Mountain biking training plans

Mountain ​biking training​ plans

The new Orbea Alma is synonymous with lightness, strength, competitive spirit, innovation. It saw the light for the first time in 2006​ being the first mountain bike that Orbea built on carbon and since then it has not stopped evolving, achieving great victories in the most demanding international competitions.

It is clear that improving something that is "almost perfect" is not an easy task. That's why Orbea engineers, together with the help of their Elite brokers, got down to work. The start was simple and

direct. A question thrown at all of them ... ​What would you improve on the Orbea Alma? ​. A ​ pply one drop of oil on each​ ​bike cleaning accessories The answers did not take long to reach the Orbea offices from all corners of the world. Some somewhat crazy and unworkable, and others so simple that even before anyone had stopped to think logically. With a list of requests large enough to scare the best of the engineers, they went to work trying to integrate the largest number of these in the ​first 3D prototypes in plastic​ .

The process was long until the first frame built entirely in carbon saw the light to be assembled and tested. The result is in the following image and all its details below: The picture of the ​new Soul​ is not a simple evolution. Normally the big brands improve their products season by season, step by step.

Orbea stands out from this trend, and turns those little steps into a great leap, getting a completely new picture, while retaining the deepest of its essence, its soul. It is the third generation of the Soul, but it has been eight long years since its birth.

The frame of the new Orbea Alma is built​ in a single piece of carbon. The final finish has been conceived b ​ ased on five points​ : stylized aerodynamic lines, dynamics, more fiber and less muscle, aggressiveness and efficiency. These five points make the new Orbea Alma 2014 an authentic jewel, designed to offer the maximum in each pedalada and transmit with its renewed lines, the strength and elegance of a futuristic sports car.

One of the points where more users agreed in the surveys of Orbea before designing the new Soul, was in its ​extreme rigidity​ . This

towards the "old" Alma a machine almost exclusive of competition, not being comfort its strong point. ​Alma 2014​ and its new design have been designed to compensate for that rigidity / comfort. The frame is 1​ 5% more rigid laterally​ , but thanks to its studied design and the application of the fibers, especially in the vertical tube, which is now much thinner and flattened, it has been possible to increase the absorption of impacts and the comfort in a figure we would say that amazing: 2 ​ 11% improvement in vertical absorption​.

This improvement not only results in less pain for our rear or arms, but also in an improvement of driving thanks to that absorption of impacts by carbon and less fatigue for the frame and components.

The " ​ Reach & Stack"​ of the new 2014 Soul, or what is the same, the distance drawn by the vertical line from the center of the bottom bracket and the horizontal line from the center of the steering pipe when coming together in the plane, gives as a result the height and length of the frame, commonly called ​bike size​. In Orbea they have not been obsessed with the new wheel sizes. The 29er are there some time ago, more Orbea was the first manufacturer in the world to create a 29 "carbon frame in 2007. Its advantages are already known. Now the market is turning towards a new measure, t​ he 27.5 "​ , right in between the 26" and the 29 ". In Orbeacould have been limited to creating a new Alma with 650b wheels, but it has not

been like that. T ​ he new Alma range​ will be available in both sizes, depending on the size of each user. ​27.5 "for sizes S and M, and 29" for sizes M, L and XL​ . Applying logic we do not believe that it is necessary to say why. In the graph we can see a comparison with different models of the market.

The new table will be the same for both 29 "and 27.5". The new geometry with a s ​ horter 15mm direction pipe​ and a ​more open degree angle​ , going from 71.5º to 70.5º will make us feel more stable, especially in complicated steps. T ​ he pods​ go from 439mm to

436mm in the 29er version and being 423mm in length in the 27.5 ", same measure as the 26" model. A shorter pods result in better acceleration and transmission of the strength of our pedals, as well as greater agility in technical turns and climbs.

The new models of Alma 29 and 27.5 "will have two different versions of the frame. The Gold, Silver and Bronze versions are renamed O ​ MR and OMP​ , which correspond to the acronym of Orbea Monocoque Race and Performance​ . Two Race models and three Performance models with different wheel sizes, sizes and assemblies. The main differences lie in the different uses of carbon fibers, in addition to the final weight, ​990 grams for the OMR table and about 150 grams more for the Performance. The Performance models will be in stores starting in O ​ ctober​ and the Race models starting in ​November​.

The different technologies that the n ​ ew Soul has​ also make it special. The ​DCR wiring system​ patented by Orbea s ​ aves a few grams​ while i​ mproving and extending the smooth operation​ of the transmission. The system is simple, a thin special cover covers the entire cable from the handle to the change, this in turn runs through the inside of the normal covers. It reduces friction and

prevents water and dirt from getting inside the case, extending its useful life as well.

The " ​ Press Fit"​ technology is used for the bottom bracket , and the "Tapered"​ system for the steering head . The rear brake is mounted by ​"Post mount"​ . Each of them has its logic. Lightness, rigidity and functionality.

Exercises to improve c​ ardiovascular​ ​system The new Orbea Alma is prepared to house the new generations of electronic changes​ , such as the ​Di2 system​ . A clear example that the leap that the new Alma has given goes for a long time.

On the ground, in the presentation made during three days in the small ​coastal town of Orio​ , we could try first hand the new models of 27.5 ". Orbea wanted to make clear that the d ​ ifference with the second generation of Alma​ is great, therefore, the first kilometers we made with this, the "old" Alma 29er, and then, in the same journey, make them with the new model 650b. Thanks to this we could notice large differences without having to resort to data.

The first one is the ​driving position, quite more comfortable​ , even though this is a "racing" position, our body was in less tension. In

turn, the new frame improved with O ​ rbea's 4 × 4 technology​ was more stable in bumpy areas. That the wheels of 27.5 "influence, yes, but we do not pay much attention to them either. If it is true that in twisty areas and in sudden accelerations, or complicated curve steps, a pelin if we appreciate the smaller diameter.

The lateral stiffness is still very high​ . There is no flexion when pedaling with force lifted from the saddle. The new steering angle makes it very stable without being slow to react. The new geometry is very successful, with short sheaths and a bottom bracket within the standard measurements, rolling, accelerating and climbing large slopes becomes easier.

The new Orbea Alma 2014 is ready to continue climbing to the top of the podium for a few years, but also, so that lovers of great challenges can enjoy with guarantees of their long route in the mountains.