Orbea Orca M10 Team- First Impressions

I'd been dreaming about riding an Orca. Picturing the build... Running and re-running the numbers through our database. Making sure I knew how it would fit. I built the bike up in my imagination until it realistically had no shot at meeting expectations. It couldn't possibly be as good as they said, could it? 

When it finally arrived, I was chomping at the bit to get it out on the road. We threw it together, ball-parked my fit, and I headed out the door. More on that later. For now, let's talk a little bit about the bike. 

Out of the box, the Orca M10 is a SOLID race bike. At $5499, it is quite possibly the most bang for your buck of anything on the market. The frame is Orbea's current top of the line OMR version being raced by the Cofidis squad. It is decked out with the aforementioned Dura-Ace 9100 mechanical groupset (a more thorough review coming later!!!), a full FSA cockpit, and Vision Tri-Max 30 Clinchers. 

I used a pair of the Visions as my primary wheels all last year on a different bike. They are quite remarkable for the price. Buttery smooth hubs, moderate aerodynamics, super high spoke tension, and above average good looks. When shoed up with my standard Specialized Turbo tires (26 width), they do everything very well, and nothing poorly. Climb, sprint, corner, descend, cross winds... You name it, the Visions deliver. 

The drivetrain? Shimano knows what they are doing. Dura-Ace is still Dura-Ace. It's flawless. Quiet. Crisp. Precise. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the new 9100 was that I didn't give it a single thought the entire first ride. It just disappeared. Zero missed shifts. You can't ask for more from a drivetrain. I'll be digging into the new Dura-Ace further in a later blog post, but for now, let it be enough to say that so far, it has been perfect.

The FSA cockpit and seat post were stiff, light, and beautiful. They matched the aesthetics of the bike and the ergonomics were top notch.

The bar itself was a little wide for my scrawny shoulders, but it was close enough to my fit to be serviceable. We torqued everything down and headed out.

My first ride was somehow both jaw-droppingly exciting, and impossibly infuriating all at the same time. How so? Well, I need a different crank length and saddle than what comes stock on the bike, and unfortunately, the correct parts were not going to be available until the following week. But did I wait?

Heck no! I took it on a 45 mile jaunt with the Cyclologic Saturday Group Ride! And how did it go? I'll give you the bad news first... The crank being too long was extremely uncomfortable. I was all over the saddle, and my hips were killing me. (More on crank length optimization coming soon too!)

The good news? The Orbea Orca M10 is a flat out racer's dream come true. I have been racing and riding bikes for 35+ years. I have ridden just about everything. In all that time, and in all those bikes, I have never ridden anything that accelerates as fast as the new Orca. Period. If you push down hard on the pedals, the bike shoots forward. And the steering? Darn near telepathic. The Orca responds to the slightest bit of input. This is not a bike designed for a cautious rider. It is at its best, and most enjoyable, when you are going fast. Preferably, full gas.

The new Dura-Ace 9100 is soooooooooooooo gorgeous! 

The second ride, we installed the correct crank length, and saddle, and instantly, any negatives I had about the bike disappeared. My hips quieted down, my cadence increased, and the Orca somehow got even faster. 

So there you go. I've got a rocket ship of a bike that handles and performs like an absolute dream... But did we stop there? Heck no!

Being Cyclologic, we decided to kick things up a notch... BAM! (Apologies to Emeril)

Presenting, the all new Orbea Orca M10 with Cyclologic ENVE upgrade!

The ENVE flat top aero bar is an ergonomic dream come true.

Check out this crazy cool integrated computer mount!

Those wheels!!! How amazing does the matte/gloss finish of the frame look next to the same matte/gloss finish on the wheels?!? Pretty freaking amazing, that's how amazing.

Am I allowed to say that a seat post looks sexy? Good. Because I just did.

We took what was already an insanely fast bike, and turned it into a pro-tour level, no compromises dream bike. If it was a motorcycle, the stock Orca M10 would be a fully blown street racer that snapped your neck back with every acceleration. Something a little like this:

Image via Ducati.

With the Cyclologic ENVE upgrade package thrown into the mix? It's a little more... How do I put this?

