[ekoostick]

Hey guys, incase anyone is wondering the first batch of Orbeas will be hitting the country in a week or two. Just got off the line with my rep and he said the 29er thing is really taking off. The entire first order is pretty much backorders and preorders but that they will trickle in weekly after that. The first shipment will be the white team replica bike but the black shouldn't be too far behind. In case anyone is wondering the geometry is still based on a 80mm fork so no big changes there. Also the clearence issue was addressed in the rear and people should be happier without a big change in geometry. Cannot wait for mine to get in!

-Keith

edit: Here is the white frame

and a larger of the black

 

[mtbcraig]

I just pulled this of their site. Looks nice ~ $2k

See if I can post the photo

Frame: Orbea 29er
Fork: RockShox Reba Race 29"
Shifters: SRAM X.9
Brake Levers: Avid FR 5
Brakes: Avid BB7 Disc
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.9
Front Derailleur: SRAM X.Gen
Chain: SRAM Powerchain PC-971
Cassette: SRAM Powerglide PG-980 11-34
Post: Thomson Elite
Crank: Truvativ Stylo 44-32-24
Wheels: DT Swiss Onyx 29"
Tires: Maxxis Ignitor 29x2.1
Bar: Zeus MTB
Stem: Zeus MTB
Saddle: Selle Italia Filante Trans Am

Advertised Retail $2,099

 

[Cloxxki]

I'm wondering about the rims...also DT?
Nice speclist for sure, might end up pretty light!

 

[OneGearGuy]

Kewl...

Looks like a fast bike!
The price seems to be right.

OGG

 

[kustomz]

The entire first order is pretty much backorders and preorders but that they will trickle in weekly after that.

Backorders! That is awsome that they are having good success in the 29er market. Hopefully this will spur them on to offer the Alma carbon in big wheels.

 

[Cloxxki]

Just make sure they know you want a carbon from them!
The 29" market might just help Orbea conquer the US market, if they handle it smartly.
The cool thing with carbon is that it seems to allow reasonable numbers, though of course at high cost. But with both the European and US market to sell to...you have to be a pretty bad sales manager to not sell the minimum manufacturing quantity of a good 29" carbon frame.

 

[OneGearGuy]

Orbea USA is trying real hard to get the spanish designers to make a 29" wheel version of the OIZ (scalpel style full suspension), but the designers are struggling with the whole 29" concpet. Maybe when their best selling MTB in the US is the 29"er hardtail they will understand a little better

Amen to that!
Time will tell.
And we can send emails to help them understand that they are on the right track.

OGG

 

[heenan]

Backorders! That is awsome that they are having good success in the 29er market. Hopefully this will spur them on to offer the Alma carbon in big wheels.

Orbea USA is trying real hard to get the spanish designers to make a 29" wheel version of the OIZ (scalpel style full suspension), but the designers are struggling with the whole 29" concpet. Maybe when their best selling MTB in the US is the 29"er hardtail they will understand a little better

 

[Cloxxki]

Euro's don't have a clue about this sort of thing anyway. I can know. It took us years to get a hint of the MTB hype in the 80's. For Europe it became the 90's really.

But Scary, I couldn't think of ONE brand such as Orbea that could leave away brake bosses. With the complex software these companies already need to be able to produce as affordably as they already do, adding in the option to add or leave away braze-ons for one customer 3 steps away int he distribution channel...naaaah, not in this century...
Let all brands just start using the bolt-on canti bosses like VooDoo does. Looks nice enough for disc-only, leaves some options for others.

For me, I like canti bosses. I'd love a carbon bike, but I'd also love to use the carbon to make my bike light. I used to say that light discs can compete with V's, but for 29" that's less true.

 

[2melow]

No need to send a ton of emails...I just emailed this link to one of their US Product Development guys. Post what you want/need/desire here.

From what I understand @ Interbike dirt demo their 29"ers were always out being ridden. So popular I didn't even get a chance to ride one.

 

[JMH]

Like Trek

Scary- I think you might have a wrong impression of Orbea... they aren't a custom shop cranking out a handful of 29er frames... they are a huge bike company with a highly automated production line. You can order a custom frame from them if you want to, but expect to pay a premium and wait a while.

JMH

Don't expect alot from them, I inquired to Orbea USA about getting frames without the v-brake bosses in the rear. They told me they could not do it, Spain ships them as is. It's not like I asked for an additional step in their manufacturing process, I asked them to remove one. I was less than impressed, especially since Orbea claims to be "custom options" oriented.

