The new Norco Range Carbon takes the 650B wheels and 160mm platform and makes it lighter and more enduro race ready.
The head angle is half a degree slacker, giving it a bit longer front center. The change was based on feedback from their World Enduro Team riders Ludo May and Lucas Anrig. It use their Gravity Tune frame sizing concept introduced with the 2012 model year. Basically, it means the proportions are changed across frame sizes simply by tweaking the BB position. This effectively creates longer stays on larger models even the actual stays (and rocker) are the same pieces on all sizes, giving them better economies of scale.
Drop in for detail pics…
It has an alloy chainstay because they didn’t want to risk damage from chainsuck on a part that’s going to see a lot of abuse, and the weight isn’t too far off what they could have done in carbon.
The chainstay and downtube get rubber armoring. The entire frame gets ArmorLite, a protective resin coating that adds further impact protection.
The frame is roughly 25% lighter, and like the Sight Carbon, the top models get 1x drivetrains without a front derailleur mount. There’s already an open slot for internally routing a stealth dropper post, so losing the FD would give you another empty slot to get creative with.
And if you’re sitting on a standard dropper post, there’s removable external routing along the top tube.
Shown here is the Range Carbon 7.2, which retails for $4,135 CAD. Above it is the 7.1 and LE (Limited Edition), both with 1×11 drivetrains and retail topping out at $7,515 CAD. Full specs and geometry charts are already up at Norco.com right here.
