Mountain Bike Action - October 2015

MBA FEATURE

Riding the
Orbea
Homeland

of Spain certainly proved the Occam to be a very capable and versatile bike on a variety of terrain. The geometry balanced efficiency and agility, and the bike felt comfortable being laid over in the air.

THE PLUS-SIZE LOKI

It’s getting to the point where manufacturers don’t feel their model lines are complete unless they include a plus-size bike. The 27. 5+ Orbea Loki is an affordable hardtail designed for riders who may be new to the sport and are looking for an advantage in traction and comfort. It also offers versatility in that standard-width, 29-inch wheels will fit in the frame without any issues and won’t mess with the geometry; however, plus-size hardtails are so much fun that we only see ourselves using standard-width tires in a race. If this sounds even remotely crazy to you, we strongly suggest trying a plus-size hardtail so you can experience for yourself exactly what we’re talking about.

Available on some models of the Loki, the all-new Digit seatpost certainly caught our eyes. A simpler, more reliable and more affordable alternative to complex dropper posts, the Digit seatpost mechanically limits the height to which the saddle can be raised or lowered. Riders tighten down an adjustable set screw that limits the saddle to a height that feels comfortable for climbing, while a lower-limit set screw prevents it from dropping down further than it needs to. One portion of the clamp is screwed down to keep the Digit clamp in place, then the height adjustment of the post is achieved via a quick release that allows riders to simply open the clamp, pull the saddle up as high as it is able to go and clamp it back down. This way the rider can be assured the saddle is in the ideal position for climbing.

RALLON

Named after a national forest in Spain that is well-known for its technical trails, the 2016 Rallon (pronounced ray-yoan) only received a few changes this year.