Staff member, and former World Tour pro, Molly Weaver reviews the new Orbea Orca, and is seriously impressed – since writing this review Molly has completed numerous ultra distance races aboard the Orca, including wins at Trans Pyrenees and The Perfidious Albion, as well as setting a new Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the 7700km coastline of Great Britain.

I was lucky enough to be at the launch of the Orbea Orca during the grand depart of the Tour de France, which set a very high bar for it to live up to. Behind the scenes access to the creation of the Orca from first inspiration to actualisation, and the years of work that went into that, alongside seeing people build and paint the bikes in the factory, and witnessing the rigorous testing of the frames in the lab, all enhanced my expectations when it came to riding it.

I was apprehensive about whether the Orca could match those expectations, but I needn’t have been. Within the first few hours of pedalling through the hills I was more interested in how much it would surpass them by.

This marks a new era of Orbea’s most iconic bike, a lightweight renaissance if you will, but it brings much more than that to the table.

The Build
  • Frameset: 2024 Orbea Orca OMR carbon frame and OMR full carbon fork, size 51 (small)
  • Groupset: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 50×34
  • Cassette: Shimano 105 11-36
  • Wheelset: OQUO Road Performance RP35 TEAM Carbon
  • Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato Velo TLR

A slightly unusual build, the bike I am currently riding is an OMR frame rather than the higher spec OMX carbon fibre, but with an upgrade to a Dura Ace groupset that came off another bike. In order to get the widest possible gear ratios for the mountains, I have opted for a Shimano 105 11-36T cassette.

On paper the OMX frame is superior; it’s lighter, and uses a higher grade of carbon fibre.

However, the OMR brings a touch more comfort to the table. As someone who now rides ultra-endurance events, and rarely has the need for all-out bursts of sudden speed over short distances, this is perhaps the better option, as it is for other riders like myself looking for a smoother ride.

Comfort and Handling

The first thing I noticed when I rolled through the rough back lanes during my first outing on the Orca was how smooth this bike feels. It almost glides over the road, and this brings a feeling of calm and confidence to a ride.

The bike is planted, stable, but not at the expense of quick handling. There’s a nimbleness to the Orca, taking it through turns with a relaxed and swift change of direction, and dodging the inevitable potholes with ease.

The fact that I’d spent the few weeks prior to this ride on a MTB makes this even more impressive; a performance road bike often feels twitchy and harsh in comparison. The Orca had none of this, and if a bike can fit like a glove than this one does. It just feels right.

Climbing

The Orca is a bike that wants to carry you uphill, so much so that it almost felt like I was cheating as the gradients grew. It’s no secret that Orbea’s aim was to create a frame that was lightweight, and excelled on the climbs, and they’ve certainly succeeded in that.

This is far from the first time in my career that I’ve ridden a bike that set out to be super light as a selling point, but it’s the first one that’s managed to achieve this without reducing the enjoyment that comes from riding it over varied terrain. You lose nothing with the Orca, and you gain a climbing beast!

Stamping on the pedals gives you an immediate return for your efforts, the feedback giving both a mental and physical boost on inclines, or you can settle into a sustainable rhythm and feel the Orca really come into its own.

Speed and Acceleration

This is the first area where you can feel a little compromise with the OMR frame vs its sibling OMX frame, albeit only on the flat, and only for the first few moments of acceleration. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still got a very swift change of speed, but if you’re used to a more sprint orientated steed then you do lose a little initial ‘kick’ at the expense of comfort and all round performance.

I think this would likely be one of the key differences you would feel from an upgrade to the higher spec OMX carbon frame, as this is a little stiffer and brings a slightly snappier ride.

I threw in some time trial efforts on the flat, and a few digs on the climbs, to test out the sustained speed of the Orca, and once again I was blown away. It feels like you’re in cruise mode until you glance down at the numbers and see what the bike can do when you give it the chance to fly.

The Orca wants to go places, and it wants to get you there quickly.

Design

Looks are in the eye of the beholder, so this is always a tricky one to judge with any sort of objectivity. Having said that, the Orca is a beautiful evolution of a legend.

The paintwork is exceptional, but this almost goes without saying when it comes to any Orbea frame. The new touches of colour on the forks add a little pop to the non-drive side of the bike, which I really like. An interesting bit of asymmetry that fits perfectly with an otherwise stripped back look.

The most notable design change in the latest Orca is the absence of dropped seat stays. I’ll be honest and say that when I saw the bike for the first time I wasn’t too sure about this choice from a purely aesthetic standpoint. However, I changed my tune pretty quickly.

Clean lines, a beautiful flowing join as the seat stays blend into the top tube, and a more timeless, elegant, look than previous editions.

Moving away from looks, this also serves an important purpose. A non-dropped seat stay is the strongest configuration, so Orbea have been able to reduce the amount of material here, and therefore weight, without compromising strength in any way. It also allows for an optimal seat clamp location for concealing the clamp within the junction.

Conclusion

The new Orbea Orca is the most well-balanced road bike I have ever ridden; and I’ve ridden a lot. It’s a lightweight climbing bike first and foremost, but this hasn’t come at the cost of all round excellence.

Rather than a jack of all trades and master of none, the Orca is a master of all trades and exceptional at some.

For full details please visit our Orbea Orca page >>