The Orbea Orca is one of the longest-running platforms among those that they consider weight as the starting value for developing the bike. We thus arrive at the seventh generation and the result is truly interesting.
The Orca of new generation It is offered in two versions. That top of the range with OMX carbon e the one with OMR fiber, slightly lower on the value scale, even if it adopts the same design. Let's go into detail.
Joseba Arizaga speaks
"It took about two years of research and development to get the new bicycle on the road, from the first drawing on paper, to the bike ready to ride. The new Orca is a product that follows a very specific construction line-he explains to us Joseba Arizaga». Arizaga è the Product Manager of the Basque company, a person we had interviewed on the occasion of the test of the Orca Aero.
«It's very different from the Aero version, because the new Orca has like The primary objective is lightness and an optimal ratio between rigidity and weight. In the case of the new bike, the wind tunnel was not used – he continues Arizaga - though we used the latest generation CFD modelsThe latter are increasingly precise and reliable. I can also add that In the testing phases, road tests played a fundamental role and in those situations that come close to thereal use in different conditions, difficult to replicate with the wind tunnel.
«The new generation of Orca was born with the specific task of being light, an extremely important factor – he concludes Arizaga when the road gets steep, the speed drops and a low weight is more important than aerodynamic efficiency».
What the new Orca looks like
It's an monocoque in carbon and the composite fiber can be of two different matrices, OMX and OMRThe first is the most valuable, those that It weighs 750 grams (size 53) and 360 for the fork, with a stiffness/weight ratio that surpasses excellence. With the same shapes and the same design, we go down a step (the price also goes down) and we move towards the OMR fiber blenda declared weight of the frame (for the same size) of 1030 grams and 410 for the fork. In this second case the relationship with rigidity obviously changes.
The Orca with OMX module adopts a renewed process for applying carbon skins. Compared to the past, but even compared to the OMR version, For the OMX some are used larger composite fabric pieces (for the same size, 90 less than an OMR frame), which allows for eliminate or minimize overlapsThe advantages are reflected in the overall precision of the workmanship and obviously on the weight saving.
And then there's the shape of each individual part of the frame and fork. The visual impact is a bicycle with reduced volumes, rich in details, each of which also helps prevent epoxy resin buildup. Here too, Orbea's development is not trivial and shows meticulous attention to detail. The new Orca Orca allows the passage of tyres up to 32 mm in section.
386Evo movement box
«First of all I want to underline that we use a specific carbon layup for this area – he tells us Arizaga – and thanks to this solution we do not insert aluminum caps in the bearing seats. The area is very rigid and efficient, robust and aligns perfectly with the specifics of the transmissions, furthermore there is no increase in weight".
Setups and sizes
The new Orbea Orca is available in seven sizes, from 47 to 60 for both versions (OMX and OMR), for a total of 5 colour combinations. Both versions are part of the MyO program for livery customization. There are 13 trim levels, and the weight factor is very interesting: the delta on the scales between the top of the range and the Orca at the base of the price list is only 1.100 grams (from 6,7 to 7,8 kilograms declared).
Between Sram and Shimano
The two top of the range models are represented by the M11e LTD pwr and M10iLTD pwr (acronym that identifies the presence of the power meter). The first is based on the transmission Sram Red AXS, the second on the package Shimano Dura AceThe assembly includes wheels Oquo (which are part of the Orbea portfolio) RP35 LTD Carbon, with a common price of 10.999 euros.
We move on to the M21eLTD pwr and M20iLTD models, respectively with the transmission Sram Force AXS (power meter included) and Shimano Ultegra (without meter), to a list price of 7.999 and 6.999 euros. The Orca M21 It mounts the very light Oquo RP35 LTD Carbon wheels.
The last two versions with the top level OMX carbon are the M31eLTD pwr and the M30iLTD. In order, the M31 has the transmission Sram Rival AXS with the power meter and Oquo RP45 carbon wheels, while the M30 uses the drivetrain Shimano 105 Di2 12 speed. The price is respectively 5.999 and 5.799 euro.
Mid-range, top shapes
We move on to the Orbea Orca with the OMR carbon modulus, Or the M21Team pwr, M20iTeam e M31eTeam, M35i and M30iThe first on this list features the Sram Force AXS drivetrain and has a list price of €6.599, while the M20 with Ultegra costs €5.799. The M31 features the Sram Rival package and is priced at €4.399, the same price as the M35 with 105 Di2. Finally, the M30 costs €3.399 and comes with aluminum wheels and a Shimano 105 Di2 drivetrain.
