Review: 2022 Orbea Rallon M-LTD

Frame Details

Orbea is no stranger to carbon construction thanks to their long history of building high-end road frames using Orbea Monocoque Race (OMR), a high modulus carbon makeup. The matte clear coat over the raw carbon on our test bike left no room for flaws and the frame is backed by a lifetime warranty.

Starting at the head tube, the bearings rest directly on molded, carbon races, which is an area burly enough to handle a 180 mm single crown fork. The neat cable ports allow the rear brake line to be run on either side of the handlebar and are held in the downtube with partially enclosed guides, but spend a fair bit of time outside of the carbon skeleton. This is visible from inside the first of three "Lockr zones" - the downtube storage, accessible by unlocking a lever on the bottle cage hatch. Opening up the door reveals a neoprene bag to hide your snacks or a light jacket, and on the backside of the water bottle door is a small rubber band to hold a tire lever, CO2 cartridge, or any other simlarly shaped item.

Packing all of those features inside the front triangle was no easy task. A 650ml water bottle at the lowest possible position rubbed the shock reservoir upon loading and unloading when a pump bracket was installed under the cage. Above the bottle cage lies the 12-millimeter offset shock to give way for an asymmetrical brace between the seat tube and top tube, adding to the rigidity of the frame. Orbea states that this layout retains the best stiffness to weight ratio. On the yoke, you'll find a flip-chip to slacken the angles by half of a degree and shorten the reach by 5 mm. The 27.5" wheel clevis is slightly longer to rotate the seat stay rearwards and nearly retains the geometry of the lowest 29" setting.


To offer protection on this sleek finished fiber frame, a rubber molded downtube shroud wraps under the 73 mm threaded BB area, topped off with ISCG 05 tabs. An e*thirteen Micro chain guide covers the top of the ring and is scantily perched on a secondary bracket that reaches out from the ISCG tabs. Plastered along the top and bottom of the chainstay and underside of the seatstay is more rubber, but that stops a little short of the chain and ring engagement.

For the powerhouses out there, the rear triangle is bomber enough to carry a 223mm rotor and has clearance for a 34-tooth ring without pushing the 52mm chainline further outboard.

Enduro Max Black Oxide bearings are found on all of the pivots and are equipped with extra seals to keep out the worst elements. Two of these pivots on the front triangle are anchored down by pinch bolts to alleviate overloading the preload on the bearings, which would increase the friction and hinder the suspension performance. Inside the forward rocker pivot is the second Lockr stash - a small tool holds a set of common hex keys from 2-5 mm. You'll need pincer-like fingers to disconnect it from the small magnet and rubber seal holding it firmly in place. That's not enough to complete a full tear down or tighten the 10mm main pivot bolt, but it should let you quickly adjust cockpit controls.

No stone is left unturned on the Rallon, and thoughtful touches include the respective torques printed on the main pivot bolts. The third Lockr zone is found at the removable rear axle lever, which doubles as a valve core remover.

Geometry

As mentioned, the Rallon's figures were updated during the marginal makeover for 2022 with the reach measurement being the largest number to change. In fact, the large jumped from 455mm to 485 in the steeper setting. The medium reach drops down to 455/460mm, but that doesn't mean that you have to decide on reach for sizing. The "steep and deep" label hypes the short seat tube lengths and Orbea's sizing chart and outlines how someone 178 cm can ride either a small, medium, or large frame.

Further changes for 2022 see a few millimeters added to the chainstay and a minutely slacker head tube angle. Normal numbers like a 440mm chainstay remain unchanged across the frame sizes and the 64-degree head tube angle plays well on all trails, as does the much steeper 77-degree seat tube angle. The BB height is quite low, with a drop of 35mm in that slack setting. It's something to keep an eye on, but is not alarming since this is the static number that can change, depending on how you set the suspension sag.

Suspension Design

Concentric Boost 2 Pivot is what Orbea call their suspension layout, but it's similar to Split Pivot where the chain and seat stay co-rotate around the rear axle to balance the pedalling and braking forces. It's a familiar looking layout that covers all of the bases with fewer complications and compromises. Large diameter bearings are used at the dropout pivot and the clevis-driven shock reduces side loading on the shock.

The most notable change to the kinematics would be the overall progression. That's been positioned to gain a softer beginning stroke, but also more ramp control towards the end of the travel. The Rallon moves from 21% up to 24% to play well with either a coil or air shock.

