The new Norco Section is a purpose built gravel bike
A modest 35 mm of tire clearance, a wide range of frame materials and models, plus a reasonably affordable price tag makes the all-road bike very intriguing
Canadian bike manufacturer Norco has released a new bike today. The Norco Section is an all-road or gravel bike with ample tire clearance, fender and bottle mounts, and a relatively affordable price tag. With steel, alloy and carbon frames in the line-up, the Section is a bike designed to make it easier for cyclists to set their rig up to ride in more ways than a traditional road bike while still being a relatively lightweight drop bar bike. It’s purposeful design should make it very appealing to riders really focused on riding or racing on mixed surface roads.
Norco hasn’t gone too extreme with the tire clearance leaving room for 700x35c tires. There’s still plenty of space for some gravel and cyclocross rubber but this isn’t a bike for extremely gnarly terrain or conditions where you’d have to have plenty of space so mud wouldn’t clog up the seatstays and bottom bracket. On the road, the narrower tire clearance should result in a bit that feels racier.
The section has fender mounts for winter or wet weather riding, and extra bottle cages if you fancy a bike packing trip. All the bikes have flat mount disc brakes with 160 mm rotors. The bike is available in a wide array of options, frame materials and there are women’s models as well.
The range topping model is the $5,200 Section C Ultegra SL which features a carbon frame and fork, an Ultegra drivetrain and Praxis crank, and tubeless ready Novatec R3 Carbon Disc wheels. The carbon version of the bike is also available with SRAM Rival 1x ($4,500) and Shimano 105 ($3,500). There women’s model is available with Ultegra ($4,000) or 105 ($3,500).
The Reynolds 725 Chromoly steel model of the bike with a carbon fork starts at $2,600 for a build with 105 and Alex ATD560 wheels. The Section S Ultegra ($3,600) has DT Swiss E1800 wheels and a Praxis Zayante crankset. There’s not women’s specific model of the steel bikes but they are available in 48, 50.5, 53, 55.5, 58 and 60.5
At the low end of the price range is the aluminium Section A Tiagra with mechanical disc brakes priced at $1,700 in both a men’s and women’s model. There is also a Shimano 105 hydro ($2,300) and 105 mechanical disc ($1,900) allow models in both men’s and women’s models.
