While it may have been 87 years since Orbea stopped producing weapons, with the new Orbea Rallon 5 it seems as if the spanish bike manufacturer wants to return to its roots. An asymmetrical monocoque carbon frame, 29″ wheels and a coil shock are details that would surely get Tony Stark rubbing his hands with excitement.
The frame of the Orbea Rallon 5 in Detail
The Spaniards have spent two years developing the latest Rallon, striving to lift the enduro bike to the next level of its evolution. The end result is a stunning asymmetrical carbon frame that is not only an aesthetic show stopper, but should also provide tremendous stiffness. In addition, the frame includes some neat features, such as the portable storage bag above the bottom bracket for mini tools or energy bars, internal cable routing bedded in foam, as well as a flip-chip system for altering the geometry. Each Orbea Rallon 5 frame can be custom painted in one of 7.4 million color options through their online configurator at no extra charge. The suspension decals are available in six different versions, offering even more room for custom styling.
The Specifications of the Orbea Rallon 5
The new Rallon comes in 3 different build specifications, all are very well thought out for the intended use. The Rallon M10, M team and M-LTD all come with a SRAM Eagle drivetrain, taking the form of the GX, X01 and XX1 respectively. FOX takes care of the suspension, with the 36 Float Factory in the more expensive builds and the Performance model in the M10. The rear travel is controlled by FOX Factory shocks on all bikes, stepping up from the DPX2, via the Float X2, all the way up to the DHX2. Shimano’s XT brakes keep the base model on track, the more expensive models come with SRAMs Guide RSC. The online configurator lets customers decide between several saddles, wheelsets, brakes, shocks, seatposts and chainrings.
Fork FOX 36 FLOAT Factory 160 mm
Shock FOX Factory DHX2 150 mm
Brakes SRAM Guide RSC
Drivetrain SRAM XX1 Eagle
Seatpost Race Face Turbine Dropper
Handlebar Race Face Next R 800 mm
Stem Race Face Turbine R 35 mm
Tires 29″ MAXXIS Minion DHF 2.5″
Wheelset DT Swiss XMC–1200
The Geometry of the Orbea Rallon 5
The geometry of the Rallon 5 can easily be described with two word: downhill oriented. This becomes clear as soon as you look at the flip chip with its two settings, low and lower. The head angle comes in at 65° or 65.6° respectively, generating a high degree of stability in steep terrain when combined with the big 29” wheels. A reach of 455 mm and a wheelbase 1217 mm delivers a very balanced fit, our 1.80 m tall test rider felt immediately at home in the Large. Short 435 mm chainstays give the Rallon a playful character, despite the big wheels.
| Size (low/lower!) | S/M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 406 mm | 444 mm | 483 mm |
| Top tube (eff.) | 582 mm | 611 mm | 644 mm |
| Head tube | 100 mm | 110 mm | 125 mm |
| Head angle | 65.5°/65° | 65.5°/65° | 65.5°/65° |
| Seat angle | 76°/75.5° | 76°/75.5° | 76°/75.5° |
| Chainstay | 435 mm | 435 mm | 435 mm |
| BB Height | 343 mm/336 mm | 343 mm/336 mm | 343 mm/336 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1187 mm | 1217 mm | 1253 mm |
| Reach | 430 mm | 455 mm | 485 mm |
| Stack | 615 mm | 624 mm | 637 mm |
Riding the Orbea Rallon 5
Like the geometry suggest, the Orbea Rallon really shines on the descends. If you don’t have a shuttle or helicopter at hand, you’ll need to earn the vertical meters with your own leg power. Despite the lightweight 12.61 kg build, the 29” wheels and the SRAM Eagle drivetrain, the Orbea Rallon is not the bike to earn uphill KOMs. Climbing is more of a relaxed affair, but thanks to the steep seat angle it never feels uncomfortable.
Once the trail points downwards, the Rallon starts to fly. Man and machine seem to blend into each other and riding the Rallon is as fun as it gets. The Orbea seems to soak up everything you throw at it, delivering lashings of confidence. No trail is too steep, no rock too big, no drop too high. The position in corners is very balanced, the more you dare to weight the front wheel the more it bites. Tight switchbacks were a breeze and the Rallon is perfectly suited for alpine terrain.
If that’s not enough, you can change the geometry setting to “lower” and turn the Rallon 5 into a real downhill beast. After two days of riding and 6000 vertical meters of descending in the Spanish Pyrenees, we’ve not encountered a trail where we could bring the Orbea to its limits. The only thing we can’t comment on yet are big jumps, but we’re very confident that the Rallon will handle these as good as everything else. We strongly recommend going for the FOX Float DHX2 coil shock, that now comes with a pedal platform for efficient climbing and offers a big performance boost on the downhills.
Conclusion
Well done, Orbea! The new Orbea Rallon 5 takes us right back to the spirit and roots of the best enduro bikes, but comes with the latest tech and some clever details. The Spanish secret weapon is a phenomenal enduro bike and we’re looking forward to spending some more time on this machine.
For more information head to orbea.com!
