It's hard to beat the sensation of power that comes from a great aero bike. What rider is ambivalent about a machine that is designed to give back free watts? Is there a competitor who doesn't grasp every last advantage in the battle for speed? Orca Aero delivers these prizes - along with the willingness to to go all-out, all day, without hesitation. Long live the bike that balances the emotional and rational desires inside each of us. Long live Orca Aero.
The Orca Aero M20LTD, equipped with Shimano's Ultegra 11-speed groupset and Fulcrum Racing 400 wheels, is fast, responsive and beautiful.
The key to building the best aero road bike is finding the balance of aerodynamics, stiffness and handling, and identifying additional performance factors that allow the rider to increase efficiency.
Aerodynamics
Orca Aero builds on the development of the fabulous Ordu TT bike. Thousands of hours of computer modelling, wind tunnel sessions and field testing, and considering every single component, searching for the sweet spot, has resulted in the Orca Aero. Aligning the frame with the airflow, optimising cross-sections, smoothing transitions and myriad other improvements mean a big reduction in drag.
Key improvements:
- Horizontal top tube and chainstays improve airflow
- Aerodynamically optimised down tube and seat tube profiles for 25-28mm tyres
- Single profile transitions between head tube and downtube and the seat tube and seat stays reduce turbulence in these areas
- Drag around the rear wheel has been reduced by aligning the upper seat tube junction with the airflow
- Aerodynamically designed fork is optimised for high profile wheels.
- OC aero handlebar, stem and seatpost reduce drag by 2%
Combined, these features reduce drag by 15 watts at 40 km/h and 28 watts at 50 km/h. Slipping effortlessly through the air, that instant feedback of a world-class aero bike. There is no better feeling.
Stiffness to Weight
It's a huge challenge to design a pure aero bike without adding weight and compromising climbing ability.
Stiffness is the key to power transmission. The large majority of torsional and lateral loads are handled by the lower spine of the frame. A frame which is stiff in the right places means direct power transmission to the rear wheel.
Orbea use the most technologically advanced carbon construction available to make the most sophisticated frame possible. Producing OMX Carbon, the pinnacle of carbon fibre bicycle manufacturing, is a complex and painstaking process but the result can be appreciated in the saddle.
Carefully designing critical sections of the frame and optimising the OMX carbon lay-up and cross-sections means class-leading stiffness to weight ratios. Testing showed that Orca Aero had no power transfer efficiency loss, even on the hardest climbs. Orca Aero is one of the most efficient, fastest aero frames on the market. It is one of the best climbing aero bikes.
Balanced Handling
One of the most important points to consider when determining geometry is that the bike must be easy to ride. Going fast isn't just a by-product of good aerodynamics, it requires precise control over the bike.
Great handling comes from a great geometry:
- Shorter wheelbase is more responsive
- Shorter chainstays for better acceleration
- Size-specific fork trail gives improved control for all frame sizes
- Lower stack and bigger bottom bracket drop give better aerodynamics and stability
Additional Performance Factors
Superior Ergonomics and Integration
The OC Cockpit has been designed for a perfect balance of aerodynamics, stiffness to weight and ergonomics. Moving away from a fully integrated cockpit gives massive ergonomic gains for very little compromise. Rotate your bars, change stem lengths or change handlebar widths to get the perfect position, improve aerodynamics and reduce fatigue.
Better ergonomics improves rider comfort, aerodynamics and control. Which means more speed!
- OC2 ICR stems ensure a perfect fit and full cable integration, and includes a computer mount interface with tilt adjust for your preferred viewing position
- One of the fastest, most ergonomic aero handlebars, the OC3 carbon handlebar has a 5 degree flare and up to 15 degrees of rotation; this and the stem have excellent stiffness suitable for even the most aggressive sprinters
- The new lightweight Aero OMX carbon seatpost has reduced drag compared with previous versions, and has a good range of adjustment: 0 to 25mm for the setback and +/- 10 degree tilt
- Aero bottle and cage: airflow around the downtube rolls seamlessly past the bottle and cage, and nothing impedes the beautiful look of the frame; if you need more carrying capacity, there are standard bottle mounts on the down tube and seat tube
- Storage: the age-old question of where to carry essential tools, tubes and identification is answered by the integrated Toolbox behind the front wheel; like the bottle cage, the Toolbox is not only useful but aerodynamically beneficial; whether you fill it up or leave it empty, it's yet another feature that makes Orca Aero faster
- With clearance for 30c tyres, Orca Aero acknowledges that speed can also be comfortable - a wider tyre inflated to lower pressures can reduce rolling resistance and the added air volume dramatically increases compliance and traction