New Orbea Occam spans XC to enduro with 140mm SL and 150mm LT models

Orbea has updated its Occam trail bike, with a more aggressive geometry, neater integration and increased versatility.

Orbea continues to offer the trail bike in two configurations. The Occam SL has 140mm of suspension travel front and rear and the more aggressive Occam LT now uses a 160mm fork and a 150mm shock.

The Occam SL and LT will be available with either hydroformed aluminium or carbon fibre frames.

The Occam SL range starts at £2,999 / $3,199 / €2,799 for the aluminium H30 model, while the range-topping carbon M-LTD is priced at £10,999 / $10,599 / €9,999.

The beefier Occam LT starts at £3,499 / $3,599 / €3,299 for the H30 model and tops out with the carbon M-TEAM build at £8,599 / $8,599 / €7,999.

Orbea says the bikes are available to order now and will be offered in its online MyO bike configurator, which allows for paint and spec to be customised.

How does it ride? You can read our Orbea Occam LT M10 first ride review.

One frame, two travel options

The carbon and aluminium Orbea Occam SL and Occam LT bikes share the same frame. Orbea says the SL is more suited to riders looking for efficiency and the LT is for riders looking to push hard on descents.

The only difference between the frames is the shock extenders. The Occam LT’s shock extender has an ‘Altitude Adjust Flipchip’. Adjusting this changes the bike geometry, slackening the head angle by 0.5 degrees from 64.5 to 64 degrees.

Orbea says this can be done in under 15 seconds – the bolt on the flip chip only needs to be loosed and tightened to change the geometry, rather than removing and flipping chips in the linkage.

The Occam SL has a carbon shock extender which Orbea says maximises rigidity and minimises weight.

Orbea says the shock extenders are interchangeable meaning you could theoretically change your LT into an SL, or vice versa

Orbea isn’t alone in offering its trail bike with different suspension travels. Cannondale does this with the Habit and Habit LT, and Yeti does it with the SB140 and SB140 LR.

The Orbea Occam LT is compatible with a coil shock, with the M-TEAM model coming equipped with a Fox DHX Factory shock.

The SL version comes specced with the brand’s SquidLock suspension lockout and an in-line rear shock.

The system was introduced on the Oiz cross-country bike and uses two levers on the underside of the bar to adjust the fork and rear shock damper. There is also an integrated lever for a dropper post on top.

It works in combination with Orbea’s Inside Line (I-Line) shock lockout technology, which neatly hides the cable in the bike's top tube.

The biggest update to the Occam SL and LT’s front triangle is the seat tube, which Orbea calls the Steep’n’Deep. This seat tube can accommodate dropper posts with up to 230mm of travel.

Lighter and stiffer

The new carbon Occam continues to use Orbea’s asymmetric design, which sees an offset brace span the front triangle from the seat tube to the down tube.

Orbea says this enables material to be removed from elsewhere in the frame, making the bike lighter and stiffer.

The carbon frame is made using a bladder moulding process, enabling less carbon fibre to be used without losing stiffness.

There is only one carbon fibre layup available, Orbea’s Monocoque Race (OMR) composite. This sits below the flagship OMX layup in the brand's composite hierarchy, which can be seen on its Orbea Orca OMX road bike.

The aluminium frame uses a hydroforming process. Orbea says this enables it to control the wall thickness of tubes to increase strength and reduce weight.

The brand says many of the tubes are double and triple-butted to save weight in the middle of the tube.

Each weld on the frame has been polished down to match the aesthetic of the carbon fibre model, with Orbea also claiming the action reduces fatigue at high-stress points.

Inventive integration

Orbea has given both carbon and aluminium versions internal cable routing. Cables enter the frame via the headset.

Unlike the previous generation Occam, the new bike features Orbea’s Lockr internal frame storage. This was introduced on the Rallon enduro bike.

Orbea says the design is different to that found on the Rallon, with the Occam’s Lockr featuring a wider entrance for ease of access.

The Occam also has an integrated multi-tool that sits within a pivot in the frame's linkage. This features a 2, 3, 4 and 5mm hex Keys.

The frames have an integrated chain guide and protectors on the downtube and chainstays.

Buyers will also be able to spec full-frame vinyl protectors from the factory. Orbea is calling this Second Skin, and offers the vinyl in a dazzle camouflage or map gradient design.

