There are few companies in the bike industry with as deep a history as Orbea. The company that originally started out manufacturing guns in 1840 ultimately transitioned into one of the biggest bicycle producers in the world. With a strong reputation in European road cycling, Orbea has since expanded its two-wheel prowess into the dirt. While some of you haven’t seen many Orbeas on the trail, these bikes are not to be overlooked. The Rallon, pronounced “ray-ON,” X10 is an enduro rig with big aspirations. It’s looking to rail on any stretch of trail laid before it.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
Enduro is the buzzword in mountain biking right now, and while many companies are producing enduro bikes, the Rallon is truly built around this concept. The lightweight aluminum frame and rear triangle are accompanied by top-of-the-line Fox suspension, providing a quality ride. Aspiring enduro racers will find a good range of options with the Rallon.
There are three Rallons in the lineup, starting with the Rallon X30 for $3250 and ending with the Team Edition for $6000. Our test bike is in the middle, retailing for $4500. It is built on the same frame platform as the other models.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
Orbea uses a mix of carbon and aluminum for most of its bikes, but the Rallon only comes in an aluminum version. The front and rear triangle use triple-butted, 7000-series aluminum, which is surprisingly light. The Rallon uses downtube cable routing, which keeps the cables out of the way and makes it easy to replace them if you’re in a rush. Orbea uses an enduro geometry for the frame design with an adjustable head angle that goes from 65.5 degrees to 66 degrees. The top tube is a little longer, which allows riders to get into a more aggressive position. The Rallon uses Boost spacing that keeps the chainstays very short, keeping the wheelbase tight and nimble.
Seriously, it’s enduro: The Rallon has a new geometry built around enduro racing. The head tube is a little taller and the top tube a little longer, allowing riders to get in a more aggressive position for the diversity of enduro tracks.
WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
It’s tough to overlook solid suspension, and the Rallon has it. With the Fox 34 Float CTD Kashima fork and Float X EVOL rear shock, we felt right at home right away. We liked the feel of the bar/stem combo from RaceFace with the 35-millimeter bar/clamp setup. While tires can be hit or miss, the Maxxis High Roller and Ardent combo on the Rallon seemed to suit the bike well.
Good bones: Arguably the most impressive part of the Rallon is the suspension platform that it comes with. Orbea was sure to give riders a consistent and smooth ride. With a Fox EVOL shock and 34 fork, the Rallon has a plush and controlled ride.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Setting up the fit on the Rallon was pretty simple. We set the saddle height and played with the drop on the bars. We ended up dropping the bars a little to make the reach slightly more aggressive, but even with the bars dropped lower, the bike felt comfortable. We set up the suspension with 30-percent sag, put about 25 psi in the tires and went in search of some personal records.
Moving out: The cockpit on the Rallon felt spot on. Between the short stem and 760-millimeter bars, it all felt very comfortable. Given that this is a bigger bike, we could see riders wanting to go to an even wider bar. The slightly longer top tube gave the bike a more aggressive feel, but only when we wanted it to.
Wide stance: We ran 760-millimeter-wide bars, which gave us good leverage; some riders might want to go to a slightly wider bar for more technical riding.
Cornering: The Rallon wants to go fast and wants to be pushed. Through tight corners and switchbacks, the enduro geometry felt comfortable and gave us confidence that we could take corners a little faster than usual. It was easy to lean the bike over and weight the inside through bermed and even off-camber turns. The Maxxis High Roller up front was an added bonus on this already capable bike.
It climbs: Enduro racecourses feature all types of obstacles, including epic climbs. The Rallon is a surprisingly decent climber that won’t leave you feeling completely drained at the top of the singletrack.
Climbing: When you think enduro, you definitely don’t think “pure climber,” especially if you’re expecting the bike to be a heavier, mid-level machine. But, we were pleasantly surprised with the climbing ability of the Rallon. We didn’t set any personal records going uphill, but we left the suspension open and the bike climbed well. Out of the saddle we got a little feedback from the rear triangle, but oddly enough we thought that this bike climbed best with the shock open.
It’s simple and effective: A 1×11 XT drivetrain gave us all the gears that we needed, especially on the climbs. The 28-tooth front chainring was comfortable on the climbs, but did limit us on the descents.
Easy up: A taller head tube makes the front end easy to pull up over rocks or other obstacles. We found ourselves sitting into the rear suspension and letting the front float over whatever was laid before us.
Descending: The fun never stopped going downhill. The wheel- base is tight, and the Boost spacing on the back end changed the balance of the bike. On the first steep pitch we hit, we slid back the way we normally would but found ourselves back much farther than usual. It took a couple descents to get the feel of the geometry, but once we did, we pushed the Rallon hard and didn’t shy away from either technical or high-speed lines.
The rear suspension felt active over big obstacles, but we struggled with small bump compliance at times. Even on flowing sections of trail that require more pedaling or that are more suited for 29ers, the Rallon carried its momentum well and was easy to pedal.
TRICKS, TIPS OR UPGRADES?
While we liked most aspects of this build, a more powerful set of brakes would have been nice. The Shimano M506 brakes that came stock didn’t give us any issues but didn’t seem to have quite enough power. That might be due to the smaller rotors, which we would also swap out for larger ones.
Depending on your riding style, you might want to put on a wider bar that allows for more leverage and aggressive riding. We did play around with a longer stem, but in the end we preferred the stock length.
BUYING ADVICE
The Rallon is capable and a surprisingly easy bike to pedal, especially considering the travel. While you probably won’t be setting any records up the mountain, you’ll have a good chance of being the quickest down the hill. The price might be a little steep for some, but with a suspension and drivetrain package this capable, riders will be in a good position for key upgrades to make this a dream bike.
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