The anti-squat has been kept fairly high to reduce pedal bob in lower gears, starting around a listed 134%. A low anti-rise number hovers around 55-60% throughout the travel, inviting the rear wheel into the suspension travel under braking.

Specifications

Decked to the nines and retailing at $9,999 USD, I tested the Rallon M-LTD draped in all the Kashima stanchions, Shimano XTR, and Race Face Next R carbon components you can outfit. Sure, that's a lot of dough, but we're talking about cream of the crop gear and there are much more affordable builds available. Fancy parts usually mean lighter weight too, and the M-LTD feels like a featherweight compared to something like the Norco Range C1 build at a similar price and specification package.

For nearly $2,000 less, the M Team loses the "R" in the Shimano kit and carbon wheels, but keeps the fancy Fox components. Oddly enough, this is the only build that is spec'd with mixed wheels, which means you'll need to purchase the 29" clevis if you want to use a larger rear wheel. The same purchase applies if you want to cut a mullet into one of the 29er builds. $5,499 USD will get you started on the M20 model with Fox Performance suspension, alloy Race Face kit, and Shimano SLX components.

Maxxis EXO+ tires are equipped on all the models, so that's something to keep in mind when referencing the overall weight. These might do for light-duty day to day riding, however, I've never seen any pro EWS riding use anything less than a Double Down casing.

Alloy frame options are nowhere to be found, raising the barrier to entry into the Rallon family significantly, however, you still receive the same premium carbon frame across the builds. One final thing to note is the lack of skid plates. For nearly the same price as a new chain, mishaps could easily be avoided in the first place if a plastic taco was bolted on there.

Test Bike Setup


My recent rant or "Opinion" article went deep into the gaps in sizing. Although I got along well with the larger Rallon, I kept it in the slacker setting for the shortest reach possible. That meant ditching the stock steering components for my preferred 765 mm wide, 35mm rise handlebar and 35mm length stem on top of 15 mm of spacers.

Mixed, MX, mullet, or whatever you want to call it - it's is a simple transition that invites shorter riders into the picture. For the majority of the test, the Rallon stayed in the full 29" setup, but I did have the chance to toy with the smaller rear wheel too.

I'm well accustomed to the Fox 38 and ran with a slightly higher pressure of 102 psi and less damping than recommended on the fork. In terms of the rear shock, I did prefer a slightly more forgiving ride with less damping on the compression clickers than suggested, but it's an excellent place to start. More damping might be something to keep in mind for top speeds in faster bike park environments to calm down the wheel movements.

Climbing

As a born and bred enduro race bike, you'd expect the Rallon to partake in lots of climbing. Getting out of the saddle to power up a steep wall doesn't sap any energy and still has plenty of traction to tap into. The suspension stays moderately high in its travel which plays a huge factor in how the weight shifts under power transfer can upset the balance on bikes with less anti-squat.

The BB drop is low for an enduro race bike, and you do have to be mindful of pedal placement up rock-filled climbs. That MX modifier is supposed to mirror the low geometry setting of the 29er, however I noticed more crank strikes while climbing. There is a slight decrease in rollover and traction that comes with the mismatched wheels, but a choice in wheel size is welcomed.

It's worthwhile to flick the lever when objects get too close to the pedals on technical climbs - something that takes some practice to find and is only accessible with your left hand. The Rallon could be a choice candidate for 165mm cranks due to the 35mm BB drop in the slack setting.

I never had any issues steering through switchbacks, since that front axle wasn't dangling miles ahead of me. This is where the steeper seat tube angle and effective top tube measurement come into play. The seated position was upright and the 440mm chainstay kept my weight equally balanced between the axles. Rarely did I have to move far from a neutral seated position to eke out grip or keep the front wheel from lifting on any incline.

With that said, the Rallon feels like a long legged trail bike for the climbs and one of the least burdening 160mm bikes I've ridden uphill. Part of that is undoubtedly thanks to the overall low weight and svelte rolling mass. Surprisingly, it doesn't hold back on the way down the mountain.

Descending

The last thing I want to imply was that the Rallon was boring because it rips in so many aspects of riding. It didn't have any groundbreaking moments, but that's one of the best parts about it. Nothing was ever unexpected and where the other latest and greatest high pivot bikes have their shining moments, there are downsides that come along with them. For a 160mm travel bike with a burly 170mm fork it really has the "get up and go" in tighter trails that require body movement to generate speed.

