The 2022 Orbea Rallon leaves the trail behind and goes full enduro. The 160mm travel bike dials things up a notch in all the salient areas (longer, lower, slacker, yadda-yadda) but also dials back the speed-is-everything dogma by offering mixed-wheel capability, air or coil shock compatibility and a more open-minded approach to sizing.

Non-driveside shot of the new Orbea Rallon

Orbea Rallon 2022 need to know

• 160mm rear, 170mm front enduro bike.
• Asymmetrical OMR carbon frame.
• Longer: 3omm longer reach on Large, 5mm longer chainstays on all sizes.
• Lower (3mm lower BB).
• Slacker head angle (64°).
• Steeper seat angle (2° steeper).
• Revised supension kinematic; more progressive and slightly more rearward axle path.
• More standover; uninterrupted seat tube = 200mm dropper posts.
• 29 or mullet via shock extenders (included).
• Full size water bottle.
• Lockr frame storage (two sealed bags, with tube, tyre levers and space for two C02 cartridges).
• ‘Hidden’ multi-tools in main pivot and rear axle.
• Size: S, M, L, XL.
• MyO paintjobs – up to one million combinations!
• Pricing: €4299 to €8999 (UK pricing TBC – ditto availability).

Orbea Rallon mullet link

The idea of this progressive but flexible approach is no doubt intended to make the Rallon appear on more riders’ shortlist when they’re shopping for the best enduro mountain bikes. We’ve always liked the Rallon – read our Orbea Rallon M-Team review from 2018 – and we like the sound of this new approach, as it doesn’t alienate or polarise the average mountain biker. Those tall and/or fast enough can go for the XL, coil-sprung, full-29er Rallon. Those less lofty and/or more concerned with weekend warrior-ing can go for a M/L, air-sprung, mullet Rallon.

Orbea 29er low/lower link

And everyone can have a Rallon in whatever crazy colourway they want, via the brand’s MyO customisation programme. Which, although it adds a few weeks to the waiting time, does seem to be a very popular thing to do for the average Orbea owner. With approx one million colourway combo options, the sky’s your limit.

Orbea Rallon front-end

The influence of the Enduro World Series is clearly played a part in the revised Rallon. The reach is up to 30mm longer (Large), the BB has dropped 3mm, the head angle is 64°, it’s coil shock friendly, full-size water bottle-able, comes with 200mm dropper post and there’s ever a couple of clever multi-tools stashed in the main pivot and the rear axle. Not only that but the Rallon also follows the lead of Specialized (and Johnny-come-lately Trek) by offering a storage compartment in the down tube, called the Lockr.

Orbea Rallon down-tube storage Lockr

About that sizing then. Essentially Orbea have made the standover as huge as possible (hence the 200mm droppers) via an uninterrupted seat-tube design. Which means that if, for example, you’re six foot tall, Orbea say you can either go for the Large size or the X-Large size; it depends if you want to ‘play’ or ‘plough’.

Orbea Rallon multi-tool

The rear suspension layout has also been tweaked, not that you could tell just by looking at it. Essentially the frame has more in-built progression to help it play better with linear coil shocks whilst not being overly stiff at the end to prevent modern air shocks from getting deep travel. The axle path has moved several gnats’ whiskers rearward but we don’t expect it to be vastly different to the previous Rallon really. Which is a good thing by the way. The anti-rise and anti-squat numbers are nigh-on identical to the previous Rallon.

Orbea Rallon clever rear axle

We look forward to slinging our collective enduro leg over one as soon as they touch down in the UK.