Special.

Image via MotorSport.com

Yeah.

The Orbea Orca is that good.

Stay tuned for more updates. I'll be writing in more depth about the Orca, Dura-Ace 9100, crank length optimization, and the ENVE upgrade in the next few weeks. 

For now, just sit back and enjoy the view. 

I know I am.

Ben Serotta and Modomio

Sit back and relax a bit. I'm going to tell you a story. It's a little long, but trust me... The payoff at the end is totally worth it. 

The blue tint is what got me... Inside, under the shop fluorescents, the tubes were almost black, but out in the sun, where the bike belonged, they *sparkled* metallic blue. The carbon tubes in my Serotta Ottrott ST were unlike anything I had ever seen before. They were perfect in their naked glory. There was no need to hide any imperfections under paint, because... 

...there were no imperfections.

The carbon tubes were joined to shaped titanium lugs. The finish was impeccable. There wasn't a single drop of the clear coat from the carbon anywhere on the titanium. It was flawless.

And how did it ride?

It's been more than ten years, and I still have dreams about riding that bike. 

Sublime.

My love affair with Serotta goes way back. I'd always wanted one. I'd watched my heroes Davis Phinney and Andy Hampsten do impossibly beautiful things on theirs. Ben built bikes for the best, most discriminating riders in the world, and now...

He had made one for me.

And it was a beautiful, beautiful relationship.

As a matter of fact I  almost went to work for Ben once. I had been part of his trade show team, and my enthusiasm was evident. At the time Serotta had a one-of-a-kind carbon fiber factory in Poway, California. The front half of the building was a perfect place for a fit studio, and Ben offered it to me. My wife and I had just had our first child, and as much as I wanted to pick up everything and move out there, it simply wan't the right time.

Then we had our second child and life happened, and I had to sell my Serotta. I comforted myself with the knowledge that Ben was still out there making bikes. I could always get another one.

But then...

My friend Paraic McGlynn (who actually did work with Ben... more on that in a future blog post!) called and told me that Serotta had closed their doors.

Ben was no longer making bikes.

I have regretted selling my Ottrott ever since. The cycling community let out a collective gasp, and Serotta owners worldwide took their bikes out on long rides in Ben's honor. It was a sad moment in cycling history.

But don't worry. The story get's better. 

Way better.

You see, Paraic sent me an email the other day. He had just gotten off the phone with Ben, and guess what?

BEN SEROTTA IS BACK!

That's right! Ben is back making bikes again! His new company is called Modomio! ("Modo Mio" translates to "my way" in Italian.)

(photos by Danny Goodwin)

Let me say that again.

BEN SEROTTA IS BACK!

But wait! It gets even better! Cyclologic is very proud to announce that we are one of only four shops in the world that can offer you one of these bikes.

They are made one at a time, and are as perfect and flawless as anything Ben has ever made. We are so excited to be able to be a part of Ben's return, and can't wait to see the amazing creations he comes up with. 

For more information, please give us a call. We'd love to talk to you about creating your very own, one of a kind masterpiece made by the man himself.

Welcome back Ben. We have missed you more than you'll ever know.

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Check this out! It's Cyclologic's own Paraic McGlynn back when he was the head of the Serotta Fit School! Stay tuned for a blog post by Paraic about his time working with Ben.

2017 Ronde van Vlaanderen

When the press was called to Geraardsbergen to announce the 2017 Ronde van Vlaanderen route there were a few changes including a new start in Antwerp. The changes are awesome and we are all rooting for our Trek-Segafredo heroes tomorrow.

Our first iconic picture as part of your Cyclologic Flanders preview is the smaller but more beautiful of the two churches in Geraardsbergen. We spent some time on the Kwaremont too, pictures and commentary below.

Enjoy the worlds arguably finest one day race today!!! We are glued to the Interwebs spectating to the best of our ability.

This cobbled entryway to this stunning church is overlooked by Our Lady holding the infant Jesus. When you see the cobbles that precedes this stretch this surface is welcome.

