Orbea is a decades-old company that specializes in the creation and perfection of bicycles. They proudly assemble their bikes at the Mallabia, Spain headquarters.
The traditions of racing and cycling run deep within the Basque community, and Orbea further instills this passion by sponsoring their winning cyclists and catering to a myriad of their patrons with different models, builds, and ways to customize their bikes.
Unique to Orbea is this ability to fine-tune a bike down to its frame material and even its paint job.
Orbea creates a powerful reputation by producing wickedly good-quality bikes that aim to achieve any dream a cyclist can imagine.
Their bikes have been featured in the Tour de France, winning their riders gold medals in street and trail races, and even in demanding triathlons and mountain races.
Orbea bikes are unmatched in quality and care, supporting many types of cycling goals and aspirations.
Orbea has remained the pinnacle manufacturer of high-quality, technologically advanced bikes since it began making bikes in 1920.
They offer a large range of bike models and specifications, allowing price and quality customization within one particular model.
This range of models allows consumers to purchase a bike that is best suited for their needs without sacrificing quality or money on a bike that may have too few or too many upgrades and special qualities.
Having a diverse selection of products has earned Orbea a reputation of quality and diversity, with precision and care used in every model they create to ensure that each patron is receiving a high-quality product.
They are also known for their customizable paint jobs and their active role in reducing the environmental impact of production, and for their efforts to be a zero-waste company.
They are achieving this feat primarily in their finishing department, which completely reuses and recycles every drop of paint used in coloring and finishes.
In short, Orbea is a company that genuinely cares about its products, its customers, and their impact and influence on the world around them, earning them a highly positive reputation.
The Sky Is The Limit For Orbea Mountain Bikes
Orbea offers five different models of mountain bikes, each with customizing capabilities and a variety of finishes.
True to their company’s efforts and values, they recognize that not all mountain bikers desire one type of bike, and they have satisfied the many different demands of mountain biking with an impressive lineup of options.
As with their other models, Orbea’s mountain bikes come with a choice of aluminum or carbon frames, depending again on what the cyclist has in mind for their bike.
Carbon is sturdier, and the unique seamless creation of the bike’s body produces a more durable bike all around, perfect for demanding and rugged mountain trails.
A great overall mountain bike model is the Orbea Occam, which boasts riding capabilities on all types of terrains.
Certain models like the Orbea Alma are created with efficiency and endurance in mind, designed to forage milder mountain trails for a longer period than their sturdier, heavier counterparts.
The seamless carbon fiber frame is unique to the brand and increases the unbeatable quality of their products, especially so in their mountain bikes.
The frame is created with a single piece of carbon fiber, with individual fibers connecting and reinforcing the frame without seams.
The lack of seams in their carbon models ensures a stronger, more durable bike that is much less susceptible to cracks or snaps. This aspect is important in bikes designed to be climbing and descending rugged trails.
Orbea’s Company History
Interestingly, Orbea first began as a handgun company created during a rocky period in the Spanish government.
To keep up with consumer demands and the ever-changing world around them, they later moved to bicycles and baby carriages to cater to transportation needs.
Because of the company’s eighty years of experience with rounding and shaping metal tubing, bicycles perfectly aligned with their specialties and the production process they already had in place.
Orbea is headquartered in Mallabia, Spain, which resides in Basque Country, a northern area of Spain known for its passion for cycling and the stunning views and trails scattered over the countryside.
They first began creating leisure bikes, designed solely with general transportation in mind. As trends and demands changed, they started manufacturing mountain bikes and bikes designed for speed and racing.
They have been employee-owned since 1969, giving employees a vested interest in quality of their products.
Orbea Has Been Making Winning Bikes For Decades
The first integration of an Orbea bike in a Tour de France race was in 1934. Since then, their bikes have won many medals and competed in races globally, even in Olympic races.
Orbea bikes have won Olympic gold medals in both mountain bike races and road bike races. In 2011 and 2014, mountain biker Catherine Pendrel won a World Cup in overall racing and cross country racing riding an Orbea Oiz.
The rigor of racing works to prove the quality and efficiency of any machine, and Orbea bikes prove their worth in the medals they have won and the teams they’ve carried over finish lines.
Orbea is a proud sponsor of bikers from the Basque Country, dedicated to supporting their athletes and inspiring future cyclists all across the globe.
Because of their variety of bike models, there is a racing opportunity for every bike and rider; whether that be a smooth road race or a precarious mountain contest, they offer a bike for every category of cycle sports and races.
This inclusive proponent garners Orbea a large following, both in the racing world and in the amateur and intermediate divisions.
Benefits of Being Employee-Owned
As aforementioned, Orbea first became employee-owned in 1969. They are primarily owned by an over-arching cooperative called Mondragon that assists in many different aspects of production, testing & manufacturing.
This asset alone allows for a greater range of capabilities in testing their bikes and ensuring that they are of the highest quality.
Sharing resources with companies under Mondragon saves Orbea valuable money to use in other areas of production. The employees of Orbea have a genuine interest in the well-being of the company because the company’s success determines their own success.
Every employee shares this common goal of unmatched quality, and with many careful, meticulous eyes overseeing the entire production from start to finish, bikes leave flawless.
If an employee notices an error or damage to a product, they have the power to scrap the project and start fresh, again ensuring only the highest quality bikes leave the factory.
Where Are Orbea Bikes Made?
