Optic C2 Shimano
A 29″ carbon frame full suspension trail bike with high-end components.
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Manufacturer Price
$3,999Frame | Carbon |
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Suspension | Full, 125 / 140mm |
Fork | Fox Performance Elite Float 36 |
Shock | Fox Float DPX2 Performance Elite |
Wheels | 29″ Aluminum |
Drivetrain | 1 × 12 |
Groupset | XT, Praxis |
Brakes | Hydraulic Disc |
Seatpost | Dropper |
Based on build material and quality level of the frame, fork, wheelset, groupset, suspension system, and more.
Compare the full Optic model range
View Comparison5'0" – 5'6"
5'4" – 5'9"
5'7" – 6'1"
5'11" – 6'4"
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Do you have this bike? Help other riders make a decision about which size will work for them by sharing your own size and fit notes.
Feb 2024 · Zach Overholt
We've seen more and more high pivot suspension with idler pulleys, but on short travel bikes? The new Norco Sight and Optic look interesting.
Feb 2024 · Dario DiGiulio
For the right person, someone who wants a little bike that can push beyond its purview when truly ridden hard, the tradeoffs might just be worthwhile.
Impressively composed for travel number
Adaptable and well-considered frame layout
Excellent geometry and scaled sizing
Pedals like a bigger bike
Complication and noise from idler
Jun 2022
The Norco Optic C3 is an aggressively shaped short travel 29er that looks to be a solid all-rounder. Although its progressive geometry is right on the money, the bike’s overall capability and potential to inspire confidence are let down due to lackluster suspension.
Apr 2021
RIding the Norco Optic in Portland, Oregon's Rocky Point trails was a great way to compare it to the Ibis Ripley.
Jan 2021 · Jeremy Benson
Redesigned for the 2020 model year, the Norco Optic joined a growing list of bikes in the aggressive short-travel category. Despite a modest 125mm of...
Aug 2020 · Spencer Johnson
The 2020 Norco Optic sits squarely in my favorite category of bikes: Those mid-travel trail rigs that blur the lines between a traditional trail bike and an all-mountain brawler. Needless to say, my time on the new Norco Optic C2 felt like a summer fling that was all too short. My heart was broken when it went back in a box and left the Freehub office. With 140 millimeters of front suspension and 125 millimeters in the rear, the Optic has just enough travel to keep you hanging on to the handlebars through rough terrain, but not so much that you feel numb to the trail beneath you. The frame itself is stable and balanced, with an ample 480 millimeters of reach on my size large, making it one of the longest bikes I’ve ridden. What’s more, Norco adapts the length of the chainstay according to the frame size, which ensures that each rider will have a similar weight distribution across all frame sizes. This can’t be the cheapest way to manufacture a bike, but it pays healthy dividends on the trail. My size large had a 435-millimeter chainstay that added stability when my speeds increased through fast sections of singletrack. The components on our C2 version cater to aggressive riders, with a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate DH rear shock allowing you to push the suspension hard, without fear of overheating or inconsistent damping. The RockShox Pike Select Plus fork delivers excellent traction in a lightweight chassis, while giving some welcome compliance through rough sections of trail. A SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain affords dependable shifting for hundreds if not thousands of hard, off-road miles. Furthermore, the stopping power of the Shimano BR-MT520 hydraulic brakes was sufficient for a 200-plus-pound rider like me, but the resin pads do raise some concerns for wet, Pacific Northwest rides—and the long, brake-burning descents that the Optic demands. But the stars of the spec show were the low-volume, 2.35 Schwalbe tires: With a Magic Mary tread up front, you have cornering grip in steady supply for almost any dirt conditions. Climbing on the Optic was a joy. The seat-tube angle of 76 degrees was a perfect choice for a trail bike that can be pedaled comfortably up low-angle cross-country trails and still keep the front wheel on the ground during some of our heinous, 18-percent-plus Pacific Northwest trail gradients. The Optic’s rear suspension remains relatively unaffected by pedaling forces and prevents most pedal-induced diving, both while pedaling in and out of the saddle. The long top tube stretched me out nicely over the bike and kept me in an efficient pedaling position that allowed me to put down some nice wattage.
Jun 2020 · McCoy
Party up front, business in back
Jun 2020 · Mick Kirkman
With the new Norco Optic the Canadian company sets out to garner big grins from short travel. Will the Optic Carbon fit the bill?
Norco’s Ride Aligned design perfectly balances geometry and suspension
Not the lightest short-travel ripper, but at least it's robust
Frame | Carbon Front Triangle, Aluminum Rear, 125mm Travel, UDH, Hangerless Interface Compatible, Ride Aligned™ BB Standard: BB86/BB92, Press Fit Hanger Standard: UDH Colors: Blue / Copper; Silver / Chrome |
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Fork | Fox Performance Elite FLOAT 36, GRIP2, 140mm Travel, 42mm Offset Travel: 140mm Spring Type: Air |
Shock | Fox Performance Elite FLOAT DPX2, 190x45mm Travel: 125mm Spring Type: Air |
Bottom Bracket | Praxis M30 BB92 |
Headset | FSA Internal Sealed Bearing |
Stem | Norco 6061 Alloy, 45mm Length, 35mm Clamp |
Handlebar | TranzX Butted 6061 Alloy, 780mm, 20mm Rise |
Saddle | Fizik Alpaca Terra, Wingflex |
Seatpost | X-Fusion Manic dropper, 31.6mm, 125mm (S), 150mm (M,L), 170mm (XL) Type: Dropper |
Grips | DMR Deathgrip |
Rear Derailleur | Shimano XT RD-M8100 |
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Crank | Praxis Girder Carbon M30, 32T, 170mm |
Shifters | Shimano XT SL-M8100 I-Spec EV |
Cassette | Shimano XT CS-M8100, 10-51T, 12 Speed |
Chain | Shimano XT CN-M8100 |
Brakes | Front: Shimano XT BR-M8120, 4 Piston, Metallic Pads, Rear: Shimano XT BR-M8120, 4 Piston, Metallic Pads Type: Hydraulic Disc |
Brake Levers | Shimano XT BR-M8020 |
Rims | Stan's Flow S1 29", 32H |
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Front Hub | Shimano XT HB-8110-B, 15x110mm Boost, Center Lock |
Rear Hub | Shimano XT FH-8110-B 12x148mm Boost, 32H, Micro Spline, Center Lock |
Tires | Front: Vittoria Mazza 2.4" Trail G2.0, Rear: Vittoria Martello 2.35" Trail G2.0 |
Disc Rotors | Shimano SM-RT70 Ice Tech, 203mm |
Last updated April 27