License to rip? The new 2022 Orbea Rallon in review

When it comes to building weapons, Orbea know their way around, being former gunsmiths. If you want proof, just take a look at the new 2022 Rallon. The completely redesigned enduro bike features long-travel suspension, well thought-out details and countless customisation options. We spent a week in Basque Country to find out what the bike is capable of.

With the 2022 Rallon, bike brand Orbea are already presenting the 5th generation of their enduro bike. The new 2022 Orbea Rallon promises to make easy work of the toughest enduro tracks, quick laps with your buddies and hard days in the bike park. With its 170 mm travel up front and 160 mm at the rear, it offers plenty of reserves and can be set up as a 29er or mullet, i.e. 29″ wheel at the front and 27.5″ wheel at the rear. The in-house MyO configurator gives you countless options to customise the look of your next bike and you can also make certain adjustments to the components. The Spanish brand doesn’t charge extra for the customisation and the pricing for new Rallon ranges from € 4,299 (M20 model) to € 8,999 (M-LTD model).

The development of the new 2022 Orbea Rallon

We had the exclusive chance to visit Orbea in Spain to put the new 2022 Rallon through its paces and learn more about Orbea’s development and production processes. The headquarters of the Spanish company are located in the Basque Country, where Orbea has been rooted for more than 100 years. Orbea was initially known for making weapons until they switched to making bicycles in the 1930s. Today, not only do they develop and design new bikes in the modern warehouse but also paint all frames and build the complete bikes with the chosen components before sending them to the dealer. After extensive discussions and debates with Orbea, we were given two days to test the bike and many of its different configurations on various trails.

The new 2022 Orbea Rallon in detail

Carbon is the frame material of choice for the Rallon, so all parts except for the shock yoke are made using the black fibres. The frame can be adapted to accommodate either a 29″ or a 27.5″ rear wheel by swapping out the yoke. Orbea include both yoke options free of charge, so you’re free to experiment with different wheel sizes. Nevertheless, the bike’s suspension kinematics and travel remain unchanged with both wheel sizes. Orbea are fully committed to integration for 2022, allowing you to ride without a backpack or hipback. Under the bottle cage mount you’ll find the LockR storage compartment, which can be opened with the help of an easily accessible lever and offers enough space for a spare tube, tire levers and two CO2 cartridges. These can be stored safely and securely without rattling thanks to the two waterproof bags provided for this purpose.

You also get a mini tool with the bike. It gets stored inside the main pivot of the rocker link via magnets and has four small Allen keys from 2–5 mm. The mini-tool is easy to reach and stays securely put, but it takes some effort to get out. Additionally, the lever of the rear thru-axle can be removed and doubles a 6 mm Allen key. Unfortunately, there’s no T25, which you would need to tighten the bolts of the brake rotors, for example. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to carry out the most important trail side repairs on the bike. The cables of the Rallon are all neatly routed internally and are securely clamped where they enter and exit the frame. Certain external sections of cabling feature an additional sheath to prevent rattling. The generously dimensioned seat, chainstay and down tube protectors keep the Rallon quite and the frame protected.

The components of the new 2022 Orbea Rallon

Orbea’s MyO configurator: MyO stands for “My Orbea” and not only allows you to choose the components but also allows you to customise the look. As far as the choice of components is concerned, there are much more in-depth configurators as Orbea only allow you to choose from a selection of components for the suspension, brakes and wheels. However, the options allowing to customise the look of the bike when you order a new Rallon remains unbeaten and comes at no additional charge. The MyO configurator offers more than a million different colour combinations so everyone should find a paint job to their liking. Orbea also offer four preconfigured build options to choose from, which you can either order as is or customise further.

Our test bike: the 2022 Orbea Rallon M-LTD

We tested the M-LTD version of the new 2022 Rallon. We swapped out a lot of the bike’s components during testing to see which of the possible configurations are best. The Rallon M-LTD relies on FOX Factory suspension consisting of a 38 GRIP2 fork and DHX2 coil shock. If you go for the DHX2, you can choose from four different spring rates in the configurator. There’s also an option for the FOX X2 Factory air shock.

