Orbea Occam LT M10 first ride review

The Orbea Occam LT is the more aggressive model in the Occam lineup, with ‘LT’ standing for ‘Long Travel’.

The Occam LT shares the same frame as the SL but it has a slacker geometry and increased suspension travel, sitting on the enduro side of the trail bike spectrum.

The division of a trail bike range into longer and shorter suspension models is becoming more common, with Cannondale’s Habit featuring an LT version, as well as Yeti’s SB140 and SB140 LR editions.

I rode the £6,499 / $6,499 / €5,999 Orbea Occam LT M10 at the launch event in the Pyrenees.

On the trails, the Occam LT has plenty of punch on the uphills and covers distance well, but it really shines when you're coming down steep rocky trails and its playfulness is carefully matched with buckets of stability.

It feels composed through all but the gnarliest of rock gardens, with the bike feeling like an enduro bike on even the steepest gradients.

If you’re looking for a trail bike with comfortable, composed climbing that can also span the gap to enduro on the descents then the Occam LT should be on your radar.

Orbea Occam LT M10 frame and suspension

The new Orbea Occam LT M10 was launched in October 2023 and uses a full carbon fibre frame with 150mm at the rear.

The bike continues to use a linkage-driven single-pivot suspension system that operates around a concentric pivot point at the rear axle.

This design uses the Fully Loaded Linkage which can also be found on the Rise electric mountain bike.

The linkage features Orbea’s True Align Bearings which are said to reduce friction and minimise wear from bearing misalignment.

Built into the shock extender is an ‘Altitude Adjust' flip-chip that gives the bike a slacker head angle and an increased bottom bracket drop.

The Occam LT is compatible with a coil shock and Orbea specs a Fox DHX Factory on its top-level M-TEAM model.

Unlike other bikes in Orbea’s range, the Occam LT is only available in one carbon layup, with the Orbea Monocoque Race (OMR) composite being used.

Similarly to the previous Occam LT, the new bike features an asymmetrical design which is said to increase the frame's stiffness-to-weight ratio by using a sophisticated bladder moulding process in critical zones such as the bottom bracket.

Orbea says this reduces the amount of carbon used without reducing strength.

The frame now features an uninterrupted seat tube which the brand is calling Steep’N’Deep which, impressively, allows you to insert a 230mm dropper post into all sizes.

Wide-entrance internal frame storage appears on the downtube in the form of the LOCKR which is accessed via a panel that has bottle cage mounts.

Orbea has also included its Fully Loaded Pivot (FLP) which is a multi-tool (with 2, 3, 4 and 5mm Allen keys) integrated into the pivot where the link meets the frame.

The frameset also features Orbea’s Sealed Internal Cables (SIC) system, which is fully integrated and fully guided and can be accessed through the LOCKR storage compartment.

The Occam LT has new chain and down tube protectors that feature air in key areas that are said to reduce the sounds from chain slaps and impacts.

There is also an integrated chain guide which Orbea says will keep the chain in place even on the roughest trails.

The bike I rode was also covered in Orbea’s new ‘Second Skin’ protective frame wrap which is available on all Occam models and is said to protect the areas most at risk of scratching.

Orbea Occam LT M10 geometry

Orbea has given the Occam LT what it calls ‘Progressive Trail Geometry’, and says the new bike features a 1-degree slacker head angle of 64.5 degrees compared to the 65.5 degrees found on the previous generation.

This angle can be slackened further, using the Occam LT’s new ‘Attitude Adjust’ geometry adjust which uses a flip chip on the shock extender to switch it from the ‘low’ to ‘lower’ setting giving the bike a claimed 64-degree head angle and increasing the bottom bracket drop from 28mm to 36mm.

Orbea Occam LT M10 specifications

This high-end version features a 160mm Fox 36 Factory fork with a GRIP2 damper and a Fox Float X Factory shock nestled in the frame.

I also tested the bike with a Fox DHX Factory coil spring to see how the Occam rides with different setups.

Shimano takes care of shifting and stopping with an XT M8100 derailleur and shifter, and four-piston XT M8120 brakes, paired with Galfer Wave Disc rotors (203mm front, 180mm rear).

Cheaper Shimano alternatives pad these out. It has a 10-51T SLX cassette and a Deore M6100 chain. Race Face Turbine cranks feature.

Orbea’s in-house Oquo Mountain Control MC32TEAM rims are included, and laced to DT350 6IS hubs.

Up front, the rim features an internal width of 32mm while at the rear it’s narrower, at 30mm.

On the bike, I tested a Maxxis Assegai 2.4in with a 3C MaxxTerra compound and EXO casing on the front wheel while a Maxxis Minion DHR II 2.4in with the same compound and casing was used at the rear.

Orbea says this is an option that can be selected on MyO, Orbea’s online custom bike configurator.

