Norco Sight 27.5 Review
Norco Sight 27.5 Review: Norco follows a philosophy based on “unlimited riding potential.” This line of thinking influences all of their products, from bikes for adults to those designed for young riders like the Norco Sight 27.5. Designed to fill in the gap between mountain bikes for kids and those that are the right size for small adults, the Sight 27.5 might be just what your kid needs when they take to the trails.
Who Is The Norco Sight 27.5 Built For?
This full-suspension mountain bike for kids will fit groms 4ft 9in tall through 5ft 2in tall. We recommend this bike for all-mountain riding, technical trail riding, jumps and drops, enduro and downhill.
The Norco Sight 27.5 At A Glance
STANDOVER HEIGHT
25.59 inches
DRIVETRAIN
1 x 12
WHEEL SIZE
27.5 inches
WEIGHT
~33lbs sans pedals
HEIGHT RANGE
4ft 9in – 5ft 2in
Geometry And Components – Norco Sight 27.5
Featuring an aluminum-alloy frame that allows for plenty of stability without weighing the rider down, the Norco Sight 27.5 is comparable to Norco’s other models with one difference – the size. The bike uses the company’s 6061 aluminum-alloy frame with a kid-sized geometry to fit 27.5-inch wheel. Throw in 140mm of rear travel and 150mm in the front, and this allows the frame to compress when things get rough. This is in-line with the rest of the bike’s specs of the bike, which has it perfectly aligned for kids whose skills have outpaced their smaller bikes, yet aren’t quite ready for what an adult-sized model has to offer. We would also be remiss to mention that the color scheme of this bike would make Enzo Ferrari downright giddy. It just looks like it wants to be turned loose and go fast.
The Sight’s geometry demonstrates this as well, with a 395mm reach, 576mm stack, and 425mm chainstay length. The head tube angle comes in at 63.5º, and the fork offset is 37mm. The height of the bottom bracket is 342mm, and the rise/drop of the bottom bracket comes in a -15. Thanks to the 125mm recommended seat post drop and a 165mm crank length, it’s clear that this bike is designed to be comfortable for young riders while climbing and descending – and performing at a high level.
Immediately following the frame in the pecking order of the bike’s build, we have the suspension system. The RockShox Pike fork [Charger, 150mm Travel] and RockShox Deluxe R Select Debonair 2 shock [140mm travel] are responsible for ironing out bumps and minimizing the abrupt effects of gravity and hard surfaces.
Norco’s Proprietary Online Bike Set-Up System
Thanks to Norco’s Ride AlignedTM system, the bike can be set up properly for each specific rider. How does this work? The tuning system essentially customizes the bike, based on the rider’s measurements and ability. Stability and balance are the system’s main goals, and it achieves this by using the metrics of the rider who the bike is intended for. Ride Aligned is not only a tuning system, it is a holistic, rider-center design system bringing all aspects from geometry, fit, suspension and setup together. The results are a mountain bike designed using suspension kinematics and the company’s proprietary app-based technology for all of the specs of a custom system without the price tag.
On top of the Ride Aligned system, the Norco Sight 27.5 is built with a youth-tuned suspension system, designed in part because the company understands that young riders prefer bikes with lighter springs and less dampening power. The dropper post is also sized for lightweight riders. A standard dropper post built for adults won’t compress when the biker is less than 90 lbs. However, the one on the Sight is specifically made to do just this – providing your lightweight rider with a post that’s designed just for them.
Build Chart For The 2020 Norco Sight 27.5
Among our favorite features for the Sight 27.5 are the dropper, Pike fork, and SDG goodies.
