Review: Orbea's New Rally On Linkage for the Rallon
Orbea's fifth-generation Rallon (pictured above) impressed me with its all-around abilities when I reviewed it last year, but the Spanish brand has made some changes for 2020 that are intended to make the bike even more capable. This includes a 10mm bump in travel at both ends courtesy of a 170mm fork up front and the revised 'Rally On' linkage that eeks out more squish from the Fox shock, as well as a claimed increase in sensitivity and a ''more progressive leverage curve'' that was wholly needed.
And, in an unusual and very un-bike brand-like move, Orbea is selling the backward-compatible Rally On linkage separately so that owners of the fifth-generation Rallon can convert their bikes to match the 2020 version. I had to try one, obviously.
The kit will go for $299 USD when it's available at the end of August, and you'll find two new rocker arms with fresh bearings installed, a new pivot axle (not shown), a new shock clevis, and all new hardware inside the box. You'll get a bearing preload tool as well. What you won't find, however, is a 170mm-travel fork; that one is up to you to figure out but it's also not a requirement to use the new linkage.
The kit will go for $299 USD when it's available at the end of August, and you'll find two new rocker arms with fresh bearings installed, a new pivot axle (not shown), a new shock clevis, and all new hardware inside the box. You'll get a bearing preload tool as well. What you won't find, however, is a 170mm-travel fork; that one is up to you to figure out but it's also not a requirement to use the new linkage.
Rally On Linkage Details
• 10mm increase in travel to 160mm
• Increased suspension sensitivity
• Increased progression
• Includes new bearings and hardware
• Availability: End of August, 2019
• MSRP: $299 USD
• More info: www.orbea.com
• 10mm increase in travel to 160mm
• Increased suspension sensitivity
• Increased progression
• Includes new bearings and hardware
• Availability: End of August, 2019
• MSRP: $299 USD
• More info: www.orbea.com
Also worth noting is that you might have to bump up the shock's spring rate slightly - 50in/lb if you're on coil, or a few strokes of a shock pump if you're on air - due to the average leverage ratio going up. Air-sprung shocks might need a volume spacer taken out, too.
The $299 USD kit includes new left- and right-side rocker arms with the bearings installed (not shown), a new shock yoke, new axle (not shown) and all new hardware (also not shown).
What's Different About the Linkage?
I doubt you'd be able to tell the old and new versions apart if you only had a quick glance, but it's a lot more obvious when you compare the two side by side. Also, keep in mind that millimeters matter; even the smallest difference in pivot location can have a big effect on how the suspension performs. Put next to each other, it's easy to see the difference at the shock yoke pivot (it's a few millimeters lower) and at the seatstay pivot (it's a lot of millimeters lower).
The new link is being held in this photo, with the old link still on the bike behind it. The rocker's main pivot (blue) hasn't changed, but the shock yoke pivot (green) has moved down slightly. The seatstay pivot (red) has been moved down even more.
According to Orbea, these changes are what provides the increased travel and sensitivity but, more importantly for someone like me who's running a coil-sprung shock, increased progression through the stroke. That means less bottoming even though it should feel a bit more forgiving off the top. Sound familiar? If you read my review of the Rallon last year, you might know that I complained about exactly that - it was a bit too linear for the coil-sprung shock that Orbea offers as an option, and it wasn't as forgiving (especially as it's coil-sprung) earlier in its travel, either.
Shoutout to Orbea for not only making changes to address the Rallon's short-comings but also for making the solution retro-fittable to the previous model.
Shoutout to Orbea for not only making changes to address the Rallon's short-comings but also for making the solution retro-fittable to the previous model.
The different pivot locations provide a different leverage ratio. Orbea says the new link makes the suspension more sensitive while also ramping up more.
Given that bike companies are notoriously good at making sure consumers will want to buy into the latest model, it wouldn't have surprised me in the slightest had Orbea not sold the new linkage separately.
The new shock yoke keeps the 'LOW' and 'LOWER!' geometry options.
How Hard is the Installation?
Not only is the linkage retro-fittable, but consumers (or a pair of hands they trust) can install it own their own. The job requires the following to complete: 5, 6, and 8mm hex keys, the ability to remember 'lefty loosey, righty tighty,' and a rubber mallet or another non-marring motivator.
