Orbea

Ordu Silver/Shimano Ultegra Complete Bike - 2012

If most bike racers were honest with themselves, they’d come to the conclusion that they were Ultegra level athletes. Have we faced reality? You bet. And the Orbea Ordu Silver/Shimano Ultegra 6700 Complete Bike would be more than enough weapon to exact mass destruction on the competition at our state time trial; if only we could get the rest of the package carved back into a fine shape like the Ordu Silver frameset.

The Ordu Silver is only meant to do one thing – help you go as fast as humanly possible over a set distance. It’s just as sleek as its more expensive big brother, the Ordu Gold. In fact all the shapes, the tube lengths, and all the angles are exactly the same. The difference on the front end is a matter of materials and cost; on the back end it’s a matter of grams and absolute performance at the elite level.

The Ordu Silver is made with Orbea’s Silver grade of high modulus carbon fiber. The Silver carbon has slightly lower modulus and tensile strength than the Gold. Because of this, it takes more material to obtain the intended stiffness and strength. The frame weighs within 100 grams, and the money savings will go a long way towards a fast set of race-day wheels. This makes the Ordu Silver a great choice for the racer with a bit of a budget.

Just like the Ordu Gold, Orbea molds the Ordu Silver frame and fork as monocoque structures. Each of these is formed as one piece without bonded joints where failures, either structural or cosmetic, can occur. With fibers running continuously along the length of the tubes and through the intersections, the total strength of the bike is increased along with the durability. Orbea also uses what they term as SSN (size specific nerve) technology. This ensures that they can produce frames that offer the same comfort and performance characteristics across the size range. To do this, they make each frame size with its own specific lay-up schedule and tube dimensions.

It was Orbea’s goal to provide an optimum blend of performance characteristics. Of course, aerodynamic efficiency was paramount for the Ordu, but so was stiffness because a slippery shape is nothing without efficient power transfer from the rider to the asphalt. This is why Orbea engineers used both wind tunnel results and FEA (finite element analysis) to fine-tune the shapes of the frame tubes. The combination of thoughtful design with the finest materials results in a bike that excels under the most powerful riders, and this is why it has won the Hawaii Ironman twice since its recent debut.

Aerodynamic details abound on the Ordu frameset, from the peaked head tube to the aero-section seat stays and the fully internal cable routing. The arcing seat tube may be one of the most distinctive aspects. While it may look similar to other bikes, for no other reason than the seat tube arcs closely along the diameter of the rear wheel, the Ordu uses Orbea’s Co-linear seat tube geometry. Look closely and you’ll see that the seat post still fits into the frame at an angle less than 90˚. The importance is that when you make seat height adjustments, the Ordu maintains the fore-aft relationship with regards to reach and proportional sizing. Your optimum fit is easy to find, especially since it comes with a two position seat post that offers either 74 or 76 degree effective angles.

Since the Ordu Silver is on the second tier in the chain of command, it’s only fitting that it gets a component group with similar qualifications. Shimano’s Ultegra parts grace the Ordu at every opportunity, save for the Dura-Ace 7800 bar end shift levers. Profile design alloy handlebar parts and an Orbea alloy stem make up the front portion of the rider compartment, while a Selle Italia SL T1 Saddle offers a comfortable perch out back. The Mavic Aksium wheel/Aksion tire combo is perfect for training days, though you might eventually upgrade to lighter, faster wheels for race day.

The Orbea Ordu Silver/Shimano Ultegra 6700 Complete Bike is available in Silver/white or White/red and four tailored sizes – 48, 51, 54, and 57cm. It comes with a matching Ordu monocoque carbon fork and integrated FSA headset. All Orbea bicycle frames come with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defect.