Well, kids, it’s time to start shoveling snow, babysitting, pulling weeds, and doing any other neighborly jobs you can find to get your hands on a 2020 Norco Sight Youth 27.5. This new 6061 alloy whip from the Canadian brand was designed from axle to axle for smaller riders who want to rip big.
On the Sight Youth, 140mm of rear travel is paired with a 150mm fork, specifically tuned with lightweight shredders in mind. The youth build includes a light-action 120mm TranzX dropper post, SDG Junior grips and saddle, and a SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain with shorter 165mm cranks.
The Sight Youth 27.5 comes in a single size, said to fit riders from 4’9″ to 5’2″. The bike stretches to a reasonable 1141mm wheelbase, divided up with a 395mm reach and chopped 425mm chainstays. The 76.6° seat angle and 63.5° head tube angles plant this youth size frame squarely in the trail bike genre and its pilots should have no trouble riding away from their parents and friends.
The Sight 27.5 bike retails for $2,799 through your local Norco dealer or online at Norco.com.
Norco has developed proprietary app-based software that they call Ride Aligned Bike Setup Guide (BSG) to help riders sort out the best overall fit and suspension setup on their new Sight. The aim is to help youth and adult riders alike find an optimal weight distribution and suspension tune for their body size on a given bike, based on frame geometry, suspension setup, and touchpoints (grips, saddle, pedals/cleats). Becoming better acquainted with a new bike more quickly could mean a more enjoyable riding experience overall, which seems to be the primary goal of this new design and fit-technology.
The 2020 Sight changes
The full-grown Sight also receives Norco’s Ride Aligned geometry updates for 2020 that can be factored into the software to provide a dialed fit. Both the carbon and alloy frame options come in a variety of colors, 27.5″ or 29″ wheels, with 150mm of rear travel and 160mm up front across the small to extra large size run.
The process of ordering a new Sight includes a few steps: Choose the frame and wheel size, select a colorway, choose from four different suspension kits, and finally select the component spec from the three complete build options. (Read more about the Build Your Ride program in Jeff’s review of last year’s Sight.) All of the build kits include the maximum dropper length for a given frame, four-piston brakes, 12-speed Shimano or SRAM drivetrains, and Maxxis Minion 3C EXO tires.
Carbon Sight builds range from $8,697 with a SRAM Eagle AXS drivetrain, Fox Factory suspension, and We Are One carbon wheels, on down to $4,299 with a SRAM SX Eagle drivetrain, RockShox suspension, and a stock alloy wheelset. The carbon frame alone retails for $2,899 with a Fox Factory Float X2 shock installed. Alloy frames retail for $1,649, and complete bikes top out at $4,499 with top-shelf RockShox suspension.
Unlike Norco’s slightly longer travel Range enduro bikes, the Sight maintains its 150mm/160mm travel numbers between the two wheel sizes. Size large frames have the same reach and chainstay measurements for either wheel size, at 485mm and 440mm respectively. The 63.5° headtube angle on the 27.5-inch version is half of a degree slacker than the 29er frame’s, and seat tube angles vary across the size run from 77° to 78°. For burly trails and full-throttle racing, the new Sight looks poised for fun.
Alloy models are available at your local Norco dealer, and carbon frames should hit stores at the end of November. Visit Norco’s website for more info on the new Sight, and Norco’s Ride Aligned BSG.
