Issue 01

03 Summary and editorial. 05 Review. 08 From here to...Routes. 12 Pedaling. On the cover. 16 Inside. 18 Making of. 20 Interesting.

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Summary and editorial 3 mag.

03 Summary and editorial. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Thanks to all the Orbea family for bulding / Jon Fernández. A tribute to values. the stories that we have been able to capture in the first edition of the Orbea 05 Review. Magazine. / When watts talk. COVER PHOTO. 08 From here to... Routes. Iñaki Azanza www.zikliamatore.com / Jaizkibel. 12 Pedaling. On the cover. © 2014 Orbea S. Coop. / Cheering on from the roadside. Polígono Industrial Goitondo s/n 48269, Mallabia (Bizkaia). Spain 16 Inside. T: +34 943 17 19 50 F: +34 943 17 43 97 / Xabi Narbaiza. 18 Making of. / Orbea pictures. 20 Interesting. / News. EDITORIAL

In times when the pace of communication is frantic, A TRIBUTE a new magazine could be seen as just one more TO VALUES communication action by a brand. Jon Fernández, CEO at Orbea But this goes well beyond that – or at least at Orbea we want it to. This classic yet innovative format is a window to special messages we want to share.

So we want this magazine to be viewed not just a communication tool, but as a meeting point. A place where we connect to our roots and draw the map of our future. A place where we project our identity and share ideas with the greater Orbea community.

A place where we can talk about many things, es- pecially cycling. From the first, hesitant pedal stroke to the road that leads . . . wherever you want.

We want our new Orbea Magazine to be a tribute to those of you who identify with, and feel part of what we’ve been doing for the past 175 years. That is to say, all of you. Review 4 WHEN WATTS TALK

A few months ago, we began testing the earliest prototypes of the Orca 2015 on the road. But it was only recently that I joined my usual cycling group with the latest prototype. Beyond the design, which is what first catches everyone’s atten- tion, there emerged the three magic words you can hear or read most frequently in connection with road bikes: aerodynamics, weight and stiffness.

Joseba Arizaga Road Product manager.

I insisted that they can’t be taken separately, of road chatter, and reducing the power you “THE BEST RACING BIKE IS THE for great bicycles, it’s not solely the difference need to move forward. of a few grams in weight, the level of stiffness, MOST EFFICIENT RACING BIKE, the construction methods, or the shape of the Also, on the typical mountain descent, a bike that THE ONE THAT GOES FASTER WITH tubes that make the difference - it’s all these is too light or too stiff is more difficult to control, THE SAME WATTS, ALLOWS FOR things mixed together that translate the watts we even when you’re an experienced rider. This apply during our pedaling strokes, into maximum makes going downhill a far more stressful event. GREATER HANDLING CONTROL speed. So what we should really be talking about AND SAVES SECONDS IN EVERY is efficiency. BEND, CLIMB OR FAST DESCENT.” EFFICIENCY: WATTS RULE.

The best racing bike is the most efficient racing bike, the one that goes faster with the same watts, allows for greater handling control and saves seconds in every bend, climb or fast descent. In conjunction with this, in our search for efficiency we also look to the concept of ‘ride quality’; that is, a bike that gives us positive feedback and makes us feel we’re in control. Ride quality isn’t just about lighter weight or higher stiffness, but just the right combination of both, enabling the rider to manoeuver and the bicycle to respond when you need it to, under a wide variety of circumstances and over variable terrain.

Bikes with only the right degree of stiffness will be good in very specific situations. On rugged terrain, speed is more difficult to maintain, as anyone who rides a bike will know, as the rebound effect reduces momentum. Designing a structure, which delivers adequate torsional stiffness and a high degree of vibration absorption results in the bike ‘floating’ on the road, lessening significantly the retarding effect Review 5

IN WATTS WE TRUST

LIGHTEST OR STIFFEST ISN´T THE FASTEST

It’s quite obvious that the lighter your bike, the faster it’ll be with the same force applied in climbs. When racing, a lighter bike saves energy, which you can use to launch an attack or change the pace. However, this energy will only be effective if your bike is stiff enough: a light bike is useless if it doesn’t respond when you need it to, or if too much of your pedaling energy WEIGHT is being absorbed in bending the frame and not to propel you forward.

