The Radavist has reviewed the Norco Optic Bike. Here is what they had to say:
For our second-ever high-pivot bike review, Travis tests the third-generation Norco Optic. Turns out short travel and short chainstays pair pretty well with high pivots and high speed, both downhill and uphill.
There are only a handful of manufacturers combining short travel and high pivots. And by “short” I mean 130mm or less. Forbidden Bikes was one of the first. I just reviewed their second-generation Druid. There are also small-batch makers like Kavenz and experiments like the Woods El Camino. But the Norco Optic Gen 3 is probably the most direct competitor to the Druid. It has slightly less front and rear travel, slightly less aggressive geometry, and slightly lighter component spec. But both are outside the mainstream enduro aisle, which is where you’ll find most high-pivot models that aren’t dedicated downhill bikes. And there are good reasons for that. To unpack them, I’ll CTRL+V my basic explainer on high-pivot rear suspension below. Feel free to skip the next three paragraphs if you already know the deal.
High-Pivot Primer
On most traditional full-suspension bikes, the rear wheel moves in a predominantly vertical arch when it hits a bump. But the force applied by that bump is usually rearward, relative to the rider. So, the primary benefit of a rearward axle path is that it will allow the wheel to get out of the way more easily when traveling forward over bumpy terrain, even when you’re forcefully pedaling. That gets you better sensitivity, better traction, and better braking. On top of that, it has the effect of lengthening the wheelbase as the suspension compresses instead of shortening it. This makes for better steering stability and more optimal weight distribution in the moments when you need them most.
Unfortunately, a rearward axle path doesn’t play well with a traditional drivetrain. Without modification, the chain would fight the suspension and vice-versa, leading to an unsettling inchworm effect. That’s why all modern high-pivot bikes will route the chain over an idler pulley up near that high pivot point. This eliminates the inchworm effect, but there are still trade-offs.
A high-pivot bike’s idler pulley adds weight, and can create some extra drag and some extra noise. It’s more noticeable than the drag and noise caused by the pulleys on your derailleur because the idler is up in the load-bearing portion of the chain. This is no big deal on a big-travel bike, when riders are expected to use a chairlift or a shuttle vehicle or their own feet to get them to the top of the hill. The bar for climbing efficiency is relatively low in those scenarios. But on a shorter-travel trail bike like the Norco Optic, climbing efficiency is paramount. So, let’s get to it.
Climbing
I’ll go into deeper comparisons to the Forbidden Druid later, but the difference in climbing behavior is so significant that I need to start with a little teaser. The Druid was a real “gets-the-job-done” sort of climber. Its priority is the downhill. That bike was excellent on the chunky widowmaker uphills that I may only clean one out of five attempts, but it wasn’t exactly encouraging on short bursts or long slogs. Although some of that is because of the Druid’s longer wheelbase and heavier components, I’d chalk most of it up to how noticeable its idler drag was. I heard and felt it enough that I opened that review with a whole disclaimer about why it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
It will not be necessary for me to put such a disclaimer in my review of the Norco Optic. The drag and noise are there, but they are less significant than on any other high-pivot bike I’ve ever ridden. And to be completely honest, I have no idea why that would be. The Druid idler sure is advanced. It’s angled to ease the chain onto the chainring while cross-chaining, and its tooth profile reportedly was optimized after seeing how previous idlers wore over time. But the Optic is just noticeably smoother. And that’s not even my favorite part about climbing with it.
This may stir up controversy, but if you can control for a few variables like terrain, seat tube angle, linkage design, and (most importantly) pedaling technique, a short-travel bike doesn’t necessarily climb better than a long-travel bike. Where a short-travel bike will truly excel is when you’re trying to lay down the power. Even the most graceful circle-spinner on the most perfect suspension design will feel a bike bounce when their output peaks. A short-travel bike just won’t bounce as much. That’s what makes them so rewarding to really mash. And the Norco Optic can mash. Even compared to my identical-travel Canyon Spectral 125, this bike had me pushing harder than I normally would, especially on technical sections. It’s not as quick-footed as an Ibis Ripley or Yeti SB120, but it clearly wants to go.
