Stiff, light , good looking – and comfortable to ride, when the last incarnation of the Orca hit the streets back in 2006 I really liked it. This was one of the first bikes to demonstrate that the bike industry was really getting to grips with the possibilities carbon had to offer, and it sure was pretty too – which helps. So there’s a lot riding on the 2009 makeover. What’s different? Essentially the frame is lighter and stiffer. The dropouts, and headbadge (which also acts as a cable guide) are now made from magnesium which Orbea reckon makes for a sub-kilo frame in the mid-sizes, the previous incarnation that we rode had a frame weight bang on the 1Kg mark when we rode it back in ’06. The carbon weave has been tweaked too to add extra stiffness. All the test bikes were in stealth black – lacking the distinctive inset paint job that made the original Orca so attractive, – the Orca is available in a number of different colourways including a very striking red and the original black and ivory combo.
See more pics of the Orbea Orca
Eurobike rides: Orbea Orca
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I wasn't saying that nor talking about people who say that. I said it was silly to claim that wearing a helmet indicates acceptance of dangerous driving and poor infrastructure. I choose to wear a helmet; I also regularly report dangerous driving to the police and correspond with councils and road authorities about ways infrastructure could be improved for cyclists. I rather doubt I'm the only helmet wearer who does so.
@JamieT (a pedant writes) she's a London Assembly member, not an MP.
@Rendel Harris ".....but the claim that wearing one is somehow to be accepting dangerous driving and poor infrastructure is silly." Not that silly. Demanding that cyclists wear a helmet is seen by many people as 'the answer' to cycling safety, so there's no need to put in infrastructure. The difference between infrastructure and helmets is that infrastructure works. Helmets are a distraction from what really works, and the more time we spend talking about them, the less time we spend on things that do work. Helmets should be consigned to the dustbin of history as a failed experiment, and we should cease even mentioning them.
@Mr Blackbird Hats off to George Hall My hat's not coming off- despite this touch of cycleway-washing, Hall still bears the Mark of Cain, until he repudiates his party altogether
Perhaps an article showing a) what is available in the uk as cargo bikes and) comments from real life scenarios from those already using bikes or cargo bikes as one gentleman has done in the comments. Perhaps road.cc could follow up with this. Even the MP said not every business should use cargo bikes but suggested a more nuanced approach suitable for certain trades or companies....
@mdavidford Clearly the end of the sentence got deleted by mistake and it's meant to finish "...devices in their pockets."
@Terry Hutt I don't support mandatory helmets either, but I always think that's a daft analogy (I realise you're not quoting it approvingly): if people shooting in the streets was a regular problem, I'd campaign against it vociferously and expect the authorities to do something about it, but I'd still wear body armour unless and until the problem was sorted out. It's perfectly reasonable for people to question the efficacy of cycle helmets, but the claim that wearing one is somehow to be accepting dangerous driving and poor infrastructure is silly.
“People who are wearing body armour get used to being shot at, when it’s the getting shot at that’s the problem.” People who are wearing body armour get used to being shot at because they survive. People not wearing it die the first time they are shot. So they don't really have much chance to get used to being shot at, do they? But seriously if you don't want to wear a helmet and you're an adult, no-one should have the right to make you wear one.
@lawrence18uk Occasionally I see tradies travelling with some tools on the train, compact tool bags, rucksacks and wheelie luggage, often carrying long spirit levels separately, but on a couple of occasions collapsible ladders.
