KILLER B ACTION
Words by Dave Anderson, photos by Sim Mainey
I’ve been living the Norco Range C7.1 for a year now, since being offered the chance to spend some extended time in the mountains on it. It’s Norco’s out and out big mountain/enduro focussed bike and the C7.1 sits at the very peak of the range with a selection of suitable top drawer components strapped to its carbon frame.
The company have applied their A.R.T. suspension technology with the aim of producing a bike that can be pedalled up, with a reasonable measure of efficiency, while handling high speed descents in a controlled manner.
With the Cane Creek Double Air shock giving 160mm of rear travel the Range was originally specced with a Rockshox Pike 160mm Dual Position fork up front, but given the opportunity to test out a more tuneable Lyrik 160mm RCT3 it was a no brainer to swap them out.
Similarly in the wheel department the original DT Swiss 350/Stan’s No Tubes Flow Ex were replaced when a pair of ENVE M70 Thirtys on Chris King hubs found their way into my clutches. These were shod with an Onza Ibex/E*Thirteen prototype TRSr tyre combination when the original Maxxis High Rollers wore out.
The result is a bit of a dream build on an already well specced bike.
Specifications
Chassis
Frame | Range 650b Carbon, 160mm frame
Shock | Cane Creek Double Barrel piggyback air with climb switch
Fork | RockShox Lyrik, 160mm
Drivetrain
Chainset | SRAM XX1, 30t chainring
Bottom Bracket | SRAM BB92 PressFit
Chain | SRAM PC1130
Chainguide | MRP AMG
Rear Mech | SRAM XX1
Cassette | SRAM XG1180
Shifter | SRAM XX1
Brakes | SRAM Guide RSC, 180mm/180mm rotors
Wheelset
Rims | ENVE M70 Thirty
Hubs | Chris King
Spokes | DT Swiss Competition
Tyres | Onza Ibex 2.4/ E*Thirteen TRSr 2.35 prototype
Finishing Kit
Seatpost | RockShox Reverb Stealth, 125mm
Saddle | SDG Bel Air Ti
Stem | Race Face Atlas, 50mm
Bars | Race Face SixC 35mm, 800mm
Grips | Norco