Endurance test performance: 9,035 km | 92,400 hm
After setting up the Fox suspension using the Fox iPhone app, I set off into the cold and wet months. The first ride was disillusioning: as the wheelset was spoked far too softly, the Orbea with the soft frame was very spongy on fast downhills. I was also wheezing at the top of my lungs on every climb. The Occam's 13.35 kilos demand a lot of muscle power. I cycled the first 3500 kilometres in winter - whatever the weather. At the beginning, the front derailleur kept acting up. As it turned out, it was because a spacer ring had been forgotten when fitting the bottom bracket and the crank therefore had play. As the winter drew to a close, I replaced some wearing parts such as the chain, bottom bracket and tyres. I switched to Continentals X-King 2.2 tyres, as the factory-fitted Geax Aka tyres didn't give me enough grip in wet conditions.
In spring we went into the mountains. The Occam 29er always worked absolutely reliably: The rear triangle and fork ironed everything out. The drivetrain (a mix of SLX, Deore and non-geared parts) didn't make a sound until the end - and that without changing cables. The Deore stoppers decelerated flawlessly, but lacked the final bite. I rode like this well into the autumn, until at some point I had more than 9000 kilometres on the clock. I always felt comfortable on the Occam. Only the high total weight and the heavy wheels made me swear on long climbs.
Conclusion: The Occam 29er is certainly not a racing bike in its current configuration. But if you treat yourself to a lighter wheelset from the Orbea modular system, you get a robust all-round bike that won't let you down.
Functionality ****
Shelf life *****
(max. 6 stars)
