opinion – Ieuan williams

Let’s start out by getting some facts straight. The bottom bracket has two heights – 443 mm in low and 336 mm in the lower setting. This also changes the head angle from 65.5° in low to 65° in lower. It rolls on 29″ wheels with 150mm rear travel and 160mm upfront. The theme here is ‘Long-low-slack’ for sure.

‘There is no doubting that this is the best bike tested in the Dirty Dozen’

With the test Orbea Rallon in XL it is 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 RaceFace bars there is a great feel to the cockpit while keeping the stand over and seat tube length as low as possible. The ability to fit 170 mm dropper posts means there really is no need for these high seat towers so it’s great to see this being put into practice.

At the rear an all new linkage design based around a 4 bar design gives for a better kinematic. The rear dropouts are the same you will find on a Trek so proven to work. As for rearward damping there are three options ranging from a Fox Float X2 or the X2 coil and also the DPX2, allowing for a package to suit any preference.

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 is no trouble though. Just swap and change the build around until satisfied. This is one of the benefits of Orbea’s MyO program.  

There is a real feeling of quality to the frame on this bike, with a great stiffness flex balance and no harsh feeling over the high frequency bumps as we often find with some carbon bikes. The lack of fatigue of the ride is so important – one mistake in the carbon production and the balance that creates the perfect ride would be compromised. Orbea has totally dialled it though. With super low amounts of feedback the fatigue is very low, meaning more comfort for those long rides. 

The Rallon’s great feeling frame is complimented by the DT Swiss EX1501 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 DHF front and 2.3″ Aggressor rear tyre gives for some great grip while maintaining the low fatigue factor.

It is easy to see here that Orbea has really nailed it with prices starting at £3,899. This M-team model is the bike I would buy with a coil damper upgrade. What’s not to like? All this rad design with total customisation – a slick and stunning design. WITH….. A lifetime warranty.

If you see me riding for fun or racing this year it will be aboard this bike. There is no doubting that this is the best bike tested in the Dirty Dozen. There have been some tough calls but the whole picture even with the still to come Starling Murmur.

PRICE: £5,699

www.orbea.com