New Orbea Occam29 / Nueva Occam29
The Occam 29 is perfect for long distance XC racing and riding as it offers ample travel in an efficient, lightweight package. We've re-designed the Occam platform for 29" wheels, and it's a fast-roller that is perfectly suited to relentlessly rocky trails. Although it shares the same geometry as the Hydro version, we build this one with our Orbea Silver carbon fiber to create a package that is all about performance. The Occam 29 is agile and efficient on the climbs, yet it makes sparks fly on the descents.
Bicicleta creada para riders con experiencia que buscan una 29" eficiente, ligera y confortable en todo tipo de terrenos y distancias. Tanto los usuarios puros de XC como los de Trail/Marathon verán en esta bicicleta su fiel compañera.
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2013 Orbea Occam Revealed
By aquadog July 25, 2012.Mtbr Visits Orbea and Test Rides the New Occam 29
After 3 years of development, Orbea unveiled their Occam 29 full suspension bike. Orbea is located in Spain, in the heart of Basque country. We were privileged to be invited to their launch venue and enjoy the full Basque hospitality. It was quite evident that the Spaniards were highly engaged in this project. It was designed for XC endurance racing and trail riding.
Orbea has been in the business of building bikes since the 1930’s. Primarily a road bike company early on with the Euskaltel-Euskadi team. But in the last 5-10 years their mtb athletes have been winning World Cups. Julian Absalon has been their poster boy. The Luna Chicks have also been representing at World cups with dominance. This new bike isn’t necessarily designed for the world cup competition, but more for longer endurance style races or general XC trail riding.
They didn’t just take the success of their 26 spec’s and make them fit the 29er wheels, they developed this as a separate platform. Targeted for the endurance/trail crowd they really took time to address the common 29er issues. They wanted a bike that didn’t give up agility and stiffness.(mas stiffer) After much design efforts they developed his bike with shorter chain stays to keep it quick and nimble on the trail (445 mm).They had a prototype last year, but wanted to perfect it. They really worked on keeping it stiffer. So it may not fit their current world cup athlete’s needs, I think this bike is going to compete nicely with the other 29er fs bikes on the market in the US.
After following the TdF for so many years I’ve always loved when the race got down into the Pyrenees and into Basque country. It always seemed like something exciting in the race would happen. The mountains were steeper than the Alps. The Basque people showed up in their orange colors and reeked some craziness into the race. My perception was soon changed as I met the guys behind the new Occam 29er project. These guys were hard core mt bikers. They truly were passionate about the sport. Their presentation was methodical in their approach to a new platform. They’ve had great results from the elite mtb team on the World cup circuit on the 26 platform, but they designed this 29er Occam platform from ground up. Don’t look for Julian Absalon to ride this at the Olympics. The Olympic course isn’t going to be conducive for a 29er. It’s a full on 26 hardtail type of course. But look for the Occam to show up at races like the Cape Epic and other marathon events next year.
As soon as I threw my leg over the S10 Occam I could feel how solid the bike felt. The Mas Stiffer effect of Orbea’s goal was evident. I’ve ridden most of the brands in the US in this category and the Occam meets the expectations of what you want in a 29er XC rig.
We were bussed up from a little town in northern Spain call Hondarribia A beautiful place where the yearly Clasica San Sebastian and the infamous road climb Alto de Jaizkibel take place. We were met with the full team Orbea and a huge Orbea tent and the pro mtb team mechanics. After a 3km loop to work on suspension pressures and dialing in our fit, we set out for the bigger loop. Doug from www.basguemtb.com was leading our group. Lush Santa Cruz like trails with some tricky rock sections really put the Occam to a test right off the bat. This Occam came with Fox’s new CTD lock out system (Climb, Trail, Descend). The CTD system allows you set the suspension according to the terrain you are riding from a handy handle bar mounted switch. The thumb levers were a bit big and got in the way for some guys. But after some repositioning it was fine. I flipped the stock negative degree rise stem so it was a little more up right to my liking.
I could feel the stiffness in the front end. The combination of the 15 mil through axle and the Sram carbon wheels really gave it a nice straight track through the technical stuff. 25% sag seemed to be the sweet spot for the rear suspension. After some fun twisty descending I was impressed with the Occam’s agility. I smacked a couple of hidden rocks but the Occam wasn’t phased. We turned up a steep climb and switched into the C position on Fox’s handle bar mount. It climbed like a billy goat with no fighting the front wheel coming off the ground. Next we had a slight grade uphill on some rocky double track. The T (trail) setting was perfect. Just enough to take the big bumps out but not enough to cause any unnecessary bob on the climb. Almost like the Specialized Epic brain.