This is the section that precedes the church before it funnels riders between a fine drinking establishment and onto the church section. Zoom in to see how some of these cobbles are like upward facing blades!!

Not all sections of cobbles are equal, this section is more perfectly manicured although far from flat and perilous in the rain with roads narrowed by rabid fans.

Cobbles eye view...

And now onto the Kwaremont

We came to see the amazing team and fans ofGRINTA! ride 100 times up this beast!

This is the beautiful village at the top of the climb.

But it's not really done yet, the cobble section continues to extends the hurt!

And continues into a series of not to be underestimated rollers!

In the local "refreshment" establishment they have the venerated local Kwaremont beer that is the same % strength as the grade of the climb. Makes perfect sense, eh?

Locals are mostly friendly!!

And here is the GRINTA! special brew to commentate a special day! We gleefully toasted a great race on the eve of the Belgian fan favorite with this limited edition taste of Flanders.

Our host the fantastic Jean Luc de Meyer who completed the 240km sportive today with the other Bike Fitting luminaries Morgan Lloyd and Jon Iriberri. Next year perhaps?

Let's hope there's no carnage like this today! Poor ole Jesper Skibby came a cropper when leading the race back in the good ole days! GoTrek-Segafredo!!!!

Cupcake

This is the story of a man and a cupcake. Or is it about a cupcake and a man? I can’t remember. Oh wait… I know. It’s about a man who loves cupcakes. (mmmmm… cupcakes)

Who is that man? Me.

And boy do I love me some cupcakes.

This is a problem. You see, I am also a man that has two little kids, an exhausted wife (did I mention the two little kids?), a full time job, and 30 minutes a day to myself. That’s it. It’s hard to stay in shape when you only have 30 minutes a day to work out, and a love of cupcakes. Well actually, it’s easy to stay in shape…

It’s just that the shape I’m in lately resembles that of a pear.

I’ve never been the kind of guy that will work-out inside. I’m not going to ride a trainer. I’m not going to buy a gym membership.

I’m just not.

I love being outside, and the thought of staring at a TV screen while I mindlessly churn out miles just sounds awful. I need fresh air. I need sunshine. I need to see the horizon. I also need a goal. I need something to focus on. I need a reason to get out the door that is more compelling than a second cup of coffee.

I’m also a little competitive. If I am going to train for something, I don’t want to just participate. I want to race. I want to give it a little gas. So what do I do? What can I train for in only 30 minutes a day that will deal with both the cupcake problem and my need for speed?

Cyclocross, that’s what.

Arizona has a surprisingly robust cross scene, and a fantastic race series. No, there isn’t very much mud, but there is a ton of sand, and some amazing venues. Cyclocross races (in the categories I would be participating in) last 30-45 minutes. Perfect! I could do that!

Now there was only one problem. I needed a cross bike.

So I did what any self respecting bike geek would do, and I scoured the internet. I read reviews. I poured through the forums. I watched the races, and I compared all of the different models. I am a huge Sven Nys fan, and I was definitely interested in the carbon uber-bike that Trek built for him…

The Boone.

It’s a beautiful, incredibly well thought out bike. I was all but decided on getting one, and was taking one last sweep through the Trek website, when I did something I hadn’t done before.

I scrolled to the bottom of the page.

And then I saw it.

The Crockett.

And I immediately fell in love. That color! It took me back to the late 80s and early 90s. Back to when I first fell in love with cycling. At that time, all of the pro teams were decked out in pretty flamboyant kit. Pink and celeste and neon ruled. It was all very Miami Vice.

I had to have this bike. I asked Paraic to size me up on our size cycle, and boy am I glad that I did. I was all set to order a 56, but the measurements we came to lined up closer to the 58. I can’t stress enough how highly I recommend that you do this before you make a bike purchase. I would have been sooooooooo disappointed to build up that bike and to only then find out that it wasn’t right.

So I ordered the correct size frameset, and started gathering all of the parts I would need.

I already had a set of tubeless cross wheels that I wanted to use. They were a little old, but were built up on super smooth 10 speed hubs. I’d only put a few hundred miles on them, and it seemed a shame to not get them dirty. I bought a tried and true Ultegra groupset, and a Zipp cockpit and seatpost.

