The Mountain Bike of the Year award is a broad category, one that's open to everything from ultralight cross-country machines to World Cup-worthy DH bikes. Rather than award prizes for every single genre and sub-genre of bike, the breadth of this category allows for the bikes that impressed Pinkbike's editors the most to rise to the top.
This year's nominees included the Forbidden Druid, a high pivot trail bike; the Specialized Enduro, a smash-all-the-things long travel 29er; the Norco Optic, an energetic trail ripper; and the Santa Cruz Hightower, a versatile mid-travel machine.
MOUNTAIN BIKE OF THE YEAR
Norco Optic
The new Norco provides a shining example of how a modern trail bike should handle.
Take a heaping scoop of modern geometry, add 29” wheels and 125mm of well-managed rear travel, then blend in a generous amount of fun. That's the recipe that created the winner of Pinkbike's Mountain Bike of the Year award – the Norco Optic.
The 2020 Norco Optic was one of the standouts at the
Pinkbike Field Test, thanks in part to its excellent geometry. Applying longer and slacker geometry to shorter travel bikes isn't an entirely new concept, but Norco absolutely nailed the numbers on the Optic. They also earned extra credit points by changing the chainstay length depending on the frame size, which means that the handling of the bike should feel similar no matter if you're 5'4” or 6'4”.
The Optic is a trail bike in the truest sense of the term – it remains entertaining on a wide range of terrain, from mild to wild. As Mike Levy wrote, “consider it a trail bike bent on making you laugh while snatching a few KOMs on the way back down.” There may only be 125mm of rear travel, but the excellent shock tune makes it possible to make the most of every single millimeter, which is a good thing, since this bike seems to have a magnetic attraction to extra-spicy sections of trail.
The new Norco provides a shining example of how a modern trail bike should handle. There's also the fact that the little details weren't overlooked. Room for a water bottle, a spot to mount a tube, internal cable routing that's easy to deal with; those things matter, especially considering how refined mountain bikes are becoming across the board, and they play a part in making the Optic an easy bike to recommend to almost any rider, from beginner to pro.
For their efforts, Norco is the recipient of the 2019 Pinkbike Mountain Bike of the Year award.
The GG Pistol is a much burlier bike, leaning more toward the down, whereas the Optic is leaned more toward the up.
As well, the Pistol is domestic made and built, has more options for the build, can be changed to other models with a seat stay kit, the suspension has two ride settings, and the headset can be adjusted fire/aft by 10mm.
Nice to have choices
Yo Ben it’s nice that a non d2c brand is offering a carbon-alu frame for $2300 usd with a rear shock that doesn’t need to be upgraded. Good on Norco for the value prop. And it looks to be gravity oriented like the GG but I'll agree the GG frame looks burlier. Good times!
They comply with environmental standards? I would love to see their pretreatment permit...oh, wait
It would be kind of sad if anybody made a purchasing choice based on these "awards" ... but it is the purpose of these thinly veiled commercials.
My local shop (northern Utah) is a dealer but they don’t really stock anything. Also it looks like you can buy from their site. Also they have a demo fleet that hits some of the festivals. But yeah a much smaller presence than a lot of brands.
If they don't stock your dream bike, you can always build one on the Norco site and have it sent there for pickup.
Right now it's like brands are trying to out-do each other who sells a more expensive bike with more trash mounted on to it. Norco is not alone in this.
The way our bikes are specced are great for people who flip (sell) their bikes every year or two or for people who own them for a long time and upgrade over the years.
You and I good sir do not define the word Budget the same... Lol
Regarding rear hubs, I don't care about sound, I care about high engagement.
PS. I live in the PNW, and know how we ride out here.
Haven’t ridden the Norco but the Ripley and Tallboy are the next evolution of the smuggler.
Without knowledge what do we have?
Whas up Dude!
Hi from the PIMBA Boyz
Cheers, that’s interesting as I have a 2019 Patrol as well so the fact the Optic is better on the DH is probably a con to me as the Smuggler is my trail bike and doesn’t see much big stuff
It is heavy, I bought a cheap second hand build but last week swapped Yari for Pike (-300g), Hope Wheels for DT (-500g rotating!!) and few other bits which has made a huge difference. Most of my mates are on big Enduro bikes anyway so not a massive issue.