This bike is ready to race if you wanted or plush enough for every day trail use. A light weight XC endurance 29 platform that’s stiff, but yet plush enough for longer events. Think Trek’s SF 100, Specialized Epic, and Santa Cruz Tallboy that are prevalent in the marathon distance events in the US.
They explained the high (but not too high) rear pivot point. It’s the sweet spot so that the angle of the chain in tension as it relates to the rear pivot, so not to cause unwanted bob in high torque conditions. (steep climbs) The shorter chain stays helped with agility in tight terrain. I felt like the bike was super responsive and quick. Another feature they are proud of is the cabling system. It’s a slick organized system to reduce cable noise and rub marks. The 15 mil front through axle definitely helped in keeping the front end stiff. Orbea’s objective was to have a longer top tube so you could utilize shorter stems. They feel it puts you more in control and over the front end of the bike. Another cool Orbea feature is a life time warranty. This is what gave it 5 chili’s for value.
The Occam OM comes with a full carbon front triangle with aluminum seat stay and carbon chain stays. The seat stay didn’t make sense to make in carbon. For the limited weight penalty the aluminum seat stays can handle the forces subject to this area while keeping the stiffness.
I have to give it 5 chili’s for performance and value. Everything is an option for Orbea. Build it the way you want it. Since they will be selling in September of 2012 you should start to see some of these out on the trail or on the podium at some of your local races. 3 sizes available (S,M,L) The Aluminum version is the Hydro.
Here are some key points on the bike that I feel make it a bike to consider for 2013. Actually 2012 since the dealers will be taking stock and ready to sell in September.
Key Features
Higher pivot point
Short chain stays (make it handle better)
Slick cable routing. (no noise or rubbing)
15 mm front through axle (stiffer front end)
Longer top tubes with shorter stems (better forward position onthe bike)
OLT (Orbea Lifetime warranty)
Aluminum or Carbon (OMS or Hydro)
Stiff Sram carbon wheels (mas stiffer) S10 and option on any model
15×142 rear through axle
A rubber protection shield for the down tube and chain stay
Ball bearing rear shock linkage
http://reviews.mtbr.com/2013-orbea-occam-revealed
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Orbea Occam S10 29er - First ride review | $6999.99
"Impressive tech and ride quality, with customisation on offer to suit you"
BikeRadar Review
Wed 25 Jul 2012, 8:00 am BSTBy Matt Legg-Bagg in Mallabia, Basque Country
Perhaps better known for their road bikes, Orbea are switching focus to the mountain bike stage for 2013.
Over the last 10 years, the Spanish company have restructured with new vision and focus, and massive investment in technology, computer software (Advanced Dynamics) and tools has given them an edge. It's one that's becoming recognised, with their World Cup cross-country team already sitting on a number of good results this season.
The 26in-wheeled Occam was released in 2011 and proved a success as a versatile trail bike. Keen not to rush anything, Orbea have spent a year fully redesigning the bike to accommodate 29in wheels.
It would seem that every last detail has been thought about to make this bike a comfortable, quick mile-eater that handles every bit as well as its 26in-wheeled brother.
Ride & handling: Top-end kit shines through on the trail
Sometimes it's hard to find a location in the UK that's gnarly enough to really put a bike through its paces. Luckily for BikeRadar, Spain's Basque Country is mountainous and green, with sandy, loose trails, huge rocks and ridgelines aplenty. The climbs are killer and the descents rapid. Orbea brought us there to let us thrash the Occam S10, the top-of-the-range Occam 29er for 2013, and we weren't going to hold back.
A long uphill drag got the test started, and with Fox's CTD (Climb/Trail/Descend) suspension system switched to Climb the bike surged forward under power. The Shimano XTR group worked effortlessly smoothly too, with no noise but the Geax AKA tyres biting against the asphalt.
A long top tube length gives a cross-country racer position on the bike, encouraging an efficient stance and allowing us to make best of our lungs as we got closer to the summit.
CTD switches suspension presets on the go
Into the woods and the Occam got its first taste of dirt. Flicking the CTD lever to Trail, we immediately felt some relief as the bike began to suck up small rocks and roots.
