Optic C3
A 29″ carbon frame full suspension trail bike with high-end components.
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Manufacturer Price
$3,749Frame | Carbon |
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Suspension | Full, 125 / 140mm |
Fork | RockShox Pike Select |
Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate DH |
Wheels | 29″ Aluminum |
Drivetrain | 1 × 12 |
Groupset | NX Eagle |
Brakes | Hydraulic Disc |
Seatpost | Dropper |
For This Bike
5'2" – 5'8"
5'6" – 5'11"
5'10" – 6'3"
6'1" – 6'7"
🐐 Estimated
None yet.
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.
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
Apr 2020 · Tom Marvin
On-trend geometry gives buckets of potential, but suspension upgrades are needed to truly benefit
The shape is long, low and slack, while the wheel and tyre combo is spot on
Over-damped shock leads to a skippy ride, while the fork doesn’t feel smooth either
Apr 2020
The Norco Optic has thoroughly impressed all of our testers over the last several months of testing. Norco has done an incredible job creating a well-rounded and fun mountain bike that is ready to handle the rough stuff while still offering pedaling efficiency.
Frame | Carbon Front Triangle/Aluminum Rear, 125mm Travel |
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Fork | RockShox Pike Select, 140mm Travel Travel: 140mm Spring Type: Air |
Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate DH Travel: 125mm Spring Type: Air |
Bottom Bracket | SRAM BB DUB PressFit |
Headset | FSA Internal |
Stem | Norco 6061 Alloy 45mm reach, 35mm clamp |
Handlebar | TranzX 6061 DB Alloy, 780mm |
Saddle | Fizik Taiga |
Seatpost | X-Fusion Manic, 31.6mm, dropper Type: Dropper |
Grips | Ergon GA30, lock on |
Rear Derailleur | SRAM NX Eagle |
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Crank | SRAM NX Eagle B148 DUB, 30T |
Shifters | SRAM NX Eagle |
Cassette | SRAM PG 1230 Eagle, 11-50T |
Chain | SRAM NX Eagle |
Brakes | Front: Shimano BR-M420, Hydraulic, 180mm, Rear: Shimano BR-M420, Hydraulic, 180mm Type: Hydraulic Disc |
Rims | Stans Flow S1 29" |
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Front Hub | Novatec, 15x110mm Boost |
Rear Hub | Novatec, 12x148mm Boost |
Tires | Front: Schwalbe Magic Mary Super TLE, 29" x 2.35", Addix Soft, Rear: Schwalbe Hans Dampf Snakeskin/TL 29" x 2.35", Addix Soft |
Last updated September 22
Not listed for 1,313 days