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Trail and Enduro Bikes

Fast Bikes. Orbea Rallon.

29" enduro every bit as good as its predecessor

It was a class act that simply needed updating. Orbea have been timely in launching the successor to the 27.5” wheel Rallon and it comes in perfect tradition with 29″ wheels and all the angles that we’d expect of their flagship 150mm enduro bike.

Words and Images: Ieuan Williams
Action: Matt Wragg

With the Orbea Rallon in size XL for this trip it was very clear that a lot of work has gone into making sure the size was bang up to date. With the 485 mm reach and 800 mm Race Face bars there is a great feel to the cockpit whilst keeping the standover and seat tube length as low as possible. With the ability to fit 170 mm dropper posts there really is no need for these high seat towers so it’s great to see this being put into practice.

Other important measurements include the bottom bracket which has two heights – 343 mm in low and 336 mm in the even lower setting, this also changes the head angle from 65.5 degrees in low to 65 degrees in lower. It’s jumping off the sheet even by the numbers.

Suspension and chassis

It is always important to get the damping of any bike spot-on to make sure it compliments the chassis and give a good feel while not trying to ruin the fun aspect of the ride. With the new Fox 36 Factory with the E-Vol cartridge up front we’ve already been impressed, for the rear an all new rear linkage design based around a 4 bar design gives for a solid kinematic. The rear dropouts are the same you will find on a Trek and are proven to work. Rear damping has three options available ranging from a Fox float X2 or the X2 coil and also the DPX2 allowing for a package to suit any preference.

The chassis involves a one piece carbon front triangle and the shock is offset which Orbea say is to allow for access to the settings.

Feeling

Straight out of the box this bike is a weapon! Built to go fast and eat up the terrain. Even more so in my eyes with the coil damper fitted. This made for a much more supple ride when the going got tough and with a weight coming in at 12.59kg (27.7lbs) with the coil shock damper too! This seems Scott territory.

There is a real feel of quality to the carbon in this bike with a great balance to the feeling of the chassis, not too stiff not too flexy, and certainly no harsh feelings over the high frequency bumps as you will find in some carbon built frames.

The Rallon’s excellent frame is complimented by the DT Swiss EX1500 wheel set that offers an aluminium construction and a 30mm width giving compliance where it is needed. This matched up with a 2.5 Maxxis Minion front and 2.3 Aggressor rear tyre gives allows for confidence when tracking an off camber section and grip in the turns

Limitations

No bike is perfect but in this case it was merely down to the parts that were on offer with the SRAM Guide RSC running out of puff towards the end of the long steep descents that we rode in the Benasque valley. There are other braking options though but with the length of the tracks we rode maybe an Avid Code or a TRP option would have been better. In other locations the Guide’s will be fine.

Verdict

One puncture, a broken crank, a helicopter ride to 3000m and a croaky voice from laughing and shouting – we were over the moon with this bike. There’s some great detail here too, with the choice of a custom build or colour scheme for any customer, this will go with a bike that has a super stable yet fun ride dynamic all tied nicely together with a lifetime warranty. This bike looks set to really challenge for our enduro bike of the year. And so there is only one word for this bike in my eyes. In the language of Orbea ¡ACOJONANTE!

Prices

£3.899 Rallon M-10

£5.699 Rallon M-team

£6.899 Rallon M-Ltd

Frame only option £2.999

www.orbea.com

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