This article is part of the Mtbr's Enduro Compare-O. See all the stories in this special section here--https://reviews.mtbr.com/category/enduro-compare-o-2014

The all-aluminum Orbea Rallon stood out from our 20-plus bike test fleet for a number of reasons. First, it was one of the few all-aluminum bikes in the test. Second, it had a unique BOS front and rear suspension system specially designed for the Rallon. And third, its curb appeal was undeniable.

"Punk rock, rowdy, in your face Euro trash style going on with this whip," said one rider. "Absolutely love the loud yellow Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheelset. Everyone who came back from riding this bike had an ear-to-ear grin on their face, so I figured it must be worth a try."

Once we swung our legs over the Rallon, we noticed that the frame has quite a long top tube. Orbea confirmed that sizing runs on the large size, with a couple 6-foot-tall riders fitting perfectly on the medium size frame.

Rallon on the rise

Climbing up Sulphur Springs fire road, riders seemed satisfied with the way the Rallon ascended. The steep 74.5-degree seat tube angle puts the rider in a forward pedal-friendly position good for technical climbing.



Photo by Tyler Frasca.

"The BOS suspension didn't have any lockouts like the FOX CTD system, but even with the suspension set fully open, the bike climbed quite well with minimal pedal-induced bob," commented on test rider. "Not quite as quick feeling uphill as the Mojo HDR or even the Bronson for that matter, but still felt eager despite its 30 lb. weight with XTR pedals."

Another rider had a few issues with pedal strikes through more technical climbing sections due to its rather low 13.3-inch bottom bracket height. Pedal strikes were also a slight issue on downhill sections as well, forcing riders to be mindful of crank angle and pedaling through corners, especially with the rear suspension compressed. It should also be noted that the test bike only had 170mm long cranks, which would make pedal strikes with 175mm cranks even more common.

Railin' the Rallon

The Orbea Rallon was created specifically to rule the Enduro World Series circuit, and unlike most bikes that design suspension around suspension leverage rate, the Rallon Advanced Dynamics suspension was designed alongside BOS to control 160mm of rear travel through shock tuning. This gives the BOS Kirk rear shock much more influence on the feel of how the Rallon descends.



With separate rebound, high- and low-speed compression settings, the BOS Kirk shock is incredibly tunable, which might be intimidating for some who just prefer a set-and-forget mentality. For those, the Rallon can be equipped with the FOX Float CTD shock. With the BOS Kirk shock matched to the 160mm BOS Deville front fork, it gave the Rallon one of the most balanced feels of any bike in the test.

With a minor turn of the eccentric shock mount hardware, the Rallon can adjust bottom bracket height up to 7mm and angles by a half-degree depending on terrain. A concentric pivot at the rear 12x142 axle makes for a super stiff overall chassis as well as stronger and quieter braking. All of these innovations help the Rallon absolutely shred when gravity calls. Once pointed downhill, the Rallon displayed as much attitude in action as it does at rest, with one rider singing its rowdy praises.



Photo by Tyler Frasca.

"I couldn't stop hooting and hollering on this bike," one rider effused. "It's capable and willing to be hucked off anything and feels burly as brass balls."

With its unique suspension design and 160mm of travel, the Rallon soaked up brake bumps and rough sections of trail with the smoothness of a 29er. In sections where other 27.5-inch bikes like the Ibis Mojo HDR had difficulty staying composed, the Rallon charged through without hesitation.

Another unique aspect of the Rallon is its purposefully mismatched front and rear wheel/tire combo. The Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheelset features a wider front rim and blocky Mavic Charge 2.4-inch tire paired to a narrower rear rim and a lower-profile Mavic Roam XL 2.2-inch tire. This intentionally unorthodox combination made the Rallon oversteer into corners, encouraging riders to slide it through turns. Its exceptionally short 16.5-inch chainstays-the shortest of any bike in our test-helped the Rallon turn with superior eagerness and agility.

Continue to Page 2 for more on the Orbea Rallon and full photo gallery »



Photo by Tyler Frasca.

