Submitted by
abosch
a Cross Country Rider
from San Rafael, CA, USA Date Reviewed: June 18, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Tamarancho
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Light, strong, quick, good-geometry, good-looks
Weaknesses:
Paint easily chips (so what, it's a mountain bike) & I'm not a fan of integrated headset (I prefer Chris King headsets)
Similar Products Used:
My 1st 29er, my other bikes are/have-been, Santa Cruz Blur & Superlight, KHS Alite 4000
Bike Setup:
Fox 29er fork, XTR cranks/shifters/derailleurs, Hayes El Camino disc brakes, King Headset, king hubs & Stans ZTR rims wheelset, Thomson seatpost & stem
Bottom Line:
Great bike... fun, smooth & fast on the trails. Great w/ the climbs and the downhill. Other posts have complained about the BB & rear wheel clearance, but it really isn't a big deal. Expect a lot of raves from your fellow riders.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Erol
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairfield, CT Date Reviewed: May 8, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1750.00
Purchased At:
Paddle and Pump, Darien CT
Strengths:
Higher-end solid components. 29inch wheels. Light weight. Versatility: swap tires with slicks and you have a decent bike for the road.
Weaknesses:
None so far after 1 year and 600miles plus usage.
Bike Setup:
Standard that came with the bike. Rock shoks reba, juicy 5 breaks, sram 7 etc.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike. It is great on the mountain. 29inch tires make it easier. The bike just rolls easier. It is fairly light, about 26lb with mountain tires, so it is nice for longer climbs. And it can take abuse coming downhill.
I don't even ride my road bike anymore. I swap the tires with road tires and I can go for a longer ride on the road. The front suspension has a lock when needed.
I would not change anything on this bike. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a robust mountain bike with some versatility.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew Eckel
a Cross Country Rider
from Westford, MA Date Reviewed: May 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Tophet Chasm
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Strengths:
Fast, stiff, ultra-light, fun to ride.
Weaknesses:
None yet really. The paint does chip easily but, whatever, it's a mountain bike...
Similar Products Used:
Gary Fisher Paragon 29er
Bike Setup:
XT Derailleurs and Cranks, Stan's Olympic 29er wheels, Fizik Gobi saddle, Avid Juicy Carbon Brakes, Thomson, Rock Shox Reba, XTR pedals, FSA headset, XO Triggers, XT Cassette, The Crow tires setup tubeless.
Bottom Line:
I built it over the winter and haven't noticed any glaring issues. It's fun to ride, I haven't had any clearance problems at the chainstays and the frame is an '06. As built it's very, very light. Great climber for a 29er. Handles technical terrain w/ ease. Low BB has yet to be a problem. An early review - Favorite bike in the stable at the moment bike but I've had only limited time to spin around recently.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
drew
a Racer
from Austin, TX, US Date Reviewed: February 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Barton Creek Greenbelt
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2300.00
Purchased At:
360 Cycleworks (RIP)
Strengths:
decent price point, stiff enough/complaint enough
Weaknesses:
I find it a little whippy but I have "special needs". BB is low so you need to adjust on cross slopes and around big rocks and roots. Clearance is a bit of an issue but that's also a stiffness issue. Fix either one and the other is mostly solved.
Similar Products Used:
Kona Unit 29er, Gary Fisher Paragon, Haro Mary 29er
Bike Setup:
stock except campy chorus carbon post and upgrade to race lite wheels
Bottom Line:
Good bike for the money. Turns in the medium range which makes is a good all-rounder.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
turtle
a
from seattle Date Reviewed: December 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
The strength is in the design; the balance spot on. The quality of the frame is 100% grade AAA; nice paint too.
Weaknesses:
I'm not sure if the lower clearance is a strength or a problem; this is a race style bike, it's meant to be low.
Similar Products Used:
Other 26 and 29ers. this frame is super sweet.
Bike Setup:
X-7, Juicy 5's and the Reba SL BL Wheels and Schwalbe Big Apples
Bottom Line:
I'm not sure what's going on with some of the above reviews; they must have 2006 frames. The 2007 frame, does not have any problem with rear weel clearance. I'm running the Big Apple tires and there's tons of room.