The Occam LT M10 features Orbea’s OC finishing kit, with a Mountain Control MC10 carbon bar mounted to an MC10 aluminium stem.

Orbea Occam LT M10 ride impressions

I tested the Orbea Occam LT M10 over two days between the towns of Bielsa and Loudenvielle in the Pyrenees alongside a small group of current enduro racers and fellow journalists.

The first day's trails were dry and dusty, with plenty of hidden rocks to keep my eyes looking down the trail rather than the scenery of the high mountains around me.

Many of the climbs were halved with shuttle buses, which on occasion fed us directly to the trailhead of renowned EDR tracks.

We’ll be getting the Orbea Occam LT back in the UK for a full review but, until then, here are my first impressions from those two days of riding.

Orbea Occam LT M10 setup

The Orbea Occam LT’s geometry adjustment was easy to set into the bike’s slackest geometry setting, with the tool needed to adjust the shock-mounted flip chip easily accessible, doubling up as the rear wheel axle key.

Although the system is quick, with the bike only needing to be lifted or compressed to set the position, there is a slight uncertainty as to whether it is fully seated, though this never proved to be a problem.

Changing the seat post height and moving the bars was also made easy with the integrated multi-tool.

I ran the Fox Float X Factory shock with 30 per cent sag, and it received adjustment by Fox Factory mechanics.

Orbea Occam LT M10 climbing performance

It's clear Orbea hasn’t forgotten the importance of climbing with its more gravity-oriented Occam, with the LT remaining a competent climber even when compared to the Occam SL.

While it’s by no means cross-country fast, the Maxxis Minion DHR II rear tyre combined with the 30mm internal rim width allows for low air pressures to be run allowing the Occam LT to ride comfortably up steep, shaley ascents without losing traction.

The bike rewards explosive efforts with direct forward motion and little in the way of pedal-bob thanks to efficient suspension characteristics.

However, this was notably worse with the Fox DHX Factory fitted, with the coil shock’s extra sensitivity seeming to add to the bike's pedal bob on gradual inclines and feeling less responsive all around, though this was reduced with the shock locked out.

While the coil shock is slightly heavier, there is a mental weight that is hard to shift when pedalling it up long fire road climbs compared to the air shock.

The geometry of the bike, even in its lowest position, poses no problems on the climbs, with the Steep’N’Deep seat tube centring your body weight and keeping your hips well placed over the pedals.

The 597mm top tube measurement of the size medium bike made the front of the bike roomy, which makes it easy to move your body weight around when searching for grip on tight and technical ascents.

This also left plenty of space for my bloated belly which was filled with various Basque delicacies and an unholy amount of isotonic laced water to fill my sweat holes in the 30-degree heat.

Shimano’s XT derailleur and shifter provided quick and accurate shifting even on tortuously steep inclines, and there were a few times when its speed saved me the embarrassment of putting a foot down - even if this came with a dissatisfactory clang from the rear cassette.

Orbea Occam LT M10 descending performance

The Occam LT has been designed with the descent in mind rather than the ascent, and when the bike is pointed downhill it impresses with enduro bike capabilities.

Using a Fox 36 Factory fork gives the bike good front-end accuracy, allowing you to plough through all but the gnarliest rock gardens without hesitation.

With 160mm of travel, it pairs nicely with the 150mm at the rear of the bike, and compared to the Fox 38 fork it feels more playful for my weight.

When I had the Float X Factory shock sat in the frame, the bike was more poppy which helped in generating speed on trails with less gradient.

Swapping this out for the Fox DHX Factory coil shock gave the bike a trail-hugging persona and increased the Occam LT’s capabilities on steeper sections.

Orbea has thankfully specced rubber that is up to the task, with the Maxxis Assegai providing good front-end grip from rocky to loamy trails, with the DHR II adding speed and all-around performance.

While the Occam pedals efficiently on the climbs, some pedal kickback can be felt on the roughest descents, especially when locking the back wheel up and entering rocky corners.

On occasion, I struggled to compress the dropper post. After checking the cables and post for issues, I realised that when my weight actuated it in a certain way excess friction increased resistance.

This didn’t stop the post from going down, but did make for a less fluid motion and is something we’ll look out for in future testing.

Shimano XT brakes provided punchy stopping power, and continue to be one of my favourite stoppers.

Orbea Occam LT M10 early verdict

The Occam LT is a super-dialled go-anywhere package for those looking for a trail bike that can fight its corner on the steepest of backcountry trails.

With enduro-esque capability that forgives poor line choice and a playful spirit, the Occam LT provides plenty of confidence whatever the gradient.

I found the Occam LT to bridge the gap between trail and enduro well, feeling efficient enough to cover long distances while remaining composed and playful on technical descents.

We’ll deliver a full verdict once we’ve got the Occam LT when it’s back in the UK for further testing.