Again, like climbing, the balance of the chainstay length suits the race-bred bike, never tucking too far under the rider's center of gravity and making it possible to maintain a controlled, centered position through hard corners.

In terms of suspension action, anything in my way was easy to anticipate because I knew exactly where the bike would be in its travel. Too much progression can be challenging to perceive what the bike might do on the next hit. Even on the coil shock the bottom out bumper rarely gave a mechanical confirmation that Id reached the end of the road, and as expected it wiped out any small bumps. The suspension action is inviting, never wallowing too deep in the stroke and tracked through all the North Shore rubble and roots without too much feedback or erratic movements. If you're charging repeated huge hits and tapping out at bike park speeds, you might give up that suppleness for a touch more support towards the end of the stroke with an air shock. The grass is always greener on the other when it comes to this choice.

Throughout the front half of the bike, there is a solid energy transfer without being too overbearing, whereas the rear half of the bike has more forgiveness. I appreciated less lateral wiggling through the bottom bracket area, keeping my torso in line with the bike and letting the tail wag when needed. The best thing about this combination of front and rear frame stiffness is that the rear shock is able to track on cambers without getting bounced off line for being too rigid. There was some evidence of tire rub on the seatstays under hard cornering, but the bike never felt "noodlely". A closer look reveals that the 2.5" x 27.5" wheel doesn't receive as much clearance as the 29" either.

How does it compare?

The Rallon reminded me of the Transition Spire Carbon. They both have this character of being lighter, longer-legged enduro bikes that shine on more than pure downhills. Both 170-ish travel bikes are highly adaptable to multiple riding zones and can feel playful with the right setup.

The Rallon might win out on EWS-style tight switchbacks, whereas the Spire will need a little more coaxing. It will depend on what type of trails you visit the most, but I could see the slacker head angle of the Spire appealing to a descent-focused rider with less races and more bike park trips in their calendar. I wouldn't have minded if the Rallon had a slacker head angle in the low setting, and had a 64-degree head angle in the higher setting. That would make the two settings more useful, with the steeper position for all-around pedaling, and the slacker one for high speed bike park ripping.

On that note, the Spire does edge out the Rallon at high speeds
. Most of that comes down to the much longer wheelbase; an 8mm longer chainstay and a mega-slack 62.5º head tube angle increase the stability of the Spire. Adding to the downhill might of the Transition is an extra 10mm of travel at the rear wheel, however, the suspension action is comparable and simple to get along with.

As for frame features, the Spire has the coveted ZS56 upper and lower head tube to play with reach and, as crazy as it sounds, reel in that head tube angle - yes, make it steeper if you want to avoid stoppies through tight corners. Both carbon bikes have flip-chips and seat tube lengths that will work for a variety of rider inseam, but Transition wins out on the sizing game by offering a XXL size. On the flip side, the Rallon does a better job of preserving the geometry when it's run with mixed-wheels

Technical Report

Fox DHX2: The performance and adjustment in this shock, paired with the leverage curve of the Rallon's linkage gave an incredible amount of grip. As per the setup guide, the damper settings were very close to what I was looking for and worked brilliantly to stay planted on the worst webs of wet roots. The DHX2 needed less tweaking on colder days and had a seamless transition when the shock shaft changed directions. Those premium SLS springs are conveniently available in 25 lb increments too. My only minor gripe with the shock was the location of the climb switch.

Race Face Next R wheels: Orbea worked tirelessly on the stiffness of the frame's front and rear triangles, but these carbon rims did result in more feedback than other hoops that I tried on the Rallon. Considering the quick pick up on the hub, they roll with less resistance than other high engagement hubs and added to the Rallon's climbing ability, letting you ratchet through spots of trail when you can't spin a full revolution of the cranks.

E-Thirteen chainguide / Race Face Cinch chainring SHIM-12: I've had good luck with Race Face Cinch rings in the past and this particular one still had lots of life left, but I experienced numerous dropped chains with the insufficient E-Thirteen CL52 guide. The arm that connects the plastic guide to the ICSG tabs is awfully thin and needs stouter hardware to attach it. I can't totally blame the chain and ring combo here, but once a OneUp Bash Guide was installed, I never looked back.

---

Pinkbike's Take

---

---