NORCO OPTIC C9.2

£3,699 Norco’s short-travel 29er is a little green monster

Considering that it’s only got 110mm of travel, the Optic has proven to be far more capable than it ought to be. But does this capability come at a cost?

The frame

With the notable exception of Specialized, Norco have been using a Horst Link suspension design for longer than most. They’ve had a long time to refine their ‘ART’ set-up, and it shows. Unusually, their ‘Gravity Tune’ geometry sees the rear centre grow with the front centre as you go up through the frame sizes, the aim being to keep handling consistent.

The kit

The solid spec includes mid-range Fox dampers, a 150mm Rockshox Reverb post (on the XL) and a relatively wide bar and short stem. It’s all decent kit, but the post-Brexit price hike means it can’t compete on value with the cheaper (but still carbon-framed) Spesh. While the 2x11 gearing will suit some riders, it’s good to see a 30t single ring included. If you can live with the 1140t range, fitting that would knock 450g off the Optic’s so-so 13.2kg mass and improve chain security.

The ride

For a bike with just 110mm of rear travel, the Norco’s fast, forgiving ride is seriously impressive. The 760mm bar and 60mm stem inspire confidence to attack technical trails, and the suspension doesn’t let you down when you do just that.

While the Fox 34 Performance Elite fork doesn’t have the slippery Kashima coating of the Canyon’s Factory version, it’s pretty similar in performance. It provides a good balance of sensitivity and support, and is noticeably more refined than the Trek’s Performance fork. Out back, Norco’s smoothly progressive ART layout builds on the suppleness provided by the EVOL-equipped Float DPS shock. Together, they provide a sensitive start to the stroke for great traction over chatter, with plenty of support gradually building through the mid stroke onwards. This results in a ‘stuck down’, calm and forgiving feel over rough ground.

The Optic felt relatively smooth and surefooted over braking bumps that had us pinging around unnervingly on the other bikes. It seemed like the half-carbon frame was adding a little extra damping, and the compliant Race Face AR24 rims may contribute to this forgiving feel in the rough too.

With a 68-degree head angle and 1,210mm wheelbase, the geometry covers the middle ground in this test. The Norco isn’t as stable at pace as the Trek, but it’s easy to

ride at lower speeds without feeling twitchy when things get faster and rougher. The Gravity Tune geometry meant our XL bike had 440mm chainstays. Long stays make manuals harder and turning slower, but also mean it’s easier to weight the front wheel in turns and calm the handling in gnarly terrain.

Part of the reason for the Norco’s active suspension is a fairly low level of interference from the forces of the chain and brakes. This does mean that, with the shock left open, the Optic bobs more when pedalling out of the saddle than the other bikes. It’s most pronounced in the big ring, which makes the Norco feel a little lazy when sprinting and means you’ll be toggling the shock’s lockout pretty often if you want to go fast. Fitting a small single ring would improve things a little.

At 73.5 degrees, the Optic also has the slackest effective seat angle on test. This makes it more of a struggle to keep the front wheel down on steep climbs. Despite the low gearing options, it’s not a particularly comfy or rapid climber. The narrow Schwalbe tyres are a little sketchy on hard ground and make bumpy singletrack hard work, though the Nobby Nic up front gripped relatively well on soft ground. Our Shimano XT brakes had a wandering bite point too.

The Optic may not be the sprightliest on the climbs, but the dialled suspension breeds a forgiving yet playful ride feel that that we really enjoyed straight out of the box.