It's a case of Canada VS Spain VS America VS Finland in a trail bike cage match that sees four brands approach the challenge four different ways.
While they're arguably the most relevant and widely used type of mountain bike, the trail category can sound a bit vague in its intentions. I mean, we're all on trails, aren't we? For the Field Test, we narrowed the window to only include bikes with 125mm to 150mm of rear-wheel-travel, and head angles sitting at 66-degrees or slacker. We also employed timed testing in the Whistler Bike Park this year, and all four were on the same Maxxis 'control tires' to make it as fair as possible. The results are both expected and unexpected.
2020 Trail Bike Field Test. Who do you want in your corner?
In the short-travel corner is the 125mm Optic, Norco's all-new reminder that geometry rules all. Those smart numbers, along with a sturdy build kit and suspension that does nothing but impress, reminded us that fun is nearly always better than fast. Need a little more travel under you and prefer to be out in the boonies on an all-day adventure? At just a hair over 28lb, Orbea's 140mm-travel Occam might be the one that belongs in your corner.
When I see an Intense, I think of bald eagles and America, regardless of where the frames are coming from these days. And when I look at the Primer S, I have flashbacks of some of the best corners of my life. It turned out to be more bike than skill, unfortunately for me but not for anyone else wanting to perform the Stone Cold Stunner to their buddies on every other corner.
The André the Giant of this match has to be the rather large and extremely capable Stamina 140, although ol' André never had moves like the Stamina's, may they both rest in peace. Besides both being the biggest of their peers, they also share something else: An early death. Congestive heart failure in a Paris hotel room took André from us, and a two-foot-tall ramp in an empty Squamish parking lot killed the aluminum Stamina.
Read all about the specifics of that particular elephant in the room here.
So, you've watched the videos, read the reviews, and weighed the pros and cons. It's time to decide: Which bike do you want in your corner?
2020 Field Test - Editors' Choice
Mike Levy's Pick: UndecidedThese four machines are remarkably dissimilar given that, for our purposes anyway, they all fall into the same trail bike category. Two of the bikes, the Occam and the Primer, both have some impressive qualities to them, but I'm not surprised to find myself more excited by the Optic and the Stamina. I've always been a sucker for anything interesting, and the machined and glued together Pole is exactly that. It's also an absolute beast of a bike on the descents, but the relatively steep seat angle works wonders on the way back up. Ugh, I hope this doesn't get awkward again.
I'm also a sucker for a bike that's designed to do more with less, which is one way you describe the green-colored Norco Optic. It might have 'only' 125mm of rear-wheel-travel, but it's an impressive 125mm, and we all know that geometry trumps suspension on the priority list.
Mike LevyHeight: 5'10"
Inseam: 33.5"
Weight: 155 lb
Norco has some modern numbers for the new Optic while also touting how they're focusing on where the rider's center of gravity is over the bike. Whatever they're doing, it's working; the Optic is a hoot to ride, and far more capable than you might think 125mm should ever be.
The Pole Stamina 140 and Norco's Optic approach trail bike design from different angles; the former being all about traction and going fast, while the latter is more about laughs and going sideways. If I'm honest, I had already earmarked the Pole to spend some more time with me as it's an ideal Squamish trail bike that can easily hold its own anywhere and everywhere, and that's not something that many other bikes can say.
But then the frame failed and, well, I'm feeling a bit conflicted.
But I just rode the Norco yesterday and holy shit was it a good time. They've done some serious wizardry to make 125mm feel this well-rounded, and the handling is out of this world. Put those two things together and you have a bike that's just as much fun toodling down a flow trail as it is taking questionable lines on sketchy singletrack or doing a five-hour epic. What more could you want from a modern trail bike?
Mike Kazimer's Pick: 2020 Norco OpticThe Norco Optic is my pick out of this batch of trail bikes, in large part due to how much fun I had aboard the green machine. I'm not sure what the unit of measure for fun is (Smiles per mile? Cackles per kilometer?), but my fun number was the highest on the Optic.
If I'm on a shorter travel rig I'm typically going to be heading out for longer, more pedally rides, and an engaging bike like the Optic makes it easy to squeeze the maximum level of enjoyment out of mellower sections of trail, with plenty of capability in reserve for when things get more technical.
