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OK. With yesterday’s ride along the Peak to Peak Highway, I have completed 1000 miles on my 2007 Orbea Orca, and I have enjoyed every mile. Now it is time to give a quick review what I like about the Orca.

I bought the Orca at Sports Garage in Boulder, and Chris Jacobson made the fit. Here is what I got.

• Orbea Orca, 2007 frame/fork, bronze and black in color
• Shimano Dura Ace group with a 12-27 casette
• FSA K-Force Compact crankset (34-50)
• DT Swiss RR 1450 wheel set
• ITM Visia bar and stem
• Specialized Alias 130 saddle
• Speedplay Zero pedals

First, the frame. This was an easy choice for me. The 2007 Orca frame rides as well as it looks. I fell in love with this frame after it appeared on the cover of Bycycling Magazine late last year, and I did not even feel like trying any other frame before buying the Orca.

The ride quality is superb - it is quite, light, and smooth under the saddle. I barely feel the frame during long rides - it absorbs road shock very well. As far as esthetics are concerned, in my view, it is way ahead of the pack. I don’t completely understand the mechanical advantage of Orca’s “size specific nerve” design, but it is a piece of beauty to look at and marvel.

One of my dilemma’s was whether to go for a triple or a compact. My old bike (a Trek 2300) had Shimano Ultegra Triple crankset on it. After test-riding a demo Orca with an FSA crankset, I decided to go for an FSA K-Force 54-30 crankset, and a Dura Ace 12-27 cassette. After getting a fair number of climbing miles over the last three months on the Orca, I am very happy about my choice. I don’t miss the Triple’s small ring at all. I shamelessly shift into the 30-27 for most of my climbs, and this combination lets me spin well. I have now come to realize that Triple is an unnecessary complication, and considering the extra weight, is under efficient. See Simon Butterworth’s Compact Cranskets and Gearing” for a more convincing analysis.

The next question was what kind of wheels to get. The choice was between Ksyrium SL and DT Swiss 1450 RR. After talking to some of my friends and a bike mechanic, I settled on the DT. One complaint I hear about Ksyrium wheel’s are about their poor performance on cross-winds, and that influenced my choice as well. DT Swiss 1450 wheels are pricey, but fare extremely well on the climbs. They look great too.

Until I stepped into Sports Garage for the fit, I never realized the importance of saddle “fit”. I had my share of saddle problems, and I was not expecting things to improve greatly. The only saddle that worked for me so far was Saddleco’s Flow until it broke just after one season.

My saddle experience changed when Chris Jacobson of the Sports Garage made me sit on a foam pad to take impressions of my sit bones. He then suggested Specialized Alias 130. All my saddle problems ended with this saddle. This saddle avoids touching the softer tissue and keeps the blood flowing, and that makes all the difference.

Overall, the Orca has been a great companion on the road. So far, I found no negatives with it. The fit made by Sports Garage is excellent.

Update: Check out my ride diary here, with all the rides done since I got this bike last year. I still enjoy the way this bike performs on climbs.