Orbea Orca 2024 M10i - What’s it like to ride a superbike?

[@yakoridesagain]

Have you made the change BACK to a ‘muscle’ bike from an e-bike? How did it go? Or are you contemplating it? Did you make the right choice? Genuinely interested, tell all!

[@paulchewbiker2758]

Great to see you and you mojo on a bike ride together. Flying!

[@yakoridesagain]

More to come, Chewie! Thanks bud.

[@iangaston446]

Great enthusiastic video again Gareth. Fortunately I can use either of my 3 bikes for different rides. I ❤️ your new bike.. health & enjoyment while riding.

[@yakoridesagain]

Very kind Ian. It’s nice to have a choice of steed facing me each day. Shame is only for another week or so!

[@richardhall263]

Love your enthusiasm for every bike you ride. I have 2 bikes an Orbea gain , and a Trek Domane al4 I use them 50 50 . I like to ride in the mornings. So if I have to go out after lunch I use the e bike. It works for me. My Trek is 10k so nothing like this orca. I would love a go on it.

[@yakoridesagain]

But I bet your Domane feels featherlight compared to your ebike! So if you had bigger breakfasts you could ditch it and free up some garage space?

[@richardhall263]

​@@yakoridesagain like I can afford breakfast.

[@KeithHeinrich]

Back in the day I owned the superbike of the day, a Rossin Record. SL frame, Campagnolo Record equipped, Mavic rims, record hubs, standards sort of spec for a proper bike back then. It was fast by the standards of the day, someone commenting at the time it rode itself up hills. Not quite but I can imagine it may have seemed that way. I still have it decades later, superb machine. Later I acquired an Orbea Opal, the lighter less compliant version of the Orca of the day and that was a full on race machine. Stupendously fast with eye opening handling - impossible to imagine how anyone could want more bike than that. I still have that too. Which leads to your current experience with today's Orca. The bar is raised again it seems, not surprising really. Orbea make fabulous bikes, well done you to be able to get your mitts on the top shelf gear and thanks for sharing the experience.

[@yakoridesagain]

I’d love to ride some of the classic bikes from the 70’s, including my first proper bike again. My Dad bought it for me for my 11th birthday, way too big but I grew into it, and only got rid of it during a house move. Nothing fancy but I went everywhere on that bike (Falcon Black Diamond 10sp). Maybe it’s time to try out this Orca Keith? N+1?

[@KeithHeinrich]

@@yakoridesagain I’m a vintage bike kind of guy and have a shed full of them. A bike as magnificent as the new Orca would be wasted on me these days.

[@brianhalsall6264]

Arrrrrrrr the hand over the camera at the end. Splendid, as is the bike.

[@yakoridesagain]

Right, I’ll have to remember for each week! Next week: there’s something I had to remember…

[@jeffsteiner5102]

That machine is so hot I can feel the heat here in Portland!

[@yakoridesagain]

😀🥵

[@jameslowry6486]

Yes yako I can imagine you thingking woo I wish I’d had something like this when i was 17 or 18 , thanks for this update on the bike,cheers jim,

[@yakoridesagain]

Ha! It feels so fast Jim, next I need to get into some hills!

[@terryb392]

Well done on a great ride on a great bike, must seem strange having no assist.. great video enjoy your week

[@yakoridesagain]

Many thanks Terry. It was odd, but a nice odd, riding without assist. Hillclimbing next!

[@Brookes79]

I found this info online about the bike your riding Gareth. The Orbea Orca M10i LTD PWR Road Bike isn’t just light. It is 6.7kg of climbing technology designed to change how you reach the top. The feeling of a bike this light and efficient is unbeatable, and this instant acceleration, vibration absorption and responsive handling come from a frame which knows where it needs to be light and where it needs to be stiff. Achieving Orca´s light weight required many marginal gains, focusing on the details and using the best materials across the range. Considering the bike as a package means working with component and wheel designers right from the start to optimize stiffness and weight. But having the lightest bike is worth nothing if it isn’t stiff and efficient. When Orbea designed Orca, they started with a target rigidity to ensure that even the strongest climbers could be sure of efficient power transmission. Then they designed Orca to be as light as possible without compromising that number. There is indeed just something special about the feel of a lightweight bike. We love the instant acceleration when you stamp on the pedals and the responsive, agile handling as you carve through the turns.

[@yakoridesagain]

Blimey! It’s like I wrote it! Orbea should def give me a job!

[@deancleavesmith]

Way too much fun - enjoy

[@yakoridesagain]

I am, Dean, but it’s tiring fun!

[@BillyBob-ri9pm]

Lovely lovely looking bike and your enthusiasm is infectious. I remember picking up a Spesh Aethos at a bike shop and showing my kids how featherlight it was! But I've never ridden one. What I do notice when I hop on my (steel) road bike after the ebike (SL mid motor) is that although long hills of course are tougher, on short snappy hills the non electric bike sprints up them and getting out of the saddle feels more natural and overall its fun. Even though my road bike is steel it is still 10lbs lighter then the ebike and I guess that really shows. On the flats the steel bike is so lively to ride. And yeah my ambition is alway to use the ebike as a training tool to get the fitness to where I can brave the (very steep)hills here unassisted and on a light fun bike. Not got there yet!

[@yakoridesagain]

Thanks BillyBob and sshhhh…I’m not there yet either! In my defence, this top flight bike wouldn’t be my choice from the range; I’d go for easier gearing (and a lower price tag!) but am frankly in awe of how fantastic this bike feels to ride! It just rolls, and rolls, and rolls….in some ways it’s like an ebike, it makes you feel fitter than maybe you are!

[@TheOkinawaBoy]

I wanted to have all road bike, but seems will stop with 2 separate. Don't thin k you can ride Orca on the light gravel or bad pavement? At least as per Orbea classification both for bike and QUOO wheels.

[@yakoridesagain]

I would agree. There are other bikes designed for roads AND gravel, but this Orca is a pure road/climbing bike. Carbon gravel bikes are getting lighter though, and with two wheelsets and perhaps a compromise on gearing and you could have just 1 bike…

[@TheOkinawaBoy]

@@yakoridesagain Went for M20iLtd and will put on my sub 1kg wheel 32mm tyres, but will avoid gravel for sure

[@yakoridesagain]

@@TheOkinawaBoy It’s a beautiful, iconic bike. You’ll love it.

[@PeterGoodier-ju4cf]

Have you tried the Orbea Urrun? I just bought one: like a Rise but hardtail

[@yakoridesagain]

Not exactly Peter - the Kemen shares the same frame but has the full-power motor (and mudguards!). I loved it.

[@gsipp00]

More time out of the saddle I would think than with an ebike ....have to get used to that again.

[@yakoridesagain]

I climb out of the saddle a lot George, gives my rear a rest!

[@gsipp00]

35kph thats the speed of the Peloton today in the First half of the stage.

[@yakoridesagain]

I find it utterly amazing, the speeds they can maintain. what was Paris Roubaix done in this year? 47kmh?

[@cyclopath9491]

Trés chic 🙂

[@yakoridesagain]

Merci! 😉

[@TheOkinawaBoy]

How do you ride without water?

[@yakoridesagain]

Ha, I don’t. The thumbnail was from my first ride on the bike - I was excited and so jumped on before thinking for a short spin.

[@caahacky]

Daren't look up the price.

[@yakoridesagain]

No. Really don’t. I have a full review nearly done, but how do you get past that price tag, despite the R&D?