I’ll keep an eye out for a better shock though, a lot of people have reported big improvements with a bigger shock
Would still be interested to demo an Optic but not convinced it would be a big improvement for my riding
This bike has got a killer balance between stable at speed but still ultra playful when you want it to be. It pedals really really well but didn't seem to be to the detriment of its descending which is nice. The rear shock is slightly stiff off the top when just pedaling around and doing some XC, this had me a little worried for the descents but when you get going downhill it gets passed that bit of the travel and becomes as supple as you want without feeling mooshy or kinda dead feeling. Good bottomless feel for a bike with not a ton of travel.
It's not the lightest bike in its category and down the road I may put some carbon hoops on it but I'm in no rush. I will say though the bike carries its weight really well.
Changes I have made:
CRD stooge carbon bar/ spank split 45mm stem/ TRP trip G-spec brakes 200/180
It's the exact progression in design and capability you would expect/ want coming from the earlier rowdy short travel bikes.
I got one from two years ago for my kid, I figure it will last her a decade.
Also, how do you think the trek fuel ex compares to the optic if you don't mind me asking. thanks ahead of time.
youtu.be/MDl4W3_6dqA
It would be nice if the reviews didn’t always take place in big mountains, not everyone lives out here ... though I’d highly suggest moving if you can
I’d be willing to bet that this bike is pretty good for rolling terrain, nice mix of up and down capabilities, light and stiff, plus playful.
It took some time to get used to the steeper STA, but if I could choose, I'd probably make it another degree or 2 steeper. Don't know where the limit is.
I don't see the Ride9 as a huge bonus as you'd likely just ride it in high/low setting anyways.
I kinda see the Instinct as an all rounder: capable on the descents, light enough to climb all day with, maybe even do some XC
Or do you think the optics geo makes up for those differences?
Personally, I have a bike like this (Trail Pistola) and an enduro bike, make me pick one and I’d take the enduro. Ten years from now, when I’m 65, I’d take the trail bike ....
I ride all over. My main riding areas are Cold Creek, Rocky Point, and Dallas, but Sandy is always a good standby!
Until next year when new standard/new geo is touted. Or when someone who isn't a tester actually bought one and rode it reports back.
All that said, I wish I rode well enough to know what good handling really is.
I think if you counted and categorized mountain bikes enthusiast level and above actively being ridden that short travel, progressive and aggressive trail bikes would be a smaller percentage of the whole?
Per your 2nd sentence, I think there is a HUGE range of trails, riders, intent, skill set, athleticism, and comfort level to make that kind of broad statement. What works for you isn't necessarily going to work for everyone else.
For me it just seems like an Optic with a little more travel would make a lot more sense/cover more riding scenarios, etc. Be a quiver killer. It's like the new Sight is just a little too big, and the Optic is just a little too small. Goldilocks... there's a place for a bike right in the middle that seems like winner to me?
Now I do think the Optic makes a perfect 2nd bike to go along with something like the Range? Only problem with the big/small thing is you inevitably end up on rides wishing you brought the other bike!!
Who knows, maybe Optic owners who don't "also" have a bigger bike will not miss more travel?
I’m stating my experiences for anyone that’s in the same boat. I’ve had lots of different bikes, stumpy, mojo hd3, nomad 3, carbon patrol, evil insurgent, Capra and the optic to me feels very similar geo wise to an enduro bike, which it is but just not as playful as I would of hoped. It’s my mistake but for someone with 125mm travel I thought there would be some more obvious advantages.
Do you find it more playful or just rolls better with the bigger wheels? It’s decent for flatter trails but I wouldn’t say it transforms them into really any different fun factor than riding the same trails on the nomad. Then the geo numbers allow you to ride some pretty extreme trails that just end up feeling rougher and not as fun. Personal once again! Might swap out the schwalbe for something with better rolling resistance.
I Know!! ****
"All bikes is good"
"Should feel similar". Should... similar... their size large being dialed is not a surprise, as a ~1230mm WB with 435mm CS is a consistent top performing combo for FS 29ers. I wouldn't be surprised if they just dialed in the L and just picked a number for the CS length change, based on their whim. I expect 10mm of CS length change for 40mm of WB length change per size, not 5mm, based on measuring weight bias with bikes and my prototype (scales under each wheel).
Still, I concede that it's better than brands who don't change CS length per size. Privateer 161 and Forbidden got their numbers better proportioned. I fit the lower end of med, and am envious of those that fit well on size large due to how many dialed choices they have. I generally agree with RC picks though, like the Alpine Trail and G170.
*whooooosh*