Is The New Lightweight Orbea Orca Worth the Money? | Cycling Weekly
Orbea has just released the brand-new generation of the 2023 Orca. Orbea has been making the Orca since 2003 and now in its 7th generation, it should be rather good. 'Praise The Light' has been the catchphrase for the new bike, with it coming in at a claimed 6.6 kg, but is it any good? Sam Gupta has gone into the depth and scrutinised all the details to try and work out where this new bike actually sits in the market and if it's any good. Would you buy the brand new 2023 Orbea Orca?
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00:00 Orbea has just launched the latest version of the Orca.
00:04 The Orca is the brand's do-it-all climbing road bike.
00:07 Two versions of the frame have been launched,
00:10 one designed to be super lightweight
00:12 and the other to offer more compliance and comfort.
00:15 There is a chance that this bike could be one of,
00:18 if not the best value super lightweight bike on the market.
00:22 So let's unpack all of the information
00:25 and then see if this is a bike
00:26 that you should be considering.
00:28 (upbeat music)
00:30 First off, I think it's important
00:32 to provide a little bit of context
00:35 around what the Orbea Orca actually is.
00:37 Because as mentioned,
00:39 this is just the latest version of it.
00:41 It's perhaps one of those bikes
00:42 that doesn't really get the recognition that it deserves.
00:46 Despite showing the name of the killer whale,
00:49 the Orca moniker actually comes
00:51 from mashing two words together, Orbea, carbon.
00:55 Named as such because back in 2003,
00:59 the Orca was the brand's first ever carbon road bike.
01:03 Now, this new version is actually
01:05 the seventh iteration of the bike.
01:07 So you'd hope that it's come a long way in all of that time.
01:11 One of the biggest wins that this bike has been a part of
01:14 is when Sammy Sanchez claimed the gold medal
01:17 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
01:19 So it certainly has earned its stripes.
01:24 As with the previous generation,
01:26 two versions of the bike are available.
01:29 The first being the OM-X frame
01:31 and the second being the OM-R frame.
01:34 Now, the OM-X frame is built to be super lightweight
01:38 and the OM-R is built to have more compliance,
01:41 or so Orbea claim.
01:43 We'll start with the OM-X.
01:45 The flagship variant of the bike
01:47 comes in at a claimed 6.6 kilos.
01:52 When we just look at the frame in a size 53,
01:55 it tips the scales at a claimed 750 grams,
01:59 which is seriously light.
02:01 And then the fork comes in at 360 grams.
02:05 Orbea says that it achieved this by removing excess epoxy
02:09 and minimizing the number of carbon overlaps.
02:12 On the surface of it,
02:13 you may not expect the frame to be light
02:16 just from improving those two attributes.
02:18 But when you look a little bit deeper,
02:21 it does actually make a little bit more sense.
02:24 First off, removing excess epoxy was achieved
02:27 by rounding off the tube shapes
02:28 and then reducing the number of sharp lines
02:31 and corners and edges,
02:33 as this is where the epoxy tends to gather and build up.
02:37 Now, I will say,
02:38 I do think the top tube flies in the face of that claim,
02:41 but we'll move on for the time being.
02:43 Secondly, when looking at the reduction
02:45 in the number of carbon overlays,
02:47 you have to think about how a carbon bike
02:50 is actually constructed in the first place.
02:53 Many, many pieces of carbon fiber are cut out
02:56 and then sit within a mold.
02:58 And as there can be no gaps, you need to have overlaps.
03:02 So Orbea claims to have used fewer,
03:04 larger pieces of carbon fiber
03:06 to reduce the number of overall pieces.
03:09 And it says that it managed to reduce it by 90 pieces
03:12 compared to the previous version.
03:15 Orbea says that this process is more time consuming,
03:18 but it is what's needed to achieve
03:20 the desired weight savings.
03:22 The OMR on the other hand,
03:24 doesn't include these same features.
03:26 The need for the compliance and comfort
03:28 means that reducing weight isn't as much of a priority.
03:31 Now, the OMR is also not as expensive as the OMX,
03:35 but we'll get onto that bit later.
03:38 Looking past frame construction and carbon layup,
03:41 there are changes to the frame shape itself.
03:44 Despite maintaining a very similar geometry
03:46 to the outgoing version,
03:47 the frame has seen some adjustments
03:49 with the aim of improving aero performance
03:52 and resisting torsional and lateral loads.
