Norco’s new take on the all-road bike is meant to break down barriers when you venture out exploring on a road bike. The new Section is for those road rides where the asphalt gradually gets worse and worse until you find yourself riding dirt doubletrack through the forest, grinning from ear to ear with no desire to turn back…
2019 Norco Section big tire, performance all-road bikes
The new Section isn’t a gravel bike for dedicated off-road adventure riding (Norco already has the Search for that), and it isn’t just an endurance road bike (try the Valence). Instead the new bike is something of a road bike ‘best of both worlds’. It’s a performance focused road bike with quick handling geometry & an aggressive fit on the bike, plus room for up to 35mm tires so you can confidently ride any surface.
And Norco knows that riders of all budgets will want to get in on the all-road fun, so it is available in three different frame materials – hi-mod carbon, Reynolds 725 steel, or aluminum.
Norco Section all-road endurance geometry
The Section uses the same 72.5° headtube, 73.25° seat angle & BB drop as their endurance road bike. And bumping up to the bigger tires didn’t even add anything to the short 415mm chainstays. Overall wheelbase adds 5mm, as the new Section gets a little longer reach for mixed-surface stability. Plus it actually gets 10mm lower stack figures for a more aggressive position on the bike. While the geometry clearly gives the Section the ride character of an endurance road bike, comfortable for long rides, Norco expects roadies to use the new bike to open up new tracks for fast exploration.
The Section is available in six sizes in the men’s carbon frames and steel frames, 48-60.5cm carbon women’s shares the same smaller four sizes). The alloy bike adds one larger size for men (63cm) and one smaller for women (45.5cm).
Section Tech Details
From the British Colombia base, Norco rides year round in all manner of weather that can make it hard to judge road conditions. That’s a lot of why they developed the new Section, but also why the new bike can fit up to 35mm wide 700c tires, gets flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles, and of course mounts for full-coverage fenders.
Of course a compliant rear end is also a big part of a mixed-surface performance road bike, so the Section gets thinned, curving bridgeless seatstays on the carbon & alloy models and carefully selected tubing on the steel frame. Maintaining control & steering precision, up front is a 1.5″ tapered steerer carbon fork, and oversized downtube & straight, boxy chainstays.
For all day epic riding, Norco also added an extra set of bottle braze-ons under the downtube. The bike can be built up with either 1x or road double drivetrains, and includes modular internal cable routing.
2019 Norco Section Pricing & Spec Options
The high modulus carbon Section is available on its own as a frameset for $2000 USD or in four different complete builds. The top-level Section C Ultegra SL retails for $4500 with a mechanical shift/hydraulic disc brake Shimano Ultegra groupset, carbon Praxis cranks & carbon Novatec R3 wheels. A Section C Rival 1x build sells for $3700 as the only complete bike with a SRAM single ring drivetrain and alloy DT wheels. The $3300 Section C Ultegra bike and $2800 Section C 105 both offer Shimano groupsets on the carbon frame, plus a women’s specific contact point option as well.
The Reynolds 725 steel Section sells separately as a frame & fork for $1150, or built up with Ultegra $3100 or 105 for $2250.
The aluminum bike is available in a 105 hydraulic brake build for $1850 or 105 with TRP Spyre-C mechanical disc brakes for $1550. A Shimano 2×10 Tiagra build is also available for $1400. All of the alloy bikes are available in both men’s & women’s version, and feature the wider size range options.
