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.
While Orbea already has a dedicated climbing bike, the regular Orca, the goal for the new Orca Aero was to make its best aero bike even faster and also reach parity on the weight front – the brand claims to have achieved both. The new bike has been in the making since 2024, and we managed to get a sneak peek at it in the paddocks of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a race long considered a dress rehearsal for the Tour de France.
The company has put a lot of resources into making the Orca Aero even faster – not because the outgoing model needed it but rather because WorldTour average race speeds are getting faster, with 2026 set to become the fastest road racing season ever. As a result, the design team took a total-system approach (rider and frameset combined) this time around, since having the fastest frameset alone is meaningless in real-world racing scenarios.
(Image credit: Orbea)
Shaped for the new racing speeds of the WorldTour peloton
The design team fitted various shapes and fairings to the outgoing model to see which combinations were faster in the wind tunnel, and conducted CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis to examine the tube shapes of the whole bike. These studies showed significant savings but not massive improvements across all yaw angles.
Orbea even considered widening the fork as seen on the Factor One, but found that a narrower, slimmer, and deeper fork was the best way forward. Unsurprisingly, the designers found that a more pronounced leading edge on the headtube tested fastest. Compared to its predecessor, the head tube is also deeper when viewed from the side.
An interesting finding was the introduction of a keel on the base of the bottom bracket junction. This shape reportedly reduces resistance and turbulence, smoothing airflow around the underside and rear of the bike. There are also thinner seatstays with a lower attachment point, which improve the stiffness-to-weight ratio and vertical compliance.
As before, an aero bottle cage system has been retained and refined to make the downtube even wider, aiding aerodynamics and the sailing effect at various yaw angles. Orbea found that positioning the cage and bottles lower on the downtube reduced drag and created a better surface for passing wind.
The seat tube and seatpost have also undergone a makeover, becoming thinner and deeper thanks to the relocation of the Di2 battery to the bottom bracket.
All these changes have resulted in a claimed drag reduction of 5.1W at 50km/h over its predecessor (frame-only). Add a rider to the mix, and this equates to a 14W improvement. On steeper eight-per-cent gradients, Orbea claims a 2W saving thanks to the OMX-level carbon frame’s stiffness-to-weight ratio.
As before, there’s a Service Box that fits under the downtube, serving as a fairing. While it’s UCI-illegal, triathletes and amateurs can benefit from the 1.1W saving.
The new model also has the lowest bottom bracket drop on the market – 78mm across all frame sizes. Orbea claims this has improved stability and control in corners, lowered the center of gravity, and reduced rider frontal drag, too. Despite the 4mm lower BB than the current model, Orbea says there’s still ample clearance in corners, even with 175mm crankarms.
Other changes include a new seatpost clamp design with a two-bolt system and two seatpost options: zero offset and offset.
(Image credit: Orbea)
System weight
The outgoing Orbea Orca Aero was far from light, which held it back from achieving greatness, but the brand always had the Orca climbing bike to fall back on. With modern aero bikes now reaching weights as low as 6.8kg, Orbea has had to step up and provide its customers, not to mention WorldTour team Lotto-Intermarché, with a fast-riding aero machine capable of overcoming gravity like a climbing bike.
Much of the weight savings has come from reducing excess carbon and improving the layup and recipe of the brand’s premium OMX carbon fibre. High-end models are now more in line with direct rivals from Colnago, Giant, and Cervelo, with a 53cm Dura-Ace Di2-equipped model tipping the scales at 7.04kg. This drops to 6.9kg when specced with SRAM Red AXS.
(Image credit: Orbea)
Tyre clearance, handlebar sizes and futureproofing
Tyre clearance is up 7mm to 37mm, making it one of the most versatile options on the market. Orbea says the bike can maintain its full aerodynamic performance with tyre widths ranging from 29-35mm, and that it can save 6-7 watts at 40 km/h on cobbles or rough asphalt by reducing vibration losses.
There are 13 handlebar combinations to choose from with widths pegged at 36-, 38-, and 40cm. These widths can be matched to various stems that increase in 10mm increments: 90-140mm (40cm) and 80- 140mm (36 cm and 38 cm).
The Orbea Orca Aero is compatible only with electronic groupsets and plays nicely with UDH dropouts, too. There’s a new 90-degree ‘Spin Block’ to prevent the handlebar and fork from spinning and knocking the downtube, as well as fork protection on the bottom of the drop-outs to prevent damage when fixing a puncture.
Crank length (165-175mm), handlebar/stem size, and seatpost offset are specifiable at purchase.
(Image credit: Orbea)
Model range, specifications and pricing
Six models are available in seven sizes (47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 60cm) with groupsets handled by Shimano, SRAM, or Campagnolo.
The Orbea Orca Aero M10i LTD and M11e LTD are priced at £9,999 / $12,127 / €10, 999. The M10i LTD gets a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset complete with power meter, while M11e LTD comes ressed with SRAM Red AXS. Both models are outfitted with the same components, including Oquo Road Aero RA57LTD wheels and a Fizik Vento Antares R1 carbon saddle.
One level down is the £6,599 / $8,268 / €7,499 Orca Aero M21e LTD, which gets SRAM Force AXS, Oquo Road Performance RP50LTD wheels, and a Fizik Vento Antares R1 carbon saddle. The Orca Aero M20i LTD gets the same components as the M21e LTD but swaps Force for a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset. It comes up cheaper at £5,899 / $7,386 / €6,699, but doesn’t get a power meter as standard. You’ll need to upgrade to the optional left-side 4iiii power meter to bring it to the same level as the Force AXS bike. At the same price as the M20i LTD Ultegra Di2 model is the Campagnolo Record-outfitted M22i LTD. It shares most of the components, save for the Oquo Road Performance RP50Team wheels
The lowest rung is occupied by the Shimano 105 Di2-equipped Aero M30i LTD. At £4,999 / $6,284 / €5,699, it’s the most affordable option in the range but loses out on the fancier wheels and carbon-railed saddle of its siblings in favour of more durable parts.
