12/01/2024
ORBEA ORCA M10I REPLICA VS ORBEA ORCA AERO M10I REPLICA
In 2024, Orbea is set to equip the Belgian UCI ProTeam Lotto-Dstny with its bikes, marking a significant shift from the team's previous 12-year partnership with Ridley.
Formerly known as Lotto-Soudal, the team, once a staple in the World Tour, faced relegation at the end of 2022. In a twist that only the whirlwind world of bike racing could conjure, Soudal has switched allegiances to sponsor Soudal-QuickStep, another Belgian powerhouse and a fierce rival of Lotto-Dstny. This dynamic can be quite baffling for newcomers to the sport, making following cycling teams much more confusing than a football team.
Orbea's journey began in 1840 when brothers Juan Manuel, Mateo, and Casimiro Orbea founded the company in Eibar, Basque Country, Spain. Initially focused on rifle and gun manufacturing, Orbea pivoted to the world of bicycles in 1930, leaving its armament legacy to create Orbea Bicycles.
Fast forward to today, and Orbea is offering Lotto-Dstny two distinct bike models: the Orbea Orca and Orca Aero. The name 'Orca' cleverly plays on a portmanteau of 'ORbea CArbon,' merging two concepts into one term. The names give a clear indication of their design philosophy: the Orca Aero is streamlined for aerodynamics, while the Orca caters to those seeking a versatile, lightweight race bike.
Lotto-Dstny has its sights set on leveraging these bikes to climb back to the top tiers of the sport. For cycling enthusiasts dreaming of mirroring the Lotto-Dstny experience, Orbea offers replica bikes for sale. However, be prepared for a hefty price tag, as these high-performance machines don't come cheap!
Jump to conclusion
1. Price | Weight | Material
2. Frame and Fork
3. Drivetrain
4. Brakes
5. Wheels and Tyres
6. Cockpit and Seat
7. Conclusion
My initial comparison of the two replica Lotto-Dstny bikes using the BIKOTIC.com visual comparison tool brings to mind a seesaw. The Aero Orca features a lower front, positioning the rider with their rear up and head down to optimize aerodynamics. In contrast, the lightweight Orca has a higher front, providing a more relaxed rider position with less forward lean, and a top tube that slopes towards the rear.
Regarding geometry, in a size 53, the Aero Orca features a front end that is 10mm lower, a front center that is 5.1mm shorter, and a bottom bracket (BB) drop that is 4mm lower. The placement of the bottom bracket represents a balance between minimizing pedal strikes and maintaining a low center of gravity for the rider.
The Orca Aero boasts distinctly deep aero tube shaping, particularly noticeable in the head tube, down tube, and seat tube areas. This aerodynamic design extends to the dropped seat stays. In contrast, the lightweight Orca features more traditional stays and a round seat post.
The Orca Aero is equipped with robust chainstays that are almost horizontal to the ground and kinked to converge at the rear axle. This design likely provides efficient power transfer and aerodynamic advantages.
Both bikes come fitted with Shimano's Dura Ace Di2 groupsets, except for the crankset, which has been substituted with the FSA Powerbox K-Force Team Edition. This is a dual-sided power meter featuring Bluetooth connectivity on both the left and right sides. It weighs 690 grams and has a recommended retail price (RRP) of £1,167. Each bike is equipped with 52-36 tooth chainrings and an 11-30 cassette, which are quite standard. However, professional cyclists are likely to use larger gear ratios compared to us mere mortals.
The Orbea Orca Aero includes a sleek aero water bottle and cage setup, specifically the OC Aero Bottle RA10 (550ml) paired with the Carbon Cage Kit RA10.
Price wise both bikes will make your eyes water, the Orca Aero being £1 shy of £12,000.00 and the Orca £500 more at £12,499.00. This is slightly odd, when we consider the Orca Aero has a fair bit more material making up its bulk, in the cycling world less can very much cost you more!
Both bikes are equipped with the Vision Metron 5D ACR Integrated 3K bar-stem combo, which has a weight of 363 grams for the 110 x 420mm size and is approximately priced at £600.
Both bikes are outfitted with Oquo wheels. The Orca features the Performance RP45LTD, which has a 45mm deep rim, an RRP of £1,999.00, an internal width of 21mm, and a wheelset weight of 1390g. The Aero Orca is equipped with the Performance RP57LTD, boasting a 57mm deep rim, an RRP of £1,999.00, an internal width of 21mm, and a wheelset weight of 1520g.
Both bikes are equipped with Vittoria Corsa Pro G2.0 TLR 700x28c tyres, which have a recommended retail price (RRP) of £90.00. Each tyre weighs 295 grams and features a 320 TPI casing, being tubeless-ready. The Vittoria Corsa TLR G2.0 tyre is recognized for its superior grip, low rolling resistance, and easy installation, making it an excellent choice for high-speed riding. While it's ideally suited for dry conditions and summer riding, it is particularly favored by those who prioritize speed and performance over durability.
Personally, I think both these bikes look great and I would be very happy to have either in my shed. If I had to choose, I would go for the lightweight hill whippet for the types of rides I do out in the hills. But if I were living in a flat area or had time trials or triathlon events planned, I would go for the Aero Orca.