Aerodynamics is concerned with the motion of air and its interaction with a solid object. When you ride a bike, approximately the 75% of the air resistance AERODY- comes from the rider’s body rather than the bicycle. Therefore, the riding position is much more relevant than tube shapes when it comes to improving aerodynamic performance. This is why pros work so hard on their position on NAMICS the bike, studying flexibility and performing wind tunnel tests.

Stiffness is the rigidity of an object, the extent movement. The stiffer the bottom bracket, the you can regulate depending on the type of bike to which it resists deformation in response to an better optimization of your efforts on the bike and, you want. applied force. We tend to believe the stiffer the therefore, the greater the acceleration and speed. Finally, vertical stiffness is your bicycle’s resistance bike is, the better, but this isn’t always so. There to vertical forces, as in a pothole. A bike with are multiple stiffness points in a frame. They can be As for torsional or lateral stiffness, it has to do with high vertical stiffness doesn’t neutralize potholes grouped into three standard types: bottom bracket bicycle stability in descents or at high speed. With and hurdles adequately. This makes riding more stiffness, vertical stiffness and torsional stiffness. adequate torsional stiffness, your bike won’t flex, uncomfortable and inefficient. keeping its balance. On the other hand, it’ll be Bottom bracket stiffness has to do with the force very responsive, which means you’ll need greater STIFFNESS you apply for pedaling to transform itself into handling control. So torsional stiffness is a factor

STIFFNESS + AERODYNAMICS + WEIGHT = RIDING QUALITY CONTROLLED POWER From here to... 6 From here to... 7

FROM HERE TO… JAIZKIBEL Text and pictures by Douglas McDonald, BasqueMTB (www.basquemtb.com)

The Basque coast is a wild and beautiful place, bordered by the incredibly green mountains and the wild blue Atlantic Ocean and filled with perfect singletrack which just begs to be explored by mountain bike. This coast is also special geologically; it is a book whose pages were formed from sediment on the bed of an ancient sea and then spread open when the Iberian and Euroasiatic tectonic plates collided, leaving 60 million pages of history open for reading . That same massively violent, yet incredibly slow collision formed the Pyrenees, the Picos de Europa and some of the Maritine Alps.

All along the Basque Coast the layers of sedimentary mountain biking. There are multi day routes that rock on the sea bed were pushed up, forming ridge-li- can be done, linking up the traditional fishing vi- ke mountains running parallel with the sea. The types llages, or we can ride shuttles and spend the day of rocks and the angle they were pushed up varies descending down to the coast on perfect sandy, as you move along the coast, giving the coastline rocky singletrack. One of our favourite days is a huge variety and meaning that there breath-taking point to point ride along the coast linking Honda- view lurking around every corner. A personal favourite rribia to San Sebastian. mountain is Jaizkibel where the old sea bed is titled through a range of angles and juts up from the sea in There are lots of different ways to do this route, stunning stratified slabs reaching up to the summit at and we will keep some of the best ways secret 525m from the sea. for our guests, but one way of doing this trip is to follow the Camino de Santiago all along the The combination of the rugged, beautiful coastline coastline, and all you need to do is to keep the and this network of trails makes this area fantastic for sea to your right and you will find your way. From here to... 8

