We tested the Orbea Alma 2025. Does the X-Fader really work?

Orbea has just renewed its complete range of competition hardtails and rarely has a hardtail come wrapped in so much mystery. At the past World Championship in Andorra, some riders from the official team already raced the Short Track with this bike with part of its frame hidden. Now, after its presentation, we have had the opportunity to test the new Orbea Alma 2025 for weeks and we tell you about our experience with it.

The new Orbea Alma 2025 is better than ever

With this new Alma model, Orbea has made it clear that it has not stopped at all in innovation and the search for performance improvement for its XCO hardtails. Although the spotlight is mostly on full suspension bikes, hardtails still have arguments to be chosen, both by professional riders on certain circuits, and by a large number of users.

In the new Orbea Alma 2025, Orbea wanted to take a leap in the performance of a model that already offered excellent results.

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There were several premises for this. One of them was the adoption of a vertical tube for use with a 31.6mm seatpost, and thus maximize compatibility with dropper seatposts. But to ensure that this did not imply a decrease in comfort, reducing the ability to filter irregularities, they studied different design options in depth, reaching the striking final design, called X-Fader which not only does not lose that ability to filter high-frequency impacts but, according to tests, clearly improves in this regard as they explained to us in the presentation, all while maintaining the necessary level of rigidity in a competition hardtail.

In addition to this balance between comfort and rigidity, a step forward has been taken in the geometry, increasing the capabilities of the Orbea Alma in descents and technical terrains. The adoption of a fork with 110mm of travel is clear evidence of this search for increased capabilities.

The geometry of the new Orbea Alma 2025 is designed to resemble as much as possible that of its sister OIZ in the sag position (with the rider on the bike) and has the following numbers: the head angle reaches up to 67° (1° more relaxed than in the previous version), the reach slightly increases to 435mm in size M, the seat tube also increases by 1°, up to 75.5°. And also the seat tube has been shortened in all sizes, seeking freedom of movement and the possibility of mounting long-travel dropper seatposts. Another example of how much priority has been given to the technical capabilities of a hardtail bike that does not settle for just the lightness and rigidity typical of its segment.

The entire new Alma range shares the same frame and, despite the greater complexity of its design, it remains at a very reasonable weight of 1080 grams for the fully painted size M frame.

Orbea MyO Program

In the new Orbea Alma, we have, of course, the customization options offered by Orbea with its MyO program.

This means that, in the 5 models that make up the range, we have the option to choose between different options in some of the bike's components, such as choosing between a dropper or traditional seatpost, different handlebar options, integrated cockpit, wheels, or brakes.

Regarding the decoration, there are three range finishes, but in the top three models, we have the option to customize the frame colors, logos, and even the decoration of the rims and cockpit, so there are countless possibilities to design a unique bike.

Orbea Alma M-PRO: maximum performance at a very competitive price

The Orbea Alma M-PRO 2025 is the model that we have been able to test for weeks of this new version, and the truth is that this setup has all the arguments to be a bestseller. An ideal bike for those looking for a competitive model at the highest level, but without an exaggerated expense.

The frame is the same throughout the range, and in the equipment of this model, we find a Rock Shox SID Select fork with 110mm of travel.

The transmission is entrusted to what, for us, is Sram's star group for its quality-price ratio. The Sram GX Eagle AXS of the new generation has a performance identical to the higher-end groups and only pays a certain price in weight in exchange for a substantial reduction in price.

The Shimano M6100 brakes offer a completely reliable performance, although here we find one of the customization possibilities offered by Orbea's MyO program, since in this Alma M-Pro model, we can opt for the installation of XT brakes by paying a supplement.

In the components, one of the great novelties of the own brand OC stands out, recently presented. It is the integrated OC Mountain Performance MP10 cockpit, with an announced weight of 265g and attractive shapes that contribute to further improving the cable integration towards the handlebar.

In the seatpost, we have another customization possibility, as the standard assembly includes a carbon seatpost, but our test bike mounted the, also recently presented, OC Mountain Control MP10 dropper seatpost, with 100mm of travel, infinite adjustment, and a fairly contained weight of 419g.

Another choice that the user who acquires this Alma M-Pro model can make is in the wheels.

In the standard assembly, there are Oquo Mountain Performance MP28PRO wheels with aluminum rims, but there is the option to upgrade the bike with the Mountain Performance MP30TEAM wheels with carbon rims with a 30mm internal width. This was the set we had in our test unit.

