# '07 Orca



## Bikebot (Feb 19, 2005)

I wanted to start this thread so that anyone with input on their '07 Orca can reply and help anyone who might be thinking about getting one. I only have about 420 miles on mine, but it's enough to get a feel for the bike. I've owned the first Orca and the Opal, so in comparison, the older Orca was too soft for my taste (I'm 6'3" and 180 lbs). I also didn't think the Opal was stiff enough in the front. I ride a 57cm frame. I read that the Opal was stiffer than the new Orca, but I don't agree with that review. What I did notice was that the front end was very stiff, confident and responsive going around turns at high speed; big plusses in my opinion. I was also thinking that the oversized seatpost 31.6 might make the tail end of the bike too stiff. Not so, the overall stiffness of the machine is perfect without being "Ridley" stiff as far as I'm concerned. The bike climbs as well as the person on it; it feels like you move forward with zero wasted flex in the bottom bracket or front end. I also had no trouble fitting the bike, in fact when I inverted the stem, I could cut the steer tube to the nub with a flat headset cap and met my upright measurement perfectly. I don't particularly like the look of an inverted stem, but that's a small aesthetic price to pay. The bike is set up exactly as any other bike I've ridden in the last ten years, but my group says it looks smaller than the others. I think that is because of the paint scheme and inverted stem. There is no fit difference other than the look of the bike. I was very surprised that the overall weight is 15.5 pounds. I have nice parts on the bike, but functional as well. It took about two minutes to get used to the SRAM shifters; I caught myself trying to press a button (Campy) once in a while, but that didn't last. You will like the new SRAM system—light and functional. There's no micro adjustment, but I kept asking Sierra Nevada riders if that was a problem all last year, and without hesitation they consistently said no. I have very few miles to date, but the only thing I've noticed is a "habit" of trimming just because I could before, not because I need to now.


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## drumdog (Feb 26, 2006)

*Orca*

Bikebot,

Just wondering if you have any further insight to share on your bike. I've been reading everything I can on the Orca and am pretty convinced this is the next bike for me but continue to look for any feedback until I get the cash together.

Thanks!


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## Bikebot (Feb 19, 2005)

Drumdog,
Is there anything in particular about the bike or equipment you were curious about? Let me know and I'll try to answer (I stay away from fit issues since there are so many variables).
Regards,
Bikebot


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## drumdog (Feb 26, 2006)

Bikebot,
Thanks; nothing in particular. Your review was very thorough. Just wondering with more miles, have any observations changed? 
Best regards.


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## edmundtan (Dec 12, 2001)

*No spacers beneath stem*



Bikebot said:
 

> .... I could cut the steer tube to the nub with a flat headset cap and met my upright measurement perfectly. I don't particularly like the look of an inverted stem, but that's a small aesthetic price to pay ...


There was a discussion about having no spacers under the stem and steerer tube failure in Velonews.com Technical Q&A section. Do be careful.

Ref: http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/11432.0.html


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## janetaylor7 (Jan 18, 2007)

Do Carbon Orbea's have aluminum steerers? I thought they were carbon. The way they're designed it seems like most people would want some spacers.


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## kwhite01 (Mar 17, 2006)

janetaylor7 said:


> Do Carbon Orbea's have aluminum steerers? I thought they were carbon. The way they're designed it seems like most people would want some spacers.


The Onix comes with an aluminum steerer. Carbon fork, but aluminum steerer. 

While on this topic, I have to ask. Does anyone have an Opal where they have spacers above the stem? If so, what is an acceptable amount of spacers to place above the stem? I am not talking about taking the stem down to the head tube, but I am thinking about moving the stem down on the steerer some. Any input?


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## Bikebot (Feb 19, 2005)

The Orca, Opal (and Onix too I believe) all have carbon steerers. I don't know if the failure extends to carbon steerers as well, but I will take heed of the warning. My Orca also has a solid carbon plug that extends into the steerer as opposed to a cap and screw. The purpose is to keep clamp pressure evenly distributed around the surface of the steer tube. That doesn't mean that point stress can not occur at the top of the 1 cm headset cap where the stem butts up against it, but now I am interested in finding out if there has ever been a failure with a carbon steerer with a similar set up. If anyone finds evidence of this please let us know. I ride with several riders who have their bikes fitted as I do because the fit works for them (all with carbon steerers). It works because many companies have very tall headtubes these days as most of you know. I wasn't aware of the potential (carbon) problem. For comparison, I have seen Iben Mayo's bike two years ago with a similar set up at:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/teamtech04.php?id=tech/2004/probikes/euskaltel_orbea
His Orca was also similar.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2004/news/mar24
Good post!


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## kwhite01 (Mar 17, 2006)

Bikebot said:


> My Orca also has a solid carbon plug that extends into the steerer as opposed to a cap and screw. The purpose is to keep clamp pressure evenly distributed around the surface of the steer tube.


Bikebot, did you get the solid carbon plug from your lbs? I am using the cap and screw, but I am interested in this plug. Do you know anywhere online that you can get these?


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## Bikebot (Feb 19, 2005)

It came from Orbea with the bike. Also, sorry about the Onix fork mistake. A friend of mine rides an Onix and he ordered an all carbon fork from Orbea with it, but it wasn't stock. And I wasn't clear about "cutting my steer tube to the nub" my headset cap is a centimeter tall; it's not one of the nearly dead flat caps you can get... so I might have been misleading in my description in that regard.


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## edmundtan (Dec 12, 2001)

With regard to having no spacers under the stem, I'm assuming the article will apply to carbon steerer tubes as well. Anyway, its always good to err on the safe side.

Speaking of spacers, I also read somewhere that it is advisable to have a carbon steerer tube cut with enough excess to accommodate a spacer above the stem. Carbon steerer tubes if cut just below the stem clamp area (to accommodate the stem cap) risk cracking at the lip of the tube if the stem is clamp down too tightly. I saw pictures of carbon steerer tube cracks due to this.


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