We start this trail in the beautiful fishing town open for grazing cattle and sheep. Vultures are “AFTER THE FANTASTIC of Hondarribia, a mini version of San Sebastian. a common sight and if you are lucky you might The food in Hondarribia is easily a match for San catch them feeding on a Pottoka or cow that has RIDGELINE SINGELTRACK, Sebastian and the historic walled part of the town missed its footing on the more exposed parts of AND A SHORT SECTION OF tells a chilling story of old wars through the battle these trails. Keep your wits about you and don’t CONCRETE YOU WILL ARRIVE scars in it’s ancient walls. On one side of Hondarri- make a mistake here or you might end up being bia the Bidadsoa estury meets the Atlantinc Ocean their next meal! TO PASAJES ON A SERIES OF and on the other side the ridgeline of Jaizkibel STEPS WHICH WILL BE BIG stands proud. It would be a shame to leave Hon- There are various options to climb up but climb up darribia too quickly so make time, arrive early and we must and leave this beautiful coastline behind TECHNICAL CHALLENGE TO take a coffee in one of its lovely seafront cafes on for a little bit. MOST RIDERS.” the Paseo Butron. Leaving here you can follow the You can follow the arrows for the Camino de biddagorri, keeping the water to your right, and Santiago but we recommend leaving the steep gently warm your legs up as you cycle past the singletrack behind for the easier option of climbing marinas and beaches of Hondarribia. on fireroads. Soon you will reach the tarmac road and here you continue until, after a short descent, Very quickly you will arrive to the fishing harbour you will see the arrows of the Camino de Santiago where the biddagorri ends, leaving you with no crossing the road once more. Here you can con- choice but to climb sharply up on a tarmac road tinue to follow the Camino which will take you all which you can follow all the way to Faro de Higer the way to Pasajes. where you will get your first views of the open At- lantic ocean crashing in upon the Basque shores. Again there are lots of options for descending, Donostia some which the guides at basqueMTB have spend time clearing themselves and we will keep these End of the track. It´s time for “IT’S GREAT TO BE RIDING secret for our guests, but if you follow the markers some pintxos and beers. for the Camino you will find a fun descent all the THESE TRAILS ON A BIKE way to Pasajes. Here the singletrack is technical, THAT WAS BORN SO NEAR TO THEM AND THE RUGGED, TECHNICAL SINGLETRACK OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY HAS DEFINITELY HELPED SHAPE THE NEW ORBEA MOUNTAIN BIKES.”

At Faro de Higer you can leave behind the tarmac and start to follow a fireroad. There are several ways here but to ease your legs into the journey I recommend following the fireroad for the first few km’s, keeping the Atlantic Ocean on your right hand side. After a while you will come to a cross in the fireroad, where it starts to climb sharply and here you need to drop down, quickly arriving to a little bay where you have no choice but to hoist the bike up on your shoulder and climb sharply on singletrack. This singletrack follows the Basque shoreline for miles, sticking right next to the coast and giving amazing views all the way to Bilbao on a clear day. It’s great to be riding these trails on a bike that was born so near to them and the rugged, technical singletrack of the Basque country has definitely helped shape the new Orbea mountain bikes.

As you roll along you might see whales in the bay if you are very lucky, you will definitely see “Pottoka”, the wild horses that roam the green lands around here and help to keep the pastures From here to... 9

Mar Cantábrico

Respect pedestrians, the mountain is for everyone. Hondarribia

Don´t forget to have a breakfast before the departure.

You can follow the “Camino de During all the track there Santiago” but always is funnier are nice landscapes to to get out the line. photograph. Pasaia

rocky and fun and the challenges come quick and confronted with a big series of steps to climb up. fast. Less experienced riders will find challenges in It is beautiful but really not that much fun and we just getting down sections while more experienced recommend cutting through the town and working riders will be challenged to try and carry speed. your way up to the lighthouse above on the Remember that these tracks are shared with tarmac roads. From here the Camino re-joins the walkers and that walkers always have the right of coastline as you work your way across Ulia. the way over us bikers, the default position is for Nobody apart from the best and strongest riders us to stop but we should always slow down even if will manage to ride the entire trail, it is technical walkers clear the track for us. and steep in places but the scenery is amazing and the easier sections of the trail have an ama- Also, please try to keep to the track and not cut zing natural flow to them. the corners or avoid the harder bits, unfortuna- tely some other riders (and walkers too) aren’t Eventually you arrive to a viewpoint above San so considerate and new lines are forming which Sebastian where you can see why many people miss out the harder sections. Some people need say it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. to commit to learning some new skills and tackle If you follow the camino you will descend down these harder bits. into San Sebastian on another set of steps which are challenging but fun. After the fantastic ridgeline singeltrack, and a short section of concrete you will arrive to Pasajes Again, there will always be walkers here so you on a series of steps which will be big technical should be very considerate and remember that challenge to most riders. Stick with it, keep your a bike ridden fast down steps will make a lot of weight central on the bike, let the wheels roll and noise and can be alarming for walkers. We don’t you will be absolutely amazed at what the bike can have any issues here with trail access, lets keep it cope with. Learning to pivot the bike on the front like that and make sure we can continue to enjoy wheel will help you on the tighter corners here! unlimited access to the Basque coastline on our In Pasajes there are lots and lots of options for bikes. eating, so long as it isn’t a Monday when many of the local restaurants close for a rest. After lunch Arriving to San Sebastian you should make your you have one of the coolest parts of the day as way to Gros Beach and complete your journey you load your bikes into the small ferry to take you properly. Afterwards there are a bunch of bars across the bay to San Pedro. From here if you fo- where you can take a beer and a pintxo to relax. llow the Camino de Santiago you will find yourself Pedaling 10

