First Impressions: The Orbea Rallon Enduro Mountain Bike

First impressions of the Orbea Rallon enduro bike, which will see a long-term review.

The Orbea Rallon rolls out of its cardboard box like a newborn goat, nearly ready to scramble straight up a cliff and back down again. The bike arrived fully assembled, with tubeless sealant sloshing in the tires, leaving me to simply redirect the handlebar, tighten two stem bolts, and go ride.

Low = 65.5° headtube angle, Lower = 65°

The top-shelf size large Rallon comes equipped with a Fox DHX2 shock, and Fox 36 Factory fork with a Grip2 damper, both covered in the maximum number of knobs and doohickeys to adjust. The squish will take a few rides to dial in, and I am looking forward to the process.

Dressed in the lightest build spec I have ridden on a long-travel whip, this purple party-bike wears its SRAM XX1 drivetrain and Guide RSC 4-piston stoppers well.

I will be riding the Rallon through the coming spring rain, into blown out summer corners, and possibly racing it, assuming we get along well enough. After the first few descents, I can say that the bike feels light, notably stiff, and wonderfully playful for a slack-long 29er.

Look for a full review after I have a chance to wear the tires out, and in the meantime, enjoy this shreddy edit from Orbea.