New-gen geometry

The Occam SL and LT feature more aggressive geometry than their predecessors.

The Occam SL’s head angle has slackened 0.5 degrees to 65.5 degrees down from 66 degrees on the previous Occam.

The Occam LT is now 1 degree slacker than the previous LT at 64.5 degrees, though this can be slackened further to 64 degrees using the Altitude Adjust Flipchip.

Reach measurements have also increased on both bikes, with a size large Occam SL measuring 490mm. This is 16mm longer than the 474mm on the previous Occam.

The reach of the Occam LT has also grown to 485mm in it’s high geometry setting and 480mm in the low setting.

Orbea Occam SL geometry

Orbea Occam LT geometry

Orbea Occam SL spec and price

Orbea Occam SL H30

• Fork: Marzocchi Bomber Z2, 140mm
• Shock: Fox Float Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100
• Brakes: Shimano MT201
• Wheels: Race Face AR 30c
• Tyres: Maxxis Dissector 2.4 (f), Maxxis Rekon 2.4in (r)
• Price: £2,999/$3,199/€2,799

Orbea Occam SL H20

• Fork: Fox 34 Float Performance, 140mm
• Shock: Fox Float Performance
• Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
• Brakes: Shimano Deore M6100
• Wheels: Race Face AR 30c
• Tyres: Maxxis Dissector 2.4 (f), Maxxis Rekon 2.4in (r)
• Price: £3,899/$3,999/€3,599

Orbea Occam SL H10

• Fork: Fox 34 Float Performance, 140mm
• Shock: Fox Float Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT M8100
• Brakes: Shimano XT M8100
• Wheels: Race Face AR 30c
• Tyres: Maxxis Dissector 2.4 (f), Maxxis Rekon 2.4in (r)
• Price: £4,299/$4,399/€3,799

Orbea Occam SL M30

• Fork: Fox 34 Float Performance, 140mm
• Shock: Fox Float Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano Deore M6100
• Wheels: Race Face AR 30c
• Tyres: Schwalbe Wicked Will Evo TLE 2.4in
• Price: £4,899/$4,799/€4,499

Orbea Occam SL M10

• Fork: Fox 34 Float Factory, 140mm
• Shock: Fox Float Factory
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano XT
• Wheels: Oquo MP-30TEAM
• Tyres: Schwalbe Wicked Will Evo TLE 2.4in
• Price: £6,499/$6,499/€5,999

Orbea Occam SL M-LTD

• Fork: Fox 34 Float Factory, 140mm
• Shock: Fox Float Factory
• Drivetrain: SRAM XX Eagle AXS
• Brakes: SRAM Level Ultimate 4 piston Stealth
• Wheels: Oquo MP30LTD
• Tyres: Schwalbe Wicked Will Evo TLE 2.4in
• Price: £10,999/$10,599/€9,999

Orbea Occam LT spec and price

Orbea Occam LT H30

• Fork: Fox 36 Float Performance, 160mm
• Shock: Fox Float Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100
• Brakes: Shimano MT420
• Wheels: Race Face AR 30c
• Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in
• Price: £3,499/$3,599/€3,299

Orbea Occam LT H20

• Fork: Fox 36 Float Performance, 160mm
• Shock: Fox Float Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120
• Wheels: Race Face AR 30c
• Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in
• Price: £4,299/$4,399/€3,799

Orbea Occam LT M30

• Fork: Fox 36 Float Performance, 160mm
• Shock: Fox Float X Performance
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120
• Wheels: Race Face AR 30c
• Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in
• Price: £4,999/$4,999/€4,699

Orbea Occam LT M10

• Fork: Fox 36 Float Factory, 160mm
• Shock: Fox FLOAT X Factory
• Drivetrain: Shimano XT M8100
• Brakes: Shimano XT M8120
• Wheels: Oquo MC32TEAM
• Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in
• Price: £6,499/$6,499/€5,999

Orbea Occam LT M-TEAM

• Fork: Fox 36 Float Factory, 160mm
• Shock: Fox DHX Factory
• Drivetrain: SRAM X0 Eagle AXS
• Brakes: SRAM Code Silver
• Wheels: Oquo MC32TEAM
• Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5in
• Price: £8,599/$8,599/€7,999