Even on the way to the trail entrance, you realise that the Basque is not for short intermediate sprints. Uphill, you'll want to use the smaller of the two chainrings. On our twisty test track, we had to work hard to manoeuvre the Orbea through tight corners. The slack 66-degree head angle and the high weight don't make the Loki particularly lively on the descents either. The 3.0 Maxxis Chronical tyres are slightly wider than those of the competition and therefore offer more comfort. However, the flat profile could offer more grip. Nevertheless, the Orbea performs well: excellent paint quality, a lifetime warranty, a low Q-factor and excellent stiffness score important points in the rating system. The in-house low-budget Digit dropper post can be quickly lowered on the trail.
ConclusionThe Orbea is too heavy. However, the build quality and features keep up well with the test group.
PLUS When it comes to cable routing, the Basques work at a similar level to Bulls. The cables only leave the frame at the most necessary points.
MINUS The handlebars are a little unergonomic, more back sweep would improve contact with the hands.
The alternative: The Orbea Loki 29 H30 has a similar amount of suspension travel, but normal 29er wheels. The rest of the equipment remains the same apart from the fork. For 1299 euros, it is even 100 euros cheaper.