Is it difficult? No, not at all, but you'll need to be nice to the aluminum pivot hardware and pay attention to what went where. If you're competent enough to install an internally-routed dropper post, change your bottom bracket, and cook yourself a decent dinner, you'll be able to handle this job. Hell, I can only manage two of those things and I still figured it out, so you'll be fine.
Make sure you undo the clamp bolt on the bottom of the rocker (left) before you try to remove it.
The two rocker arms lock onto a large, splined aluminum axle that runs through the frame and spins on sealed bearings.
To get the stock linkage off, you'll want to loosen all of the hardware before you remove the shock; trust me, it's easier this way. Once you've done that and slid the shock out (mine was terribly tight at the forward mount due to extra paint build-up around the bolt hole), you can start taking the links off. And, like every full-suspension mountain bike since the beginning of time, there are some pivot spacers to keep track of while you do this.
The two rocker links (the long ones) fit onto the splined aluminum axle that runs through the frame, and a single pinch-bolt on each side keeps everything in place. I loosened one of these bolts and then used a socket and hammer on the same side of the splined axle to slowly separate the two, then I gently tapped the axle out of the opposite link.
All the new parts go back together in the same way, but don't forget that the rocker arms are left- and ride-specific; it'll start to look really strange if you get it backward. If you're having trouble getting those pesky pivot spacers to stay put, a small dab of sticky grease will hold them in place and free-up a hand. This is also the time to clean and re-grease all the bits, and to make sure that the large bearings in the Rallon's seat tube are still spinning smoothly - mine still feel like new.
All the new parts go back together in the same way, but don't forget that the rocker arms are left- and ride-specific; it'll start to look really strange if you get it backward. If you're having trouble getting those pesky pivot spacers to stay put, a small dab of sticky grease will hold them in place and free-up a hand. This is also the time to clean and re-grease all the bits, and to make sure that the large bearings in the Rallon's seat tube are still spinning smoothly - mine still feel like new.
With the rocker arms off, you can gently tap the aluminum axle out of the frame.
Is it an All-New Rallon?
The revised linkage doesn't drastically change the Rallon's character - it still feels like the big-hitting all 'rounder that it is - but the update does do exactly as it says on the box. There's the bump in rear wheel-travel from 150mm to 160mm, sure, but it's how things change at the beginning and end of the stroke that's more interesting. For comparison's sake, I kept the Fox shock's settings identical to how it was run with the old linkage. This actually gave me the same amount of sag as I also weigh a nip less than when I first reviewed the Rallon.
New linkage, who dis? Now quite, but there's a difference in how the Rallon's suspension performs.
Here's what I had to say about the Rallon's suspension when I reviewed it last June: ''It also didn't feel overly supple, however, even with the coil-sprung X2, which is the flip-side to that great on-power performance. I felt like there was a bit more feedback coming up through the pedals than I expected, even with the shock's compression damping backed out, but it's not harsh enough for me to use that word - harsh - to describe the action. Instead, I'll call it a bit less active than some, but not all, enduro bikes.''
With the new linkage installed, the back of the Rallon is certainly a touch more active and forgiving. It's not as drastic as, say, the difference between air-sprung and coil-sprung, but the bike is now as sensitive as I'd expect it to be with Fox's X2 shock doing the work. Now it feels coil-sprung, whereas I wasn't getting that kind of action from it previously. And, just as importantly, the bike still doesn't act like a stuck-in-the-mud enduro rig; it has stayed relatively sporty given its intentions.
Back to that review, I also wanted more bottom-out resistance with the coil-sprung shock that I (and others) chose to spec it with: ''That said, with 30-percent sag, I probably felt bottom a few more times than I expected to, and on smaller impacts than what should be gobbling up all of the X2's stroke.''
This complaint is mostly looked after, too, as the Fox shock is now less likely to reach the end of its stroke when it shouldn't. That said, it could use even more progression, especially given that the X2 is relatively easy to bottom compared to other coil-sprung shocks.
I suspect that Orbea had to make sure the new link would also play nice with air-sprung shocks that inherently ramp-up, and adding too much progression might keep some riders from getting full-travel with them. The new linkage is an improvement, but it also shouldn't keep air-sprung shocks from getting all of their stroke.
