We test the OREKA O5, real movement and sensations on a turbo trainer

In 2020, a year marked by the arrival of the pandemic, which resulted in several months of home confinement, the turbo trainer became an essential piece of equipment for any cyclist. It was in the same year that the OREKA O5 came onto the market, a turbo trainer that simulates pedalling and movements on the road while maintaining the safety conditions of indoor training.

In OREKA they have worked to offer the cyclist a turbo trainer with similar characteristics to the OREKA O2 but with the advantage of being much more compact and transportable so we can use it both at home and take it on our trips to cycling events and races. We have had the chance to use one of these turbo trainers for several weeks and we are going to describe our experience with it.

OREKA O5 turbo trainer, the Ergodynamic system makes the difference. But there is much more

The manufacturer OREKA Training is characterised by its indoor training systems capable of offering cyclists real pedalling sensations, as close as possible to riding on the road. The key is the patented system called Ergodynamic, which has two main features: to simulate the swinging you have while pedalling on the road and to reduce the pain caused by the muscular overloads generated by the continuous use of traditional turbo trainers, in which you spend most of the time in a static position.

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When it comes to balancing, they have managed to make it fully customisable. By means of two pneumatic pistons connected to an air tank that is filled through a Schrader valve to adjust the system to the biker's preferences or needs.

• According to OREKA, a pressure of 4 bar provides a natural rocking motion that simulates the movement of a bicycle when pedalling uphill on any slope.
• On the other hand, if we increase the pressure to 6 bar, we will find a more stable pedalling oriented to avoid the muscular overloads generated by traditional turbo trainers.

With dimensions of 130x90 cm (unfolded) and thanks to its legs designed to provide stability, it allows efforts of over 1000 watts without the turbo trainer shaking. In addition, with the sensors it incorporates, it ensures that there are no disturbances during the sessions.

Pedalling anywhere (PLUGLESS)

One of the great advantages of the OREKA O5 is the fact that it can be used without having to plug the turbo trainer into the electricity supply. Normally, an interactive trainer needs a power supply to be able to vary its resistance depending on the route or training session, but this one has a permanent magnet motor that, along with the flywheel and the electronic elements, is configured to generate energy through pedalling. With this energy, the OREKA O5 communicates with the virtual platforms or the APP and thus controls the resistance.

To produce the necessary resistance in the turbo trainer, it has an electric brake consisting of a row of electromagnets and a row of permanent magnets that generate their own energy. As it does not require an external power supply, it can be used anywhere, whether at home or outside.

No calibrations (MAGNET FIT)

The OREKA O5 is equipped with Magnet Fit technology, which means that no calibration of the turbo trainer is necessary before use. This is because the resistance is generated by a magnetic field that is automatically regulated and adjusted by increasing or decreasing the current passing through the electromagnets.

Automatic adjustment in all situations (AUTOWATT)

It has the possibility of training at fixed speeds or power levels, which is what OREKA calls Autowatt. The aim is to perfectly imitate the sensations of climbs and flats.

When performing virtual routes, the concept of fixed speed is applied, which is nothing more than the automatic adjustment of the resistance depending on the slopes that appear on the route. The system will increase the resistance as the slope increases and decrease until it reaches resistance values similar to those of pedalling on the flat.

If, on the other hand, we are looking to carry out a training session with a defined wattage range, we will be dealing with the concept of fixed power. For this, the software of the trainer calculates the power based on the speed and resistance level of the unit, giving us a power output regardless of the speed and cadence applied by the cyclist.

Easy to carry and store

It is not a light turbo trainer, weighing around 30 kg. This is normal as we are talking about a machine designed to withstand shocks of more than 1000 watts and the cyclist's own balance, which requires a minimum of robustness in each of its components.

Despite its weight, OREKA has worked to create a foldable structure, capable of minimizing its size while allowing easy transport. It has a trolley type system to be able to move it without having to lift the turbo trainer in weight.

OREKA's own APP 

To complement the turbo trainer is available the OrekaApp application that the brand itself makes available free of charge for both Android and iOS users, which once installed and linked will allow us:

• Monitor the resistance on the display, showing actual watts and target watts.
• Show the length of the sessions.
• Conduct offline sessions.
• Update of the turbo trainer software.
• Display pedalling cadence (RPM).
• Monitor your heart rate, as it is compatible with different heart rate monitors.

New features of the Oreka O5 turbo trainer for 2021/22

For the Oreka O5 model for the 2021/22 season, which will be launched in a few weeks, the turbo trainer will include some new features:

• Power optimisation. In the new version the Oreka O5 will reach up to 2500w.
• Cadentiometer, which, like the turbo trainer, has Bluetooth and Ant+ connectivity and can be used, as well as with GPS watches, with compatible smartphones using any of the cycling apps and cycling simulators such as Zwift, Bkool, Rouvy, etc.
• The possibility to update the control software via the new Oreka App for iOS or Android phones connected via bluetooth with the turbo trainer.

We test the OREKA O5

We have spent several weeks with the OREKA O5, carrying out training sessions of different lengths with the aim of transmitting all the sensations it has given us. 

