#NORCO OPTIC FULL#

Don't forget that timing is just one of many ways to judge a bike, and fast doesn't always mean it's the best for everyone.

#NORCO OPTIC FULL#

Our timed lap consisted of steep, technical climbs full of ledges and hard efforts, and a rough descent littered with rocks that lead into a fast, loose section of trail.

Testers appreciated not needing to use the firm lever on the shock because leaving the shock open enabled them to maintain traction on the loose, rocky terrain, without losing power. There’s really no squatting or wallowing to speak of, even with the shock in the open setting.

The actual pedaling efficiency of the Spectral 125 is very good, though. Regardless of our climbing quickness, we agreed that the Canyon isn’t as ideally suited for climbing certain types of singletrack as some of the other bikes in the test, and that it’s far more comfortable on less steep, less technical climbing, and smashing fire road climbs.

It was more of a handful than the Izzo, which was my favorite bike for the trails in Tucson. I’m a much slower climber than Kaz, and at the speeds I was going, the bike would exhibit undesirably floppy steering. Personally, I love techy climbing and was able to clean many of the most technical moves at our testing grounds, just not consistently on the Canyon. Kazimer wrote that, “the length and slack head angle slow the trail down a bit and give time to pause, collect yourself, and get ready for the next move.” However, for riders with more power, who could maintain higher speeds on the climbs, it proved to be quite a solid technical climber. It doesn’t have the snappy manners of the YT Izzo, making it more difficult to change directions when choosing lines. On the chunky, technical climbs we were testing on in Tucson, the Spectral’s length and slack head angle were immediately noticeable as not being totally at home. These dampers don’t have the adjustments found on Fox’s Factory or Performance Elite-level offerings, but they’re smooth, consistent, and adjustable enough for truly high-level riding. Not to be overshadowed, the Fox Rhythm 36 fork and Float X Performance shock were equally impressive. The SLX four-piston brakes impressed us as well, with buckets of power and solid consistency throughout the test. With that kind of performance and value, the SLX drivetrain was decidedly the favorite drivetrain of the whole fleet we had in Tucson. The GX cassette for instance, retails for $230, while a replacement SLX cluster will only run you $105. The Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain executed flawlessly speedy shifts, can take a beating, and when you do have to replace it, is much more affordable than SRAM GX. It’s big for its britches, so it’s a good thing it has the component spec to keep up. What this means is that the Spectral 125 AL likes to get rowdy on gnarly terrain. The next longest was the Stumpjumer at 1237mm. It’s long up front, but relatively short in the back, with 437mm chainstays across the fours sizes, and even though it didn’t have the longest rear-center on test, it did have the longest wheelbase by a long way, at 1260mm. It’s a specific type of rig that mixes playfulness and plowfulness in a way that not many other bikes can do.

Norco optic