"This bike lives on the ragged edge of traction," said one rider. "It loves to oversteer in a loose, rowdy, drift-your-brains-out style that makes you feel like a kid again. If you like to get the rear end loose, you will love this bike."

Besides its unique suspension and wheelset, overall, the Rallon was outfitted quite nicely, with a Shimano XTR 2x10 drivetrain, Rock Shox Reverb dropper post and Formula T1 brakes. But in order to help put the Rallon on a diet from its 30-pound curb weight, one rider recommended swapping over to a 1x drivetrain.

Who is this Bike For?

One of the test riders summarized whom he thought the Orbea Rallon would well suit:

"Someone with either A) nose piercings B) plentiful tattoos C) a few screws loose in their head D) a drum kit in their garage or E) all of the above. This bike is perfect for those rowdy, raucous all-mountain shredders and full-on enduro racers who live to get sideways and send it like UPS," he went on. "It doesn't feel like the most refined bike in the test, but you can take that refinement and stuff it. The Orbea is full on Euro trash punk rock…are you?"

The Final Word

If we were going to buy an enduro-specific race rig, the Orbea Rallon would be on our shortest of short lists. Not only does it feature an extremely effective and unique suspension system, but it also delivers exceptional handling acumen thanks to super-short 16.5-inch chainstays and a slacked out head tube angle. This combination gives the Rallon 26er-like cornering sharpness, and high-speed stability on par with 29ers.

The Rallon is about as much bike as you can get without it being considered a full-on downhill rig. For how capable it is downhill, it still climbs well, making it a true, all-aluminum, all-mountain standout in a sea of carbon fiber.

Besides sporting a somewhat low bottom bracket that invites pedal strikes, perhaps the only downside of the Rallon is that it looks and rides with so much attitude that it might scare more prudent people away. Screw 'em. This ain't their bike. For those who long for a bike that brings back the fun playfulness of a childhood BMX bike combined with 160mm of innovative and capable suspension design to tackle nearly any trail with comfort, the Orbea Rallon is a winner.

The Good

  • World class suspension design and spec
  • Highly tunable
  • Burly all-aluminum chassis
  • Unique looks
  • 160mm front and rear travel
  • Capable climber
  • One of the best enduro-specific race bikes in the test

The Bad

  • Low bottom bracket causes pedal strikes
  • Low profile rear tire might slide out too easy for some
  • High tuneability might scare away the 'set-and-forget' crowd



Orbea Rallon X-Team Key Specs

  • MRSP: $6999 US
  • Weight: 30 lbs. (size medium)
  • Wheel size: 27.5-inches
  • Sizes: S, M, L
  • Color: White on Black, Florescent Yellow on Black
  • Frame Material: Aluminum
  • Fork: BOS Deville 160mm
  • Rear Travel: 160mm rear
  • Rear Shock: BOS Kirk
  • Headset: Orbit ZS 1 ½ semi integrated
  • Handlebar: Race Face SixC
  • Stem: Race Face Atlas
  • Seatpost: Rock Shox Reverb Stealth dropper
  • Brakes: Formula T1
  • Shifters: Shimano XTR 2x10
  • Front Derailleur: Shimano XTR
  • Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR
  • Cassette: Shimano XT 11-36 cassette
  • Crankset: Race Face SixC 24x36 with bashguard
  • Wheels: Mavic Crossmax Enduro LTD
  • Tires: Mavic Charge 2.4 front, Mavic Roam XL 2.2
  • Bottom bracket type: Traditional threaded
  • ISCG Tabs: Yes
  • Chainguide: No
  • Head tube angle: 66/66.5 degrees
  • Seat tube angle: 74.5/75 degrees
  • Chainstay length: 420mm (16.5 inches)
  • Bottom bracket height: 345/338mm (13.3/13.8 inches)

For more information visit https://www.orbea.com/us-en/bicycles/rallon-xteam/.

This story is part of Mtbr's 2014 Enduro Compare-O. Check out our intro story here for all the ground rules and goings ons.