Today, Norco is pulling a brand-new Revolver out of its holster and squeezing the trigger on its latest cross-country bike. (Sorry, I had to.) The previous Revolver hadn’t been updated since 2019, because, according to Norco, “it was just that good.” But a lot has changed in the world of cross country in the past six years, and the Revolver was starting to show its age, so the brand decided it was finally time to make some changes.
The new Revolver has a completely redesigned frame with an updated silhouette, Flex-Pivot suspension design, up-to-date geometry, a lighter weight, and two travel options to choose from. Now riders can choose between the racier C 120 or the more trail-oriented C 130, depending on their needs and preferences. Both options are based on the same frame, with slight differences in front and rear travel and geometry setting them apart. Let’s see what the new Revolver is all about.
Norco Revolver Frame
The new Revolver has a completely redesigned carbon frame that the brand says is “the lightest full-suspension frame Norco has ever built — 450g lighter than the previous generation — making it more than ready for the demands of World Cup racing.” The primary driver in this weight savings is the move to Norco’s Flex-Pivot suspension design, similar to what you’ll find on just about every other modern cross-country bike. There’s a reason the latest batch of XC bikes look similar: the flex stay layout is lightweight, and it works pretty darn well.
According to Norco, the Flex-Pivot suspension provides improved performance with the lightweight in-line air shocks that “rivals the suspension sensitivity that would typically be reserved only for heavier and larger volume air shocks.” Norco also states that this design’s consistent anti-squat and carefully tuned leverage rate gives this bike “an excellent balance of efficiency and technical capability.”
The new frame has low standover heights and improved ability to fit long travel dropper posts. It has internal routing with guided cable channels, including one for remote shock lockout. It comes in five frame sizes, and sizes 2 to 5 can reportedly fit two water bottles in the front triangle.
Travel Options
As mentioned above, the new Revolver comes in two travel options. The Revolver C 120 comes with a 120 mm fork and gets 115 mm of rear wheel travel. The C 130 comes with a 130 mm fork and has 120 mm of rear wheel travel. While those travel numbers aren’t wildly different, the two travel options also get slightly different geometry, relaxing the head tube angle by 0.5 degrees from 66.5 degrees (C 120) to 66 degrees (C 130). Beyond that, however, the two frames share very similar measurements, with modern XC geometry across the board. Norco is also very big on proportional fits, including size-specific chainstays for balanced weight distributions and ride feel across the size run. That size run consists of five frame sizes, fitting a claimed user height range of 5’1″ to 6’5″.
Revolver C 120 Geometry
Revolver C 130 Geometry
Norco Revolver Builds
Each travel variant of the new Revolver is currently being offered in three complete builds and price points. Those interested in building up their own XC whip can do so with the Revolver 120 frame kit, which includes a RockShox SIDLuxe Ultimate shock and goes for $3,499.
Revolver 120 SE: $11,499
- RockShox SID Ultimate Flight Attendant fork
- RockShox SIDLuxe Ultimate Flight Attendant shock, custom-tuned
- SRAM XX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Weight: 11.5kg (25.35lbs)
Revolver 120 C1: $7,999
- RockShox SID Ultimate 3P fork
- RockShox SIDLuxe Ultimate shock, custom-tuned
- Shimano XTR Di2 drivetrain
- Weight: 11.7 kg (25.79 lbs)
Revolver 120 C2: $5,249
- RockShox SID Select Charger fork
- RockShox SID LUX Select +
- Shimano Deore XT Di2 drivetrain
- Weight: 12.5kg (27.56lbs)
Revolver 130 C1: $7,999
- Fox 34SL Factory Float, Grip X fork
- Fox Factory Float SL shock
- Shimano Deore XT Di2 drivetrain
- Weight: 13kg (28.66lbs)
Revolver 130 C2: $5,249
- Fox 34SL Performance Float, Grip 2 fork
- Fox Float SL Performance shock
- Shimano Deore XT Di2 drivetrain
- Weight: 13.5 kg (29.76 lbs)
Revolver 130 C3: $3,899
- accurate specs not provided: see Norco website for details.
Norco Revolver: Availability
The latest Revolver models launch today, and most should be available starting this month. However, if you’re interested in the C1 builds for either travel length, it looks like you might have to wait until October. To see the complete specs of the new Revolver builds or find a dealer near you, check out the Norco website.