Back to that review, I also wanted more bottom-out resistance with the coil-sprung shock that I (and others) chose to spec it with: ''That said, with 30-percent sag, I probably felt bottom a few more times than I expected to, and on smaller impacts than what should be gobbling up all of the X2's stroke.''
This complaint is mostly looked after, too, as the Fox shock is now less likely to reach the end of its stroke when it shouldn't. That said, it could use even more progression, especially given that the X2 is relatively easy to bottom compared to other coil-sprung shocks.
I suspect that Orbea had to make sure the new link would also play nice with air-sprung shocks that inherently ramp-up, and adding too much progression might keep some riders from getting full-travel with them. The new linkage is an improvement, but it also shouldn't keep air-sprung shocks from getting all of their stroke.
More sensitive suspension action should me more traction and less fatigue.
While all of the above makes sense, I couldn't reconcile my Rallon's geometry with the numbers that Orbea said the new linkage provides. According to them, there shouldn't be any change to the geometry with the new linkage installed and the stock, 160mm-travel Fox fork still on. With the old links, the head angle measured 65-degrees bang-on, as expected with it in the 'LOWER!' geometry setting. With the new links installed 30-minutes later, I used multiple angle-finders (digital and analog) multiple times and every one of them told me the bike now has a 64-degree head angle. Yes, they were all zeroed. Suspecting that the vast amounts of energy drinks I consume have finally gone to my brain, I had someone else go through the same routine only for them to get the same result.
Many of my local trails lose elevation quicker than an elevator shaft, so I'm not exactly bummed about the slacker front-end given that it's probably going to save my ass at some point soon. It also makes the bike a touch more relaxed at speed, as you'd expect, and technical climbing a bit less relaxed. And don't forget that the Rallon's seat angle also gets a bit slacker, which isn't ideal.
Orbea's response regarding the geometry change: ''After checking head angles and bottom bracket heights of two bikes outside the factory with iPhone clinometers and a third inside the Orbea facilities with much more accurate measurement tools, we were unable to reproduce any of the geometry changes mentioned in the article. We are investigating further with Mike to see what might be giving a 1º variation from our engineering designs and subsequent measurements, but since that change would require a fairly massive bottom bracket drop or fork height increase, we remain confident in our assertion that the new linkage will not alter your frame’s geometry.
What we can wholeheartedly confirm is that the improvements in feel are subjective but noticeable and we are extremely happy that Mike and other testers have reported the same increase in traction and mid/end stroke support with the 2020 Rallon and new linkage assembly. Rally On!''
Pros
+ Improved suspension sensitivity
+ Increased bottom-out resistance
+ Slacken's geometry by 1-degree
Cons
- Slacken's geometry by 1-degree
Pinkbike's Take:
 | So, if you already own a Rallon, does the new linkage make sense? If you use your Rallon as a long-legged all-mountain machine and don't point it down anything too rowdy, it's $299 USD that you probably don't need to spend. But it could be a worthy upgrade if you're more into going as fast as you can, or as steep as you can, and especially if you've spec'd your Rallon with a coil-sprung shock. |
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They’ve developed a new linkage for their riders, and now, they sell it, even for previous years bikes.
When I had a canyon I knew (and it’s confirmed) that joe Barnes raced the spectral with a different linkage, that was never sold.
Nowadays also the specialized racers use different linkage on their stump jumpers that gives them that extra travel, instead of getting the spesh enduro.
And there are more and more examples like this.
Brands out there, if your riders request something, maybe your clients do too!
And the fact that orbea is selling this linkage to 2018 and 2019 models it’s great!
They could have just changed the frame slightly call it a new bike and get rid of previous owners.
How do you like your SJ Evo? I hear rumors of people putting a longer stroke shock on the rear that increases the travel to about 155mm and increases the progressivity as a side benefit.
However, in 2014 the BMC trailfox came out. It had garbage CTD suspension that made it ride like a 120mm bike, but size large had a 470mm reach, 435mm chainstays, and a steep for the time 74.5 degree STA. It was the first 29er to surpass the Enduro. The HTA was still XC at 67 degrees, but I picked one up two years ago and put a 1.5 degree angleset in it and a longer travel fork. My phone says its at 65 degrees in the HTA, and I still ride it and put it against any modern Rimpo, Hightower, etc in the handling department. I have to slide my seat al l the way forward to emulate a steep STA, but it still rips (once you put modern suspension on it)
Sorry, but $299 is a rip off....