CHEERING ON FROM THE ROADSIDE Pedaling 11

CHEERING ON FROM The passion for cycling is deeply rooted in the Basque Country. Fans love this sport as an integral part of their culture, and the world salutes them for their enthusiasm.

Text by Alain Laiseka THE ROADSIDE Photos by Zigor Alkorta Pedaling 12

IT ALL BEGINS IN A BOTTOMLESS TRUNK, THE ONLY PLACE WHERE YOU CAN KEEP EVERYTHING.

THEWhen she opened her eyes, Regina had them wants to showEYES her daughter how that resembles “THIS WAS SO COMMON IN filled with bikes. The eyes of Regina – her happiness, or at least how it made her and her mother gave her that name so that they’d always husband, Ramontxu González Arrieta, happy. Ra- EUSKADI… THE CYCLING TRA- remember the grandmother in her – and the món is a cyclist too, winner of the Classique des DITION WAS SO STRONG THAT eyes of her older brothers, Markel and Oinatz. Alpes and teammate of Indurain in his golden IT WAS TRANSMITTED FROM Through the endless tunnel of their eyes, they age in the early 1990s. But she doesn’t say soak up everything. Children are like this. They’re anything. She wants Regina to discover it herself, ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT, sponges. They keep everything they see. And and so Regina’s eyes get filled with bikes. AS IF WIRED INTO OUR DNA.” everything they hear.At home, Markel, Oinatz ‘Just like mine,’ Joane says,picturing a girl stan- and Regina can hear people talk about cycling ding by the road from Bermeo to Sollube in the Joane Somarriba just as they talked about the weather – that is, Vuelta a España in the 1970s. The girl is her. Her Professional ex-cyclist. all the time. Bicycles are just one more home father had taken her there to see the riders. He appliance. They’re more common than brooms was a sailor, spending long months at sea. When and more useful than a water heater. Regina is he came home, it was as if a mighty wave pus- always on her bike. The bike is as familiar asher hed the door open and every room got flooded favourite teddy bear – a trusted friend. They with the two-wheel spirit. ‘Dad loved cycling and first met when the girl was two. Now, being four he passed his passion onto us. Everyone talked and riding without stabilizers, she climbs all the about cycling at home; my childhood memories way down from Gatika to Mungia (5km) with her include a lot of cycling images.’ ‘May was the parents to the baker’s. She also rides to school month of the Vuelta a España. In the ikastola with her brothers every day, complaining that the (Basque school), we rode our bikes the way Eddy cold air on wintry days hits her hands and face. Merckx, Marino Lejarreta or Bernard Hinault But her complaints vanish into thin air. She has did. It was a big challenge,’ Joane recalls. It to pedal her way to school. Her mother, Joane – was the age of adventure, so she got on a small the great Basque cyclist Joane Somarriba, winner motorbike with her sister to follow the Tour of the of a World Championship, three Tours de France, Basque Country, only to come back home in the two Giros d’Italia, and many other races – feels rain, soaked to the bone. And then they had to tempted to tell her what you feel up there in listen to their angry mother and face the music: the mountains, in the Pyrenees or the Alps. She ‘To your room, now.’ But they were so happy… Pedaling 13

“CYCLING MEANS PAIN, They’d go to bed and dream of bikes and riders. Customs and traditions.

