I think Orbea’s idea of fitting a riser bar as standard to achieve a more endurance-flavoured riding position is a smart one. And though the bikes come with different size tyres – 28mm for the OMR-framed Orca, 25mm for the OMX – the resulting trail figures are within a millimetre of each other, 59mm for the Orca, 58mm for the OMX. The OMX and OMR framesets also share the same 43mm offest fork design. This combines with the OMR’s shorter reach – 395mm compared with 398mm – to deliver a slightly shorter, marginally more upright riding position, though the differences aren’t that extreme.īut we’re not talking sit-up-and beg here, especially as the OMR-framed Orca M20 shares the same steep parallel 73.2-degree head and seat tube angles as the OMX. My 57cm test model’s 597mm stack compares with the OMX’s 597mm figure. There are a few subtle differences between the OMR’s sportive-friendly geometry and the more aggressive geometry of Orbea’s OMX chassis. This makes changing a wheel quick and clean, and reduces the chances of contaminating the axle’s grease when you’re repairing a road-side puncture. ![]() Speed Release uses a 12mm axle that screws into the dropout like a standard thru-axle but the lever side has a slotted dropout, allowing you to release and do up the axle in five turns rather than the usual 10.Ī rubber ring stops the thru-axle sliding out completely so that you never need to remove the thru-axle entirely to switch wheels. ![]() Orbea has also adopted the Mavic-developed Speed Release system for the Orca’s dropouts. Orbea puts the bolt through the side of the frame at the junction of the seat tube and top tube junction – it’s neat, simple, torque wrench-friendly and makes it easy to adjust saddle height. Yes, it’s effective, but the resulting bolt angle can be difficult to reach with a torque wrench. Many of Orbea’s rivals use a wedge-style seat clamp in the top tube for a clean look and improved aerodynamics. The frame and fork come with some well-considered details that make the Orca easy to live with. But while it’s not slammed like a full-on race machine, the Orca’s riding position isn’t so relaxed that you’re in slow-motion cruiser mode.Īnd though the Orca comes with 28mm tyres as standard, there’s room for 35mm rubber if you want further comfort and greater all-road capability the racier OMX will only take up to 32mm tyres. ![]() The Orbea Orca M20’s OMR frame and fork offer compliance over poor road surfaces and a riding position that’s more relaxed than a race bike’s – even more so with the Orca’s riser bar. David Caudery / Immediate Media Orbea Orca M20 frameset
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |