You may already know, our coaches use Norco Bicycles. We chose to approach the brand after Sam and I both had positive experiences with Norco whilst working in Canada. If you’ve ridden in Whistler, or spent much time in Canada, you’ll probably be familiar too… The 50 year old brand is massive and Norco have a huge presence in the bike parks. Here in the UK, the brand is lesser known but is still a huge contender when it comes to value and performance.
Ollie, Sam and I, have been riding our 2017 Sight C7.3’s since March of this year and although a step down in specification from the bikes we were riding last year, we’ve been very impressed.
Norco have three different carbon Sights in the stable. Each package packs a punch for differing wallet sizes. The C7.3 is the entry level version with the same frame as the top end model but a slightly lesser spec than its older brothers.
The Sight frame was redesigned for 2017 with a longer and slacker geometry to add more trail munching capability and improved stability. Previously matte finished paint now comes polished and the specification ticks all boxes for a bike at this price point.
Decked out with wide 780mm and 55mm stems in all sizes, the cockpit is noticeably aggressive and helped by the various new angles and figures, put you in a commanding position on the bike. None of us got on with the grips particularly well and chose to switch them out for our individual favourites.
Rock Shox 150mm travel Yari forks perform well in pairing with the 140mm Monarch rear shock, smoothing out natural big hits and groomed trail centres alike. Shifting is slick thanks to Srams entry level 1×11 NX groupset and the cable operated Trans X seatpost was a welcome surprise. Previously we’ve not had the best experience of cable operated droppers, finding them sticky and unreliable. The Trans X has been great and with little to no maintenance.
The C7.3 is portly. My large bike weighs 14.54kg and that’s after swapping out the chunky SRAM Level T brakes (410g) for my favoured Shimano XT’s (252g). A lot of this weight comes from the wheelset which if we were fussed, would be our first upgrade choice. As they are, the WTB STP rims are solid and have come out swinging from many sideways landings and drifted turns! Maxxis Minion tyres keep the Sight planted in all sorts of conditions but are clumpy.
There is always going to be a trade off between strength and weight. Although the bike won’t win any awards for the lightest or most nimble up the hills, it is a great all rounder and at £2799.99 retail, is an absolute steal for the money! We’ve had great experiences in terms of reliability, with nothing breaking or finding its way back to the warranty department.
We’re really unsure why you’d need more bike than what is on offer here… Sure, it’s nice to have bling and throw money at stuff (if you have it) but anything the Sight lacks can be made up through personal gains like getting fitter and improving bike handling skills. It’s very capable, if you are!
2017 Norco Sight Carbon C7.3 can be ordered from Evans Cycles here and is currently (at time of posting) on sale for £2399.99.
