Orbea launches new Ordu time trial and triathlon bike with ultra-adjustable, mono-riser handlebar

Orbea has announced an update to its Ordu time trial and triathlon bike, with a redesigned aero frameset and a new, highly adjustable integrated aero handlebar.

The result of over 2,500 hours of computational fluid design, the new Ordu marks a complete overhaul of the platform and Orbea claims practically every component on the bike has been accounted for in an effort to reduce drag, lower weight and improve speed.

The new fork, for example, is a hinge design that extends well beyond the head tube to lengthen the depth of effective aerofoil and allow for an extremely narrow profile in between the two headset bearings.

While the previous Ordu used Tri-Rig Omega X aero rim brakes, the new range is disc brake only.

As well as reducing drag at the head tube area, Orbea says the move to hydraulic disc brakes enables better handling and descending at speed, as well as compatibility with the latest aero wheels (most of which are being designed for disc brakes only).

Orbea claims the net effect of these changes is that the new Ordu is 11.5 per cent more aerodynamically efficient at 43kph than the outgoing model, as well as around 700g lighter as a complete bike, depending on the build.

To give an example of how that might help in the real world, Orbea claims the new Ordu will save a rider 41 seconds over a typical 180km Iron Man course.

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Orbea Ordu adjustability

A key component in the new system is the handlebar. It features a narrow, 380mm base bar and a mono-riser system for the armrests and extensions.

The base bar is flippable to allow for 30mm of height adjustment (although this would require disconnecting gear and brake cables), and the mono-riser for the armrests has 140mm of height adjustment range.

The armrest bridge can also be angled upwards within a range of up to 15 degrees and the armrest bridge itself (to which the armrests attach) can be flipped to provide 120mm of reach adjustment. Reach to the armrests can then be fine-tuned further by the armrests themselves.

The aero handlebar is also compatible with standard 22.2mm aero extensions, so you can easily change these to find a shape that suits you if the included Vision Metron TFA Carbon isn't to your taste.

At the seatpost, the effective seatpost angle can also be adjusted between 74 and 78 degrees by changing the location of the saddle clamp.

Orbea Ordu geometry

The new Ordu is available in four sizes: XS, SM, ML and XL. All of them come with the same 380mm wide base bar and 170mm cranks, except for the size XL which has 172.5mm cranks.

Frameset	XS	SM	ML	XL
Head Tube Length (mm)	59	96	96	149
Chainstay Length (mm)	405	405	405	405
BB Drop (mm)	75	75	75	75
Wheel Base (mm)	971	1007	1007	1048
Seat Angle (Virtual)	74-78 degrees	74-78 degrees	74-78 degrees	74-78 degrees
BB-Front Wheel Axle (mm)	578	613	613	564
Trail (mm)	60	60	60	60

Handlebar
Width (mm)	380	380	380	380
High position stack (mm)	481	516	516	566
Low position stack (mm)	451	486	486	689
Reach (mm)	641	665	665	689

Armrests
Maximum stack (mm)	605	640	665	689
Minimum stack (mm)	588	595	645	696
Maxiumum reach (mm)	481	505	505	529
Minimum reach (mm)	361	385	385	409
Armrest width (mm, centre to centre)	105-195	105-195	105-195	105-195
Tilt	0-15 degrees	0-15 degrees	0-15 degrees	0-15 degrees

Saddle
Maxiumum seatpost height (mm)	762	797	827	876
Minimum seatpost height (mm)	683	674	714	764
Setback travel (mm)	100	100	100	100

Orbea Ordu 2021 range, specifications, and pricing

All three builds in the 2021 Ordu range feature the same Ordu carbon OMX Disc frameset, with a 1in to 1 ⅛in tapered headset, a BB386 bottom bracket, a dedicated 400ml aero bottle and an integrated aero storage box, which mounts on the down tube.

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A Vision 55 SC Disc Carbon TLR CL wheelset is also included at each level apart from the frameset only option. The wheelset features 55mm deep rims front and rear, with a 25mm external and 19mm internal width. The rims are hooked, tubeless ready and are shipped with 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro IV G2.0 TLR tyres.

The frameset is said to be aerodynamically optimised for tyres between 25mm and 28mm, but has clearance for some 30mm tyres, depending on the precise tyre and rim combination used.

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In terms of weight, Orbea claims the following for the frameset and parts:

Frame: 1,130g
Fork: 440g
Seatpost: 180g
Basebar: 245g

Orbea also says the bike is UCI legal when the down tube storage box is removed.

Builds can also be customised to an extent using Orbea’s MyO customisation programme, which allows you to choose custom paint options or change specs, for example, an FSA Powerbox power meter.