Just want to say I was stoked to see this review forthcoming. I'm similar in height to AJ (1cm taller I think) and similarly apey. I'm about 25 lbs heavier (damn dude, you are roadie svelt!).
Anyway, the sight is the most exciting new bike from a major brand for me. The only other bikes that have me interested are those from Privateer, Pole, Nicoli etc... european brands pushing the geometry envelope. Currently, I'm on an XXL sentinel and it doesn't climb the best. The geometry numbers of these two bikes are very similar with identical reach, head angle and fork offset, but norco pushes the rider further forward (17mm shorter ETT!!!) and extends the chainstays by 10mm. I think this will translate into better climbing traction for tall individuals and I wonder if the further forward position will also make it feel a little more spirited on the climbs. The sentinel can feel bogged down if your shock PSI is not at the higher end of the scale, which has the trade off a bit less planted and stable on the downs. My XL Pole Taiga fatbike has 470mm chainstays and the traction is otherworldly coming off the conventional XC fatbike geometry. This has me convinced that longer chainstays are going to improve climbing for taller riders. My other data point for the benefits of longer chainstays for taller riders is going from a 2015 XXL Instinct BC edition to a 2018 XL Instinct the chainstays got significantly shorter (452mm RC to 436mm) and the 2018 was a far less stable downhill smasher than the 2015 was even though travel numbers and front center numbers were similar.
Feb. 28, 2020, 9:57 a.m. - cyclotoine
Just want to say I was stoked to see this review forthcoming. I'm similar in height to AJ (1cm taller I think) and similarly apey. I'm about 25 lbs heavier (damn dude, you are roadie svelt!). Anyway, the sight is the most exciting new bike from a major brand for me. The only other bikes that have me interested are those from Privateer, Pole, Nicoli etc... european brands pushing the geometry envelope. Currently, I'm on an XXL sentinel and it doesn't climb the best. The geometry numbers of these two bikes are very similar with identical reach, head angle and fork offset, but norco pushes the rider further forward (17mm shorter ETT!!!) and extends the chainstays by 10mm. I think this will translate into better climbing traction for tall individuals and I wonder if the further forward position will also make it feel a little more spirited on the climbs. The sentinel can feel bogged down if your shock PSI is not at the higher end of the scale, which has the trade off a bit less planted and stable on the downs. My XL Pole Taiga fatbike has 470mm chainstays and the traction is otherworldly coming off the conventional XC fatbike geometry. This has me convinced that longer chainstays are going to improve climbing for taller riders. My other data point for the benefits of longer chainstays for taller riders is going from a 2015 XXL Instinct BC edition to a 2018 XL Instinct the chainstays got significantly shorter (452mm RC to 436mm) and the 2018 was a far less stable downhill smasher than the 2015 was even though travel numbers and front center numbers were similar.