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Orbea launch first dedicated aero road bike, the Orca Aero

Cofidis using Basque firm's latest race machine at the Tour de France

Orbea have updated the flagship Orca in time for the 2017 Tour de France, launching the Orbea Orca Aero – the first dedicated aero iteration of the Basque firm’s race bike.

Eagle-eyed Tour fans will have spotted the new bike being used by some of Cofidis’ fast-men at the Tour, with the French team looking to guide sprinter Nacer Bouhanni to stage wins.

The Orca has already undergone several transformations in the near-decade since Orbea first launched the race bike, and having already been made lighter and stiffer in that time, this latest aero update adds another new dimension.

Orbea’s new aero road bike, the Orca Aero, is being used by Cofidis at the Tour de France (Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media)

Orbea say they have taken advantage of the relaxation of the UCI’s 3:1 ruling, regarding the length and width of tube profiles, with the fork the most striking new addition to the bike.

A wider fork opening and an increased depth to the fork blades contribute to a claimed four-watt saving over the previous fork, while direct-mount brakes keep things aero-focussed. The Orca Aero’s tubes also have a truncated profile to reduce drag.

The flagship Orbea Orca Aero M11iTeam comes with SRAM Red eTap and costs £6,799

Orbea have also designed a dedicated seatpost for the Orca Aero. It’s oval shaped to reduce air turbulence, with a 23mm setback and a wider range of adjustment, Orbea say, than the competition.

The downtube, meanwhile, has a ‘double-radius profile’, with flattened sides to smooth air flow at higher yaw angles (i.e. when crosswinds are blowing). Out back, the rear wheel closely hugs the seattube.

Orbea haven’t forgotten about stiffness either, with the headtube, bottom bracket and chainstay junctions optimised to keep things rigid in the heat of a sprint.

The same frame is compatible with mechanical, electronic and wireless groupsets, thanks to an interchangeable cable ports.

Perhaps the most striking element of the bike is the new aero cockpit, bringing Orbea in line with other leading brands such as Canyon and Trek by offering an integrated unit to clean up the front end. The headset also neatly integrated with the toptube.

The bike line-up is six-strong, starting with the Shimano 105-equipped Orca Aero M30Team for £2,599, all the way up to the SRAM Red eTap-dressed Orca Aero M11iTeam at £6,799.

The Shimano 105-equipped Orca Aero M30Team opens the range at £2,599

You can also fully customise the Orca Aero through Orbea’s MyO custom programme, adapting everything from the components to the frame colours.

Here is the full price list for the Orbea Orca Aero, which is available now.

  • Orca Aero M11iTeam (SRAM Red eTap) – £6,799
  • Orca Aero M10iTeam (Shimano Dura-Ace Di2) – £6,499
  • Orca Aero M10Team (Shimano Dura-Ace) – £4,199
  • Orca Aero M20iTeam (Shimano Ultegra Di2) – £3,499
  • Orca Aero M20Team (Shimano Ultegra) – £2,799
  • Orca Aero M30Team (Shimano 105) – £2,599

Take a look at the photo gallery below to see each model.

Website: Orbea

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