SUFFERING, HUNGER, THE MAN ‘This was so common in Euskadi… The cycling The father of Antón Barrutia (Iurreta, 1933) WARNED. BUT PASSION CAN’T tradition was so strong that it was transmitted would have none of it: ‘With one good-for-no- LISTEN TO COMMON SENSE” from one generation to the next, as if wired into thing in the family, we have enough,’ he said, our DNA. Our passion for cycling had a lot to do when the boy told him he wanted to be a cyclist Antón Barrutia with watching and listening to our elders. We like his brother Cosme. Antón was 16. He was Professional ex-cyclist. (1953-1966) inherited the passion and also the admiration for working at the stone quarry, making 2,500 cyclists: the sacrifice they made, the time they pesetas – twice as much as his father. ‘Cycling spent on such a tough sport…’ means pain, suffering, hunger,’ the man warned. But Antón wouldn’t listen. Passion can’t listen to This admiration and the associated toughness common sense.’ Joane could experience herself, for cycling fans just loved her. ‘I can still remember how the Col ‘And if there was someone to blame, it was him. du Tourmalet was packed with people, people He was always talking about races, about Fede from home, and how I had no strength left but I Ezquerra, Cipriano Aguirrezabal, Martín Mancisi- hanged on because of them. They encouraged dor… And then there was my brother, too, who me to keep going.’ This is a common picture was already riding a bike. My father instilled the among cyclists: An empty roadside gets you passion in me; my brother paved the way.’ down, while one filled with eager eyes boosts your adrenaline. This is what Somarriba felt in the In the 1930s (the years of the Spanish Civil War) Tour de France 2001, whose starting point was and then after the war, in the 1940s, you could Bilbao. ‘It was unforgettable, something larger only listen to the races. ‘We used to gather round than life.’ The roads were lined with fans. ‘I’d the only radio we had in town to hear the news never seen so many people in a women’s race, from the Vuelta a España. We clenched our fists and I never saw them afterwards. And it wasn’t and got closer when the riders were approaching just me. Every rider was amazed. They couldn’t the finish line. We pictured them in our minds. believe the atmosphere, the crowds cheering We thought of them not as heroes, but as noble each and every rider on, not only me (Joane was men, training hard in hot or cold weather, fighting their hero, of course, defending the French Tour against the elements.’ Antón worked at the stone title with the start line at home). quarry in the morning, carrying bricks. In the afternoon, he got on his bike and went to watch the Gran PruebaEibarresa or the Subida a Arrate. Pedaling 14

‘There were lots of people, many more than now. and kept telling himself, ‘You won’t break away “THERE WERE SO MANY FANS And they went on foot, with their sandwiches and from me, you won’t break away from me.’ They their bottles of wine. There used to be no other aroused love and hate beyond the sports sphere. AND THEY WERE SO ENTHU- means to get there. But there were so many cy- When Langarica, who was the coach of the Spa- SIASTIC. THEY WERE FAMOUS cling fans… Why? Because the riders were really nish national team, chose the members of the EVEN BEFORE YOU MET THEM.” good. We had Ezquerra, Dalmacio Langarica Tour de France squad in 1959 and left Loroño and many others. We’ve always had great riders. out to have Bahamontes as single leader, they Federico Martín Bahamontes That’s what drew so many people. There were broke the windows of his bike store in Bilbao and Profesional ex-cyclist. (1954-1965) lots of races, too: Vuelta a España, Gran Prue- called his wife names on the streets. baEibarresa, Subida a Arrate, Gran PremioOnda- ‘But they were always kind to me in the Basque rroa. I remember that many riders who weren’t Country,’ Bahamontes recalls, grateful. ‘There Basque – Mascaró, Company, Poblet, Serra, were so many fans and they were so enthu- Masip – couldn’t believe their eyes. The people siastic. They were famous even before you met loved us locals, but they cheered everybody on.’ them. Races like the Subida a Arrate drew so It went on until the rivalry between Jesús Loroño many cycling fans. You just can’t imagine. They and Federico Martín Bahamontes – a milestone came from Eibar, from San Sebastián, from in Spanish cycling. ‘They split the fans,’ Barrutia Bilbao… they liked me. One year I wasn’t taking recalls. It was the rivalry between a rider who part in the Subida a Arrate because I was ill, so was ‘sort of nuts’ and a hard-working fellow the late Juanito Txoko (the heart and soul of cy- like Loroño, who caught his opponent’s wheel cling in Eibar) called me and asked me to come. Pedaling 15

