Orbea may appear to be our elephant in the room but, rather than leave things unspoken, we want to celebrate this Spanish brand. This is not an Italian Bike Company, nor is it Italian made. Even so, Orbea’s reliable and relatable range is the reason we have them at Chainsmith.

Orbea has an incredibly rich heritage having been founded in 1840. The company has stood the test of time due to its ability to look forward and produce innovative and relevant performance bikes for the future.

Well known amongst dedicated riders, Orbea has both starred in and won stages of many Tours, such as the Tour de France and Vuelta a España by the likes of Teams Euskaltel–Euskadi, Cofidis Solutions Crédits, UCI Domestic Elite Cycling Team and the Rio Grande Elite Cycling Team. Orbea bikes have also been well represented in Olympic Games and Ironman World Triathlon Championships.

While the Company was established in the early days to produce tubing for guns, in 1969 a dedicated bicycle factory was built where a co-operative was formed by employees. This cooperative still exists today.

Important to note for the modern rider is the ability to personalise their Orbea by choosing from a selection of components and colours on offer.

Amongst Orbea's high performance race bikes are two of the more popular models for Chainsmith clients: the race profile of the Orca and the endurance endorsed frame, the Avant.

"Light, fast and beautiful" are terms used to describe the Orca. Orbea have successfully created a performance bike, built for racing function but with aesthetically minimalist appeal. The Orca will turn heads, offering complete internal routing. This performance feature is another step initiated by the Orbea development team, exemplifying an ability to answer the demands of a contemporary riding market.