Norco demo day- Sight killer b impressions

i've been seriously mtn biking for about 6 years, almost entirely on 29ers. at 6'5" they make a lot of sense for me, and i like the whole concept, however, i'm not at all sanctimonious about it for others, i've just had a good experience, and like my current bike tremendously, despite it's portly weight. i've gone from rank beginner to a pretty solid rider across a variety of technical terrain, all on the wagon wheels.

today they had a size xl Norco Sight, so i was champing at the bit to try a small wheel size to see what all the 'nimble/playful' hype is about. i've heard some locals who've been riding for many years hop on a 29er and call it a 'game changer'. well that's how i felt on small wheels.

i couldn't believe how the thing climbed. is it the light weight (sub 30lb bike), is it the wheels, the whole design what? riding a notorious technical yet fun local climb with a bit of everything in it, i could very precisely place the wheels and also make slow speed changes and moves while applying the power that requires much more grunt on my 29er. cornering was easier and more nimble, but the whole bike still fit me well (though i would change a bit in the bars and cockpit to my taste) and felt stable and comfortable.

totally different bikes, but closely related- my Norco Shinobi/ vs the demo Norco Sight. and i rode them back to back on the same trail. makes me feel very under-experienced relative to bike shop workers and guys who have been riding for 20 years. i've been on so few bikes relatively that this was a huge eye opener as to how playful and nimble and how well small wheel bikes climb. or just the Sight is that good, but something was very very right with the way that bike did it's thing….

can't wait to go to Outerbike this fall and have my mind fully blown i'm sure. this seriously puts into question whether my next bike will be a 29er or not, despite my envious tire collection, ha.

Killer B sight is on my shorter list. Was it stiff? How much do you weigh? I'm also 6'5". Could you ride as fast as you wanted, or did you have to slow it down for the bike's sake? Please, go beyond wheel size.

Didn't know they had an XL or else I would have made more of an effort to come out. Which technical climb are you talking about?

I butchered a sorta review once.

I need to take the Range 650B out at some point and maybe get another crack at the SightB

In theory a SightB with a 150mm Pike could very well be a quiver killer.

short n' curly. i'm going to take it out again today and do the shuttle up the forbidden plateau (remarkably inviting plateau, despite the name…) to push it on the downs. more later.

I butchered a sorta review once.

I need to take the Range 650B out at some point and maybe get another crack at the SightB

In theory a SightB with a 150mm Pike could very well be a quiver killer.

Rode my Sight for the first time today, wow. 160mm Talas feels great on the bike, especially descending. Dropped it to 140mm for the climbs and it feels like stock. Bike is stiff and a hoot to ride.

Been riding a 2012 Stumpy 29er Carbon for a bit more than a year now. 130mm of wagon wheel goodness.

Took the XL Sight Killer B today as a pretty comparable bike. 10mm more travel, but smaller wheels.
I know the route we rode quite well so it was a good comparison.

Pros
- Noticed the lighter wheels - a bit more flickable
- Found some of the soft mud holes and root holes were catching my wheels 29er would just roll right through
- Steep rocks were a bit easier to just point and shoot, but that's also from the slack angles on the Sight.
- Liked the 2x10 xt drivetrain - crisp shifting
- XT Brakes were nice and solid

Cons
- Nevegals were uninspiring. Not sure why people love them so much…
- Got bucked forward off the bike at one point - haven't had that in some time on the 29er…

Impressions

Overall 140mm is I think in the range of travel that a 29er would be more enjoyable. I should have taken the Range Killer B out after. I think it would be much better a bike at the 27.5 wheel size.

At the price point of the Sight Killer B, I was within a $100 of the retail of my Carbon frame Stumpy. Carbon sight is coming this fall, so a retest might be in order.

Try different bikes on your local trails and make your own opinions. For now I'll stick with my Stumpy.

i'm 205 or so geared up. the bike was stiff and solid, but light and sprightly. the rep said the diff between the range and sight frames was strictly geo, not material, and that they are essentially the same weight. i rode the range as well, same trail, but in size large, so hard to get a good feel for it. i hate undersized bikes. while norco couldn't rightly endorse it, given they make the 2 bikes, just about all the bike shop guys are all about the sight with a 150 Pike fork. i'd like to try this set up at some point if possible, it seems like the ideal BC set up while retaining it's better climbing ability than the range. all in all, an incredible bike for sure. i won't be selling my bike for this either- at least not this year, but all bets are off next season!

One of the reasons I haven't jumped on the RangeB is Im not into getting another new bike this season.

Picked up my Sight Killer B2 last week. I made the mistake of going to a narrow bar on the bike for my first ride (700mm, when all I've been riding for the past few years have been 740+), and I immediately felt a huge sense of regret. The bike handled like total shite! As soon as I got home, I began looking at my shop's return policy, figuring out my options. Well, I put the wider (740mm) stock bars back on, went for another ride, and it was a complete 180 on handling. The bike really came alive, felt a lot more stable. Maybe it was all in my head, but I was not anticipating 40mm to make THAT much of a difference in the handling. It climbs really well, but really depends on both a proper suspension set up, and riding in the 34 (or 32 or whatever it is) front ring. Descending, the front end feels sloppy, which I partially attribute to my more aggressive style, and the small 32mm stanchions on the Revelation. That said, it still rode extremely well.