If you took the Pole Stamina 140's downhill prowess and combined it with the Orbea Occam's easy going trail manners, I'm pretty sure the result would be a lot like what Norco have created with the Optic. While the Pole's geometry numbers made it feel like an enduro bike with a shorter travel fork, which might be exactly what some riders are looking for, I preferred the Optic's easier handling at slower speeds and on tighter sections of trail.
Mike KazimerHeight: 5'11" / 180cm
Inseam: 33" / 84cm
Weight: 160 lbs / 72.6 kg
The Optic's shorter chainstays and slightly steeper head angle help give it a more lively nature, making it the kind of bike that encourages you to goof off, to go for the bonus doubles and creative line choices. And don't forget about that shock – that Super Deluxe Ultimate DH took everything I threw at it without missing a beat, include laps in the Whistler Bike Park on trails I wouldn't typically consider riding on a 125mm trail bike.
At the end of the day, it's the Optic's high level of versatility that puts it on the top of my list for the trail category.
But besides that, where this strange line up comes from? Norco, Orbea, Intense and Pole? Really? Two high volume bike manufacturer, a low volume one (Intense), and a cottage industry bike (Pole) that retails at $3400 for the frame only?
I would have figured most would say "Molson" with the I am Canadian thing and all, not that Molson is any better
Labatts owns a lot. They have bought many smaller breweries over the last few years. Mill Street in Toronto comes to mind as probably one of their better purchases. Though some people who are real beer officiants will tell you that the quality dropped subsequently.
Still, I wouldn't say even Kokanee or any or Labatts' subsidiary beers are close to the best beer I've ever tasted - not even by a long shot. You are in Ontario - next time you are in Toronto, reach out - I have some killer brewery recommendations for you.
www.gladstonebrewing.ca/special-events
@nskerb: mostly. That and your preferred hockey team. I can tell you the worst part about living in BC is Canucks hockey.
Socialism works until the middle class is sucked dry by the upper and lower classes (income brackets)
People forget that in true socialism there is no middle class.
Socialism is not the American way, it's the way of European royalty/bankers and it eventually leads to an authoritarian regime and repressed, poor and uneducated and angry population.
Thats why America was started in the first place.
As a self-employed guy who can't claim to be poor, I pay 1500/month for decent insurance that still has an unavoidably huge deductible. I( really love to hear from guys who cheat on their taxes and then get "free health care and brag about it. -not to say you cheat, but many do.
Socialized medicine is sucking the life out of this country.
Whoever voted for Obama should go to the nearest bathroom, stick their head in the toilet, and push flush.
So what has Obama done wrong?
@DDoc: well I guess it's a good thing we don't have socialism in Canada then. If we're honest it's more like (loosely) regulated capitalism with social services that are necessary for a country to run. You know, roads, water/sewage education etc.
We were in Vancouver just a week ago. I toured around the breweries in downtown and the surrounding areas, and there is a great area with a good bundle of them and some really really GOOD beer. In terms of availability and density of breweries it was quite good, but not close to the same number of good breweries as within a few blocks of one another here. This makes sense too, if you look at the population as the means to sustain brewery businesses. Van has say 700k people, the GVA has say 2.5M. Toronto has 3M, and the GTA has 6M. Toronto is dense, walkable, accessable. Breweries are all close to one another by virtue of these facts. It's a total hotbed here
Thankfully these days there is great beer available everywhere. The PNW isn't lacking that, that's for sure!
You’ve been a great audience, goodnight!
Hopefully Pole is primed for the backlash.
Occam’s razor can cut pretty deep.
Ask any framebuilder privately they'll agree if they aren't massive multinationals.
I would not hesitate to order a Pole.
Yes, it was there mistake in sending it like that. Hopefully they won't do that with future customers. I want to believe small companies are ernest.
Norco nailed it with the Optic and the Sight.
(only some of the colors are not my cup of tea).
I got into mountain biking a year ago. When I was looking for my first bike, Norco didn't even make it into the top 10. Now, they're right up at the top of my list for a new bike.
I'd be incredibly excited to see an aluminum optic.
It seems though that having an aluminum short travel trail 29'er isn't very common. Transition no longer makes an AL smuggler, Norco doesn't offer an AL Optic, Whyte no longer sells an AL S-120. It seems like the new Marin Rift Zone is the only bike in the category thats available with an AL frame?
The Fluid is similar, but its got a steeper HTA, slacker STA, longer fork offset, higher BB, shorter wheelbase (by 30-40mm per size), and the chainstays don't change by size.
Seems different enough to warrant a totally different model/frame? Hard to know exactly without riding them though (and I've not ridden either).