Soon we were heading downhill and the bike quickly picked up speed, the greater momentum of the larger wheels almost pulling it down. It was only then that we could notice how stiff the Occam frame is, with the carbon SRAM wheels and front and rear 15mm quick-releases playing their part.
With Descend mode engaged and the super-smooth, Kashima-coated suspension working through a fully open valve circuit, the bike had a bullish attitude. Nobody was going to stop it.
Like many other 29ers we've ridden, the Occam doesn't feel top heavy or clumsy. In fact, it's obedient to your every command. To be honest, we were surprised to feel in control at all times, even when cornering at speed.
A 70mm stem and 710mm wide bar aids handling. Before the ride, we flipped the stem from a negative to a positive rise, giving a slightly higher front end as we couldn't get on with the stock setup.
There's been a lot of talk lately about bikes becoming too stiff at the expense of comfort. There's no doubt that the Occam is extremely stiff, but with the custom Fox suspension and a slightly lower tyre pressure, we were comfortable riding all day.
With that in mind, this machine should be a great match for endurance cross-country racers who want to ride with a smile on their face.
Frame & equipment: 29er tweaks aplenty
Orbea wanted the Occam 29er to keep the fun trail-riding vibe of the 26in-wheeled bike, but with added comfort for marathon riding. To that end, the designers called on Fox early in the project to work on a custom suspension platform that would get the best from the bike. The end result was a 100m fork and a 105mm rear can.
The S10 boasts silky, Kashima-coated Fox at the front and rear, with the new CTD (Climb, Trail, Descend) technology enabling you to switch between three pre-tuned suspension setups from the handlebar. A Shimano XTR groupset keep things shifting smoothly and quickly, with excellent reliability. The matching brakes and Ice Tech rotors have adequate power, modulation and setup features to keep you in control when the trail turns technical, too.
The Spaniards have also added a few quirky features to the Occam S10, to help overcome problem areas where 29ers fall short of their small-wheeled cousins. Two main things the designers have looked at are the bike's handling and stiffness.
On the Occam S10, the front triangle is moulded in one piece using Orbea's OCM carbon fibre. But the designers have opted to use aluminium to create the seatstays, because of the forces this part of the bike is subject to. There's a slight weight penalty, but with it an advantage in stiffness. Full hydroformed aluminium (Hydro) models are also available further down the range.
The old-style bushings have gone from the rear shock linkage, and have been replaced with a ball bearing assembly for reduced friction and a potentially longer life.
Full bearings in the rear should help with small-bump sensitivity
A longer top tube means a shorter stem can be brought in to liven things up, too, and a 69-degree head angle is just waiting to eat rocks for dinner.
The 15x142mm rear axle runs through a pivot in a similar way to Trek's ABP design. The removable dropouts mean that owners of lower-specced, 9mm compatible Occams can upgrade easily to a bolt-through.
Orbea's Downtube Cable Highway keeps things tidy, with the rear brake and mech lines running neatly down the down tube and held in place by three clips. There's still space to fit a bottle cage, and the front mech cable is routed internally. This limits any cable chatter inside the frame, and Orbea's designers say it gets rid of cable rub completely. It certainly looks organised.
One of the most impressive innovations with the S10 comes at the main pivot. A 28mm OD sleeve runs through, connecting the back end with the front triangle. Two sealed bearings are pressed into this sleeve, and an expander bolt is inserted and tightened against a nut on the other side. Once torqued correctly, the setup is super stiff, smooth and, we hope, hassle free.
As you'd expect, a rubber Occam branded chainstay protector is in place, with a matching piece under the down tube. This should help prevent loose rocks damaging the frame.
The branded chainstay protector on the Occam S10 29er
MyO is a custom speccing tool that means when you buy an Orbea you have a choice of colours, forks, brakes, seats, stem lengths, and so on. Our test bike had the best of every option, with a reflective price tag.
However, all Orbea bikes over 500 euros come with MyO custom options so that you can change the feel of the bike to suit you. The Spanish company have obviously thought hard about this. The standard Occam will come with 100mm of travel, narrow-ish bars and hard-pack race tyres. There are also Occam MyO options for a 120mm fork, wide bars and a dropper post.
Our top-end test model weighed in at 11.58kg (25.52lb) with XTR clipless pedals.
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