On these Oquo wheels, Pirelli Scorpion XC RC tires with Pro Wall reinforced casing, in a width of 2.40”, are mounted.

And a component that may go unnoticed but is also a novelty in this new Orbea range is the OC Squidlock MP11 remote lever, whose main innovation is that with just two levers it controls both the dropper seatpost and the fork.

Testing the new Orbea Alma 2025

The truth is that we already had the opportunity to see the new Alma range up close at the presentation that Orbea offered us at the past World Championships in Andorra. But now, we have had our test unit at home to squeeze it for a while and reconnect with those pure sensations that a hardtail offers.

It is clear that the first thing that stands out when we have the new Alma 2025 in front of us is the X-Fader, as they call that peculiar shape in the pedal area, which Orbea took care to camouflage at the World Championships when this model made its debut in the Short Track. Without a doubt, it is a striking shape that will not leave anyone indifferent. As we have mentioned, this solution aims to maximize the filtering of irregularities and, at the same time, adopting a 31.6mm diameter internal seatpost.

But the frame has more interesting details. One of them has to do with the possibility of mounting dropper seatposts with a certain travel even in small sizes (we see that although it is a hardtail, Orbea has this point on its list of priorities), and it is the removable vertical bottle cage mounts, called Smart Clips, so that if we do not use that bottle cage, we can remove the threads and put rubber caps to gain all the useful interior space of the seat tube. In any case, in most cases, we can mount the second bottle cage without limitation in the choice of seatpost.

As expected, the new Alma adopts internal cable routing through the headtube and, in this case with the new integrated cockpit, the cable entry is very discreet and aesthetic.

Otherwise, the frame has general lines that resemble its predecessor, highlighting that very flattened top tube with its characteristic fold to align with the seatstays before meeting the seat tube.

The seatstays have a considerable vertical section, in search of the necessary rigidity to transmit pedaling efforts, and the seatstays, thinner, vary their shape along their length alternating flat areas and edges in search of a balance between rigidity and comfort.

In the assembly of the Alma M-Pro, the integrated cockpit stands out, which, although it is a matter of taste, we find aesthetically very well achieved.

How much does the Orbea Alma 2025 weigh

Before putting the pedals on it, we fulfilled the ritual of the scale and the bike weighed 10.160 kg ready to ride. Taking into account the assembly of the dropper seatpost, 2.4” tires with reinforced casing, and the Sram GX group that stands out, among many other things, for its robustness, we find this to be an excellent figure.

Riding it and squeezing the X-Fader

One of the details that caught our attention from the start is the adoption of 170mm cranks in size M. The truth is that it is a trend and the benefits of slightly shortening the cranks seem more and more proven.

Our position on the Alma turned out to be quite comfortable. The height of a 110mm travel fork, combined with the fact that in a hardtail the bottom bracket can be lower than in a full suspension, results in a somewhat generous stack. Therefore, we did not find the handlebar in an aggressive position, despite the -20° angulation of the integrated cockpit. It is an efficient and attacking position, but even removing all the spacers, it is not excessively aggressive.

From the first day, we connected to that agility sensation that only hardtails offer. In our adaptation, we first looked for tracks in good condition, where we enjoyed an agile ride and a feeling of efficiency that made us increase the pace.

We are now starting to familiarize ourselves with the new Squidlock remote control. Both levers are in a very comfortable position to use and we adapted very quickly to the locking system using only the upper lever. The operation is very smooth when locking, and the lever stays in a more inward position, to release it just press it again with a little more force and it returns to the initial position.
On every sudden climb we enjoy the fact that we stand up and squeeze without diluting a single watt along the way, also in very smooth areas or asphalt we instinctively tend to stand up more than we do in any double, as it is a feeling of power transmission that only offers a rigid and really engages.

When we enter uneven terrain is when we can check the progress made in terms of impact filtration. The truth is that we do not notice the impacts that we remember from the hardtails of years ago but, although it is difficult to distinguish what part of the merit to give to the X-Fader and what part takes the fact of mounting 2.4” tires and rims with 30mm of internal width, we dare to affirm that the X-Fader fulfills that function of impact filtration. The truth is that, overall, the new Orbea Alma offers a docile feel that allows us to maintain speed on rough terrain.

On downhill runs on fast trails we found ourselves descending with great security thanks to the geometry that gives the Alma 2025 a surprising stability. A head angle of 67°, a generous length and the natural position we mentioned before make us feel in control of everything. In addition, the fork, with its generous travel, faithfully absorbs every irregularity and our hands are rested even on the longest descents. The Ergon GXR grips on the bike are worth a special mention here, and compared to the typical lock-on grips found on most bikes, they greatly increase the comfort of the grip on the handlebars.