I totally forgot about the new tallboy, and the Knolly Fugitive thanks for the reminder on those. I'll have to add those to the "need to demo" list .
The Hightower, Stumpjumper, Process 134, Instinct, Fuel EX, all of those seem to be more mid travel trail bikes in my mind, which is why I didn't have them on the brain. Admittedly though, the line in the sand between those categories is getting blurrier over time.
Edit: I mean, It still feels a bit like the test of the trail bikes weren't necessarily just as mini enduro bikes, but the reporting was? Only downhill performance rated and discussed (but reading that the Occam is the best for all day adventures I guess it's the most generally capable?)
Both are somewhat efficient pedalers. The Orbea might be a little more efficient under power, but again the Norco has less travel so it feels plenty sporty.
I'm sure the Mikes will chime in here, but I don't think there's a lot of daylight between those bikes if you're mostly concerned with climbing performance.
I think a more important trait for a trail bike is throw-ability. How easy/rewarding is to whip, manual, scandi flick and put sideways in general, as oppossed to pure speed and cornering. Pole's mini monster truck would be the last bike in any trail bikes list for me.
Honestly, I would be riding the same trails in an enduro bike and a trail bike, but with two different approaches and not caring too much about the climbs in any case.
I think his favourite bike was the SB165, but he thought they were all "too boingy."
Honestly can't believe how much abuse it has withstood in the last year.
Oh no, you hurt my feelings.
wait a minute i don't have any
You have much to learn from @Waki young jedi
Come on you can do better than that.
That was pathetic.
I guess if you keep practicing you may be able to Troll one day.
I think that went waaaaaaaay over his head. The math must have confused him.
I think he hasn't learned his national flags yet either.
Even $200 worth of tires are likely more than an average gumby would change out when buying a new bike. Gotta draw the line somewhere.
I do think the Primer could have made an exception to the rule though.
I never really paid attention to Norco before this year, but between the new Optic, Sight, and Torrent, they're knocking it out of the park right now.
Seeing the optic tested well, gives me hope that the Sight (the one I'm more interested in) will be designed/executed similarly well.
After reading this though, I'm just trying to see how I can justify owning another bike :/.
Until now!
Primer S: seems cool!
Occam: meh...
Stamina: psh… POS
How about a shootout now with the Optic and the big brand bike with similar travel (125-140).
would like to know how it compares to trek fuel ex, stumpjumper st , etc.
Thanks guys for all the hard work testing and writing.
Mike L: "you're not going to go any faster with 10mm more travel up front"
Mike K: [look of utter bewilderment]
Dh review....
I know Pole has rear triangle changes coming to cut down the noise, but personally I don't like the idea of needing a STFU device to do that.
@mikelevy
Gotta say though, I can't help but think how much more practical as a "trail bike" it would be at 140/140 instead of 125/140. The geometry and builds are so capable it just seems like the bike was "meant" for more travel...? If it was your ONLY mountain bike than a little more travel would make more sense IMO? Other wise it seems to just fit in a "niche" that only some people would really benefit from as a trail bike? VS As a light weight marathon bike 125/140 sounds perfect?
But I guess a 140/140 Optic would be too close to a Sight. So there you go...
Gotta love the (mostly) straight top tube and down tube.
A long term review would be interesting.
Starling is a wonderful brand; good choice ;-)
Really has me considering one to build up as a trail bike. However it looks like the Optic has the geometry and suspension tuning to support some high speed and around here that means tires need to be up to the job. Inserts have made a huge difference in durability for me so I think I'd run at least Cush Core XC. With all that I wonder if the Optic would then turn into a fairly heavy build just to survive my riding?
My SB150 is 33 lbs with front and rear Cush Core so I'd be aiming to beat that in a meaningful way from a weight and efficiency perspective, otherwise what's the point?
Cons: Oh shit , it broke
I’m guessing there will be some fundamental differences that most readers could guess at, but it would be interesting to read an informed rider’s take on whether one was markedly better than the other, whether there were unexpected differences, or maybe whether they’re just different and it’s a case of ‘horses for courses’.
Next time get some guys who are more appropriate to the buying public for fitness - I am 5’8” 175 lbs , ride the Shore 1-2 times a week - and carry a 1/2- 1L waterpack! - this is probably more the ballpark for most aggressive/ enthusiast riders and readers
Mind blowing that you feebs broke a bike -