I spent a lot of time on the outgoing Orbea Orca Aero and lauded it for its speed and handling finesse back when I tested it in 2022. With a blueprint inspired by the Ordu time trial bike, it was discernibly aerodynamic and looked the part, too. It was not, however, without fault - it was on the heavier side when compared with its rivals.
In fact, depending on the configuration, the outgoing Orca Aero was upwards of 8kg with lighter models hovering around the 7.5kg mark. As seen at last year’s Tour de France, aero bikes were chosen ahead of dedicated climbing bikes by some teams for the high mountain stages, with some bikes dipping under 7kg thanks to stripped-off paint and lighter wheels.
