2013 is the 10th anniversary of Spanish bike brand Orbea launching the first Orca bike. To celebrate, Orbea has come back with a brand new model designed with the concept of Stack and Reach, seven sizes, a newly designed fork that is more aerodynamic and a 10% lighter frame.
The Orca bike from Orbea is clearly a different beast than the Orca wetsuit brand. Although, heralding from New Zealand, Orca is part of the Orbea family – with Orbea and Orca reaching an agreement in 2011 for Spanish Orbea to acquire Orca’s ‘operation rights in the triathlon and compression area.’
Orbea is part of the Mondragón Cooperative Corporation and is Spain’s largest bicycle operator.
According to Orbea, the Orca bike was born as ‘an alive and never ending project’. Through this decade of history, Orbea’s flagship road bike has lived through 5 different evolutions; it’s been the recipient of awards in several countries and secured a gold medal in Beijing with Samuel Sánchez.
The brand new bicycle is already riding in the most important race of the world: the Tour de France; and pro cycling team Euskaltel-Euskadi is the first to ride ‘the most adaptable, light and with optimum stiffness [bike that Orbea] has ever created.’
Having designed the new Orbea Orca using the concept of Stack and Reach, Orbea aims to achieve a competition geometry that adapts to all users – with seven sizes and a proportional evolution in the range. Orbea has two different forks thus aiming to achieve the perfect quality ride, no matter the size. The 47, 49 and 51 go with a 53 mm rake and 53, 55, 57 and 60, go with the 43 mm fork. Also, Orbea has added a Monolink seatpost.
Aerodynamic efficiency is a must on a competition bike. To this end, Orbea has redesigned the frame to have more aero shapes. The new fork has a 1:3 aspect ratio, helping to give the new Orca bike a claimed saving of up to 10 watts over the older bike at 10° yaw.
The new fork is reportedly 7% more aerodynamic than the old Orca fork without losing any stiffness or steering precision. Overall, the new Orca iteration is 10% lighter and 8% stiffer. Orbea notes that it has achieved the goal of making a lighter frame with an optimization of the carbon fibres and better stiffness with Shimano’s Press Fit bottom bracket technology.
All shift and brake cabling is now internally routed within the frame. This is called ‘EC/DC’: electronic cable, direct cable, compatible for both electronic and mechanical shifting systems. All cabling is internal and provides the rider with efficient and direct pathways for mechanical cables and shields the cables in a slick liner system for a low weight, low maintenance, less friction and increased cable life.
Vibrations transmitted to the rider are minimized, increasing the performance on the bike. Optimization of traction, whatever the terrain, reportedly results in better acceleration and bike control; and overall better power transfer is achieved.
