We test the new Orbea Orca 2024

Last June we had the opportunity to attend the presentation of the new Orbea Orca 2024 range at the brand's facilities in Mallabia, then it was time for testing and we went to the Navarre town of Ochagavía to ride two of the models in the range, the Orca M10i LTD PWR which is the top of the range and the Orca M35i destined to be a best seller.

We test two versions of the new Orbea Orca 2024

As we have already mentioned in the presentation article about the Orbea Orca 2024, this is a generation that goes back to its origins in a way. At a time when all bikes tend to take a middle path between lightness and aerodynamics (aerolight), the Orbea Orca has been designed with the aim of being as light and reactive as possible, so that in mountainous or hilly stages it will be the fastest.

With these premises they have presented a range where the weight is the protagonist, reaching 6.7kg on the scale in its top of the range model, without including any extravagant component, but no less important is that the rest of the range also keeps the weight at bay, being the weight of its entry model to the range of 7.8kg.

We had the opportunity to test two models of the new range. On the one hand the Orca M10i LTD PWR model, which is the top of the range with an OMX carbon frame mounted with Shimano Dura-Ace groupset and the best Oquo wheels, and for the second day we tested the Orca M35i which, with an OMR frame, Shimano 105 Di2 groupset and Oquo wheels with carbon rims, promises to be a real best seller.

During the presentation and testing we were lucky enough to share time with some Orbea ambassadors and cyclists, such as Haimar Zubeldia and professional cyclists Lija Laizane, from Laboral Kutxa, and Hanna Nilsson, from Ceratizit. They got to know, at the same time as us, what will be their bike from its launch, in fact, they already had the decorations of their respective teams.

Riding with the Orbea Orca M10i LTD PWR: top of the range

From the Navarrese town of Ochagavía a first test route started with two mountain passes perfect for squeezing all the climbing qualities of the new Orca 2024. The model chosen was the Orbea Orca 2024 in its M10i LTD PWR version with OMX frame and a real luxury setup.

The Orca OMX frame is built with the best carbon fiber used by Orbea, reaching extraordinary levels of stiffness and its weight is only 750 grams for size 53. It mounts a complete Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupset and most of the components are by OC, highlighting the OC HB11 handlebar of only 190 grams, and the carbon seatpost with micrometric tilt adjustment and universal seat clamp, compatible with both round and oval carbon rails.

The Oquo wheels, another important new feature, are the lightest model. The Oquo RP 35 LTD has a 35mm profile carbon rim, Zipp Cognition hubs and Spam CX-Ray spokes, bringing the weight down to 1370 grams. The tyres on our model were Vittoria Corsa Speed in a 25mm wide version, mounted tubeless.

At first glance, the Orca 2024 still offers a modern, avant-garde look even with the return to the classic line of its silhouette. We see no extravagant shapes or aerodynamically profiled tubes. Overall, rounded shapes predominate, with the exception of the top tube, which is wide and very flattened. But in the frame there are interesting design details, such as the area of the head tube with a slight profile at its meeting with the top tube. Also in the head tube we see how the top cap of the steering is integrated into a hole in the frame itself, leaving a very clean lines.

Also, as trends dictate, the cabling is integrated and almost 100% hidden. We say almost because they do not go inside the handlebars but enter under the stem, in a solution that we like because it simplifies assembly and maintenance and, in practice, the hoses are not seen.

The junction area between the seat stays and the seat tube looks very neat leaving the seat post adjustment system hidden and offering very clean lines.

The fork, although quite slim, has a certain aero profile, and of course is prepared to guide the brake hose from the headset.

On the road

Starting the route from Ochagavía, we had to pass through some cobblestone streets where we could see that, despite its lightness, the new Orca withstands the toughest treatment, as the group was going at a considerable speed and the wheels had to withstand the impacts from the beginning.

Once on the asphalt, we had to follow the high pace of Haimar and company that, despite not being forced, we had to push ourselves to keep the pace.

Here, the Orca proved that it has an exquisite ride and the position we adopted on it allowed us to couple and maintain a high speed.

The shifting is simply perfect with the Shimano Dura Ace Di2, and the 11-30 cassette mounted on this version means that, thanks to the 12 sprockets, the shifting is very progressive and we always find our perfect cadence.

The only drawback is that the crown up and down buttons are close together and, with long gloves in situations of maximum effort, it is possible to make a mistake if you are not very used to these controls.

It's time to climb the mountain passes and discover all the virtues of a bike designed for these terrains.

Here you really start to notice the lightness of the Orca when the terrain is steep and we do not notice any ballast in this regard, but also the bike gives the feeling of transmitting every watt we bring without leaving anything along the way, and this feeling is truly addictive. The bike encourages you to stand up and accelerate.

The climbs we went up with the Orca M10i LTD were new to us, so we can't compare times, but the feeling we had with the bike is that of going faster than usual. So, whether it's real or maybe due to the placebo effect, the truth is that we felt powerful climbing with the new Orbea Orca.

But there is one aspect that is no less important in this type of bike, and that is how stable and docile it is on descents. Well, we are not lying if we say that this is where we were most impressed by the Orbea Orca, perhaps because we already knew it would climb very well.

We rode down long mountain passes at considerable speed and the bike felt very safe. The great stiffness of the frame means that there is no unwanted flex and the bike follows the line perfectly without any unwanted movement, while retaining enough agility to change direction if necessary.

Here, too, the very powerful and measurable braking power of the Shimano Dura Ace brakes played a key role. The biggest advantage of these brakes is not the maximum braking power, but the low effort required to control speed, which makes a big difference in long and intense downhill situations.