I think it turned out pretty freaking beautiful!

I know, I know. Looks are one thing, but how does it ride?

In a word? Deliciously.

I have ridden the Crockett on grass, in sand, and on hardpack desert trails. It handles it all. A few thoughts.

1- Tubeless cross tires and wheels are the way to go. Depending on the terrain, I have run mine at anywhere from 32 to 45 psi, and I’ll never go back to tubes again. The lower psi is super forgiving, and the increased size of the contact patch gives traction for days. Leaning into a loose corner? No problem. Wet off camber section? Easy peezy. No more pinch flats? Hallelujah.

2- Trek flat out nailed the geometry on this bike. The IsoSpeed fork tracks like a laser, and the slightly relaxed rake has saved me on more than one occasion on steep downhills. The longer wheelbase feels stable in the bumps, but I have never felt limited when going around tight switchbacks. Getting the wheels off the ground for bunny hops or step-ups feels as natural as it does on my mountain bike.

3- White bar tape on a cross bike is ridiculous (but it looks soooooooooo good).

4- The Ultegra 10 speed is solid, dependable, a ton of bang for your buck, and... for some reason, feels slow on this bike. The Crockett begs to be ridden fast. It dives into corners and is super snappy coming out of them. It shines out of the saddle, and practically begs you to sprint at every opportunity. As good as the Ultegra 10 speed is, I found myself wishing it would respond just a little faster. I have an 11 speed group set on a different bike, and I am going to switch it over. I’m pretty sure that the extra tension in the 11 speed set will be a better match to how quick the Crockett feels. I guess my almost new 10 speed wheels will have to find a new home as well.

In the end, I have fallen in love with the Crockett. It allows me to ride at the very limit of my ability, and makes me want to ride more. I can’t wait to race it this fall.

A bike this good, a bike with this much character, deserves a name. What did we end up calling it? 

“Cupcake,” of course.

Paint

This is a stunning paint job. The colors pop in the sun.

IsoSpeed Fork

This thing is genius. It gives you added rake for stability, but without making the bike steer like a truck. 

Cockpit

Flat top bar and stem from Zipp, and color coordinated Hudz with matching Bontrager bar tape.

Cables

The cables are routed one each in front of and behind the bar to give me a little more surface area for those long Arizona dirt road climbs.

Details

Lots of spacers right now in the off season. The position will gradually get lower and longer as the races get closer, and my fitness, core strength and flexibility improve.

Pedals

XTR pedals... Simply the best.

Brakes

Stopping power provided by Shimano. They have a really nice finish, and work fantastic. 

Versatility

Note the in-line barrel adjusters. They allow me to run different width rims with a simple, quick adjustment.

Internal Routing

Jagwire cables and housing combined with super clean internal routing keeps the muck from messing up your shifting.

More Details

So clean! I love how the Trek design team thought of everything.

So here's the thing. The Crockett rides so well, and is so much fun, that I can't help but wonder what it would be like to try out a Boone.

Carbon.

Rear IsoSpeed decoupler.

Disk brakes.

Bontrager tubeless wheels.

Hmmmmmm... (Don't tell Cupcake. We don't want her getting jealous.)

Custom EVERYTHING!

The good guys and gals at Parlee just posted this picture up on their Instagram account.

Words fail me. There is so much about this bike that I love. Where do I begin...

Lets start with the obvious. That paint! Holy smokes! No stickers on that frame! The masking and attention to detail is stunning.

And then there are the tires, and the hoods, and the pedals... All carefully chosen to compliment the frame. It is all so well thought out!

Did you know that Cyclologic builds bikes like this all the time? It's true. We can customize anything and everything about your dream ride. From the materials and the geometry to the paint and the accessories. We can do it all. 

Our staff are experts at making sure that everything about your next bike is exactly how you want it. Dream big. Challenge us. We will make sure that everything works, and looks, perfect. We are so passionate about building you your perfect ride, that we even have a dedicated area of the store for us to sit down together and plan things out. 

