Are you interested in an Orro Terra Gravel bike? Here we provide a full review of exactly what they are, why you should choose them and a few of your options.
What is a gravel bike?
Gravel bikes, sometimes also referred to as adventure bikes, are essentially road bikes designed to tackle a variety of surfaces, carry additional gear and are suitable for all-day riding on roads less travelled.
With a gravel bike, riders have the ability to take in all roads. You can ride tarmac – sacrificing some rolling efficiency – and then transition onto gravel roads or even flowing single-track forest trails. The broad theme with gravel bikes is that of adventure riding, unconstrained by terrain.
How are Gravel bikes different from cross bikes?
Who buys what can often begin with a closer examination of one’s own needs.
Gravel bikes have these benefits when compared to standard hybrids/cross bikes:
1)More upright posture
2)Lower centre of stability
3)Longer wheelbase
4)More mounts for gear
5)More stable than CX bikes
5)Often greater rake on the fork for more compliance
6)Many gravel bikes now have integrated leaf suspension or dampening comfort engineering to make longer rides comfortable.
As a result, your body will be less battered and you will be able to bear more weight.
CX bikes, on the other hand, cannot make the same point.
CX bikes have race configuration that takes a lot of pressure on the average person’s body and helps them to hold less gear (problematic for bikepacking).
Why ORRO?
Located in Sussex, since its launch less than three years ago, Orro has made a big splash with its growing bike line-up. All of the company’s bikes are manufactured and assembled in the United Kingdom, not far from Orro’s testing grounds at Ditchling Beacon.
Orro is the house bike of i-ride, the UK dealer for Prologo, 3T, Fulcrum, and De Rosa, among many other big brands, which helps it to compete with online outfits like Rose and Canyon in terms of package specs on its bikes. For e.g., the 1,000-pound Terra has high-end components like a 3T cockpit and seat post, a Prologo saddle, and Fulcrum wheels, all of which are uncommon on bikes over a grand.
Orro Terra Gravel bikes are budget-friendly bikes that can be used for both everyday cycling and longer adventures. If you’re looking for a well-equipped, competent commuter with a lot of promise, this is the car for you. The Terra Gravel Path is targeted squarely at the thriving ‘all-road’/gravel bike market, as its name implies. Orro’s creators have poured a lot of time into making the Terra, which is more than just a reworked cyclo-cross bike. The frame angles resemble those of a road bike, with a 73-degree head and 72.6-degree seat, and it’s still very long and not that tall in the front, much like a road bike. As soon as you get on the road, this feels like a real road bike.
For the purposes of this guide and to help you decide we’ve compared between these three popular choices offered by Orro.
Orro Terra G 105-FSA Gravel Bike
MSRP: £1249.99
The Orro Terra G is a dependable and flexible gravel bike that’s perfect for long bikepacking journeys, gravel biking, and off-road trail riding. It has an alloy frame and a superlight carbon fork for a perfect blend of power, dependability, and control while remaining light. In addition, Orro has fitted this off-road adventurer with a Shimano 105 2×11-Speed groupset, Tektro mechanical disc brakes, and Fulcrum R900 wheels with Vittoria Zaffiro tyres. Touring, commuting, road riding with friends, and amazing solo trips are all possible on this ride.
This is the original Orro gravel bike, with rugged simplicity and dependability at its heart. Orro’s OSD triple-butted 6061 aircraft-grade aluminium frames are equally adept at adventures as it is commuting. Designed with venturesome riders in mind and for those who may want to take the shortcut along the towpath or hammer the bridleways instead of the tarmac. Unlike the very first versions of the Terra Gravel, the latest iteration now comes with 35mm tyre clearance (32mm with guards) which allows for ultimate control, comfort and grip on all terrains.
The frame can take rubber up to 42mm wide, so if you’re looking to venture off the tarmac and on to the gravel you can
The Spyre mechanically actuated disc brakes proved to be very effective. The brushed and polished aluminium is triple-butted to keep the weight down. It looks good too. And as the late Lemmy used to sing, “I’ve got a silver machine… and I’m still feeling mean!”