Despite this good behavior and capabilities of the Orbea Alma, it is clear that the trials and very technical terrain will not be its terrain, but we put it to the test anyway. And the fact is that in XC circuits complicated areas will appear at some point, and even the rider without competitive ambitions, sooner or later will find places that test their capabilities and those of their bike, so we approached those trails that we normally go to with another type of bicycle.

In our test unit we had the great help that gives us the dropper post, which makes a clear difference in the possibility of passing or not by depending on the place. Here the X-Fader can't work miracles and rocks are felt, but the Alma attenuates hard impacts and the truth is that the geometry of the bike maximizes the ability to pass relatively smoothly through broken areas and even down some steps that we thought were beyond the reach of a hardtail. The Rock Shox SID's 110mm of travel also keeps the front end under control at all times.

And when the trails are not so technical but require a good dose of control and agility is when we enjoyed the Alma the most. It moves with amazing agility and, at the same time, it is predictable, so it allows us to go quite fast.

We've enjoyed the Alma for several weeks now, with some marathon sessions that have shown us that you can spend hours on this bike without our body suffering from the fact that it doesn't have rear suspension.

As for the Orbea Alma M-Pro's setup, we've already mentioned that we found the Sram GX AXS groupset to be an ideal choice. Once again, its performance is on a par with its higher-end counterparts. The choice of a 32-tooth chainring democratizes the use of this model and only those riders who intend to compete at a certain level will miss a larger chainring.

The Rock Shox SID SL Select has behaved with note, offering very good absorption and great sensitivity. Despite having 32mm bars and 110mm of travel, we didn't notice any lack of precision in the line and we found the stiffness to be good.

Special mention should be made of the brand's own components. The integrated cockpit we have already commented that its finishes are very good and its shape is very well achieved, offering a high quality look. The new OC MP10 seatpost has an impeccable performance.

For their part, the Oquo MP30TEAM wheels mounted on our unit are a marvel, sharing rims with the top of the range model and differing in the spokes, which in this case are round, and the hubs, which do not reach the level of lightness reserved for the top of the range.

We liked the choice of tires. We know the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC tires well. They are excellent rollers but keep a good balance between rolling and grip. Only those who prioritize the safety of a more aggressive tire will miss a little more lug on the front wheel.

Conclusions

Our conclusions after attending the presentation offered by Orbea and having thoroughly tested the new Alma are really positive.

Lately some brands seem to relegate their hardtail models to the background, and even eliminate them from the top range. Orbea has taken very seriously the renewal of its XC hardtail, which is a very popular model.

The new Alma is clearly better than ever and its range of use has been extended. It does not offer the same comfort and control on descents as the OIZ, but in exchange it has other virtues, such as a lightness and reactivity that those who like to go with a knife between their teeth will appreciate a lot. Also if we enter into direct comparison it is clear that the economic factor has its weight, because at equal category the Alma is cheaper and at equal price we will have an Alma with superior mounting.

The new Orbea Alma 2025 range consists of 5 models and starts at the figure of 2,499€ with the M30 model that shares the same frame with a simpler assembly. The top of the range is the M-LTD model that for 7,999€ offers a spectacular assembly.

Orbea Alma M-Pro: specifications, weight and price

• Frame: Orbea Alma Carbon
• Fork: RockShox SID SL Select 110, 2 positions
• Crankset: Sram GX Eagle Dub, 32t
• Handlebar: OC Mountain Performance MP10 Carbon, Cockpit, 760mm
• Grips: Sram AXS Pod
• Brakes: Shimano M6100 (Op Shimano XT M8100)
• Rear derailleur: Sram GX Eagle AXS
• Chain: Sram GX Eagle, 12 speed
• Wheels: Oquo Mountain Performance MP28PRO (Op Oquo MP30TEAM)
• Cassette: Sram GX-1275 Eagle, 10-52
• Tires: Pirelli Scorpion XC RC 2,40”, Pro Wall
• Seatpost: OC Performance XP10 Carbon (Op OC MP10 Dropper, 100mm)
• Saddle: Prologo Nago R4 Tirox rails, 137mm (Op Women Kit: OC grips 29mm / Selle Italia SLR Boost SuperFlow)
• Weight: 10.160kg (including dropper post and MP30TEAM wheels)
• Price: 3,999€