$965.13

The Orbea Occam TR OMR is the top-line 29er of the revamped Occam line. The Occam has been redesigned into two flavors and the 29er version is a bit more trail, a bit more about rolling efficiency, a bit better for larger riders. Either way, you can pick a preference and know that the bike expands the definition of trail by combining a healthy dose of cross-country speed and climbing prowess. No matter where you see yourself on the riding spectrum, your trails and habits can change from day to day, and this allows you to get the best of both worlds without the drawbacks of either.

Part of the reason they were able to pull this off is the inexorable advancement of technology. The Occam takes advantage of the new Boost hub standard for both the front and rear wheels. In front, it’s an 110x15mm thru-axle. In the rear, it’s 148x12mm thru-axle. Greater hubs hell width means wider triangulation for the spokes resulting in a laterally stiffer wheel. And the wider stance of both the fork and the rear triangle further improves lateral rigidity in the frame.

On either side of the rear hub is Orbea’s new rear triangle design. The rear triangle actually does without any pivots by the rear axle, which offers several benefits. Without pivots, the rear end is 150g lighter. Without pivots, there is less to break, less to maintain, less to go wrong. And the UFO stays have vertical compliance designed into them, thanks to both fiber alignment and shaping. The stays are where much of the small-bump sensitivity comes from, which makes it easier for the shock to take care of bigger things.

Orbea doesn’t leave suspension duties to an off-the-shelf shock. They worked with Fox on this 120mm-travel Float DPS three-position shock. The action has been tuned thanks to Orbea’s Advanced Dynamics analysis. The leverage ratio curve is designed to have a starting sag at around 25% of travel to further small-bump sensitivity. Then, up to 40% the leverage ratio decreases slightly. And about 50%, the leverage ratio rises to better work with the air spring. It’s controlled by a three-position lever on the bars, which also allows for on-the-go adjustments for the Fox 34 Float with 120mm of travel. The travel of the TR bike is 20mm less than the AM, to better work with the larger wheels.

The fork and shock are merely the taming of the trail. Your power and control start with the geometry, and Orbea had a pretty strong idea of what they wanted. Something that was comfortable, stable, and fast. So they developed angles and tube lengths that provide a long reach for stability with shorter stems. Below, they lowered the bottom bracket (340mm), for even more stability. To make for better climbing, they went with short chainstays (435mm). They paired the short stays with a steep seat angle (74.5-degrees) for improving climbing efficiency. And then, up front, they went with a slack head angle (68-degrees), to provide predictable steering in steep and/or rough terrain.

Then they worked on manipulating their material of choice. Carbon-fiber. Specifically, Orbea’s top-shelf OMR carbon: their lightest, stiffest grade. The main triangle is monocoque for minimizing weight and maximizing strength and durability. The head tube hides a tapered steerer, 1 1/8” to 1 1/2”. Which leads to an oversized downtube, which widens on its way to the oversized BB92 bottom bracket. When paired with the flattened top tube, the frame represents an advance in torsional strength. Then Orbea builds on this. Thanks to the wide bottom bracket, the chainstays are set wide, which aids not only in torsional stiffness, but durability. In fact, Orbea sets all the moving elements of the frame on widely-set oversized bearings. The oversized bearings are more durable, move more easily, and, of course, add to the stiffness and durability of the frame.

In order to both stay with the times and prepare for the future, all the cable routing is internal, including room for cabling a dropper post. On the exterior, the front derailleur mount is easily removed or converted if you prefer a single ring setup.

The Orbea Occam TR OMR gives you everything that you’d need in a trail bike plus the weight and sporty feel of a hyperlight XC racer.