New bike

£2,199.99 | Endurance bike gold?

Weight 9.34kg (XL) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears Shimano 105 (50/34, 11-30) Brakes Shimano 105 hydraulic Wheels Fulcrum Racing 800 Finishing kit Deda Zero 1 stem and bar, Prologo Kappa RS saddle, Orro alloy seatpost, Continental Grand Sport 28mm tyres

Photography Russell Burton

The Good
Great value; smooth, comfortable and stable ride

The Bad
Lack of mudguard eyelets; rotors can get noisy

ORRO BIKES HAS a fine reputation for building good value bikes, all made to order at its facility in the heart of the South Downs, in the shadow of the legendary Ditchling Beacon. This mile-long climb, with an average gradient approaching 10% and peaking at 16%, is a mecca for local riders to test their mettle. The Gold Evo is the brand’s take on an endurance bike and comes in this full Shimano 105 spec, or a cheaper 105/FSA mix with mechanical disc brakes for £1,799.99. The claimed frame and fork weights of 1.15kg and 460g respectively are good for a bike at this price and compare favourably with big brand offerings like Specialized’s Roubaix, Giant’s Defy and Cannondale’s Synapse.

Orro’s frameset is designed in the UK and, while it’s aimed at the long distance endurance rider, the geometry on my XL test bike – a 600mm stack and a 406mm reach – is at the sporty end of the endurance spectrum. When you factor in the short 410mm chainstays (407mm on smaller sizes), the tight 1,015mm wheelbase, the 73° head angle and steep 73.5° seat angle, it all adds up to a very fastpaced and capable bike, as opposed to the more steady and relaxed geometry that can define some endurance machines.

The Gold Evo uses three types of unidirectional carbon fibre in the frame’s construction, optimised to create stiffness through the head-tube and bottom bracket. The design eschews the trend towards dropped seat stays in favour of a more traditional diamond-shaped frame, while the stays themselves are slender and gently arched above the rear dropouts to offer comfort-giving compliance.

Tyre clearance is stated as 30mm, but there’s a generous amount of room at both the fork and rear with the 28c tyres fitted, so if you wanted to go bigger the Gold Evo could take oversized tyres easily. For a UK-designed bike, it seems a bit of an omission to not have the frameset equipped with mudguard mounts. There are plenty of clip-on guard options so it’s not a great loss, but some riders will see it as an issue.

The frameset is built up with a solid selection of components with Deda providing the cockpit in the form of the Zero 1 stem and bar. The bar’s semi-compact drop is one of the best shapes around, fitting your hands well when you’re down in the hooks, and the transition from the tops to the drop provides a great platform for the heel of your hand when holding the hoods.

Prologo’s Kappa saddle has a well shaped channel and is generously padded to produce a comfortable seat. The alloy seatpost does its job quite well, but in the long term it would be on my list to upgrade to a carbon post with a little more compliance. Not that the Orro wants for comfort – the combination of its well designed frame and compliant 28mm Continental tyres successfully smooths rough tarmac. The tyres may be from Continental’s second-tier range, but they still offer superb grip in both wet and dry and roll rapidly.

They’re wrapped around Fulcrum’s 33.7mm-deep alloy rimmed Racing 800 wheelset. At 1,960g a pair these aren’t the lightest around, but they’re a highquality wheelset with smooth hubs, a fast engaging freehub and a taut build. This makes for a bike that responds promptly and climbs well. When I switched out the wheelset for a lighter wheel package, the Gold Evo turned into a formidable ascender, making the Evo a bike that’s brimming with long-term upgrade appeal.

“On the road the Gold Evo 105 is everything a great all-day bike should be – smooth without being soft”

Its Shimano 105 drivetrain may be the last hurrah for mid-level mechanical groups with the arrival of the electronic Di2 iteration of 105, but that’s no reason to overlook it. The shifting quality is superb and the gear range – combining a 50/34 chainset with an 11-30 cassette – is the perfect spread for big rides and big climbs. The hydraulic brakes have plenty of feel and bags of power, although the rotors are Shimano’s base level and can get a bit noisy when really heated up. However, it’s not so intrusive as to become an issue.

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On the road the Gold Evo is everything a great all-day bike should be – the ride quality is smooth without being soft. The frame responds and accelerates quickly, and the front end’s geometry hits the sweet spot between swift and stable, making the Orro a great companion on both climbs and corners. The plush feel means it copes well over rougher road surfaces, holding its line and being unflustered by ruts and bumps, while also providing plenty of comfort. Warren Rossiter

Verdict
A strong all-rounder and very good value for money