For old time's sake: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaPmO3CmKgc
ps. BikeRumor has them reversed
The 160 fox 36 leaves 1cm unused,
I guess the 170 fox 36 uses the full stanchions so shouldn’t change the head angle right?
@hab19: that makes sense then! Hahaha I’ll probably upgrade the fork to 170 when doing the service
www.orbea.com/ca-en/bicycles/mountain/rallon/cat/rallon-m10
With the 6mm bolt in the linkage arm on the drive side loosened I used a socket to engage with (a part; maybe 30%) of the spindle face. I then used a hammer to tap the spindle out which at first required a bit more effort than I thought it would have. I had to also tap the spindle out of the non drive side bearing where it obviously also set pretty snugly. Reinstalling was then easy.
Honestly, I find it pretty dumb that you have to do these botch jobs on fancy expensive bikes. Cranks on BB spindles have been around forever and there are specific tools and methods to remove them without hammers, marring the face of delicate parts or excessive axial loading of roller bearings. Maybe I'm missing something but I think Orbea screwed up the maintenance and replacement in the engineering of this linkage which is pretty lame.
Secondly, why are there no instructions or at least recommendations on Orbeas website on how to do this? When I wrote them about this, their answer was that without knowing exactly the state of the bike, they could not recommend anything and that I should go to a shop. Again pretty lame.
Finally, the only part of hte linkage set which is actually different from the original are the actual links... which can be bought separately and much cheaper than the whole box. Everything else is the same so save your cash.
I recall having written Rocky many times regarding mods, specs, replacement parts and methods and their answers were much more helpful....maybe I get a Rocky again for my next bike...
How many volume spacers are in my shock I wonder...I don't think I have enough to remove
Sounds more like a pro for me.
Run the parts through a tumbler and annodise pretty simple .
See the below from Bike Radar.
There can be a downside to high levels of anti-squat.
The chain-pull force relies on the cassette moving away from the chainring as the suspension compresses — this is known as chain growth. Most of the time, the cassette will simply rotate forwards to allow the chain enough slack for the suspension to compress.
However, if the cassette can’t spin forwards because the rear wheel is locked up, or is spinning more slowly than the cassette needs to in a sudden compression, the crank will be forced to rotate backwards. The movement of the crank in the case of a non-rotating cassette is known as pedal kickback. The angle through which the cranks rotate relative to the mainframe as the suspension compresses can be calculated using suspension software, or measured.
The more chain-pull anti-squat a bike has, the more pedal kickback it generates. These terms can roughly be thought of as two names for the same thing. So for bikes that don’t use an idler pulley, the amount of pedal kickback is proportional to the anti-squat.
For bikes with high pedal-kickback values, its effect can occasionally become noticeable – especially on rough tracks with lots of sudden impacts or when hitting bumps with the rear wheel locked up.
It’s also noticeable when climbing. As the chain is always under tension when pedalling, the anti-squat by definition resists the suspension’s movement. So bikes with high anti-squat can be harsh and unreactive when pedalling over bumps.
For many riding situations, pedal kickback in itself is not something you’re likely to notice. But the more chain growth/pedal kickback you have, the more the chain, cassette and derailleur cage have to move in order to allow the suspension enough slack chain to react. This can have a detrimental effect on suspension sensitivity, especially when using a clutch mech.
But does this matter? Just ask Aaron Gwin. When he won the 2015 Leogang World Cup without a chain he was heard remarking to his team mate Troy Brosnan: “The suspension works so good with no chain!” While by no means a scientific assessment, this passing comment highlights the effect chain-pull can have on suspension sensitivity. If you want proof, try riding chainless.
So there’s a balance to be struck here; more anti-squat generally means greater pedal-efficiency, but tends to mean worse sensitivity.
82kg rallon 5 xl rider here. I really like the bike, but i can feel pedal kickback. One solution is to ride in easy gear when facing big hits, another is to mount bigger chainring at front..
Capra 29 and jekyll 27.5 have definitely less kickback but they ride uphill like sh1t compared to Rallon. It is definitely a preference thing..