03:56 Orbea claimed that the bike is three watts faster
03:58 than an aero bike on a 5% gradient
04:01 when ridden by an average rider
04:03 and six watts faster when on a 10% gradient.
04:07 To my mind, these aren't the most impressive numbers,
04:10 especially when you consider that when you're riding,
04:13 you aren't always going uphill.
04:16 I'm confident that an aero bike would trump the Orca
04:18 on the flats and the descents.
04:20 And it seems like Orbea agree
04:23 because it has quoted numbers
04:25 around the performance of an aero bike
04:27 in its own product info.
04:29 It says, "At higher speeds, aerodynamics take over."
04:32 So at 30 kilometers per hour,
04:35 a super aero bike saves around 12 watts.
04:37 At 40 kilometers per hour, that climbs to 15 watts.
04:41 And at 50 kilometers per hour, it's around 28 watts.
04:45 This is why increasing the weight of a light bike
04:47 in exchange for aero features doesn't make any sense.
04:51 And it's that last sentence that alienates me
04:54 because it also then says,
04:55 "500 grams of extra weight carries a cost of three watts."
05:00 To my mind, having a bike which is lightweight
05:04 and aerodynamic surely does make a lot of sense.
05:08 Orbea claims that its range topping OMX model
05:11 comes in at 6.6 kilos.
05:13 And now it's not hard to find another bike
05:16 which comes in within 500 grams heavier than the Orca,
05:20 which also incorporates aerodynamic profiles.
05:23 Meaning while you may be compromised on the climbs
05:26 to the tune of three watts,
05:28 you could be significantly better off
05:30 on the descents and the flats.
05:33 For example, the Cannondale Lab 71 Super 6
05:36 comes in at a claimed 6.8 kilos.
05:39 So you wouldn't be disadvantaged by the full three watts.
05:42 Maybe just the one.
05:45 But it's deeper tube shapes
05:46 and slightly more drawn out profiles
05:49 will mean that it's much faster
05:50 both on the descents and the flats.
05:53 I understand why Orbea wants to create
05:56 a super lightweight road bike.
05:58 They feel snappy under acceleration,
06:00 direct in the corners,
06:02 and generally make for an overall livelier ride.
06:05 In the case of the Orbea,
06:07 this is only furthered by the shortening of the chainstays
06:10 to create a shorter wheel base.
06:12 My issue lies in the justification.
06:15 If you want a lightweight bike
06:16 because of those qualities, then go for it.
06:19 But don't buy it under the guise
06:21 of being performance enhancing.
06:23 In a real world scenario,
06:25 an all round climbing bike will likely be faster.
06:28 The next question that I've been left with is,
06:34 how does this compare to the previous version of the Orca?
06:38 Looking at the two side by side,
06:40 the differences are quite stark.
06:42 The tubes have slimmed right down,
06:44 most notably on the top tube.
06:47 The down tube still retains a fairly beefy size,
06:50 but on the other hand,
06:51 the fork has dropped a significant amount of girth.
06:54 The chainstays and seat stays
06:57 also appear to be more rounded,
06:59 and the latter are no longer dropped,
07:01 but instead meet the seat tube right at the seat clamp.
07:04 Purely from the visuals,
07:05 it's clear that Orbea are moving the bike away
07:08 from being just an all round road race bike,
07:11 but instead to being a specialist climbing bike.
07:14 Perhaps the brand has a new aero bike in the works,
07:17 which it needs to be able to clearly differentiate against.
07:22 One feature which has stayed the same
07:24 is the bike's ability to take tyres up to 32C in size.
07:28 However, the wheels those tyres will be mounted to
07:31 has changed.
07:32 When looking at the top of the range models,
07:34 the bikes are no longer offered
07:36 with the Vision 40SC disc wheels,
07:38 but are now fitted with the brand's own
07:41 Oquo RP35LTD carbon wheels.
07:45 Now, I've no idea if I'm saying that right,
07:47 but I'm sticking with it.
07:49 As you probably guessed,
07:50 the wheels are 35 millimetres deep,
07:53 have a 21 mil internal width,
07:54 weigh a claimed 1,380 grammes,
07:57 and feature a mini hooked rim.
08:00 A pretty impressive spec sheet.
08:03 The wheels are also available in 45 millimetre
08:06 and 57 millimetre depths.
08:09 Alongside the top end LTD versions,
08:12 there are also team and pro versions,
08:15 which come down in price.
08:17 The new bike has also been the recipient
08:19 of Orbea's new HP11 handlebars,
08:22 which are a claimed 190 grammes.