Call us today and schedule some time. We will show you all of the options, let you know which products work best together, which ones to avoid, and most importantly, which ones are most suited for the way you ride.

Your dream bike is waiting for you... 

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Alchemy Gravel Grinder

RoadBikeAction.com recently reported on Alchemy’s new gravel grinder deemed theAithon. Alchemy produces bikes that are hand-rolled from carbon sheet in Denver, Colorado. As with Parlee, they are quintessential producers of the HORS equipment. Full custom, made to order. We have quite a few clients on them now.

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Parlee + Movado = AMAZING

Everything about Parlee bicycles invokes a love for riding. As a preferred dealer, each Parlee that arrives to the studio is built from the ground up. What we see is an exquisite representation of cutting edge, hand made bicycle design. Bob Parlee and his crew at Parlee understand carbon and They have a focused attention to detail. For us, then, it comes as little surprise that Movado teamed up with them to meld the intrinsic association between cycling and chronometry, which, in a word, is HORS.

                                                      Photo via Movado.com

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Felt Carbon Technology

As experts in the business of cycling, we are critical about the products  we ride, service and provide for our clients. It just so happens that recently there has been a fair amount of press around these very products. From the IA4 (deemed the P5 Slayer) to Parlee and Alchemy there is no loss for details and exacting performance in our lineup.

                                                                Photo via VeloNews.com

The venerable Leonard Zinn – writing for Velo News – relays six reasons why Felt’s production & design produce a better bike. Their carbon layup will suprise you, and we can tell you, as a Felt dealer we build every one that comes into the studio and the details are what you want in a bike. Leonard states as much in his review:

“not a marketing-driven company. Rather, it is a product-driven company, and has been ever since Jim Felt started making custom aluminum bikes with his name on them decades ago. Felt employs a small team of talented engineers, and the company and its product line are too small for them to be dedicated to single categories. Instead, ideas that work on road bikes rapidly cross-pollinate to mountain, cyclocross, and track bikes, and vice versa.”

You can also learn the quick history of Felt Bicycles on their Wiki page where the have history for days. If you’re local to the Phoenix Valley, we’ve got a grip of Felt bikes at the studio including the IA4 below:

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Alexis

Thank you so much for yesterday! I had such a great time. It was so awesome to hear all that information. Thinking about it now I didn’t realize so much goes into a bike fit. I can’t believe the difference it made in the past 2 days. I feel so much more comfortable. You guys were awesome.

Thank you,

Alexis

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Andy

Dear Cyclologic team,

I just wanted to say “thanks again” for the great service you have provided me. In the three years I have been working with you, my cycling life has continued to get better. And consequently, the rest of my life has improved as well. Prior to my first fit, I was in constant pain. My lower back was so tight that it not only affected my time on the bike but affected every aspect of my life. Even with the pain, I had no intention of giving up cycling. I just accepted that as part of my life. Since you changed my position on the bike, my lower back pain is no longer an issue (the chiropractors I worked with are not happy with you though as I no longer see them). With that, my personal life has improved as well. You have gained a client forever. Regardless of where I am living in the world, I will seek you out every time I get a new bike.

Thanks again.

Regards, Andy

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Kerry's Fit-First Testimonial

My bike has always been my partner in crime. I didn’t care that she was a little rough around the edges. I wore my saddle sores and numb toes like badges of honor. That is, until my mileage increased.

“Have you ever been properly fit on your bike?”

This innocuous question would lead me into the capable hands of the Cyclologic team. What I assumed would be a standard process was anything but, permanently changing my relationship to my bike and how I viewed my own physiology.

Whereas Cyclologic’s “Fit First” system would define me mathematically and analytically, it was Paraic and Steven’s ability to breathe life into my data that made my experience profound. Surrounded by digital displays and best of breed technology, I observed the dance between science and intuition as each minute adjustment brought me closer to the perfect fit.

4 months and 3,500 miles later, the obstacles that stood in the way of my optimal performance have been stripped away. I still have to train hard, but I no longer worry about the bike. It’s become an extension of me and my inner bad-ass.

Kerry Hebert
Lead UX Designer/Ardent Cyclist

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