Orro Terra C Ekar 1x 2021

£3599.99

Our Stu likes loading a bike up with some camping kit or going long distance on some tough off-road byways, he has the most fun on shorter rides, those of two or three hours long with as little kit as possible.

The Orro behaves off-road how he wants a road bike to behave on the tarmac. Out for a hard blast on the local byways, it's nimble, and the handling feels quick and precise; you feel like you are part of the Orro rather than being sat on it.

For a road rider making the transition to gravel, the Orro makes an ideal bedfellow. The steering still feels quick and the 74.2-degree seat angle puts you in a good forward position to get the power down.

Stamp on the pedals for a climb and you won't be left wanting; nothing is wasted in terms of power. The massive width of the down tube, wide BB shell junction and chunky chainstays (the drive side is dropped for extra clearance) make it quick off the mark, even from a standing start.

It's worth mentioning that Orro designs its own moulds rather than buying off-the-shelf carbon fibre sections to build its bikes. It's a big investment, especially when you are offering five sizes, but it does allow Orro to control the tube profiles and therefore the overall ride quality.

The cables pass through the headtube which creates a very clean look along with allowing bar bags to fit easily. You also get rear rack mounts, which will take a load of up to 5kg, and mudguard mounts, plus a third bottle cage mounting position under the down tube to go with the other two in the usual places.

Campagnolo's Ekar groupset is quickly becoming a favourite of ours. It offers great range and slick shifting while also providing powerful braking.

The wheels are relatively uninspiring Fulcrum aluminium models. You might want to upgrade to something carbon down the line, but for now they keep the price down.