Even with the cancellation of the successful Enduro team, the Spanish manufacturer Orbea continues where it left off last year: With a win! As a reminder, Orbea turned its back on enduro racing from this season, at least at World Cup level. Orbea had been an integral part of the Enduro World Series since 2018, with riders such as Belgian Martin Maes and Chilean Flo Espiñeira. Maes has already been able to demonstrate his skills at one or two Downhill World Cups or DH World Championships, where he competed on a converted enduro bike or an Orbea Wild e-bike without a motor.
Orbea's involvement in gravity racing will continue in 2025, but will shift to the downhill discipline. In order to provide the newly founded Orbea FMD Racing Team with Tahnée Seagrave and Martin Maes with the right projectile, a completely new bike has been developed. The carbon bike bears the well-known name Rallon and allows two bikes in one. By swapping the lower rocker, the Rallon can be set up as a downhiller with 200/200 millimetres of suspension travel or as an enduro bike with 170 millimetres at the rear and 180 millimetres at the fork.
One and the same main frame and rear triangle
To achieve this balancing act, a lot of work has been done on the details. The steering angle, bottom bracket height, progression and chainstay length can be changed and additional weights can even be attached depending on the route. The weights, which are positioned low in the frame, are intended to improve the centre of gravity and provide decisive advantages in the fight against the clock. Thanks to the greater mass, the bike is much more stable and reacts less sensitively to input from the ground due to the higher inertia. This phenomenon can also be experienced very well on E-MTBs. Up to 600 grams of additional mass can be perfectly integrated deep into the bike.
Geo and kinematics
Thanks to the wide range of setting options, the geometry can be customised to suit your own preferences. There is therefore a geometry calculator on the website that spits out the corresponding values for the different setups. While the downhill bike comes with a mullet setup, the enduro bike also gives you the choice of rear wheel size. Orbea specifies the following core sizes for an enduro bike in size L. While all values such as reach, head angle and chainstay length are at the usual level, the seat angle is extremely steep at 79.1 degrees and should ensure a very compact riding position. Compared to its predecessor, the kinematics have also undergone a major overhaul. The significant reduction in the anti-squat is particularly striking. While the old Rallon still had a rather high 120 per cent anti-squat in the SAG range, the value has been reduced to just 85 per cent on the new one. This also reduces pedal kickback and makes the suspension very open and active, even under chain tension, for optimum traction. During sprints, the rear would have to pump hard, which would require you to reach for the shock platform or the electronic control of the Fox Neo shock on the top model.
Three enduro and one downhill
There will be three enduro models from 5399 to 9999 euros: Rallon E-LTD, Rallon E-Team and Rallon E-10, all of which have Fox suspension in common. The top model is fitted with Live Valve Neo electric suspension. According to Orbea, the kinematics of the Enduro were chosen in such a way that electronic suspension offers the greatest advantages. The downhiller costs 7999 euros and comes with Fox Factory components, Shimano Saint gears and XTR brakes. The Rallon is available in four frame sizes (S, M, L, XL).