We start by assembling the turbo trainer, here comes the first positive point in its favour. It is very simple, we only need a spanner to mount the cassette on the core, once this is done we can do the rest without using any tools. To mount the legs we only need to place some pins that are included, with this we have the OREKA O5 ready to attach to our bike. To attach it we have a QR9 axle, longer than usual, and a set of bushings that fit most of the conventional axles used in the market, for example, the standard 130 and 135 mm, and the 12x142 and 12x148 mm thru axles. Now all we have to do is inflate the reservoir with any traditional inflator, set the pressure indicated by the manufacturer and we are ready to start pedalling. 

Thanks to its Magnet Fit technology, we don't have to calibrate the turbo trainer before we start using it, so it's something we can forget about.

Another advantage is that we don't need to plug the trainer to the mains, so we can do our sessions anywhere without depending on a power point. This will allow us to take the OREKA O5 to the rides or competitions and use it to warm up for them. And if we think that its 30 kg can be a disadvantage when transporting it, inside its casing it has wheels that are placed with a pin similar to that of the legs and that gives the turbo trainer the possibility of moving it comfortably as if we were carrying a suitcase. 

With the bike and the OREKA O5 ready to go, we start pedalling. It gives us the choice of 3 ways to do it, simply getting on and pedalling, linking it to any of the virtual cycling platforms with which it is compatible or doing it with the support offered by its OrekaApp application. 

The OREKA O5 offers a small amount of resistance when pedalling freely without any link to anything, which is useful for warming up before a cycling event.  

If, on the other hand, we decide to link it to a virtual cycling platform, we will be able to get the most out of this turbo trainer. To do this is as simple as placing in the computer the ANT+ usb receiver stick that is included in the box. Quickly and after a few pedal strokes we will have a connection, remember that the energy to carry out all the communications is obtained by the operation of the turbo trainer system itself. Once inside the platform, we have been able to test its two operating modes.

We have done different routes with very different profiles. In all of them we have been surprised by the good simulation obtained, each port or each steep slope is captured by the system immediately and it acts by varying the resistance offered to pedalling. There is no abruptness at all. This variation in resistance is just as progressive as the change in gradient on any road, without any noticeable step-up. Even with high gradients (up to 25%) and low speeds, it allows you to develop high power. 

In our case we started by testing with an air tank pressure of 4 bar, as the manufacturer indicates that a natural balance is achieved. The feeling of freedom of the bike is almost as if it were not anchored to the turbo trainer. At first glance, this is a strange situation, which is normal if you have been cycling on another model that doesn't allow any movement at all. This is the Ergodynamic technology, one of the main features that makes this turbo trainer different from the rest.

We opted to increase the pressure a bit to 5 bar, the balancing realism decreased a bit, but the extra stability that is gained benefits us when standing up on steep climbs or when sprinting, where high power is applied.

On days when we spent around 2 hours on the turbo trainer we opted to increase the pressure to 6 bar. With this we managed to increase stability even more, helping to relax some parts of our upper body, as well as avoiding overloading the lower body and back by maintaining part of the swing. It is a great option if we want to simulate long days on the bike without having to leave the house. 

We also had the opportunity to carry out training sessions with well-defined power intervals. In these sessions it is the system of the turbo trainer that makes the necessary adjustments so that regardless of the speed and cadence that we carry we can maintain the power indicated in our interval or series.

We have not enjoyed many races to which we have been able to take it, but we have used it outside our home. It is those moments in which it is grateful to have a specific App from the brand itself and also this one is completely free, something that is becoming less frequent and is always welcome. This App has a main screen that shows the power, speed, cadence and pulse data. On this screen you can also set the minimum power you want.  

In the time we have been using it, the ease and speed of connection with the computer and the speed with which it detects any of the virtual platforms is appreciated. In the case of the App, it did take us a little longer to link it, but after waiting a few more seconds it also ended up connecting without a problem.

Conclusion

We can say that the OREKA O5 is one of the most realistic direct drive turbo trainers on the market, it offers freedom of movement with the possibility of setting the level of movement easily with a simple inflator. It is extremely easy to install and does not need to be set up or calibrated or connected to the mains power supply.

It features ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity to communicate with sensors and other compatible devices.

An option to consider for those who spend long training days on the trainer, for e-sports enthusiasts or simply to use during the warm-up for any competition. 

• Type: Direct Drive trainer
• Drivetrain: Direct - Shimano/SRAM Freehub - 10/11
• Electrical requirements: Plugless Technology
• Upgradable firmware: via Oreka APP
• Suitable axles: 130 mm, 135 mm, 142 x 12 mm y 148 x 12 mm
• Supplied with: Adapters for specified axles
• Max. power (40 km/h): 2000 watts
• Max. inclination: 25 %
• Flywheel: Virtual
• Calibration: Magnet fit Technology (No calibration)
• Occupied area (length x width): 133 × 90 cm
• Height of the body: 49 cm
• Weight: 30 kg
• DATA OUTPUT AND CONTROL
• Wireless communication: ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth Smart
• Control by: Stand-alone connection, Computer via ANT+ antenna, ANT+ FE-C bike computer, Smartphone, Tablet
  
• Display: Computer with ANT+ antenna, Bicycle computer, Sports watch, Smartphone, Tablet.