I have a fair bit of experience on 29ers (and still own a 29er race hardtail), and I can honestly say that traction, overall, is comparable between the 650b and the 29er, and noticeable more than my Truax' traction (26" wheels). Definitely rolling resistance is still noticeably higher on the 650b than the 29er, but that's just a matter of physics I think. It's a not brainer compared to the 26er though. Definitely not getting held up on things as much as I did, and while it still gets hung up more than the 29er, the Killer B is a tonne more "flickable" and maneuverable than my 29er. I am the type of rider that moves my bike around alot underneath me, so I definitely appreciate the "tighter" geometry on the Sight in those situations than the 29er.

That all said, they are different, very different, and both have their own pros/cons. Ultimately, I am going to put a 34mm stanchion 160mm (adjustable) or 150mm (non-adjustable) fork on the bike, which I am sure will bring the descending handling back in order.

I must admit that i had extremely high expectations for the Sight Killer B (rightly or wrongly), and honestly, it has undershot my expectations overall. It's not to say it's not an amazing bike, because it really is, especially in the technical trail category (obviously, given that this is what the bike is designed for). I think I should have, in the end, gone for a Range, as I think that suits my riding a bit more, and represents a bigger step away from my 29er hardtail. I am sure the 150 or 160mm fork will totally change the Sight (for the better), and will really make the bike a truly one bike to rule them all type bike (as some of the others have mentioned).

Anyways, this is just my experience and opinion. Again, I really do like the bike, but it definitely has not been "love at first bike", and more of a "learning to love" type adventure, but that all said, I am still having a tonne of fun on it, and that's what it's all about, right? Oh, and did I mentioned, the bike climbs insanely well! Technical climbs that I have previously had to "granny ring" it up, I can keep it in the bigger front ring, which not only makes the suspension more efficient, but is ultimately faster too… right? or is it just placebo?

you know Big Mike, if that's an xl you're on, i think you made a big mistake. sounds like you're not quite getting what you want from the bike, and i wouldn't bother with the always overly costly upgrade-itis. i can help though, i'll take it off your hands and ease the pain for a couple grand.

Haha, if only. I am actually enjoying the bike… A LOT! Especially on those 1000m plus technical climbs, the bike feels effortless. Just gotta figure out the descending of the bike. I'm used to my Truax, which was quite slack and low, and while this is still slack and low, it's still an adjustment.

Overall, I REALLY REALLY recommend the bike, 100% recommend it.

the rep said the diff between the range and sight frames was strictly geo, not material, and that they are essentially the same weight.

interesting. banshee's v2 rune and spitfire seem to have the same relationship - pretty much identical stiffness and frame weight, just a bit more/less travel. i recently heard a rider say 140mm trail bikes are the new 160mm am bikes… i'm curious as to why this is happening

just about all the bike shop guys are all about the sight with a 150 Pike fork. i'd like to try this set up at some point if possible, it seems like the ideal BC set up while retaining it's better climbing ability than the range.

care to elaborate on this? with a bigger fork the sight's geometry would be pretty much identical to that of the range. given their similar weights, what makes / would make it a better climber

i've been seriously mtn biking for about 6 years, almost entirely on 29ers. at 6'5" they make a lot of sense for me, and i like the whole concept, however, i'm not at all sanctimonious about it for others, i've just had a good experience, and like my current bike tremendously, despite it's portly weight. i've gone from rank beginner to a pretty solid rider across a variety of technical terrain, all on the wagon wheels.

today they had a size xl Norco Sight, so i was champing at the bit to try a small wheel size to see what all the 'nimble/playful' hype is about. i've heard some locals who've been riding for many years hop on a 29er and call it a 'game changer'. well that's how i felt on small wheels.

i couldn't believe how the thing climbed. is it the light weight (sub 30lb bike), is it the wheels, the whole design what? riding a notorious technical yet fun local climb with a bit of everything in it, i could very precisely place the wheels and also make slow speed changes and moves while applying the power that requires much more grunt on my 29er. cornering was easier and more nimble, but the whole bike still fit me well (though i would change a bit in the bars and cockpit to my taste) and felt stable and comfortable.

totally different bikes, but closely related- my Norco Shinobi/ vs the demo Norco Sight. and i rode them back to back on the same trail. makes me feel very under-experienced relative to bike shop workers and guys who have been riding for 20 years. i've been on so few bikes relatively that this was a huge eye opener as to how playful and nimble and how well small wheel bikes climb. or just the Sight is that good, but something was very very right with the way that bike did it's thing….

can't wait to go to Outerbike this fall and have my mind fully blown i'm sure. this seriously puts into question whether my next bike will be a 29er or not, despite my envious tire collection, ha.

Watching the replay of the World Cup XCO last night, and I was thinking similar things watching Shurter and Absolon dueling, they were pretty evenly matched it seemed power wise, but it appeared that Shurter was getting much better power transfer, acceleration and maneuverability out of his 27.5 rig and Absolon struggled to match that on the steep tech climbs and also the tighter descending on his 29er. Anyway, interesting comments regardless!