Basque bike maker Orbea has launched a new endurance road bike called the Avant that works with disc brakes or rim brakes. There are seven models, ranging from Shimano 105 bikes at $2,299/£1,999 up through Shimano Ultegra Di2 at $4,699/£3,699 and the top bike with SRAM Red Hydraulic for $8,499/£8,999.
Compared to the company's flagship race bike, the Orca, the Avant features more relaxed geometry with a taller head tube and a shorter top tube. Thanks to the use of two different fork rakes (43 and 53mm), Orbea was able to reduce if not eliminate toe overalp on the smallest 47cm frame size while keeping trail within 9mm through the line, all the way up to the largest 60cm size (adjusting head tube angle appropriately). Most of the bikes come with 25mm tires, and the frame — which also has hidden fender mounts — can handle up to 28mm tires.
Hydraulic road discs or rim brakes — you can use both on the Avant
Since the Avant can be used with either rim or disc brakes, the frame is built with disc-wheel-friendly 135mm rear spacing, and it comes with 2.5mm 'chips' that bolt onto the dropouts with Allen bolts to bring spacing down to the 130mm road standard.
As all the internal cable routing is done through the down tube, the Avant features a under-mounted brake when in the rim-brake configuration.
Besides the disc/rim choice, the Avant easily adapts for either mechanical or electrical drivetrains with the change of a head-tube-mounted cable guide. Also, the Avant has discreet fender mounts at the bottom of the fork legs, just above the rear dropouts and under the seatstay yoke.
Features the monocoque construction that Orbea has always done with carbon, the Avant gets a BB86 bottom bracket (past Orbeas have had the narrower), which gives a wider platform for tube connections.
As for the name, Orbea took it from the Pax Avant, a monstrous gran fondo Orbea is putting on this year for the first time. Featuring 15,000ft of climbing over a 125mi course, Orbea hopes it will be as hard as The Dolomiti, which is widely regarded as Europe's toughest grand fondo.
Since the brake routing goes through the down tube, the rim brake mounts are on the underside of the chainstays