 

[kustomz]

Just make sure they know you want a carbon from them!

They and many other carbon MTB producing companies get a few emails a year from me requesting info on carbon 29ers. I also give them a link to these forums to help catch the fever and educate. All it will really take is a few companies like Meridia, Orbea, and Scott to get their tales whooped on the world stage race scene by a 29er

 

[JMH]

DT rims

The bikes at Interbike had DT Onyx hubs laced to DT rims... I wish I had paid more attention to which DT rim... doh.

JMH

I'm wondering about the rims...also DT?
Nice speclist for sure, might end up pretty light!

 

[extralight]

Does anyone know the bottom bracket height on the orbea? The 2005 prepreduction prototype I rode was way too low.

 

[Chequama Mama]

All that needs is a 29" SID (or a Pace rigid fork) and it will be a purebread.

I'd be interested in a weight/performance comparison between that bike and a paragon. They seem to be spec'd relatively similarly, though the Paragon is at least $300 cheaper.

YO MAMA

 

[~martini~]

For a race bike, this thing looks killer. It just looks fast.Good to see that it's in such demand too.Good sign for sure.

 

[JMH]

Custom

There are loads of custom builders out there if you want this sort of service. It seems odd that you would demand a custom modification to a mass-production bike. I can't imagine expecting Merida, Fisher, Cannondale or Specialized to make a change like this. At least Orbea does have a custom program available, but I don't know if they offer custom 29ers yet. Did you investigate this option?

I am sorry you decided that the frame wasn't for you, I am pretty excited to get mine.

JMH

I realize that they are a mass production bike company, but you have to incorproate flexibility into your workflow. Not being able to remove a process is very amateurish (especially one that is probably done right before paint, so the frames are transferred via racks to another part of the plant anyways).
They lost two sales in one day with that response (My friend and I both bought Fishers instead), so I'm glad to see that they have been sent a link to this thread.
If you run Stans rotors with a light disc you can approach the weight of a v, and discs work alot better. But to have the canti bosses hanging on the rear of the bike serving no purpose is just ugly IMO.

 

[chuky]

You ought to be glad that they declined...

you have to incorproate flexibility into your workflow.

...rather than trying to accomodate a request they were unsure about fulfilling in order to get the dollars from one more sale.

You have your new bike and you can go ride it now. You aren't sitting and waiting and waiting while a factory on the other side of the world customizes it's workflow to accomodate your special order.

Cheers,
C

 

[bigwheelboy_490]

Now I totally understand why people are willing to pay so much for custom frames, it's not voodoo or magic that puts them together. Believe me the accountants have ever step calculated down to the nth second. We are talking about two frames skipping one work station (so a production supervisor walks to the shop floor, grabs two frames, moves them from the WIP rack for welding the v-brake bosses to the next WIP rack-very difficult), it's not custom drawn tubes, and some "requested" geometry. The only extra attention they would need is ensuring they were shipped to Orbea USA for distribution. I would have paid the $50 to accomodate them.

The Orbea came as a frameset and the Fisher did not, so I had to take all of the parts I didn't want (I kept the frame/fork) and sell them. Then rebuild the bike. So it wasted alot of my time.

By your logic, nobody should request they do a carbon frame because that would interrupt their current workflow...

BTW, Orbea please do a sub 3lb. carbon frame. I would be one of the first in line.

That's the nice thing about choice. You choose to buy a bike with out brake bosses. Some may want them. You excercised your rights as a consumer and bought the bike that fit your needs best. If it meant swaping a lot of parts to get what you wanted, so be it. The nice thing about being a consumer, is that it is our dollar (or Euro), that ultimately will define product developement.

 

[fred-da-trog]

All that needs is a 29" SID (or a Pace rigid fork) and it will be a purebread.

I'd be interested in a weight/performance comparison between that bike and a paragon. They seem to be spec'd relatively similarly, though the Paragon is at least $300 cheaper.

YO MAMA

I went back and forth between '06 Orbea and the '06 Paragon for over a month. I finally decided on the Paragon based on price(-$500), brakes(Juicy 7) and color (have white SS, shows every little scratch) I have about 150 miles on the Paragon now. No regrets. I love the performance. I'm not real pleased with the Bontrager Race 29 rear hub and wheels(rebadged DT Onyx?).

I like climbing technical rocky and the rear hub doesn't engage near as nice as the 240. Replacing the wheels will be the first upgrade.