Until 2012, series winner Julien Absalon rode for Orbea. Almost exclusively on 26-inch hardtails. It is well known that the Frenchman resisted the 29er wave for a long time. It therefore took a relatively long time for the Basques from Orbea to roll out their hardtail classic, the Alma, in a wide 29er range. For 2015, the Spaniards are offering a whole 10 models of the Alma. The S frame is only available in 27.5 inches, the M and L sizes in both wheel sizes and the XL version exclusively as a 29er. Since April of this year, we have been 29er version of the Alma M10 on the road. In an endurance test to put the frame and components through their paces for a whole year and test their reliability: on trails, dusty gravel tracks, in the rain, through mud, in the Alps and on our home trails around the editorial office.
Technical data and weights of the Orbea Alma M10
Tuning for better acceleration
On its first outings, I circled the Alma over the Isar trails. The rooted ups and downs should help me find the perfect riding position and reveal the first weak points. Compared to my Merida Big.Nine, the Alma accelerated much slower. On the Alma M10, you have to pedal hard a few times in the pedalling stroke to really pick up speed. I quickly turned to the XT wheels as a particle accelerator. After the first flat tyre, I therefore switched to latex milk. This saved me a good 100 grams per wheel, as 166 gram tubes were fitted from the factory. I also soon swapped the heavy, robust Geax Aka tyres for a somewhat non-homogeneous combination of Thunder Burt (rear) and Specialized Purgatory 2.3.
I also no longer wanted to do without watt measurement on my training laps. That's why I needed a power meter. I opted for a new model from Stages, which only measures power via the left crank arm. Installation is child's play, as you only have to replace the left crank arm. The power meter doesn't put any pressure on the weight either: the power meter weighs just 11 grams. XT version of the Stages power meter more than the standard XT crank.
From the Karwendel to the 100-kilometre adventure
After six months, the Alma should now have just under 1800 kilometres on the chain. I recorded the longer rides and laps using GPS (see Strava recording below), but not the countless lunchtime laps and commuter rides. However, the Orbea Alma has already travelled a lot in the six months: I've whipped it around Willingen/Hochsauerland on the enduro trails of the Specialized Sram Enduro Series, taken it for a ride in the Bavarian Forest around the Großer Arber, used it as an approach aid on mountain tours in the Karwendel and chased it 100 kilometres from Munich to my home in Lower Bavaria. However, the Alma feels most at home on fast, not too winding trails. Despite its 70.8 degree steering angle, the geometry is not particularly manoeuvrable. On the other hand, it scores with its smooth ride and doesn't buck up even on the steepest ramps. The World Cup frame is also not lacking in stiffness in the bottom bracket and headset area.
Like the whistling of tinnitus
I haven't had any serious defects on the Alma yet. Sure, the shift cables no longer slip through the bushings as easily as they did on the first day. The chain also needs more care and lubrication after muddy rides. But otherwise the race hardtail bravely resists wear and tear.
Only one sore spot has been giving me a headache since the start of the test: the Formula R1 stoppers. When new, there was so much fluid in the lines that you only had to tap the levers to brake. But a bloodletting on the lever helped. But I still haven't been able to get rid of the squeaking, whistling, rattling and whining from the R1. This is what tinnitus must sound like, I think again and again when I put the pedal to the metal. Despite braking hard and having worn down the brake pads to some extent, the brake still makes the same annoying noises as it did at the start of the endurance test.