However, for better stability, the bottom bracket has been lowered, and the near-105cm wheelbase is longer than a road bike’s.
Except while threading your way along twisty country roads, the Terra never looks ponderous.
This brushed and polished triple-butted aluminium frame has an old-school look about it, but the ride quality is cutting-edge.
When you venture into more variable surfaces, the slender seat post, lean seat stays, and full-carbon fork combines to provide a cushioned feel on the road that translates to bump-nulling smoothness. i-labels ride’s also imply high-quality touchpoints, with the harness, handlebar, and bar tape all adding to the finished look.
The Terra’s front and rear mudguard fittings, as well as rear rack mounts, make it a capable fast commuter or day-to-day all-rounder, though larger adventures would necessitate the use of more capable tyres.
Except on the wider Fulcrum rims, the wire-beaded Vittoria Zaffiro tyres sound fast on the lane, but that’s partial because, considering their nominal 28mm diameter, they come up very narrow. But get off the beaten path and onto the bumps, and you’ll soon learn their limits. However, the frame can accommodate rubber up to 42mm in length, so if you want to go off the beaten path and onto the dirt, you can. We admire the Zaffiros’ contribution to Terra’s versatility, but given the bike’s name, we would have preferred something a little more gravel-friendly.
The kit is on the higher end of what you would get for over a £1,000 sum. Shimano’s 105 groupset is at the centre of it all, working as anticipated and with minimal hassle. The TRP Spyre cable disc brakes are excellent, as are the contact points and the Fulcrum Racing Sport Disc wheels are stiff and secure. The frame, on the other hand, remains the main attraction. It provides a smooth and relaxing ride, as well as the stability to encourage you to drive it harder when the going gets rough.
Its fixtures and fittings add to its adaptability, allowing you to use it in a variety of ways.
Technical Specifications:
- Frame: Orro Terra Gravel
- Fork: Orro Terra Gravel Superlight 2.0
- Chain set: FSA Omega 50-34T
- Front Derailleur: Shimano 105 7000
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105 7000
- Shifters: Shimano 105 7000 Mechanical
- Cassette: Shimano 105 7000 11-30T
- Brakes: Tektro MD-C550 Mechanical Disc
- Wheelset: Fulcrum R900 DB
- Tyres: Vittoria Zaffiro 28c
- Saddle: Prologo Kappa RS
- Handlebar: FSA Vero Compact
- Seat post: Orro Alloy Setback
- Stem: FSA Omega ST
- Colour: Silver
- Frame Size: XS, M, L, S, XL
- Wheel Size: 700c
- Gender: Unisex
- Speed: 11 Speed Double
- Material: Aluminium
Orro Terra 105 Hydro Gravel Bike
MSRP: £1549.99
The Terra 105 Hydro from Orro is a stylish, versatile, and efficient gravel bike that’s perfect for off-road riding, adventurous bikepacking journeys, and long-distance endurance trips. It comes with a modern-geometry aluminium chassis, a Superlight 2.0 carbon axle, and a Shimano 105 7000 2×11-Speed groupset with hydraulic disc brakes. This gravel bike is a stable and secure journey buddy, suited to riding over all terrains in any weather situation.
The Terra Gravel 105 Hydro is the most recent iteration of Orro’s first gravel bike. It has a Shimano 105 11-speed groupset with hydraulic disc brakes that have excellent all-weather braking ability. This means you can stop with more faith in wet and icy weather, and the extra stopping strength, combined with the balanced Terra G frame geometry, allows for a perfect combination.
The original ORRO gravel bike, the Terra Gravel 105, is founded on rugged simplicity and dependability. The OSD triple-butted 6061 aircraft-grade aluminium frame from Orro is equally at home on trips as it is on commutes. Designed for daring riders who wish to take a shortcut through the towpath by hammering the bridleways rather than the tarmac. Unlike previous models of the Terra Gravel, the new model has a 35mm tyre clearance (32mm with guards), allowing for full control, comfort, and grip.
