Whether 26er or 29er version, one thing remains the same: both bikes share the characteristic kink in the top tube, which gives the bikes a unique look. The newly launched 29er version of the Occam is praised by the Spaniards as the ideal mountain bike for long cross-country routes, while the model is also predestined for riding down single trails. In order to be equipped for these areas of use, 105 millimetres of suspension travel are available at the front and rear, while the so-called X version even has 120 millimetres at the fork. While the short-travel version manages with a steering angle of 70 degrees, the steering angle of the 120 mm fork flattens out to a downhill-friendly 69 degrees.

No barriers at the rear wheel
At the rear wheel, the Occam 29er is completely barrier-free: thanks to the C9-12 thawed system, rear wheels with 9-millimeter quick release or X12 thru-axle can access the dropouts thanks to adapters. Sealed roller bearings are installed at the pivot points on the rear triangle - and this type of bearing is also used on the rear anchorage of the shock, which is intended to improve the sensitivity of the suspension. Orbea relies on Fox for the suspension elements, while for the wheels the Spaniards put Sram system wheels in the bike.

Clear cable routing
The "Downtube Cable Highway" ensures a tidy look: the cables and sleeves for the rear derailleur and rear brake are fixed to the upper part of the down tube. The cabling for the front derailleur takes a different route: its linkage is routed through the top tube and seat tube and only leaves its internal route just before the front derailleur.

Carbon and aluminum
Orbea relies on carbon and aluminum for the frame material: in each of the four variants, one model in the X version with 120 millimeters of suspension travel is intended even more for trail use than for cross-country use.

The contact partner for Orbea is the Biel-based distributor Platts (Europe) Ltd. The company, managed by Dietmar Faes, has been responsible for the import and distribution of the Basque bikes in Switzerland since September 2011. According to Faes, the Occam 29er will be available in this country from October 2012.