Owning a Santa Cruz Bronson has made bike tests hard to do – not a lot seems to measure up to the playful nature and point and go speed of the Bronson. When I picked up the Orbea Rallon from JE James Cycles in Rotherham, I had my doubts that it would put as big a smile on my face as my normal ride.

The 2019 version boasts some great kit though – including SRAM Eagle, Fox 36 Float Performance forks and and Fox DPX2 rear shock. It’s carbon so weighed next to nothing and at first I didn’t notice the 29 inch wheels. What was obvious right from the get go was the smart lines of the bike. The internal cable routing kept the bike clean and the stunning orange and blue combination on this bike looked great. The additional support through the frame was even something I like and looked straight out of the Specialized Stumpjumper range I’d rode last year.

The real test of the bike, for me at least, was how much it could make me smile. Isn’t that why we ride? So I grabbed the bike and headed out to Greno Woods, home of the Steel City DH. Warming up with a few runs on the blue line there, it was clear that this bike was made to be pushed. It’s been a while since I’ve been on 29er wheels and, whilst they’re not usually my cup of tea, they made light work of the trail. The 160mm forks up front got me out of bother a couple of times whilst I dialled in the shock rebound too and felt incredibly responsive over the small bumps. Once I’d managed to click on the right rebound settings to avoid being bucked, the Orbea suddenly became airborne and playful too; I nice surprise from a frame size up than I normally ride.

Some little things on the Orbea made for an all the more pleasurable weekend with the bike. The Raceface dropper worked a treat but the star had to be the lever. I’m still on the old style button lever which I now look at with disgust. The Shimano XT M8020 brakes gave precise stopping power with absolutely no spongy feeling. The icing on the cake, especially on the second day with the bike feeling a little sore after a crash, was the SRAM Eagle drivetrain though. That extra bit of ease climbing meant I could take it easy holding a full conversation and eating a snack whilst everyone else pushed back to the trail start.

View the Orbea Rallon at JE James Cycles here.

The Orbea Rallon was an incredible bike to ride and certainly was as enjoyable, if not more so, than my regular ride once I’d got used to the slight differences. Of course, there would be a few tweaks to make to get it absolutely to my liking as there would be for anyone. I’d stick a bar with a little more rise on there and go for the full 800mm rather than the 780mm provided. Whilst there was nothing wrong with the DT Swiss E-1900 wheels, the hub made a real buzz and I’m more in favour of a quieter ride so I’d swap that out too.

The beauty of making all these changes, is that the Orbea Rallon is totally customisable via the MyO option and JE James Cycles help out with this. All of those small changes above would be easy to make using their custom designing tool online which lets you change just about everything from the forks and shock right down to the frame and decal colours. It’s an incredible bit of kit and means that there’s really no drawbacks to getting an Orbea Rallon. I’m not quite ready for a new bike yet but it’s certainly got me thinking about how I’d set up my Rallon…

Full Spec:

• Frame: Orbea Monocoque Race Carbon. Advanced Dynamics 150mm suspension technology. 29″ wheels.Concentric Boost 12×148 rear axle. Pure Enduro geometry. Internal cable routing. ISCG05
• Shock: Fox DPX2 Factory 3-Position Adjust Evol Kashima custom tune 230x60mm
• Fork: Fox 36 Float Performance 160 3-Position QR15x110
• Crankset: SRAM Descendant CNC Eagle Dub Boost 32t
• Headset: ACROS 1-1/8 – 1-1/2″ Integrated
• Handlebar: Race Face Aeffect 35 20mm Rise 780mm
• Stem: Race Face Aeffect R 35mm interface
• Shifters: SRAM GX Eagle
• Brakes: Shimano XT M8020 Hydraulic disc
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM X01 Eagle Gold
• Chain: SRAM GX Eagle 12-Speed
• Wheels: DT E-1900 Spline 30c TLR 15/110mm IS (6-bolt)
• Cassette: SRAM GX XG-1275 Eagle 10-50t 12-Speed
• Tyres: Maxxis Aggressor 2.50″ 60 Tpi Exo TLR.
• Seat Post: Race Face Aeffect Dropper 31.6×385/125mm
• Saddle: Selle Italia XR Trail.

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Instagram: @jejamescycles
Twitter: @jejamescycles
Facebook: /jejamescycles

Review written by: Lewis – #TotalMTB Photography and Videography
Instagram: @Pedal_Slip
Twitter: @PedalSlip
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