Of course, this is probably a good place to mention that I was on the very top-end, $9,100 C1 build, with the lightweight XO Transmission groupset and carbon Crank Brothers wheels (though Norco has since gone to a We Are One carbon rim for the C1). This thing weighs 32 pounds flat (size S4 without pedals). Not saying that saving a couple percent of combined bike/body weight makes a real difference on a long, steady climb, but it does make a real difference on a steep, technical one. And the Norco Optic loves steep, technical climbs. Most high-pivot designs are naturally able to remain active under pedaling effort without that effort disappearing into the shock. This is similar to the balance offered by bikes like the Revel Rascal, whose linkage design prevents chain tension from interfering with suspension motion, and vice-versa. But high-pivot bikes also have that high-pivot advantage, where any bit of forward momentum naturally eases the rear suspension into motion when you hit a bump, and those bumps are less likely to result in pedal kickback or hangups.
Descending
So, I think this is a good place to discuss the way aggressive short-travel bikes are commonly portrayed. That is, with photos and videos that seem to suggest they can be ridden like enduro bikes. Maybe even with the same ease. Although Norco hasn’t pushed it too far with their Optic marketing, bikes like the Transition Spur and YT Izzo have gotten some jaw-dropping shred edits over the years. But unless you’re Hannah Bergemann or Peter Jamison, you’ll find there are limits.
For one thing, the Norco Optic’s relatively minimal weight tethered the experience to the mild-mannered trail category. It’s a huge asset on those challenging climbs, but it has a different effect on challenging descents. Unlike a heavier, softer bike, the Optic reminded me that each of my decisions mattered. I couldn’t just loosen my grip and let it auto-pilot through every boulder-lined alley. And the occasional two-wheel kitty-litter drift was not numbed by an extra three pounds of inertia. Instead, the Optic encouraged me to make good choices, and it would immediately abide.
Of course, this is also a function of the geometry. Norco didn’t go nuts when they transitioned the Optic to high-pivot. It’s got the same 65° head angle as the Gen 2. And they actually shortened the resting chainstay length, though it does end up longer later in the stroke thanks to the rearward axle path. The stack got a little higher and the reach numbers got a little roomier, but stayed pretty proportionate. And anyway, frame size is a choice, not a mandate. That’s largely why Norco opted for the “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” instead of “S, M, L, XL” In fact, at six-foot-two, I opted for an S4 (L) instead of an S5 (XL). Not only because the XL was just outside my threshold, but because I wanted to meet the Optic on its lighthearted, playful level.
The High Pivot Of It All
This is exactly the sort of low-consequence playfulness that a high-pivot linkage might inhibit. That’s because they’re usually found on long-travel enduro bikes with greater concerns than my humble little trail jibs. The shorter-travel Forbidden Druid shaves off a bit of that enduro-ness, but that bike was still clearly focused on speed and stability. Much of that is thanks to Forbidden’s love of long chainstays. It was hard to swing the Druid’s rear end around a corner, and harder to pick up its front end for a manual. But the Optic’s numbers are more conservative. On all but the smallest-size Optic, the rear-center is between 8 mm and 26 mm mm shorter than that of the Druid. And perhaps more importantly, the Optic rear-center doesn’t lengthen quite as drastically throughout the stroke.
The effects of a high-pivot bike depend largely on how high the pivot actually is. The more it’s raised, the more predominantly rearward the axle path will be, and for a greater percentage of the travel. The Druid’s main pivot is about 30 mm higher than that of the Optic. Its axle moves about 12 mm horizontally rearward for the first 30% of the travel, while on the matched-wheel 29” Optic, the axle moves more like 7 mm. And the Optic’s axle path begins to arch forward sooner than the Druid’s. Normally, I wouldn’t dwell so long on such small distances, but we’re getting to the heart of what makes the Optic so very unique.
The combination of these two traits—smoothness and playfulness—is why the Optic’s unique configuration actually makes perfect sense. That’s not to say it’s for everyone. The high-pivot linkage doesn’t magically imbue it with an enduro bike’s capability. And the moderate travel doesn’t magically make the high pivot’s extra complexity disappear. It’s purpose built for those who plan to put their trail bike in over its head whenever possible, and will sacrifice some simplicity to do so. In that way, I like to think Norco was being refreshingly intentional about the choice to go high-pivot on the Optic. And Norco has long been quite intentional with their design.
Norco didn’t go high-pivot to fit in with the crowd. If that’s all they wanted for Gen 3, they could have just added downtube storage and called it a day. Instead, they made some real choices here. Choices that I’d wager very few other brands are going to make. The tradeoffs involved with a high-pivot linkage are simply too in-your-face for most consumers to ignore. But high-pivot tradeoffs hit different. They’re not about making incremental gains at incremental costs. They’re about making your bike behave in a fundamentally new way. And on a light, lively, efficient bike like the Optic, that means potentially delivering on the radness promised in those short-travel shred-edits.
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