Orbea manufactures its aluminum frames in Spain, while its carbon frames are crafted in China to save on costs.
However, they design their molds, prototypes, and design specifications in-house before their request is sent to Chinese manufacturers.
This ensures their reputation for quality, rather than gambling with a stock frame design of cheaper fabrication.
Additionally, once the carbon frames are complete, they are shipped back to Spain to be assembled and painted, further allowing for quality checks and product accuracy.
Orbea uses the overseas system to create an unbelievably high-end product while avoiding final prices that could deter even the most passionate cyclists.
They essentially create very specific guidelines for Chinese manufacturers to follow in a way that costs significantly less money.
The completion of each bike is overseen in Spain, and bikes generally ship out to resellers from their Spanish headquarters, though this may change in the upcoming years as Orbea trickles deeper into America.
Is Orbea Better Than Trek?
Generally, when deciding between Orbea and Trek, consumers cite the extensive range of paint colors, customizations, employee care in the production, and the distinctive Orbea brand and design as reasons for choosing an Orbea bike over one made by Trek.
As some have complained, Trek bikes are heavily saturating American bike shops and becoming increasingly common out and about.
Consumers say their hesitation to purchase a Trek bike stems from their desire to stand out from the cycling crowd and put their money towards something tailored to their ideas and needs, which Orbea is chiefly capable of doing.
Being based in a country and culture that is fully immersed in bike riding adds a passionate element to their bikes, as opposed to being just a sale or a cornucopia of vague promises.
To Trek’s credit, the chances of getting a broken Trek bike repaired are much higher in America than a broken Orbea bike, as they base out of Spain.
However, Orbea’s presence in America is steadily growing and expanding to more and more resellers, meaning that the potential issue of warranties and repairs will very soon be completely mitigated.
Additionally, the quality backing every Orbea product nearly ensures perfection, and if something does go awry, they offer different warranties on their products.
Top 4 Orbea Bikes Reviewed
The Orbea Occam Mountain Bike
One of Orbea’s most diverse mountain bike models designed with a myriad of trail terrains in mind.
The Occam can handle rugged mountain trails and longer trails that generally fall under a cross-country label while being comfortable and easy to control in every setting.
The Occam also boasts powerful climbing abilities without sacrificing a controlled, painless descent.
This bike is a great choice for intermediate mountain bikers or cross-country bikers who want a bike that can handle rough days while still being practical on more forgiving, clear trails.
There is no specific terrain that the Occam was designed to forage.
Rather a host of terrains and trails that are similar in their rugged climbs and tricky trails but dissimilar in their exact specifications and the bike requirements needed to tackle them.
The Occam is ready for any day, any trail, and is the perfect bike for spontaneous treks up new trails or a carefully planned day in mountainous terrain.
The Orbea Rallon Mountain Bike
The Rallon mountain bike is designed to make the un-navigable navigable in a safe, comfortable way.
Created with endurance racing in mind, the Rallon is highly capable of speedy downhill descents and smooth ascents even on the most unforgiving trails.
The Rallon is the bike to choose if you enjoy highly challenging, technical trails that are rocky and require fast, precise maneuvering.
Owning a bike that can accomplish these feats increases the joy of mountain biking, and choosing a bike that is well-made, high-quality, and limitless will ultimately allow the broadest range of terrain and rider capabilities.
The Rallon encompasses that idea while still being comfortable. It is designed to be pushed to its limits while simultaneously protecting the rider and giving them a gentler descent.
The suspension technology used in the Rallon sets it apart from other bikes and models, and it is this technology that delivers comfort and highly responsive maneuverability.
The Orbea Orca Race Bike
The Orca is the pinnacle of speed and efficiency in bicycles, carrying many bikers to gold-medal victories.
This highly popular model is generally aimed at the pro-racing crowd with its hefty price tag, but Orbea also offers cheaper models of the Orca that cater to amateurs and everyone in between.
The Orca is crafted with a carbon fiber frame, making it light and blazingly fast.
There are also twelve different ways to customize the model before ordering, and even further ways to tweak the frame and finishes with the Orbea team.
Though the Orca is crafted with racing and speed in mind, all aspects of biking will benefit from this bike. From city commutes to casual weekend biking trips, the Orca provides the speed and efficiency that are always appreciated.
The carbon frame of the Orca makes the design visually sleek and pleasant, and the lightweight sturdiness of carbon fiber makes it easy to transport, especially when living in an urban area.
The Orbea Vector Road Bike
The Vector is a bike designed with the city commuter in mind. It is created with quality aluminum frames, making the final price range of their two models more affordable for the average bike connoisseur.
The Vector prioritizes quality and comfort, offering a ride that is smooth and won’t have the rider huffing and sweating just to get from one spot to another.
The Vector also boasts puncture-resistant tires, which are highly important when cruising down urban sidewalks and littered streets. Mudguards line the wheels to spare clothing from city muck, and integrated security features give the rider peace of mind in a busy environment.
The Vector offers a sleek city bike that takes the high-quality selling points of all Orbea bikes and combines them with the demands of urban life.
The Vector is comfortable, safe, and with the potential to add a rear rack, the Vector is a practical purchase for anyone residing in an urban area.
Kaye is a mother of two boys who is on a mission to improve her physical and mental well-being. With a passion for trying new beauty products and stacking her supplement intake, Kaye is always eager to discover new ways to enhance her lifestyle.
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