of rowdy trails in Tucson, Arizona. Reviews can be accessed 24/7 in our Product Guide. Test Sessions was made possible with the help of Arizona Cyclist. Tester gear provided by Troy Lee Designs, Specialized, Five Ten, ZOIC, Sombrio, Race Face, and EVOC. All photos by Lear Miller.