He said I drew lots of people.’ ‘People have because then I was able to enter the race. Being was greater than his record sheet. always loved a good show,’ Barrutia adds, ‘and used to riding for no-one, the crowds on the Fans just loved him. ‘People liked a show,’ Bahamontes, like many others with him, knew roadside struck me. They were everywhere: by Delgado explains. And Marino knew how to give how to put up one. People appreciated that. And the road, in mountain passes, at the start and them that. He was an astonishing cyclist, winning so they lined the roads.’ finish lines… I’d never seen something like that followers – or should I say devotees? – over as ‘Let’s go race in the Basque Country,’ said the before. And then I learned it was always like this. he lost races. He rode his heart out. He let his Moliner team coach once to Pedro Delgado No matter the race, no matter the category, the soul speak, express itself, feel free to attack - and (Segovia, 1960), then a junior rider. They came crowds were always there. And they weren’t just lose. His defeats felt like victories. Standing on and went back home without racing, angry and any crowd: they were a qualified, critical audien- the podium, mostly on the second place step, tired. ‘So my first impression was a negative one. ce. They knew about cycling, they understood the ovations were always for him. ‘But they also I came back home thinking, “What with Basque the rules, they were familiar with the riders (all of thanked us, his rivals, appreciating it if we were people! Who do they think they are? Not letting them: juniors and veterans, even those who were able to put on a good show. I’ve always felt they us race…”,’ says the rider from Segovia, whose still in their teens), and they had well-informed liked me in the Basque Country. And riders like child’s eyes are filled with bikes and landscapes opinions. When they spoke, you knew they were Vicente Belda, who were ready to die on the bike from Castile, with parched, empty fields reaching valid interlocutors, even when they were critici- too. That’s what they wanted,’ Delgado insists. into the horizon. ‘We used to race alone here, zing you. You knew you could have an interesting for occasional onlookers who just happened to conversation about cycling with them,’ Delgado Marino made huge efforts on the bike, but he pass by,’ he recalls. ‘They say the best fans in says. Like Bahamontes with Loroño, he shared was also close to the people, an ordinary guy, Spain are in the Basque Country. And they’re the setting (both the mountains and the decade, flesh and blood you could touch, someone you right. I learned this the second time I went there, the 1980s) with Marino Lejarreta, the rider who could talk to if you came across him on the Pedaling 16

2/ Pedaling 17

“THE PYRENEES TURNED street. He embodied everything that Basque fans the Castilian plateaus traveled north to become loved. Jean-Marie Leblanc, General Director of cyclists, in a sort of forced migration to their ORANGE, THE COLOR THAT’S the Tour de France from 1989 to 2005, says two-wheel university. That was the path Delgado BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH Basque people like cycling because this sport followed. And many others like him: PacoMan- BASQUE CYCLING – A SOCIAL stands for the values they cherish: courage, cebo, Carlos Sastre, Joaquim Rodríguez, Alberto determination, boldness, dignity… This is what Contador… All of them. Or almost all of them. PHENOMENON TO BE FOUND cyclists mean to Basque fans, irrespective of the NOWHERE ELSE IN jersey they’re wearing, the name they have or Paulino isn’t a rider. He’s just a pensioner who the colors of the flag they defend. This is what spends his days under the sun of Castile, his THE WORLD.” they admire in their favorite riders. In a thank-you homeland. In the 1950s, the dark years after the Jean Marie Leblanc note to his Basque fans, German pro Jens Voigt war, he migrated to Euskadi – not to become a Ex-director of the Tour de France (1989-2005) praises their loyal support: ‘They’re always there, cyclist but to find a job. And he did find one, in a in rain, shine or snow, always ready to cheer you manufacturing plant in Mondragón. Being there, on when you’re in pain. They’re encouraging to he stayed for the show: the Subida a Arrate, the both the leaders and the last riders in the field.’ roadside packed with people. A superb picture. According to Antón Barrutia, the passion is This is probably what Roberto Laiseka felt too weaker now. It’s not the same. According to when he won a Tour de France stage in Luz Pedro Delgado, audience shares soar in the Bas- Ardiden, back in 2001. ‘I can’t remember many que Country when they broadcast a race on TV. stages where suspense and symbols were so Paulino is neither here nor there. He remembers powerful,’ says Leblanc. ‘The Pyrenees turned Bahamontes and Loroño, of course. He grins orange, the color that’s become synonymous when he thinks of Juan José Sagarduy and his with Basque cycling – a social phenomenon slipstreaming. He says he’s seen it himself, that to be found nowhere else in the world.’ In the nobody told him about it. Meanwhile, Regina words of Delgado, ‘It was a powerful idea, rides down with her parents to get her family’s identifying Basque fans wherever they went. But bread in Mungia, and her eyes are filled with a word of caution is in order: the huge tide of bikes. Basque cycling fans didn’t emerge when they got dressed in orange. They existed way before that. In fact, they’ve always been there.’ Right from the cradle.

