I rode an Orca today and I wanted some advice from an owner. What do you honestly think about the following:
Comfort on long rides?
Did you ride carbon before the Orca? If so, what bike and how does the Orca compare?
Power transfer? Does the bike respond well when you try to “take off”? How does this compare to other bikes you’ve owned?
I have some thoughts about this but would like an unbiased summation first. Please let me know your thoughts if you get a chance. I am very interested in this bike.
very comfortable on long rides…no complaints whatsoever…though I honestly think the tyres, saddle, seat post and handlebars have a LOT to do with comfort over the frame…
I have the Deda Synapsi bars on it and they are great…I had Conti Force and Attack on Rolf Prima Vigors before the ZIPP 404s I have now with Vittoria Corsa Evo CX tubulars which I am still to use out on the road for the first time!!!
nope, first carbon bike…mind you the Conti Force and Attack I used witht it are really comfy tyres…but I have used other tyres and compared to the aluminium frames I’ve used the bike as I set it up is noticeably comfy…
this bike was designed to win mountain stages at the Tour under Iban Mayo’s legs…the fact he was a pussy last year does not mean it’s a slow bike…spoke to Orbea Spain before buying and in short that’s what they told me…
The frame design is peculiar in that it has some aerodynamic bits and then has this triangular down/tube…look at it…
I love the Orbea Orca…it’s got the x/factor on looks, weighs 1 kilo and has a nice long head tube of 122mm in the size 51 that I have that suits me nicely. The slacker angle of 73.5 degrees is also good for me…as is the top tube length of 523mm…
One thing that pisses me off about it though is the seat post is practically jammed…but then again its hardly something new on any bike…
If the geometry fits you BUY IT!!! you will not be dissapointed!
I have been very happy with my Orca, the comfort is by far better than the Ti or steel bikes I had previously. Not as comfortable as my old Softride Power-V, but a great road racing bike.
I find the power transfer to be very good, it is not the stiffest bike I have ridden, but stiff enough given that I weigh a little under 140. My only question might be stiffness for the bigger rider in the large sizes, some others (6 foot plus) have complained about front triangle flex.
I am a little over 5"6" with short legs, long torsoand ride the 51cm frame. When I first rode the Orca my impression was that it was a little smoother than my Ti bike, but the difference was small.
The longer you ride the Orca over rough pavement the more you appreciate the ride, it does get up to speed well, it certainly is stiff enough for me. The handling is very responsive, it took me a while to get used to it on fast descents as I would turn too early, but now I am used to it it rockets downhill as fast as my nerves will allow.
I’ve got a short torso, too, and I also checked ou the Orca - I am a size 54, but in the Orca the top tube was 55cm, which is a bit long for me. It’s a shame because it is an awesome bike.
I’d agree that it may not be suited for larger riders. I worked for Orbea and have both ridden one and heard from riders who do as well. Feedback from the Jelly Belly guys was the most telling on their high performance needs for US riding. Being light and stiff enough for a 131 pound climber puting out 450 watts is tough to do, but being that light and have the stiffness for a 180 pound NRC feild sprinter is a near impossible task.
The bike is smooth, relaxed and upright, almost as smooth as my Ritchey steel frame.