| Frame | 6061 Aluminum Frame, 140mm Travel |
| Fork | RockShox Pike, Charger, 150mm Travel, 37mm offset |
| Shock | RockShox Deluxe R Select Debonair 2 |
| Dropper Post | TransX Light Action Dropper, 120mm, 1x lever |
| Brakes | Shimano BR-MT500 hydraulic, 180mm |
| Shifter | SRAM SX Trigger |
| Derailleur | SRAM SX Eagle |
| Cassette | SRAM PG 1210 Eagle |
| Cranks | SRAM SX Eagle PowerSpline, 165 mm |
| Rims | WTB STP I25, tubeless ready |
| Front Tire | Maxxis Minion DHF EXO TR 27.5×2.3”, Folding, Skinwall |
| Rear Tire | Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO TR 27.5×2.3” Folding, Skinwall |
| Weight | ~33lbs without pedals |
| Buy-Direct Price | Norco Website |
Similar to the Norco Fluid FS 1 24, the Sight 27.5 ships with a SDG Jr. Pro component package. Composed of kid-sized pedals, bars, saddle and grips – this accessory package is also available as and upgrade for any kids’ mountain bike. You can purchase it in color options: black, blue, green and pink from Amazon | Competitive Cyclist | Jenson USA
Norco Sight 27.5 Geometry
Click the image above to enlarge it
| Travel (mm front/mm rear): | 150/140 |
| Reach: | 395 |
| Stack: | 576 |
| Head Tube Angle: | 63.5 |
| Fork Offset: | 37 |
| Seat Tube Length: | 350 |
| Effective Seat Tube Angle: | 76.7 |
| Rear Centre Length: | 425 |
| Bottom Bracket Rise/Drop: | -15 |
| Bottom Bracket Height: | 342 |
| Horizontal Top Tube: | 531 |
| Wheel Base: | 1141 |
| Stand Over: | 650 |
| Head Tube Length: | 100 |
| Trail: | 137 |
| Recommended Seat Post Drop: | 125 |
| Maximum Post Insertion: | 180 |
| Stem Length: | 35 |
| Crank Length: | 165 |
| Tire Size: | 27.5" diam x 2.35" - 2.6" wide |
Riding the Norco Sight 27.5
Our rider was very excited to get on this bike because he was eager to see how the suspension measured up against other bikes he has been on. The very first thing we did was get the air fork and shock dialed-in. The fork doesn’t have a lock-out feature, but we always carry a shock pump with us to make sure we tune the goodies to fit the terrain du jour.
Intermediate through advanced mountain bikers will know what the Norco Sight 27.5 is capable of. And, when your kid gets used to the bike’s geometry, fun and progression will ensue.
You don’t have to be at a world-class bike park to enjoy riding a world-class mountain bike. The Sight 27.5 is suitable for suburban fun as well.
After getting the initial set up of the Sight taken care of, we were able to get on several rides with it. All of the components selected for this build are a very good fit. We loved tinkering with tire pressure and suspension tuning based on where we were riding. Learning to corner well on the bike didn’t take too long. The bike’s geometry allows the proper sized rider to stand up on the pedals, shift his/her weight correctly and guide it along the desired path.
The Norco Sight 27.5 is a gravity-agnostic mountain bike for your riotous and unrestrained juveniles. It makes no difference if they’re blasting the roots and rocks of the PNW or the local university campus. The RockShox suspension package can bear the gnar.
Of course the Sight 27.5 is a purpose-built mountain bike for the gravity-minded demographic, but it was an apt pedaler as well. The Eagle drivetrain dutifully got our kid where he needed to be and kept him on the straight and narrow when conditions dictated steady power and balance. If you don’t already have them, we strongly encourage you to pick up a decent pair of shoes to go along with the SDG pedals. The pedals have small screws/pins that extend from the platform and grip the sole of your rider’s shoes.
Riding in Moab is similar to riding a big, concrete skate park and following a decrease in air pressure, the Maxxis tires on the Sight 27.5 gripped the sandstone like Pooh and the honey jar. Getting the ergonomics correct for our rider was a snap. We adjusted the rotation and position of the levers: dropper, brakes, shifter so our womp rat could operate them safely and properly. One finger on each brake lever at the correct angle, the dropper lever and trigger shifter were also moved so he could easily reach them when split-second decisions needed to be made.
A good sense of balance doesn’t come with the Norco Sight 27.5 – that’s achieved through a lot of practice. But your kid will be eager to get out on the bike again and again due to its good looks and overall great build.
When riding technical terrain, you can make several adjustments to the Norco Sight 27.5 to fit your kid’s weight, riding ability and style.
The Norco Sight 27.5 Is Built For Your Kid
We really like having choices based on the type of mountain biking our family enjoys the most. If your child prefers terrain where a durable, full-suspension bike with mid-range travel is required, you’re not going to need to look beyond the Norco Sight 27.5. A kid-specific geometry, strong aluminum-alloy frame, burly wheel set, and proven components from industry leaders have all come together to provide a capable machine. Aside from the bike’s great looks, it’s a mini-downhill trail stomper that’s going to make anyone who rides it smile, hoot, and holler.
Does Your Kid Need A Slightly Smaller Bike?
Norco also offers the Fluid FS 1 24. This bike is suited for the same crowd as the Sight 27.5 but its geometry is designed for younger/smaller mountain bikers. The Fluid 24 is built to fit kids appox. 9-12 years old and the bike has a 22.4 inch standover height.