08:25 I am surprised to see that Orbea didn't opt
08:28 for an all-in-one integrated carbon setup,
08:30 as presumably this would have allowed
08:32 for an even greater weight saving,
08:35 but would have limited the brand
08:37 on the customisation process.
08:39 Which, as I mention it, is also worth delving into.
08:43 Orbea is continuing its Myo customisation process
08:47 for the two top end models.
08:50 Now, this process allows for customers
08:52 to pick paint options and make decisions on bike fits.
08:56 For example, you can choose bar width, stem length,
08:58 choice of saddle, width of tyre, and so on.
09:02 This process, I believe, is the future for big bike brands.
09:06 It aligns the process of buying a top end bike
09:09 much more closely with that of buying a top end car.
09:12 It allows for the bike brand to own the entirety
09:14 of the sales process and ensures that the customer purchases
09:18 and keeps the brand's own componentry.
09:21 From an environmental aspect, it's also good,
09:24 because it means that you don't have people buying
09:26 and not using components that were never the right size
09:29 for them in the first place.
09:32 Riding comparisons will have to wait
09:33 until we've spent more time with the new bike.
09:36 But, it is safe to say that the new featherweight nature
09:40 of the bike is going to stand in stark contrast
09:43 to the previous do-it-all race bike ethos.
09:47 When comparing this bike against others,
09:50 it lands itself in what is increasingly becoming
09:52 a really hot part of the market once more.
09:56 Super lightweight bikes seem to be back on the up.
09:58 And not just with the release of this bike.
10:01 The Factor 02 VAM and the Cannondale Super 6 Lab 71
10:05 put lightweight right at the heart of their ethos.
10:10 Price wise, they also line up pretty closely too.
10:14 The top end Orca with either SRAM Red AXS with power
10:17 or Shimano Dura-Ace with power come in at £11,999
10:21 or $11,599.
10:27 Similar can be said for the Lab 71 Super 6,
10:30 which is available at £12,500 or $15,000.
10:35 The Factor 02 VAM comes in right in the middle at £12,200
10:40 in either pounds or dollars.
10:42 Clearly, the numbers are much of a muchness.
10:46 In the UK, you're in that 12 grand ballpark.
10:49 But, can Orbea really command that amount of money?
10:54 Do they have the same brand appeal and allure
10:57 of that of a Lab 71 Super 6?
11:00 In my opinion, the new Orca does not.
11:04 While the spec sheet is impressive,
11:06 it's the other bells and whistles that Orbea offer
11:09 that really help to justify that price.
11:11 And the Myo customisation process is a huge part of this.
11:16 So, if you do want to buy this bike,
11:19 I think being able to build it and customise it
11:21 has to play a really large part in your purchasing decision.
11:25 Because, let's not forget that the brand new Factor 02 VAM
11:30 comes in at a claimed 6.2 kilos.
11:33 And in the UK, is only £200 more.
11:37 Certainly, some tough competition for the Orca.
11:40 The new Orca isn't all about the top-end builds.
11:45 In fact, the full range of available bikes is quite good.
11:50 It spans all of the major electronic-only groupset offerings
11:53 from SRAM and Shimano.
11:54 And prices range from £3,599 or US dollars,
12:00 to $11,599 or £11,999.
12:05 Of course, the headline figures only relate
12:09 to the top spec models.
12:11 Meaning that the bikes will only get heavier
12:14 as you work your way down the spec list.
12:17 Which does make me wonder,
12:20 when you strip away all of the super lightweight headlines,
12:23 which can only be achieved at the highest end of the range,
12:27 does this bike really offer anything else
12:30 over and above its competitors?
12:32 It feels like it's always going to be second best.
12:35 It's not as light as the Factor.
12:37 It's admittedly not as fast as an all-rounder road bike.
12:40 And it still costs the same amount as its competitors.
12:45 If this bike was maybe £1,000 cheaper,
12:48 then maybe it would start to make a little bit more sense.
12:52 But currently, on paper,
12:54 it just doesn't really seem to add up.
12:56 Only time will tell on this.
12:58 And when we get a bike in for a long-term review,
13:01 we'll be sure to give you our honest opinion
13:04 on whether this bike is for the masses or for the very few.
13:08 Let me know what you think of this new bike
13:10 down in the comments below.
13:12 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like.
13:14 Subscribe to the channel for more content,
13:16 and I will see you again very soon.
13:18 [WHOOSH]