The new seventh generation Orbea Orca has a reduced claimed frame weight for the higher spec OMX bikes of 750g for a size 53, down from 832g for the previous model. Orbea has achieved this by adopting a more traditional round-tubed frame, albeit one that still sports quite radical lines, rather than truncated aerofoil tube profiles. Combined with lightweight components and paint that weighs just 15g, Orbea claims the top spec bike weighs just 6.7kg.
There are 11 spec levels in all, six with the lighter OMX frame and five with the OMR frame. UK prices range from £3,599 to £11,999.
Round profiles to reduce frame weight
Over the last few years, almost every new road bike that’s not an all-out aero bike has had aero features added when an update is launched. That usually means truncated aerofoil tube profiles, dropped seatstays and an integrated cockpit, resulting in a similar profile for many bikes.
Orbea still has the out-and-out aero Orca Aero in its range, but with its seventh generation of the (non-aero) Orca, Orbea has gone back to a more classic frame profile and reverted to round tubing.
Why? According to Joseba Arizaga, Road Product Manager at Orbea, making a lightweight bike more aero involves too many compromises. It’s not as aero as an aero bike on the flat, but not as lively on climbs as a true lightweight bike.
“The middle-weight bike with aero features doesn’t win anywhere,” Arizaga says.
The new Orca is aimed at people who love climbing and want the best bike for the climbs, Orbea says, with a mix of instant response and agility. It’s made slight changes to the frame geometry from the older model, with a shorter wheelbase, although otherwise the numbers are unchanged. There’s clearance for 32mm tyres.
Orbea says that a bike that’s 500g lighter – a typical weight difference between an aero bike and a climbing bike – will save you around 6 watts of effort on a 10 per cent gradient. The brand also praises the feel of a climbing bike, which can just feel more responsive and lively than a heavier bike, with faster acceleration. Orbea says that it’s also easier to build comfort into a bike that’s not designed to be aero.
Its change of tack on aerodynamics has allowed Orbea to shave the Orca’s frame weight from a claimed 832g for the old model to 750g for the new bike in a size 53. Along with new, lightweight wheels and a lightweight bar and stem, that leads to a weight of 6.7kg for the top spec M11eLTD PWR, Orbea says.
The six higher specs of the new bike use the Orca OMX frame, but lower down the range Orbea also sells five specs with the OMR frame, which it says weighs 1,030g.
Aero features for marginal gains
Orbea says that it’s not totally abandoned aero features though, citing its fork shape, which reduces drag as well as saving weight. There’s also internal brake hose routing to improve aerodynamics.
The new seatpost clamp has a low profile to improve airflow and can be used with a full range of round and oval railed saddles.
Lightweight components and paint
Orbea says that the Orca’s weight loss is down to sweating the details.
The switch to round tubes means that there’s less resin in the frame, as this avoids its accumulation on sharp edges. Round tubes are also lighter than more complex shapes, while Orbea has reduced the number of carbon pieces used in the frame lay-up by 90, which results in fewer overlaps and so lower weight.
Orbea has reduced the weight of its frame hardware to around 20g and it uses lightweight paint, which it says weighs just 15g. The 35mm deep house-brand Oquo RP35-LTD wheels on the higher spec bikes are claimed to weigh 1,380g. Orbea offers 45mm and 57mm deep wheels if you want to sacrifice some weight for added aero and there are both carbon and alloy rim options.
The HP11 bars on higher spec bikes weigh a claimed 190g, although you can swap these out for either a Vision Metron 5D or Deda Alanera cockpit.
But the brand says that the low weight hasn’t been bought at the expense of frame rigidity, another necessity for efficient climbing.
Does it make sense to downplay aero?
The trouble with Orbea’s argument is that very few rides are just climbing; at some point you’ve got to descend too and you’ll probably have some flat riding to reach your mountain.
