Orbea Occam H30 – just in

Full-sus mountain bike with strong cross-country influence

Simon Greenacre/Future Publishing

Published: May 19, 2013 at 9:00 am

The Orbea Occam H30 is a 120mm full-suspension trail bike weighing less than 13kg (28.7lb) for £2,069. It's the cheapest of four Occams, although the distinctions between them are blurred by Orbea's custom options, which allow you to tweak the spec to suit your taste.

At the back, the Occam has a concentric chainstay/seatstay pivot that's very similar to Trek's ABP system. The main swingarm pivot housing and bottom bracket shell are one forged piece, with the seat and down tubes welded to it.

Under the top tube is a Fox Float Evolution CTD shock. There's a forged linkage pivoting off the top tube but it doesn't affect the leverage ratio – it's just there to keep everything stiff and in line.

The chainset is a triple offering from Shimano's Deore line, while an SLX Shadow Plus clutch rear mech is a nice addition and should keep things more taut. Stopping duties are handled by Formula RX brakes, which come as OE equipment. The Occam rolls on a Mavic XM 119 Disc wheelset wrapped in Hutchinson's Cobra Air Light rubber.

The standard H30 has a quick-release on its Fox 32 FLOAT CTD fork, but you can specify a thru-axle when you order. However, the cheapest QR15 upgrade option will add £280 to the price. A 710mm RaceFace Ride bar is matched to a RaceFace stem, resulting in a fairly standard cockpit.

The finish of the occam h30’s frame is sublime: - Simon Greenacre/Future Publishing

The finish of the Occam H30’s frame is sublime

It’s also worth noting that the 29er version of the Occam is only £30 more for essentially the same spec.

Look out for a full review of the Orbea Occam H30 in issue 149 of What Mountain Bike, on sale Tuesday 4 June. For more information on Orbea products see www.orbea.com.