Escapapresentsthe newOrbea Orca M21e Ltd Pwr 24, a bike for cyclists who love climbing and want the best bike to conquer mountain passes. It’s also ideal for those seeking the sensations of acceleration, agility, and responsiveness that only a truly lightweight bike can offer.
The newOrbea Orca M21e Ltd Pwr 24 isn’t just lightweight. It’s designed to change the way you reach the summit. A bike so light and efficient that it delivers an unbeatable riding experience: instant acceleration, vibration absorption, and exceptional responsiveness—all made possible by a frame that feels light yet rigid when needed. Its design is performance-oriented and timeless; never before has such an aesthetic and such extraordinary sensations been achieved with so little. Orbea invites you to welcome the ultimate climber: "Praise the light!"
PRAISE THE LIGHT: Orbea Unveils The New Orca
● Orbea’s new road flagship is weight-optimized and delivers the best possible climbing performance: instant acceleration, agile handling, vibration absorption, and excellent power transfer.
● The 7th generation of the Orca is a lightweight bike for the climber’s profile, with a high-performance design.
What sets the Orca apart from the rest?
● Orbea Racing Philosophy
Orbea always follows its own path and, in the road category, advocates a polarization with specific bikes for specific uses. They argue that the most efficient aerodynamic bikes can never truly be lightweight, and likewise, the lightest bikes can never be super aerodynamic.
"A super-aero bike requires fewer watts at high speeds. But as the gradient increases and speed decreases, the effect of gravity overpowers air resistance, and the lightweight bike gains the advantage. To demonstrate this, we’ve conducted efficiency tests at low and high speeds. Low-speed efficiency tests measure the number of watts required to maintain a given speed on a steep climb. This test removes aerodynamics from the equation. To perform well, bikes must be lightweight and efficiently transfer power from the cranks to the wheels,” says Joseba Arizaga, Road Product Manager at Orbea.
"The other side of the equation is the high-speed efficiency test. At the velodrome, we measure the watts required to maintain a high speed, where aerodynamics dominate. To perform well, bikes must minimize aerodynamic drag. Reducing weight by 500 g on a 5% grade saves about 3 W. If the grade increases to 10%, the savings rise to about 6 W. At higher speeds, aerodynamics take over. Thus, at 30 km/h, a super-aerodynamic bike saves about 12 watts; at 40 km/h, 15 watts; and at 50 km/h, about 28 watts. That’s why increasing the weight of a lightweight bike in exchange for aerodynamic performance makes no sense. On climbs, the lighter the bike, the better; and at high speeds, the more aerodynamic, the better. A mid-weight bike with aerodynamic features doesn’t win anywhere,” explains Arizaga.
Orbea claims that the Orca is about 3W faster than an aero bike with an average rider on a 5% grade; and about 6W faster on a 10% grade. Adding partial aerodynamic features—and thus more weight—would jeopardize those advantages and diminish that special feeling of lightness, agility, and responsiveness.
● Pure Light
Orbea has paid attention to every detail to achieve the necessary lightness. The lighter the frame, the more difficult it becomes to shed weight without sacrificing anything. Taking the Orca project to the ultimate in lightness involved an obsession with details. All this work has resulted in a 750g OMX frame in size 53 and a 360g fork. The OMR frame weighs 1030g, while the fork tips the scales at 410g.
Eliminating Overlaps
A carbon frame is made up of precisely cut carbon pieces arranged in a specific pattern before being sealed with epoxy resin. By design, there can be no gaps between the carbon pieces, which means they all have to overlap slightly. Therefore, by using larger pieces while trying to reduce the number—as we do at Orca—we have fewer overlaps, which saves grams. Of course, this adds work, meaning the lamination process must be more precise and takes longer, but as a result, our carbon OMX uses 90 fewer carbon pieces.
Focusing on shapes
The epoxy needed to hold the carbon pieces together must also be precisely controlled. Excess epoxy can accumulate in corners or on sharp edges. By carefully designing the frame to prevent excess epoxy from accumulating, Orbea eliminates unnecessary material and saves grams.
Total control
By working from the start with Oquo wheels and its own OC components, Orbea can design the complete bike, balancing weight and saving grams. Oquo wheels are lightweight and high-performance.
Paint and hardware
The paint and hardware—that is, the frame components—are also key. Orbea frames are painted at the company’s headquarters in the Basque Country. This allows Orbea to strictly control the process and further reduce weight. The brand states that the paint weighs about 25 g and all the frame components, about 40 g.
● Weight-to-stiffness ratio
Orbea explains that it is possible to manufacture very lightweight bikes; but it would make no sense to lose pedaling efficiency due to a lack of stiffness. When they designed the Orca, they started with a stiffness target to ensure that even the strongest climbers could be confident of efficient power transfer. They then designed the Orca to be as lightweight as possible without compromising that goal.
A key feature is the Powerspine design. With this design, the lower part of the frame bears the vast majority of the torsional and lateral loads from pedaling. The head tube, down tube, and chainstays resist twisting forces and transfer power to the rear wheel, while also adding precision to the steering. All of this allows Orbea to save weight in other parts of the frame without compromising stiffness.
● Lightness on the road
The feeling of riding a lightweight bike is unbeatable: it’s that combination of instant response and agility. On climbs, the new Orca is undeniably fast, but its lightness is also evident in its handling agility and the sensation of acceleration when pedaling.
Much of this agility is due to the Orca’s geometry, which remains virtually unchanged. Shorter chainstays and, consequently, a shorter wheelbase are the only modifications. This gives the bike the responsiveness and agility we demand from a climbing bike. The frame’s more rounded sections help reduce vibrations, saving energy on longer rides. The increased tire clearance allows for tires up to 32 mm, maximizing traction and comfort while also reducing rolling resistance.
● Aerodynamics
Although aerodynamic characteristics aren’t key to this bike, Orbea didn’t want to overlook the marginal gains that can be achieved. They maintain that they choose the most aerodynamic solution whenever it doesn’t compromise weight or handling feel. An example of this is the ICR internal cable routing, carefully engineered to reduce aerodynamic drag. The new seatpost clamp mechanism, in addition to being simple and effective, is carefully designed to reduce surface area and improve aerodynamics. And while the fork is designed to minimize weight, its shape also helps reduce aerodynamic drag. Furthermore, Orbea offers additional options to prioritize aerodynamics through the MyO program, where you can customize the ergonomics or choose more aerodynamic wheels and handlebars.
● Top-quality components
OC Components: The updated range of OC components allows Orbea to offer better integration. The high-performance seatposts in the range feature a universal, easy-to-use clamp system that works with carbon or aluminum rails, whether round or oval. The new handlebars offer the latest in ergonomics, and Orbea will be one of the first brands to feature flared road handlebars across its entire lineup.
Orca uses the new Oquo wheel range, available in carbon or aluminum with three different tiers: LTD, Team, and Pro. There are three different profiles, allowing each rider to choose between the lightest 35 mm rim, the most aerodynamic 57 mm profile, or a balanced performance with the 45 mm profile. The 21 mm internal width allows for a wide range of tire options.
● High-performance design
The new Orca is based on Orbea’s philosophy of performance and design, reflecting its belief that bikes should look incredible and ride even better. The Orca’s minimalist and timeless lines give it an unmistakable style combined with the latest technology.
● Models and specifications
. The Orca offers the top-of-the-line OMX carbon for those seeking the lightest weight. It also offers the OMR for riders willing to accept a few extra grams in exchange for a better price.
. Orca comes in seven different sizes: 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, and 60.
. This year’s lineup offers three different color combinations for the OMR version and two for the OMX version.
● MyO will allow you to further customize your bike.