To bring the bike to a halt, the Shimano XTR four-piston brakes are combined with a 200 mm rotor on the front and a small 180 mm rotor on the rear of our test bike. We struggled with a heavily shifting bite point and lots of arm pump on longer descents. However, the problem was resolved after switching to a larger rotor at the rear.

Orbea also rely on the Shimano XTR range for the 12-speed drivetrain. For the wheels, the Spanish brand relies on the carbon Race Face Next R31 models. Thanks to their stiffness, they offer precise handling, but they also demand a lot of attention as even the smallest irregularities are passed directly to the rider and can throw the wheels off line. By “downgrading” to the aluminium Turbine R30 wheelset, we had a more comfortable and confidence inspiring riding experience as the additional compliance is more forgiving. You also save yourself 799 €. If you want better puncture protection and ride with lower tire pressures, you should replace the EXO+ casing of the 2.5″ MAXXIS ASSEGAI and 2.4″ MAXXIS Minion DHR2 tires with more robust models, which will be available soon. All sizes of the new Rallon come fitted with a 800 mm wide Race Face Next carbon handlebar. If you want to shorten it, you must remember that this will make it even stiffer. We would have liked a narrower option, especially for the smaller sizes. On the other hand, the length of the FOX Transfer Factory dropper post can be adjusted. For our test bike, we opted for the 200 mm version which can be inserted all the way even in frame size L. Excellent!

The other models: Orbea Rallon M-Team, M-10 and M-20

The M20 is the entry-level model and is priced at € 4.299. It relies on FOX Performance suspension consisting of a 38 fork with the GRIP damper and a FOX FLOAT X Performance shock. Braking is taken care of by a set of Shimano DEORE four-piston brakes, the Shimano SLX groupset provides shifting and the AR30c aluminium wheels are supplied by Race Face.

The M10 model is priced at € 5.299 and relies on Shimano XT four-piston brakes, which perform at the same level as their more expensive XTR counterparts. It’s the only model to feature SRAM shifting components. The 12-speed GX drivetrain delivers a solid performance at a fair price and only a slight weight penalty compared to the flagship XX1 model. The M10 model rolls on an aluminium Race Face Turbine R30 wheelset, which can also be found on the third pre-configured build, the M-Team.

In addition to the R30 wheelset, the € 6.599 M-Team comes with a Shimano XT 12-speed groupset and the same FOX Factory suspension as the flagship M-LTD build. That said, you can upgrade any of the pre-configured builds to the high-end suspension. All models rely on MAXXIS tires with the puncture-prone EXO+ casing, consisting of a 2.5″ ASSEGAI up front and a 2.4″ Minion DHR2 on the rear, both of them featuring the MaxxTerra compound.

With the upgrade to the FOX Factory suspension, the M10 model is our best value tip, at least in theory. The four-piston XT brakes offer plenty of stopping power, the 12-speed GX drivetrain delivers a reliable performance and the aluminium R30 wheelset allows you to go for a mullet setup. This configuration only weighs slightly more than the flagship M-LTD model while offering a similar performance on the trail.

The geometry of the new 2022 Orbea Rallon with 29″ wheels

The new Rallon will be available in four frame sizes from S to XL and should therefore accommodate between 150 and 200 cm tall. Thanks to the short seat tube of just 435 mm (size L), combined with a reach of 485 mm, Orbea allow you to choose the frame size based on the reach. The difference in reach from one size to the next is 25 mm. Orbea can also advise you with a recommendation for an agile or composed bike.

The chainstay length stays at 440 mm (29”) across the board. Thanks to a flip-chip, the head angle can be slackened by 0.5° to 64.2°, though it only works on the full 29″ version. Doing so also influences the seat tube angle and bottom bracket height. By swapping out the shock yoke and converting it to a mullet build, the chainstay length, head angle, reach, stack and seat tube angle change.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	415 mm	415 mm	435 mm	460 mm
Top tube	572 mm	599 mm	626 mm	653 mm
Head tube	90 mm	100 mm	110 mm	120 mm
Head angle	64.7/64.2°	64.7/64.2°	64.7/64.2°	64.7/64.2°
Seat angle	77.5/77°	77.5/77°	77.5/77°	77.5/77°
Chainstay	440 mm	440 mm	440 mm	440 mm
BB height	343/336 mm	343/336 mm	343/336 mm	343/336 mm
Wheelbase	1,202 mm	1,231 mm	1,260 mm	1,290 mm
Reach	435 mm	460 mm	485 mm	510 mm
Stack	619 mm	628 mm	637 mm	646 mm

