Stop searching, start riding
Photos and words: Mike Blewitt
RRP: $5,999
The totally new Norco Search is an all-carbon gravel frame with all the features you should be looking for in a new gravel bike. From choices for ease of servicing to design elements that will really help you push the performance envelope, the Search ticks the boxes.
Norco’s drop-bar presence has been reeled in over the years, especially when you consider the brand started with 10-speed bikes over 60 years ago. Now, the Canadians are fully invested in e-mountain bikes, trail bikes and gravity bikes, so it may seem strange to have a gravel bike in their stable, especially when they don’t even make a high-end cross-country hardtail.
But the Norco Search isn’t filling a need for them, it’s a case of fine-tuning a classic. The third-generation Norco Search has been built on a progression towards a truly capable, rough and tumble gravel bike that is equal parts burly enough for loading up for adventures as it is for finding race lines when you pin a number on.
Cyclist picked up the Search C Rival XPLR from Norco Australia’s office earlier this year. At $5,999, the full carbon frame and fork is adorned with in-frame storage, a 13-speed wireless groupset, wide tubeless rims and tyres, and reliable finishing kit. Complete bikes start at $4,499, or you can go your own way with a frame kit at $2,699. But have the mountain bikers got it right?
All in the numbers
Norco have adopted reach-based sizing with the Search, something many mountain bike manufacturers have moved to in recent years. We had a Size 3 on test, sitting in the middle of the size range. Compared to the previous Search, this generation has a longer reach and a slack 69.5-degree head angle, while also adopting a slightly higher bar position via a taller head tube. With a reasonably steep effective seat angle, this will keep riders centred on the bike for balanced handling. This approach to both sizing and geometry is something Norco have done for well over a decade with great success. The chainstay (rear centre) length increases with the frame size, so the whole idea is to make a bike that isn’t just more stable in rugged terrain, but whose stability is matched to bike and rider size as well.
At 178cm, my goldilocks horizontal top tube length is 55cm. But sizing based on horizontal top tube length has dated faster than aero bikes with rim brakes. The fit of the Size 3 was spot on out of the box with the stock flared bars and short 70mm stem. The Search was very easy to get along with from the first ride, feeling stable at speed and when on rough terrain.
Besides an intelligent approach to bike geometry, the Norco Search has delivered on what many riders want and steered clear of what they don’t. The headset is only used for steering, no hoses go through the bearings. And the internal routing is fully connected, your mechanic will rejoice! The Search has routing for mechanical groupsets, but if you want 2x you need to look at the alloy models that start at $2,199 for drop bar gravel models.
The frame uses a threaded bottom bracket shell for ease of servicing, a universal derailleur hanger which supports Sram’s latest designs, and a large downtube storage area, with a larger and smaller ‘sausage’ to fill. The seatpost is round, and the fork length is suspension-adjusted if you’re so inclined. Norco have included mounts for three bottle cages, all capable of fitting 750ml bidons, and there’s a mount for a top tube bag. There are even options to fit mudguards and a short front guard is included.
The ‘Blush Brown’ colour on this model is really attractive and set off nicely with the darker bike logos. The whole range has a modern take on colour options, save for the frameset, which is nude carbon, and never goes out of fashion.
Search no longer
Our test period covered a lot of the design brief of the Search. I rode singletrack in Noosa, dirt roads, gravel roads, bike paths and plenty of other terrain on mixed-surface commutes.
What really stood out was how the Search combines a confident stance and manoeuvrability. A gravel bike must be stable at speed, as the reality is on a lot of terrain you are under-biking, but you need to be able to swap lines when needed, be it to avoid hazards or make a move in a gravel race. As a comparison, it is a closer match to the stability of a bike like the Giant Revolt in the short chainstay setting, but a bit less of a battleship than the Trek Checkpoint. And while it’s a bit less responsive than a Cervélo Áspero, it’s a lot more confidence-inspiring on your typical chunky Australian gravel terrain.
If we look to the pro racers, you may notice a few sizing up for greater stability via longer wheelbases, although some still use a road-centric sizing, throwing a long stem on a slightly shorter bike. The Norco Search draws on sizing and position data compiled to finely tune their mountain bike platforms and I’m convinced it has transferred to the Search successfully. Norco’s size-specific geometry means you end up with a bike that doesn’t need as many subtle rider weight shifts to keep traction when you need it. The right pressure through the bars, pedals and seat are all part of the game when looking for traction when riding gravel, and the Search makes that easy.
The build kit sets the bike off. This was my first time riding the 13-speed Sram Rival XPLR groupset and I was impressed with the shift feel and shift speed, and the shape of the hoods. It was supremely comfortable and blended into the background. The brakes deliver excellent modulation, which is a big factor when working with braking on an off-road surface, something with too much initial bite can easily lead to overbraking or worse, breaking traction and washing out. While the wheels won’t set anyone’s heart aflutter, the wide rims support the tyres well and they rolled with zero issues all test. Kudos to Norco for including tubeless valves and sealant, this bike was tested tubeless.
While 1x is almost the go-to for gravel bikes now, the mixed trails used for testing meant sometimes I wished for a higher range, but it was only really on long descents or when wanting a rapid jump in gear size. For dedicated gravel and off-road riding, the 1x range and access to gears was perfect. The 40t stock chainring could be swapped out to suit your riding if need be.
Many a gravel bike is excellent on champagne gravel, but risks coming unstuck in the conditions where most of us actually ride. Some areas of Australia do have high-quality 2WD gravel roads, but usually once it gets hilly, the roads get chopped up and a gravel bike designed for aero gains doesn’t tend to be much fun. The Search was at ease in typical Australian gravel conditions that can be punctuated by steep climbs and descents, erosion ruts and, of course, water bars. Even with the stock 45mm tyres it had the traction and comfort I required, with tonnes of clearance for some mud bogs I encountered. Its stance on the dirt allowed for easy loading of the bike to jump across ruts or change lines, without needing a history as a BMX bandit.
When riding the bike in a setting with more road and very smooth terrain, I did wish for something a bit more agile. The longer wheelbase and taller fork make the Search feel slower to react to jumps out of the saddle than racier alternatives. The trade-off is capability off-road, where the Search truly outrides my own fleet, not just in confidence but ability and performance.
An eye for adventure
I tested a Norco Search about six years ago and while the gravel market was a bit different then, the overall concept of the bike has remained the same. It’s a bit slacker and more upright than some of its contemporaries, but with good reason. The Norco Search is a very capable and confident bike when it matters, off-road. It is also stiffer than some other gravel bikes I have ridden, but not in a bad way. While it’s not as sprightly as a cyclocross bike or all-road bike, it is a very solid platform when hauling on the bars and mashing the pedals, and along with the handling that makes it an easy bike to get along with as it is very confidence-inspiring.
The Norco Search delivers a truly capable gravel bike for Australians. Often, we lack the champagne gravel that adorns most gravel bike ads. Nay, Aussies are often dealing with what could more appropriately be called ‘passion pop gravel’, and a bike that has the handling and build to deal with burlier terrain, along with frame features to promote ease of maintenance, is something most of us should be looking for. While the Canadian mountain bikers only make one gravel bike, they may have nailed it for Australian conditions. If you’re looking for a capable, high-performance gravel bike for real gravel, from racing through to adventures, with some use on the road if needed, this is a fantastic gravel bike to consider.
