ORBEA ORCA OMR M20TEAM - GLOSS CORAL/MATTE BLACK

Orbea isn’t always the first brand to come to mind when you’re shopping for your new road bike. However, after this preview, we’re confident it will be.

Because the Orca does so many things well and would actually be the perfect new roadie for a lot of riders.

But, to save you some precious time:

Do you want a fast road bike and you’re willing to compromise some comfort?

Do you want a comfortable road bike but you’re happy to sacrifice speed, agility and liveliness?

Do you want a fast and comfortable road bike that balances both of the above?

If you answered yes to question 3, then it’s worth your time to continue reading.

WHAT IS THE ORCA?

There are actually 2 different types of Orca road bikes. One type uses the OMR frame, which is what we’re going to talk about here. And type 2 uses the OMX frame.

They aren’t always easily distinguishable on a screen, so that’s why on our website we’ve used the OMR and OMX wording in the product.

Simply put:

OMR = comfort + speed.

OMX = comfort + speed + stiffness + lightweight.

The OMX frames use a different carbon (T1000 vs. T800) to get the frame lighter and stiffer.

BTW, Orca = OR-bea CA-rbon.

Every Orca is built in Spain.

We find the build quality and finish are superb. Orbea is not interested in volume. Every detail (from engineering, materials to production) is about delivering the product to the highest standard.

To stay relevant, we’re just going to cover the OMR.

WHO IS THE ORCA OMR FOR?

Referencing the 3 questions at the opening; it’s for the rider who wants a balanced road bike.

Fast (but not twitchy and nervous fast) and comfortable (without completely deadening the road feel).

The extra layer on top of this is ergonomics.

If you don’t have a lightweight climber’s body shape and you don’t have the best flexibility, you will not be penalised with the Orca. It’s open to all abilities and body profiles.

With all that background data in mind, here’s the rider profile we reckon will fit the Orca M20 Team:

First, it’s going to be suitable for those riders already on an aluminium road bike, a carbon road bike that’s at least 4 years old or even a flat bar road bike.

Next, this could be your very first road bike. And unlike the rider profile above, you’re not conditioned to riding road bikes.

And because of this, you have to be especially mindful of your new road bike’s geometry (we’ll cover this in a sec); paying attention to areas like the reach, stack and head tube angle.

Lastly, your new road must have Shimano’s Ultegra components, nice wheels and hydraulic disc brakes.

THE GEOMETRY

Understandably, most new riders are hyper focused on the components of a bike - because it’s a super easy comparison to do.

Brand X has a better chain or derailleur on their road bike than Brand Y, therefore it must be a better bike.

It must. That dude on Beach Road said so. Surely. The dude; he looked Pro. No?

Er, no.

Because you’ve got to consider the geometry and the type of carbon used by the brand. And assess if that geometry fits your ability and physique.

A much harder concept than comparing just components.

In this section, we’re going to shed a little more light on the Orca’s geometry. To really put this into context though, we need to do some comparisons:

And so we grabbed the Giant TCR and the Giant Defy.

Summary:

What the above data tells you is that the Orca is a blend of the racier TCR and the Defy’s endurance geometry.

Another way to think of it is, if you’re unsure whether to go TCR or Defy, why not consider the Orca that has the best of both?

And now the details:

Reach is actually how long the bike is. As you can see, the reach dimension on the Orca sits between the TCR and Defy. So, very neutral and one of the reasons why the Orca appeals to all riders.

Next is the Stack. This tells us how “upright” you’ll sit. In the comparison above; the Defy is 8mm higher and the TCR a massive 14mm lower.

(These numbers don’t sound like they’ll affect your positioning that much but they absolutely do.)

Lower means more hip and lower back flexibility is required to maintain your position on the bars.

Third on the list is the Head Tube Angle. This is a big one.

A slacker head tube angle means the front wheel is pushed forward. This makes the handling more stable - better for inexperienced riders. It “slows” the steering down and makes the steering more predictable.

Vice-versa, a steeper head tube angle sharpens the handling as the front wheel slides towards the frame.

And the Orca places itself between TCR and Defy - very balanced handling.

Chainstay is another critical aspect - it makes up half the bike after all. Shorter chainstays make the bike more reactive and thus, a little more “lively” compared to endurance road bikes.

We can see the Orca is much closer to mirroring the TCR’s reactiveness(3mm difference) than it is the Defy’s (a massive 12mm difference).

THE M20TEAM BUILD

The M20 Team build is composed of Shimano Ultegra components, Vision wheels and premium hardware.

Ultegra has been the premium workhorse by representing affordable performance.

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The gear ratios are kind to those who don’t have strong cycling fitness. This means the 50/34-tooth front crankset makes it easier to climb hills and the 11-28 tooth rear cassette also gives an excellent range for flat, undulating and steeper roads.

It’s also worth noting that almost every component is from the Ultegra family - no corners are cut.

The shifter/brake lever are ergonomic with a broad section to rest your palms on. The levers also have a reach adjustment for smaller hands to gain more control.

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Vision’s TC 35 wheels are an excellent all-rounder. Because at 35mm deep they are designed for a combination of mixed hilly terrain and flat terrain.

Excess material between the spokes has been removed to reduce rotational weight. Premium sealed bearings are used in both hubs to reduce friction and maintenance.

Orbea are masters at thoughtful (and practical) integrations.

All brake and gear cables are routed internally at the front of the Orca. It makes the bike look super clean and uncluttered.

From a bike fit perspective; bar angle can be adjusted to cater for wrist angle and the stem can be swapped out without taking the complete front end apart.

The bike also includes a Garmin and Wahoo mount. A GoPro attachment underneath makes fitting a light easy and secure.

Hydraulic disc brakes are a must.

The brakes have much better stopping power than rim brakes. Plus there’s a lot less maintenance required than mechanical brakes.

The M20 Team comes built with Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes with special pads that feature extrusions (or fins) that help reduce the temperature the brakes operate at, minimising overheating.

And they’re paired to Shimano Ultegra disc rotors - a big deal. These rotors (or discs) feature Shimano’s Ice Technologies construction.

Compared to cheap quality rotors that are stamped or made with 1 material throughout; Ice Tech rotors use 3 layers (for the outer edge, the surface the brake pads actually touch). Layer 1 is steel, layer 2 is aluminium and layer 3 is steel.

The big deal?

It reduces rotor temperature by 100℃.

Not only that. Ice Tech rotors have way more braking power, they last longer and they’re quieter.

The M20 Team comes standard with 28mm wide tyres but can comfortably go to 33mm. The spec does say 35mm max tyre size but we’ve found this can be extremely close.