Size	S-Mullet	M-Mullet	L-Mullet	XL-Mullet
Seat tube	415 mm	415 mm	435 mm	460 mm
Top tube	573 mm	600 mm	627 mm	655 mm
Head tube	90 mm	100 mm	110 mm	120 mm
Head angle	64.2°	64.2°	64.2°	64.2°
Seat angle	77°	77°	77°	77°
Chaindstay	438 mm	438 mm	438 mm	438 mm
BB Height	343 mm	343 mm	343 mm	343 mm
Wheelbase	1,201 mm	1,230 mm	1,260 mm	1,289 mm
Reach	430 mm	455 mm	480 mm	505 mm
Stack	623 mm	632 mm	641 mm	650 mm

First ride review of the new 2022 Orbea Rallon

During our private test camp, we had enough time to test the new 2022 Rallon in frame sizes L and XL as well as both wheel options. In addition to countless shuttle runs together with Basque-MTB, we were also able to check the bikes allround capabilities. The trails around San Sebastian offer perfect test conditions, offering everything from fast, rough trails to flowing berms and jumps – everything you need to properly test an enduro race bike.

According to Orbea, our test riders measuring between 181 and 189 cm have the choice between frame sizes L and XL. For a 181 cm tall rider, choosing frame size XL gives you a more composed handling bike, according to Orbea. The frame size L, on the other hand, will give an 189 cm tall rider a more manoeuvrable bike. The composed option offers a stretched riding position while the agile option is more compact. Neither of the variants are unpleasant to ride and the Rallon is sufficiently comfortable for long rides.

If you’re right in between the sizes recommended by Orbea, the riding position aboard the Rallon is centred and the weight distribution is balanced, especially on the climbs. The slight weight on the handlebar keeps the front wheel planted. With the shock open, the suspensions generates enough traction for technical climbs, though it tends to bob. As such, we recommend activating the climb switch on longer, less technical climbs.

When heading back down, the Rallon positions you in the center of the bike. The suspension offers plenty of traction and sufficient support on flowing trails and open corners. This allows you to generate a lot of speed. However, the Rallon requires an active riding style, meaning that you have to consciously weight the front of the bike so as not to understeer or get thrown off line.

In technical terrain and at high speed, the Rallon instils you with confidence. As such, you can still casually turn it on the front wheel even in steep and tight passages. The suspension doesn’t reach its limit on bigger hits and provides sufficient feedback from the ground. Its handling remains precise even through big compressions. However, we found the combination of a carbon handlebar with a carbon wheel up front too stiff. Both test riders showed signs of fatigue more quickly and even small impacts to the front wheel were passed directly to the rider. This requires a very attentive riding style.

In principle, the more agile frame size of the Rallon offers more intuitive handling and requires a less active riding style. If you have a certain amount of experience and are able to get used to the longer reach of the bigger bike, you will be rewarded with a damn fast and composed handling bike. However, if you start getting fatigued and lose your concentration, you will quickly become a passenger. The longer frame in the mullet setup turned out to be a good compromise, offering more agile handling yet enough composure for when you want to let rip.

When choosing between the air and coil shock, your riding style is the deciding factor. With the FOX X2 air shock, you get more support for hard compressions and are able to pop off the ground more easily. However, it doesn’t respond as sensitively as the DHX2 coil shock, which doesn’t offer the same amount of progression. So if you just want to plough through everything in your path, we’d recommend the coil shock. If you like catching air and having a lot of support in rough terrain, you should opt for the air shock.

Our conclusion on the 2022 Orbea Rallon

The 2022 Orbea Rallon is for those who are looking for a thrill on their home trails and take on the competition at the weekend races. It requires a certain level of skill but rewards an active and aggressive riding style with plush and active suspension, offering sufficient reserves for wild manoeuvres. With the MyO configurator, Orbea offers countless options to customise the look of your bike.

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For more information head to orbea.com

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Words & Photos: Peter Walker