Some people say that Spanish cycling was born The tour of the Basque Country in the Basque Country. That the Vuelta a España and the Tour de France are the has its origin there. Some of the best, legendary principal events for the Basque teams certainly do: Kas, Fagor, and others. And fans. boys and girls from the Mediterranean and from Inside 18

XABI NARBAIZA THE EYES OF A LYNX, THE HEART OF A USER.

If you ride an Alma, an Oiz, an Occam or a Rallon, you’ll be able to hear a fine tune as you pedal, around a bend or up an impossibly steep climb. It’s a tune composed by a jazz ensemble conducted by Xabi Narbaiza, MTB Product Manager at Orbea.

Text and photos by Jon Saez Inside 19

We don’t need Xabi to talk about the bikes he ‘a little freaky’: ‘We sleep with a bike suspension makes for us to believe in them. He could be under the pillow’. talking about a piece of furniture, the bread he got this morning or his little girl’s toys for us to “THE PASSION, ENERGY AND realize that this lanky body possesses eyes with microscopic precision and a mind obsessed HEART OF OUR USERS ARE LIKE with detail. This is what you can see behind the FUEL TO US. THEY MAKE US FEEL cables or the geometry angles of Orbea’s range WE OWE THEM.” of mountain bikes, or embodied in the Grouchy Smurf that comes to the surface when care or at- Xabi Narbaiza, tention aren’t up to the desired level in a project. MTB Product Manager.

Despite being in his mid-thirties (he was born Now and again, Xabi and his boys highlight the in Eibar in 1979), he’s been with Orbea for a importance of having bike users in the team: while -12 years - cultivating his passion and love ‘First-person experience helps us speak the of bikes. If you ask him about this, he’ll reply, same language, understand the challenges, ‘It has it all, especially in MTB: sport, nature, grasp opportunities and achieve our goals. It friendship, travel, mechanics, engineering, adre- helps us comprehend the importance of even naline, technical difficulty, physical challenge…’ menial tasks; to learn why customers need this And the list should probably go on and on. As the piece to be properly assembled or that graphic French psychologist Théodule-Armand Ribot put design to fit the frame. I think all this is easier if it, ‘Passion is a long-term emotion.’ you’re involved,’ Xabi explains. However, far from relying on this alone, they listen to external users However, passion is something you both enjoy as a key – ‘sacred’, they’d say – part of their and suffer. In 12 years, Xabi has learned a lot, development processes: ‘The passion, energy being in constant evolution and spending ‘a and heart of our users are like fuel to us. They few nights not sleeping a wink.’ When you ask make us feel we owe them; they spend entire him about the raving reviews the latest Rallon afternoons with us, and we feel we must live up got, he dodges the question and says, ‘It’d be to their expectations.’ a mistake to get too confident and rest on our laurels. We’d be breaking away from the way Narbaiza is so passionate about his job that the we’ve done things so far, even from the way we word ‘workaholic‘ crosses your mind, but he are.’ Then he adds that the credits aren’t just for dismisses the association: ‘You have to strike him: ‘It sounds like a cliché, but it’s the result of balance yourself. Now there’s the idea that you teamwork.’ Perhaps one of Xabi’s main achie- have to unwind at some point. I have goals to vements at Orbea is to create an environment meet, but I don’t feel a lot of pressure. My life is where communication and work flow naturally well-balanced in terms of likes and obligations, between the members of the MTB development both personally and professionally. Sometimes team. you have to get away from it all and see things from a different perspective, though,’ he admits. Mikel, Beñat and Aitor are the backbone of a But, away from it all, is still never far from his team that cuts across the Orbea organizational passion. chart. Together with their ‘spiritual leader’ – as Aitor calls Xabi –, they ride trails and test bikes on Fridays after work. Without making a carica- ture of themselves, they still admit that they’re Making of 20

MAKING OF

Orbea means ongoing improvement. Orbea is in constant beta testing. Orbea is sweating – always on the rivet. Orbea is 24 - 7 - 365. This is what we want to communicate through these images.