Technical Specifications:
- Frame: ORRO Terra Gravel
- Fork: ORRO Terra Gravel Superlight 2.0
- Chainset: Shimano 105 7000 50-34
- Shifters: Shimano 105 7020 Hydraulic
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105 7000
- Front Derailleur: Shimano 105 7000
- Cassette: Shimano 105 7000 11-30
- Chain: Shimano 105 7000
- Brake Calipers: Shimano 105 Disc 7000 Hydraulic
- Wheelset: Fulcrum R900 DB
- Tyres: Vittoria Zaffiro 32c
- Handlebar: Deda Zero 1
- Stem: Deda Zero 1
- Seatpost: ORRO Alloy Setback
- Saddle: Orro Gravel Saddle
- Bottom Bracket: BB86Handlebar: FSA Vero Compact
- Seat post: Orro Alloy Setback
- Stem: FSA Omega ST
- Colour: Silver
- Frame Size: XS, M, L, S, XL
- Wheel Size: 700c
- Gender: Unisex
- Speed: 11 Speed Double
- Material: Aluminium
Verdict
Pros: The frame is very well-made and has excellent handling thanks to the premium alloy it is made from. Lightweight & durable, reliable Shimano 102 gears, with a large range of gears to make light work of hills, hydraulic disc brakes that work under any weather circumstances.
Cons: The Vittoria’s tyres are good on the track, but they restrict its adventure appeal.
Orro Terra C GRX600 RR9 Gravel Bike
MSRP: £2099.99
The Terra C GRX900 is ready for any quick trail session, gravel sprint, or epic adventure. It’s lightweight, compact, and designed to work with the utmost of reliability. With a full carbon frame and Shimano GRX600 1×11-Speed groupset with a wide-ranging 11-42T cassette and hydraulic disc brakes, this bike is ready to ride. Furthermore, it runs on Fulcrum R700 wheels with WTB Riddler all-terrain tyres. With its exceptional part spec, this sleek and powerful bike instils trust, calmness, and the conviction that every venture, mission, or desire is within your reach. Terra C is characterised by its light responsive ride quality, built with the specifications necessary to provide capable control across varied terrain. An adaptive bike crafted to ensure that your next adventure, new route, or old commute is a total blast.
The frame geometry allows for effortless descent and cornering, resulting in assured off-road handling. When you return to the tarmac, the carbon layup’s excellent power conversion is readily evident. Innegra fibres are threaded into the carbon at strategic positions to shield the frame from impact injury, meaning that the ‘light and quick’ design ethos is met but also offering the reliability that riders demand.
The semi-integrated front end of this sleek and dependable gravel bike creates an ultra-clean aesthetic. The cables enter the frame through a cable box on the headset and run internally through the headtube, where they are fully shielded from the elements.
This not only makes the frame look slick, but it also avoids cable rub abrasion on the headtube as the handlebars are rotated, as well as contact with handlebar bags. With a compatible bar and stem, this latest concept can also be completely integrated, with no visible cables.
Since its inception, Orro Terra C has always used Shimano’s new and best groupsets. The single front chain ring on this model’s GRX drivetrain is suitable for off-road travel, as it eliminates technical difficulty and the risk of chain derailment. On undulating terrain, the wide ratio 11-42T cassette offers major gear hops for quick and efficient shifting. Power and stability are still at the fingertips with hydraulic disc brakes.
Technical Specifications:
- Frame: ORRO Terra C
- Fork: ORRO Terra C
- Chain set: Shimano GRX600 40T
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano GRX600
- Shifters: Shimano GRX600
- Cassette: Shimano GRX600 11-42T
- Chain: Shimano 105 7000
- Brakes: Shimano RX400 Hydraulic Disc
- Wheelset: Fulcrum R700 DB
- Tyres: WTB Riddler 37c
- Saddle: Prologo Kappa RS
- Handlebar: FSA Adventure Compact
- Seat post: ORRO Alloy Setback
- Stem: FSA Omega ST
- Rack Limit: 5kg (Only to be mounted with the bolts provided)
- Colour: Steel
- Frame Size: L, M, S, XL
- Wheel Size: 700c
- Gender: Unisex
- Speed: 11 Speed
- Material: Carbon