In these situations, aero is going to be important. Orbea admits that its studies show that at 30kph an aero bike should save you around 12 watts, which increases to 28 watts at 50kph.
A few years ago, Merida was advancing the argument, based on its calculations, that an aero bike would be faster than a lightweight bike, even in the mountains, as any extra effort on the way up would be exceeded by the extra speed and lower rider power input on the way back down. At pro climbing speeds, Factor claimed that aerodynamics are more important than weight even on gradients as steep as 8 per cent, when it launched its latest model O2 VAM recently.
Those aero savings just don’t feel as obvious as the experience of riding a really light bike up a climb though and, in any situation, around 80 per cent of the aerodynamic resistance comes from the rider, not the bike. Unless you’re racing, it’s likely that you’ll simply enjoy the feel of a lightweight bike more.
Orbea points out that you can use its MyO configurator to choose a more aero cockpit or a frame that lets you adopt a more aero ride position if you want to get more aero on the new Orca.
The aero versus lightweight argument is a similar one to that made by Specialized when it launched the Aethos lightweight bike to sit alongside the Tarmac SL7 aero/lightweight bike at similar price points. It’s also the reason why brands including Giant, Scott and Merida continue to offer both lightweight and aero bikes, although their respective lightweight bikes all include aero features.
And while aero and lightweight bikes looked set to converge a couple of years ago, the latest UCI frame profile rules mean that there are now increased aero benefits from the deeper tube profiles allowed in competition. To reap those means more weight though.
Orbea Orca 2024 outline specs and prices
The new Orca is available in six different builds using the lower weight OMX frame and five with the OMR frame.
Orbea offers seven frame sizes: 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57 and 60cm and there are two stock colour options for the OMX and three for the OMR frame. MyO, Orbea’s colour and spec customisation app lets you choose from even more options.
Here’s the full range on offer…
Orbea Orca M11eLTD PWR
Frame/fork: Orca OMX
Groupset: SRAM Red AXS with power meter
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 LTD carbon
Price: £11,999 / $11,599 / €10,999
Orbea Orca M10iLTD PWR
Frame/fork: Orca OMX
Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 with power meter
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 LTD carbon
Price: £11,999 / $11,599 / €10,999
Orbea Orca M21eLTD PWR
Frame/fork: Orca OMX
Groupset: SRAM Force AXS with power meter
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 LTD carbon
Price: £8,799 / $7,999 / €7,999
Orbea Orca M20iLTD
Frame/fork: Orca OMX
Groupset: Shimano Ultegra
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP45 LTD carbon
Price: £7,699 / $6,999 / €6,999
Orbea Orca M31eLTD
Frame/fork: Orca OMX
Groupset: SRAM Rival AXS with power meter
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP45 LTD carbon
Price: £6,499 / $5,999 / €5,999
Orbea Orca M31iLTD PWR
Frame/fork: Orca OMX
Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP45 LTD carbon
Price: £6,299 / $5,999 / €5,799
Orbea Orca M21eTEAM PWR
Frame/fork: Orca OMR
Groupset: SRAM Force AXS with power meter
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 TEAM carbon
Price: £6,999 / $6,899 / €6,599
Orbea Orca M21iTEAM
Frame/fork: Orca OMR
Groupset: Shimano Ultegra
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 TEAM carbon
Price: £6,299 / $5,999 / €5,799
Orbea Orca M31eTEAM
Frame/fork: Orca OMR
Groupset: SRAM Rival AXS
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 PRO alloy
Price: £4,799 / $4,699 / €4,399
Orbea Orca M35i
Frame/fork: Orca OMR
Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2
Wheels: Oquo Road Performance RP35 TEAM carbon
Price: £4,799 / $4,599 / €4,399
Orbea Orca M30i
Frame/fork: Orca OMR
Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2
Wheels: Orbea tubeless alloy
Price: £3,599 / $3,599 / €3,399
Looking for your next ride? Head to our guide to best road bikes.