/ Almost one tonne of meat

About 950kg meat cooked with great care to feed 6,700 participants in the 14th Los Mone- gros Marathon.

/ Artisanal Manufacturing

In bike making, state-of-the-art technology and innovation have to be supplemented with human subtleness and a keen eye for the process to be successful. Orbea mechanic Javi Lorenzo applies his eye and soul to this Alma. Making of 21

/ Love at first sight

Euskadi team riders Jon Larrinaga and Illart Zuazubiskar can’t avert their gaze from the Orca 2015 during the shooting of the promotional video.

/ Sheriff

Orbea CEO Jon Fernández can be quiet and earnest, but he’s also ready to set up feeding stations or hand out racing numbers if necessary.

/ On the screen

The oldest movie theater in the Pyrenees, located in Isaba, is the place chosen to introduce our la- test range of bikes to our dealers and the press. / Wind Tunnel

Under the gaze of Joseba Arizaga and Scott Warren, triathlete Andrew Starykowicz helps improve the aerodynamics of the Ordu OME in the North Carolina wind tunnel. Pedaling 22

ROAD Objectively, the 2015 Orca is the best road- racing bicycle ever developed by Orbea. With New / Orca 2015 frame efficiency and ride quality in mind, we’ve Light weight, stiffness, perfor- come up with a bike that is 20% lighter and 24% stiffer than its predecessor. Today,more mance and racing geometry. than ever, Orca remains synonymous with racing andthe highest levels of performance.

Discover it in www.orbea.com

/ Orbea R10

The R10 is the spearhead of the updated range of Orbea helmets. It’s the result of a completely reconsidered helmet concept: an integrated system bringing extremely lightweight, efficient ventilation and optimized aerodynamics together with a removable shell to minimize the effects of drag whenever necessary.

TRI / A New Baby Born in the Ordu Family: Ordu OME

This new member of the Ordu family is a bike for amateur triathletes. It’s versatile and affordable, without giving up what triathletes seek above all else: aerodynamics.

Discover it in www.orbea.com

/ Prologo Saddle

Working with renowned saddle makerPrologo, Orbea has designed X (name of saddle),with an extensive testing programme, in both the wind tunnel and out in the field. The new saddle is available with all Orbea triathlon framesets. Pedaling 23

MTB / Rallon: Huge Success / Oiz 27 and 29 The fourth chapter in the Rallon saga hasn’t gone The bike whose very prototype won an XC World unnoticed in specialist magazines. It was one of Cup round has been updated with versions the few enduro bikes to consistently get raving utilising both 27” and 29” wheels. Oiz showcases reviews from the market’s most authoritative all the technology and innovation Orbea is publications. capable of, underlying what many consider to be one of the most spectacular MTB bike designs “Rallon is is definitely one of the few bikes that on the market. deserves to be described as a real enduro bike.” pinkbike.com

“Pointed downhill, holy moly! The Rallon rallies! The calculated combination of the geometry and BOS suspension really make this bike come alive, and it was truly an eye opening experience for all three of us. It begs to be ridden faster and faster and launch higher and farther, and we never felt as though the bike was overwhelmed.” vitalmtb.com / New Members for the Alma Family

The Alma Hydro, the little sister of the Alma introduced at Eurobike 2013, is coming out one year later, offering all the technology and innovation of its race winning carbon sibling, but in a hydroformed alloy frame.

ALL USE / All Use Urban

The new speed bike from Orbea was developed to help you get around town in style. An affor- dable, efficient bike that you can lock outside if you’re at work, having dinner or shopping. That is, if you can ever get off it! With ergonomics for less demanding users than those of the Dude or the Carpe, it strikes a harmonious balance between comfort and sports performance. You can ride your bike at ease or crank it up.

This is what the new Orbea bike is like for riders getting around the city every day: essential and powerful yet affordable. Urban is designed to help you enjoy your urban rides.

/ TERNUA

Sharing so many values with this outdoor clothing brand, we wanted to reflect this on the clothes worn by the Orbea staff at Eurobike 2014.

ternua.com www.orbea.com