This Range C9.3 is my first real 29’er. I’ve ridden 29″ wheels a fair bit, on a variety of platforms, and I’ve owned two 29’er hardtails in recent years… but none of them felt like I was really giving the platform a fair assessment. All my ‘main’ bikes have been 650b since Norco started building trailbikes around the size when it was still a relatively new concept. Swapping to ‘wagon wheels’ for my primary bike was a big step.
At first I didn’t really understand what the hype was about. The bike felt different to my old 650b Range, in an intangible ‘could just be in my head’ kinda way. It cornered slower… probably. It felt higher off the ground… kinda. It didn’t feel that much faster or soother, just different. And then I compared my Strava times. PR’s every ride. Riding Whistler with friends on DH bikes and I’d be on the brakes trying not to overtake them on straight sections, the bike just rolled so much faster. And after a week of riding, the bike felt totally natural again, planted and comfortable, and urging me to try the steeper, gnarlier, tougher line every time.
Once the bike and I were on the same wavelength, it was time to start modifying it to suit my particular needs. This was going to be my primary ride for everything from NSMB’s Fiver Races to full laps in the Whistler Bike Park, so I made a few minor tweaks to the part spec.
The cockpit received the first revisions. I ride gloveless whenever possible, and tend to spend a fair bit of time in the saddle, so I wanted my grips and saddle to be as comfortable as possible, while remaining minimalist. My saddle of choice was Spank’s new Oozy 220 saddle. At 220mm wide, it has a supportive platform for long-distance pedalling, but is still narrow enough to be out of the way for steep descents. It’s a flexy saddle, so I’d expect that power transfer suffers slightly, but that’s a trade-off I’ll gladly take for the comfort this saddle offers.
DMR’s DeathGrips are my new favorite grip- even beating out my previous go-to, the ODI Crosstrainer. DMR’s design process for this grip was particularly long, but the result was a grip that is as close to perfect as I’ve ever found.The DeathGrip combines three popular grip patterns into one grip, and so is narrow enough to prevent hand fatigue, grippy enough to be used gloveless in the rain, and comfortable enough for bike park use. My favorite part? The mushroom pattern on the inside of the grip that prevents thumb blisters (a problem for me every June when I start putting in serious time at the bike park).
For wheels, I opted for Stans Flow MK3– an Enduro ready wheelset that was slightly wider and slightly lighter than stock. I chose them for three reasons-
1. Great trail feel (these rims have the perfect amount of flex for my riding style),
2. Very respectable weight (1900g/pair), and
3. A quick-engaging and easily rebuilt hub.
Plenty of sideways landings later, and these wheels are holding up perfectly.
While it doesn’t count as an upgrade (the bike comes stock with a full GX drivetrain) I wanted to draw attention to just how awesome the Eagle drivetrain on this bike is. Huge range and flawless shifting in a good-looking and easy-to-set-up package. 50T out back is enough to get me out of trouble on the climbs, but I still feel like I never run out of gears in the park. 10/10.
The most extensive change I made to this bike was suspension, and my reason for doing so was mostly to return to the Rockshox platform I’ve become used to with previous Ranges. A Lyrik up front and a Super Deluxe out back makes setup a breeze, and gives me the adjustability I need for the variety of trail conditions I see on a weekly basis. I run a single volume spacer front and rear, giving the bike a more linear suspension feel, which works well for me as I run 20% sag front, 25% rear, slightly less than a stock tune. What I lose off the top on supple feel, I make back up when I’m deeper into the bike’s travel, keeping the wheels planted through the high-speed tech sections that I love so much.
That’s my new bike setup! If you’re interested in any of these parts, upgrades, or the bike itself, you can head on down to your local Live to Play Sports dealer, who can get you any of the parts listed, and can help you fine-tune your suspension to match your riding style.