I almost bought an 06 but the owner told me the biggest tire I dould fit would be a 2.1; I'm very glad I got the 07. I was afraid I wasn't going to like the bike so it took me a few days to go for a ride. But now that I've been riding with the Schwalbe Big Apples, I couldn't be happier; what a sweet bike. Thanks to Scott and Wes at Poison Spider in Moab; customer service doesn't get any better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
John
a Racer
from Austin, Tx, USA Date Reviewed: December 3, 2007
Alma 29er (loaner 'till my bike came in) Kona Kula 29er (test ride)
Bike Setup:
Full XT build, Reba Team, Truvative Stylo crankset/bb, AM Classic wheels
Bottom Line:
This is an awesome ride. I was very hesitant about going back to a hardtail after 4 years on 26" f-s bikes, but so far have had zero comfort-related issues. I love the efficiency of a hardtail and this frame with it's s-bend seat-stays coupled with the 29er wheels makes for a pretty nice ride. A bump is still a bump, but this one certainly takes the edge off without losing too much forward momentum. Climbing loose and rocky ledges are not a problem, switch-back climbs and descents are effortless (relatively speaking), and fast/flat sections are a blast to ride. I highly recommend giving the Lanza a test ride or do what I did and sell your f-s and go cold-turkey. My 19" build comes in around 24lbs, which is less than my f-s (S-Works Epic). I am very satisfied and happy on this bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tracy Martinez
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO USA Date Reviewed: October 31, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Mt Falcon
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$999.00
Purchased At:
On-line
Strengths:
Weight, stiffness, race geometry; Bike can be raced right out of the box or can be upgraded further to your liking depending on the terrain ridden. Short stays, short head tube and longer sloping top tube puts the rider in a comfortable but aggressive position.
Weaknesses:
Low bottom bracket height; slim clearance in the chain stays and XT front der rubs against any tire larger then 2.1.; Paint chips easily, but contributes to a lower overall weight for you weight weenies due to the thin one coat paint job; Expensive if purchased retail ~ buy one on-line and save the cash leftover for a single speed 29er of course!
Similar Products Used:
Niner One - TRY IT!
Bike Setup:
Full XT; Salsa Delgado rims with King rear disc hub and front Maverick 20mm hub; Maverick SC32; Easton carbon flat bar, post, Tune flipped stem; WTB front 2.3, WTB rear 1.9
Bottom Line:
Love the bike for the price I paid on-line built to the spec above. I've owned countless 26" hard tails and full suspension rigs including one other 29er (Niner One) and the Orbea just fits like a new glove. I'm more capable on the ascents and descents with this bike then any of my full suspension bikes I've ridden. I'm 6 ft tall and would recommend the 29" wheels to any rider of any ability. I've officially converted to the 29er revolution after this bike purchase and contribute the race geometry of the frame and larger wheel diameter. The short stays, short heat tube and sloping top tube could not have been designed better in my opinion. If I had the cash flow, I would definitely pick up the Alma, but don't feel any bike is worth their retail value. Buy this bike if you are a X-Country or weekend warrior rider; pass if you are a downhill or all-mountain rider, although I have ridden this bike in rocky, loose and rough terrain, this bike excels in twisty single track with smaller sized rocks, roots and drops. Anything obstacle too large hits the bottom bracket or crank. Would rate the Lanza 5 habaneros if the price was more reasonable and the bottom bracket were higher and the stays a bit wider. That said, I would recommend this bike whole heartedly.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from Hood River, Oregon Date Reviewed: June 20, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Light, fast, stiff (just enough). With a ti seatpost, I thought I had my "race weapon".
Weaknesses:
Not enough clearance at the chainstays. Rear tire rubbed about 1/3 of the way through both sides within about 30 hours of riding, despite retensioning of spokes by excellent local wheelbuilder.
Similar Products Used:
Turner Sultan (parts switched over).
Bike Setup:
Standard Lanza XT setup with Reba fork and Bonty Racelite Disk wheels. Stock Bonty tires -- a very narrow 2.2.
Bottom Line:
Orbea had a good thing going with this bike -- almost. The chainstay issue is insurmountable, unless you are very light, and run a very narrow tire, or both. At 190 lbs, I tried the narrower rear tire, and still had a lot of rubbing. The final straw was that Orbea provided a paltry $300 refund for the frame! I considered being a putz and trying to return the whole bike, but decided to switch all the parts over to a Sultan, which is an absolute dream bike.
A very fair price for the bike, but only one chili overall, because this frame could actually be considered unsafe due to the miniscule tire clearance at the chainstays.
$
Overall Rating:
