Orbea

Carpe H10 Shimano XT Complete Road Bike - 2014

If you're reading this, odds are that you have a serious competitive streak that finds its outlet on board a bike. But what do you do when you're looking for something more, shall we say, relaxing? Well, that's exactly where the Orbea Carpe H10 Complete Road Bike comes into play. By mixing the Basque brand's racing heritage with the desire for a fast commuter, you end up with what's best described as a human powered café racer. So, whether you're cruising with your family or you're on a solo mission for your morning coffee, the Carpe H10 will get you there in style and with spirit.

The frame was built from hydroformed aluminum. If your aluminum tech is a little rusty, hydroforming is a process of shaping aluminum that allows lighter, stronger, and more rigid tubing to be formed. During this process, high pressure hydraulic fluid is used to press room-temperature working material, in this case, aluminum, into a die. Using this method, Orbea was able to create complex shapes that would otherwise be difficult with standard solid die stamping. Hydroformed tubing has a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio, which in turn, means a lighter, stronger bike frame. The result is a subtle and elegantly curved design, and a frame that features a lifetime warranty. Further along these lines, the fork is the Orbea Fitness Carbon Disc, which provides precise steering while minimizing road chatter.

While many "urban" bikes feature a single-speed or fixed gear, Orbea knows that you may need a few more choices, especially if you live in an area of varying terrain. Accordingly, Orbea used Shimano's Deore XT one-by drivetrain. And since it's a mountain groupset, you won't have to worry about durability. There's only a single 42t front chainring, while the rear is a full 10-speed, 11-36t cassette. This means that you'll have plenty of range in your gearing, even if your neighborhood is peppered with steep hills. It's driven by a Prowheel Pioneer 242 crankset with VP-59 Trekking pedals. The rear derailleur and shifter are also Shimano XT.

Even more eye-turning than the frame or the drivetrain are the disc brakes. Yes, you read that correctly, Formula RX disc brakes are used on the Carpe. Disc brakes broke into the mainstream of mountain-biking and cyclocross, and now that same level of quick, reliable stopping power is brought to the street. After all, there's probably no place we'd like more braking control than when winding our way through traffic. The Orbea Disc wheelset is wrapped with Vittoria Randoneur tires with a 32mm-width. The wider tires give you a smooth ride, even over rough pavement.

Orbea finished out the build with a plethora of its proprietary components. An OC-1 Raised handlebar and matching OC-1 stem put you in a relaxed position that's perfect to stretch out on after being hunched over drop bars all week. And loastly, the OC-1 seatpost has been topped off with a Velo VL-1221 saddle for trip-worthy comfort.

The Orbea Carpe 10 Complete Road Bike is available in the color Black and in five sizes from 48 to 60cm.