Our conclusion after testing the Orbea Orca M10i LTD PWR is extremely positive.

The cyclist who values the pure performance of a climbing bike has in this seventh generation of the Orbea Orca an option that is hard to beat.

In addition to its lightness, we would highlight the power transmission capacity of its frame and, at the same time, the impact filtration achieved with the return to the round down tube and the 27.2mm seat post.

Orbea Orca M10i LTD PWR: specifications and price

• Frame: Orca OMX 2024
• Fork: Orca OMX ICR 2024
• Crankset: Shimano Dura Ace R9200 Powermeter, 36x52t
• Handlebar: OC Road Performance Carbon RP11, reach 80, drop 125
• Stem: OC Road Performance RP10, -8º
• Levers: Shimano Dura Ace R9270
• Brakes: Shimano Dura Ace R9270
• Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 R9250
• Shifter: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 R9250
• Chain: Shimano CN-9100
• Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 LTD Carbon
• Cassette: Shimano Dura Ace R9200, 11-30t, 12v
• Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Speed G2.0 TLR 700x25C
• Seatpost: OC Performance XP10-S Carbon 27,2mm, Setback 20mm
• Saddle: Fizik Vento Antares R1, 140mm, 7x9mm
• Price: 10,999€

We test the Orbea Orca 2024 M35i

For our second day of testing they had prepared for us a model that aspires to be a top seller in the range. The Orbea Orca M35i is less than half the price of the top of the range and has more than enough arguments to position itself as an outstanding model.

The frame of the M35i is the Orca OMR which, as we have already mentioned, shares 100% of the same design as the OMX, the only difference being the fibers used in its construction. According to Orbea, the stiffness levels are very similar, with the OMR being somewhat more comfortable and its weight somewhat higher, reaching 1030 grams in size 53.

The groupset mounted on the Orca M35i is the new Shimano 105 Di2, a groupset with attributes that position it as the reference in the mid-range.

Wireless levers and 12 rear sprockets that allow a development with a very wide range as the one mounted, with 11-34 cassette and 34-50 compact crankset, allowing us to face any terrain even if our level is far from that of the great racers.

The Oquo RP35 TEAM wheels give a lot of value to this model, since we are talking about a carbon rim identical to the LTD model that mounts the top of the range, combined with Zipp ZR1 hubs and conified Sapim spokes.

On bikes in this range it is usual that the wheels are the first point to improve, but in the case of the Orbea Orca M35i we already have high performance wheels.

The tyres chosen for this model are Vittoria Corsa N.EXT in 28mm width, giving the bike greater capacity to filter out irregularities.

The components are also from OC, but in this case it has a simpler range, although with a carbon seatpost.

Riding with the Orca M35i

As with the upper model, we were faced with a hilly route starting from Ochagavía. We started the route on the same initial cobblestones. This time with the OMR frame and, above all, with the 28mm tyres, we had a more comfortable ride. The position on the bike was exactly the same as with its top model, since all the component sizes were similar.

The first few kilometers of undulating terrain served us to check how well the Shimano 105 Di2 groupset works, to the point of thinking that we would not be able to differentiate the operation of the gears with respect to the Dura Ace if we did not look at it. What does feel different is the gearing, especially on climbs, where we have free sprockets in the chamber for when the road gets really steep. Even so, thanks to the 12 sprockets, the staggered gearing does not seem abrupt, and we always find our optimal cadence.

On this day we rode quite a few kilometers on uneven terrain, which allowed us to see for ourselves the virtues of the new Orca OMR in terms of comfort and absorption of irregularities. The OMR frame in combination with the 28mm tyres made us less fatigued in this situation.

But the Orbea Orca M35i is still a pure climbing bike and when it came to the long climbs we could see that.

The position on the bike favors power transmission on climbs and the OMR frame also gave us that feeling of transmitting every watt without losses due to unwanted flex. We noticed a great stiffness when we stood up on climbs.

The main and almost only difference with respect to the Orca M10i LTD is the weight and in the starts or changes of pace it was noticed that it did not have the same spark, but taking into account the amount of euros of difference, the performance is quite close.

On the descents it gave us the same good sensations as the top of the range model, giving us total confidence in the line and without the slightest scare. We also have the added bonus of its 28mm tyres in these situations.

We did notice a slight difference in braking. We felt that the Dura Ace brakes had a little more bite than the 105, we think this is due to the discs themselves.

Still, with the 105 brakes we have power and control to spare.

The truth is that the Orca M35i has left us with a great taste in our mouth because it seems to us, in its price range, a purchase option difficult to beat. A carbon frame whose difference with the top of the range model is practically reduced to a small weight difference, a groupset with perfect performance and wheels with carbon rim and maximum technology.

More than interesting ingredients to be a real bestseller.

Orbea Orca M35i: specifications and price

• Frame: Orca carbon OMR 2024
• Fork: Orca OMR ICR 2024, full carbon
• Crankset: Shimano 105 R7100, 34x50t
• Handlebar: OC Road Performance RP31, reach 80, drop 125
• Stem: OC Road Performance RP21, -6º
• Levers: Shimano 105 Di2 R7170
• Brakes: Shimano 105 R7170
• Rear derailleur: Shimano 105 Di2 R7150
• Shifter: Shimano 105 Di2 R7150
• Chain: Shimano M6100
• Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 TEAM Carbon
• Cassette: Shimano 105 R7100, 11-34t, 12v
• Tyres: Vittoria Corsa N.Ext G2.0 700x28C
• Seatpost: Carbon 27,2mm, Setback 20mm
• Saddle: Fizik Aliante R5
• Price: 4,399€

Here you can check all the models and prices of the new Orbea Orca 2024 range.